Daisy Dukes

Jason's hands were rougher than I expected when he yanked that extravagant gown back onto my shoulders. The silk felt cold against my skin — cold and sticky, clinging where I was still sweaty and in pain from what we'd just done. I stood there in the half-light of the big ceremonial tent, the soft glow of lanterns flickering off the gold embroidery. My hair clung to my cheeks. I didn't even know how to fix it. Maybe I didn't want to.

I didn't even know how I was supposed to feel. My chest felt raw, scraped out, like someone had carved something out of me. Was that normal? Was it supposed to feel so terrible when you did something so private with someone? Or was it just me?

"Hey Jason?" I asked, my voice wobbling even though I tried to steady it. I tugged the gown up around my chest, clutched it there like it might protect me. "What was that?"

He was standing by the little washbasin, shoving his belt back through the loops of his pants, his back to me like I was nothing more than a passing conversation. He barely even looked at me when he spoke.

"Well, you're attractive, so I tried you out," Jason said. His tone was so casual — like he was talking about a piece of fruit he'd tasted and found bland. He zipped his pants up and didn't bother to hide the little smirk that crept over his face when he glanced at me.

My stomach twisted in a knot so tight I thought I might gag. A washcloth. That's what I felt like. Used to clean up his mess. And still, somewhere in my gut, I wanted to make him see me as more than that.

I opened my mouth. "I—"

He cut me off with a sharp laugh, mean as a knife. "By the way, it was the oracle that's forcing us together, not me. I don't really like you all that much — well, maybe your face, but that's it." He spat the words out like they were bitter seeds. "We're already being forced into this stupid ceremony later, so don't expect anything like love and affection or anything extra from me."

His eyes pinned me down, like he could see right through me to all the dreams I hadn't even dared to speak yet. "Cross the line and I'll send you back to your parents."

"My parents—"

"I don't care if they were good to you or not. You'll be sent back the moment you mess up. Got it?" Jason hissed. He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell the sweat on his skin, the faint tang of my own scent still clinging to him. "Now shape up. You look prettier when you smile."

Smile. That word made my skin crawl. I did it anyway. I bared my teeth like an obedient pet. He didn't notice. Or he didn't care.

***

I woke up with a gasp that scraped my throat raw. My hands flew up to my face, my fingers tangling in my hair. For a second, I thought I was back in that stupid ceremonial tent, that I'd wake up to Jason's smirk, his voice telling me to shape up and smile pretty.

But I wasn't there. I was here.

I sucked in one deep breath, then another, forcing my lungs to stop hitching. My eyes darted to the old wall clock across the room. Five a.m. My old alarm time, the hour I'd start moving through that cold house like a ghost, scrubbing floors, fixing Jason's food, smiling pretty for people who hated me.

But I didn't have to do that anymore.

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes until I saw sparks. The dream left a sour taste in my mouth. Why did I still remember that day? That moment? What the fuck was wrong with me that I'd worked so hard for a pack that never wanted me? That I'd bent myself into shapes they didn't deserve, told myself I belonged there, when all they did was shred me to pieces?

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to thank the moon goddess for the gut-punch that woke me up and finally kicked my stupid heart into survival mode. If Jason hadn't made it so clear himself that I was just a placeholder, I might still be there, wasting my life on people who'd rather see me dead.

Now? Now I was here, on Ms. Daisy's ugly pink floral couch that smelled like her perfume and a hint of old leather. Not exactly a palace, but it was better than sleeping in the woods with potential rogues sniffing around for easy prey.

It'd been a week since I left. Just seven days, but it felt like a lifetime. Daisy had laughed when I offered her all the silver I'd scraped together — she'd taken me to a pawn shop instead, where I traded it for a stack of paper notes called dollars so crisp I couldn't stop rubbing them between my fingers. She'd bought me jeans, skirts, a few tops, and a sturdy pair of boots that didn't pinch my toes. My things. No one could take them away from me.

I'd learned what tipping was — a human thing that seemed simple enough. Apparently, the better I smiled and carried drinks, the more extra money people would slip me. Health insurance was still a mystery to me, but Daisy promised I'd understand it eventually. For now, all I cared about was the fact that I had a job — one that didn't involve bowing my head to some spoiled Alpha's brother.

***

"So that's two Cosmopolitans, one Vodka Martini, three Piña Coladas, one Mai Tai, and one Aperol Spritz," I recited, balancing the tray on my hip like Natalie, another server, showed me. The girls at the bachelorette party whooped and squealed, clinking their plastic tiaras together like they were princesses in a fairy tale.

