Shirley “Shit,” I say to myself as I drive down the road the following afternoon. It just hit me - I forgot to leave Ralph my contact information the night before. I had fully intended to, or even asked for his. However, I had been distracted once Keith joined us. I’m not fully certain why, but I can only assume that I was blindsided by his pretty face. And there’s no way I can ask Jean for his phone number and simply text him. I can’t help but feel like he would know something is up if I claim I got his information “from a friend.” He may catch onto my ulterior motives and compromise the charm. I need something else…a new plan. But what? Continuing my drive, I begin to hit another part of the town, reaching more of the forest area. It’s quiet and free of the livelihood of the busier streets. I chose the route so I could clear my head and explore the town more. But a splash of color soon appears through the fall leaves. There’s a billboard up ahead, and something about the logo seems familiar. I take my time reading the words, realizing it’s an advertisement for some werewolf social networking app. It’s strange…it’s like I’ve seen it before. And then I remember - I have seen it. Last night in the bar, I caught a glimpse of that same logo…on Ralph’s phone. He’d been using the app when I’d swept into the seat next to him - though he’d quickly abandoned it once I’d caught his attention. That asshole! I nearly smack the steering wheel of my rental car. Not only is that app for networking, but its specific use is for meeting single wolves for dating. Asshole, I repeat. I have no idea how long this has been going on, but obviously he has been actively looking for someone to cheat with, someone new to develop. Oh, I could tear his head off. But then again…Ralph’s infidelity also makes my job a little easier. Taking the next turn, I speed back to the hotel. Once in my room, I throw myself down onto the bed and get to work. I may have failed to get Ralph’s number the night before, but that’s no longer an issue. Downloading the app, I skillfully make a fake profile under the name Anya before uploading a few retouched and sexy photos of myself. I also make sure to change my age, making it look like I’m some typical fun loving and flirty college girl. Once my page is set, I’m free to browse the other profiles. It doesn’t take me long to find Ralph’s, causing me to laugh at how careless he is. I open his page so I can read over his details, shaking my head as I notice his status is set to “single.” Single, my ass. But I also see the green dot next to his name, indicating that he is online. So I message him. Anya: What a weird coincidence! Weren’t you the one who paid for my drink last night at the Oak Bar? For extra measure, I finish my text with a heart emoji, wanting to nearly gag at the silly action. However, it seems to do the trick as it takes seconds for Ralph to reply. Men are so easy. Ralph: Yes! How crazy. It seems we are meant to be. -winky face- Pushing away my disgust, I decide to text him back with the same eagerness. Anya: Seems like we are. I was thinking of going to Bounce tonight, but don’t have anyone to go with. -frowny face- I don’t ask if he wants to go with me, leaving the ball in his court instead. After all, Ralph likes a submissive girl…someone who needs a man to take over. And he gladly rises to the occasion. Ralph: Well, now you do. -smiley face- Meet me there? Easy. Too easy. ~ Bounce is like any other nightclub - the lights dim and the music loud. The stage is decorated with wolf strippers working their magic on the current crowd who are either gliding around the dance floor or occupying tables near the edges. Ralph and I are among those who have shifted off to the side as we sit together. We’ve only been there for a few minutes, but already he has positioned himself close to me, his hand near my leg. Probably because I decided to wear a short, red dress - perfect for a college girl’s night out. In fact, he looks like he wants to eat me up as he keeps his eyes locked on me. However, they keep shifting all over, not knowing whether he’d rather stare into my eyes - free of my glasses - or my thighs. On the table though, his fingers mindlessly tap next to his phone, as if waiting for something. “Expecting a call?” I ask, nodding to the phone. Or a text? For all I know, he could be messaging multiple other girls, planning other outings. But Ralph shakes his head. “No,” he replies as he slides the phone into his pocket. “I turned it off. I don’t want anyone to disturb us.” What a gentleman, I scoff, giving Cicy a mental roll of my eyes. “What a gentleman,” I repeat the words aloud for him, but this time they’re endearing. “I’m surprised a guy like you is still single. Shouldn’t you be old enough to find your mate?” I’m testing him, seeing if he shifts or stumbles at my words. But Ralph is completely relaxed as he offers a shrug. “I’m definitely single,” he replies simply. “Mates are too much trouble.” With his response, I can’t help but lift a brow. However, Ralph thankfully takes my annoyance as disappointment, causing him to quickly cover his tracks. “Oh, but I don’t mean you,” he adds quickly. “If you were my mate then it would definitely be enjoyable. I think we’d have a lot of fun together.” I try not to cringe as I flash a smile, then give him a bashful shrug. “Me too,” I smooth out. Smug again, Ralph leans closer, his leg nearly brushing mine. “So your profile says you’re twenty-two,” he comments. “And that you’re in college. Where do you go?” I take a sip from my drink, buying myself some time. However, I’ve prepared for this question. I took the time to research some nearby schools so I could make sure I had a proper backstory. “Kirkland University,” I respond, setting my glass down. That seems to please him as Ralph hums in interest, his gaze softly flicking down my body again. But once he meets my gaze, he nods toward the room. “Wanna dance?” he asks. I accept his offer despite dancing with him being the last thing I want to do. But I have to. If I want this plan to work then I need to play my part perfectly. Within moments, we’re out on the dance floor, falling into rhythm with the music. Ralph stays close to me and I don’t back away, even making an effort to bring our bodies closer with each beat of the song. I try to pretend that Ralph isn’t who is, that I don’t want to squirm away with each inch crossed between us, so I keep my focus on the music, the lights. Especially as we’re nearly right up against each other then. So I make my move. “You’re so handsome,” I murmur into his ear, saying just what he wants to hear. I can tell by the way his eyes deepen in color as I slide away, noticing his hands reaching for my waist. So I step back even further, rocking my hips as if I’m merely dancing to the song. Ralph doesn’t look annoyed by my action, which fills me with triumph. My charm is working beautifully, but I know I still need to push things further to make sure I'm actually successful. So I smirk. “I wouldn’t mind hiring some of the male strippers to dance right in front of me. A whole row of them,” I say, the request bold, wicked. But it has to be. The request I make to my target has to be absolutely absurd and unreasonable. And Ralph is stunned. His eyes have widened and his mouth slightly hangs open. “A row!?” he asks, his head seeming to spin at my claim and the amount of money it would cost to please me. But he’s thinking about it, clearly calculating his response as he looks toward the dancers on the stage. I keep dancing, anticipating his answer. His reply will determine whether or not my charm has worked. If he meets my request, then he will fall deeper into his infatuation and obey all of my commands. That’s how it always worked. “So,” I begin. “What do you say?” Ralph turns back to me. And based on the way he looks at me - I can tell I’m going to win. ~ “Ralph!” The sudden call completely interrupts Ralph’s reply. It came from behind him, causing us to both turn that time as we search for who has decided to intrude. And much to my disbelief, I discover Keith walking through the parting crowd, coming right up to us. How is he here? Again!? “Keith -“ Ralph tries. “Kevin called and asked me how the project you’re in charge of is going,” Keith clips out, his harsh stare only remaining on Ralph. “But it seems you’re a little distracted.” His reference to me almost makes me scoff, but I’m too focused on Ralph as he looks down and pulls out the phone from his pocket. Awkwardly, he turns it on and I feel my jaw tighten as he steps away, giving me a pathetic apology under his breath before he begins to weave through the crowd. Incredible. Once again, Keith has managed to ruin everything. And right when I was about to determine whether or not my charm had worked! Annoyed, I finally dare to look at him, no longer impressed by Keith’s handsome features as I give him a firm scowl. I don’t even care if he’s staring right back - truly looking at me for the first time. I’m beyond pissed. “Why do you keep interrupting us?” “Why are you here?” Our questions come out at the same time, merely thrown at each other’s feet as we glare at one another. And Keith’s disapproval only worsens as he frowns at me, promptly shaking his head. “You were the one I saw him with at the bar the other night, weren’t you?” he asks, though I don’t know why he posed his words as a question. Based on his tone, we both know the answer.
Shirley I stutter a little as I weigh Keith’s question in my hands. I had no idea that he’d noted my appearance the other night and had remembered me. However, his unwavering voice confirmed that he had no doubt in his mind that I’m the same girl from the bar. He did notice me, and has now clearly taken an interest based on the way he eyes me. Only, his gaze is skeptical, curious - suggesting that I may not like the type of interest he’s developed. It seems I’ve made an impression on him, but not a good one. Not the right one either. “What’s the matter, little wolf?” he asks, taking a step closer to me. I don’t back away, though. I keep my feet planted as he’s standing right in front of me now, slightly making me blush. I pray he doesn’t notice. My glasses always do a good job of protecting me, as if I can ward off his charms by having them on. However, I can’t help but prickle at his presence, an odd sense of fear pooling in my stomach. I’m not entirely sure why. But still,
Shirley “Do you have any idea who I am?” he asks, his voice dipping low as his features are painted with arrogance. But I can’t answer his question. I’m too stunned. My charm…my charm actually failed. I know I shouldn’t be so thrown, but this isn’t what I had expected. Of course, my charm has the ability to fail, but the request I had made wasn’t even a difficult one. It was nothing compared to the one I’d given Ralph - attempting to get him to spend a large sum of money on me. So why had I crashed and burned? All I’d asked was for Keith to leave us alone. I’m still trying to work through my thoughts when I’m suddenly interrupted. Keith lets out a soft rumble from his throat, snapping me out of my daze as I blink away the gloss in my eyes. I realize he’s waiting for my response, which I quickly throw together. “Who are you?” I ask, once again pretending to be clueless despite the information Jean already gave me. My rattled emotions make it easy for me to fake my confusion.