Waitressing wasn't glamorous, and bartending was just organized chaos, but I didn't care. I wasn't scraping floors for snarling betas or scrubbing bloodstains from packhouse rugs. People here tipped me when I smiled — and they didn't tell me to do it prettier or softer or not at all.

Most customers were easy enough to handle. A few tried to act like they were better than this place, but they left fat tips when they did. Fine by me. Money spent the same no matter how condescending it was.

Natalie and Raya — the blonde twin sisters who'd taken me under their wings — were fun to work with. Raya giggled at everything and Natalie had a mean streak that made me feel braver just standing next to her.

"Hey, Nat," Raya said suddenly, tugging at her sister's elbow behind the bar. "Would you mind serving table eight for me?"

I perked up at that, frowning. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Raya's eyes flicked toward the corner. "I... I don't think I need to explain," she muttered, her voice so small I barely heard it.

Natalie and I both turned our heads to look — and there they were. Four guys sprawled out in a booth like they owned the place, talking too loud, laughing at their own stupid jokes.

"Dammit," Natalie sighed.

"Are they bad guys?" I asked. They stared a little — like they'd forgotten I didn't know these things yet.

"They're not bad," Raya said quickly. "Just rowdy. And they don't know when to stop."

I followed her line of sight, accidentally making eye contact with the one who looked like he'd used an entire bottle of gel to spike his hair. He leered at me like he'd just found his next toy.

"They must not be good people if you're scared," I said, voice flat.

Natalie shrugged. "They're just drunk idiots. But they make it hard for Raya to do her job."

"That's all I need to know." I set my tray down. "I'll take the table."

"Bonnie—" Raya started, but I was already weaving through the tables. I'd taken down wolves twice my size. I could handle four drunk human men.

"Hello!" I said brightly, though my smile was made of glass. "Welcome to Daisy Dukes. My name's Bonnie. What can I get for you guys tonight?"

Spike-hair didn't miss a beat. He leaned back, spread his arms wide. "Hm... can I get you in my bed tonight?"

The other three howled, slapping the table, howling like drunk hyenas. I just stared at them, dead-eyed, until they quieted down.

"Once again," I said, my voice like ice, "what can I get for you guys?"

They ordered nachos and four beers, snickering the whole time. I didn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me flinch. I put the order in and grabbed the beers from Daisy at the bar.

"Hey, Bonnie," Daisy said quietly, her eyes sharp as she wiped a glass dry. "If those jackasses give you any trouble, you let me know, alright? My son nearly beat Mike's ass when he grabbed Raya."

"Which one's Mike?" I asked.

She pointed at Spike-hair. I nodded, balancing the beers carefully.

When I came back with the nachos, I turned to leave — and felt his hand smack down on my ass like I was some toy he'd paid for.

I lost the ability to think.

I spun around so fast I think I scared him. My fist cracked against his nose with a sound that was better than any victory howl. Bone crunched. Blood spurted. He screamed like a kicked dog.

"Ohh!" Mike clutched his nose, sobbing, tears and snot mingling with the blood. I didn't give him a chance to recover. I grabbed his collar and yanked him forward until my face was inches from his.

"If you ever touch me — or any other girl in here — again, I will kill you," I snarled. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Mike squealed.

"Get the fuck out! Sober up. And next time you come in, you better keep those grabby little paws to damn yourself."

"Yes!" he sobbed, scrambling away. His buddies tripped over each other to follow him, their laughter gone now.

When I turned around, the whole tavern had gone dead quiet. Then—

"That was fucking awesome!" Raya squealed. She nearly tackled me in a hug, giggling into my shoulder.

"That was the best thing I've ever seen!" Natalie whooped, high-fiving me so hard my palm stung.

Across the bar, Daisy just beamed and gave me two big thumbs up.

Right. I wasn't Luna anymore. I didn't have to stand there and let people touch me and smile about it.

"Did you see her?" someone whispered.

"That new waitress is so cool!"

"I want a picture with her!"

"Bitch yaaaasssss!"

My cheeks flamed red, but it felt... good. I wasn't being scolded. I wasn't being sneered at for "overreacting." They were proud of me.

Daisy pointed her phone at me and clicked the shutter. "This is going on the wall!"

"What?" Natalie gasped.

"Yup, automatic employee of the month!" Daisy crowed.

Employee of the month. I didn't even know what that meant — but it sounded like a reward. A real one.

"In that case," I said, my voice cracking into a laugh, "I want a big meal with beef."

"You got it," Daisy said. "Texas barbecue on Monday. My treat."

Texas barbecue. I didn't even know what it tasted like yet — but I knew it would taste like freedom.