Shirley She didn’t say it - not fully. Jean began to utter my real name, but only managed the beginning before the rest got caught in her throat. It’s as if she had an epiphany midway through, realizing who had been the one to call her and likely still stood off camera. Shir. That’s all she’d said. Not Shirley. Shir could easily be mistaken for “sure.” And I want to think that’s exactly how Keith has interpreted the sound as I sneak a glance over at him, meeting his calm expression. Nothing in his eyes suggests that he knows the clipped word she’d breathed is actually my nickname. So I shift my eyes back to Jean, keeping my shoulders relaxed as I hold her gaze. Everything in me tries to communicate with her through our simple stares, praying that years of friendship can make her hear the thoughts I can’t say aloud. Jean remains silent as I watch her study me. Slowly, I notice some of the surprise wear off of her face as she attempts to digest why my face is on Keith’s phone. A
Shirley “Give it back!” I demand, launching myself toward him before I realize what I’m doing. However, Keith merely steps back, lifting the badge higher. As he’s a whole foot taller than me, I can’t manage to reach it. “You’ve been lying to me,” he says tightly, narrowing his eyes. “You’re not some foreign exchange student. You’ve already graduated and you’re employed. Senior auditor.” He then stops, his glare becoming venomous. “Isn’t that right, Shirley?” I try not to pant as his words hit me - between him discovering my badge and saying my real name, I feel like a mixed-up mess. But I try not to show it as I take a breath, ordering myself to remain calm. “Oh, please,” I toss back. “You know - for an Alpha - you’re not very observant. If you weren’t too busy jumping to conclusions and took the time to look closer than you would have realized that’s not me!” To my response, Keith practically grunts, not at all convinced. “That’s my sister,” I insist. “We look similar, but -”
Shirley We’re sitting at a table near the center of the room - surrounded by finely-dressed waiters, high-priced wine, and soft candlelight. I smile at Ralph as I listen to him, swiveling around my wineglass as I brush the delicate material of the tablecloth under my hand. He gladly accepted my invitation for tonight, not hesitating to make the reservation and sending me the confirmation for the restaurant only ten minutes later. And now here we are, chatting in the perfect romantic ambiance. He’s already apologized for last night, and for all the lies he told me. Upon sitting down, I relayed some of the things Keith had revealed to me last night, letting him know I was now aware of his mate and child. He’d been red in the face when I’d finished, his eyes wide as he’d jumped to explain himself. He’d admitted he had a mate, a family. But he’d also told me the relationship was in jeopardy and they were thinking about ending things. Ha. He said he was so shaken up about the whole
Keith I want to keep an eye on her - that’s why I invited her to the pool party. Despite everything she told me or how many times she claimed her intentions are innocent, there’s just something I don’t trust. However, the pool party didn’t go as I expected. I spent the first hour making my rounds - talking to other pack members and dodging forced conversations with other women. Which was quite difficult considering I wore only a swimsuit, catching the attention of any female due to my bare chest and arms being on display. Women love muscles and I planned to use them to my advantage. I had seen the way that Anya looked at me…when she wasn’t planning to rip my head off. Even with my clothes on, I could tell that she liked what she saw. I thought maybe my physique would help distract her a little so I could get her to absentmindedly give me more information. But I’d been wrong. I’d been secretly searching for her the entire time, and eventually I found her. As our eyes met across
Shirley I’ve got Ralph wrapped around my finger like a perfectly tied bow. And I let Jean know as much as we go up the escalator together, leaving her to gape at me. “He’s really been messaging you non-stop everyday?” she asks, completely surprised. “Yup,” I confirm happily. “And he also makes sure we see each other any chance we get. But don’t worry - there hasn’t been any funny business.” Not that he hasn’t tried. However, it’s all been fairly harmless. Just a hand on my back here and there or pretending as if it’s a coincidence when our hands brush. But I make sure to keep him talking, placing his focus elsewhere. As I mentioned, we've been seeing each other constantly, planning to see each other everyday - without fail. I can’t say that I exactly love spending time with him, but I can’t deny that I enjoy seeing the way Keith sneers at me whenever he spots us together. Troublesome jerk. Plus, I’m making lots of headway. I bat my eyelashes at him, look at him in wonde
Shirley All I can hear is growling and what appears to be harsh kicks or punches landing against bodies. At one point or another, the sound of bones crunching meets my ears, causing me to shake harder as I can’t see anything. Whoever was holding me is no longer at my side, but I know it’s because they’re currently taking on the group of rogue wolves - I pray that they’re winning. Eventually, my shaking becomes so bad that I can’t even stand anymore. I’m on my knees, hugging myself on the ground as the brawl continues. It feels like a dream - a bad dream as my ears become numb and everything sounds so far away. I don’t know how long I sit there, but it feels like hours as I still shiver and rock, unable to calm myself. I know I’m perfectly capable of removing the bag from my head now, but I can’t get my arms to move. I simply sit there, listening to the fight, and wishing it would all just stop. And soon it does. I hear footsteps as multiple wolves run away or even a few g