Page 18 of Marcus-stiltskin

Zach and Zander smile faintly at my half-assed joke.

Randy clears his throat. He looks uncomfortable, like we’re talking about my period and not magic. “When will your apprenticeship begin?”

“Monday.”

He sighs. “My concern is the likelihood that we could have a repeat of this event.”

“It’s not going to happen again,” I interrupt. “I’ve lived twenty-seven years without an incident so far. That man was sexually assaulting me in front of everyone. It’s not like he didn’t deserve it.”

“Steely,” Zach says before Randy can respond, “we’re totally on your side about this. This should have never happened. But uncontained magic in a place as volatile as this can be an extremely dangerous thing.”

“So, what are you saying?”

Randy and Zach exchange glances. “We’re going to have to make some changes to your schedule for the time being. We don’t have any other witches on staff other than Darla, so you’ll only be able to work nights she works.”

Darla works days at the animal clinic down the road, so her only days are Fridays and Saturday nights. Four nights cut down to two. My chest is heavy, and tears sting at the corner of my eyes. I have savings, but I still have bills to pay. Stripping isn’t regular work and you have to push to make as much as you can to cover the times when things are dead, like the holiday months coming up. Anger and frustration boil up inside me, but I remember Darla’s warning. Setting something or someone on fire wouldn’t exactly help my case.

“So, what about tonight? Are you telling me to go home right now? I have regulars that come out every Thursday night.”

Randy opens his mouth to answer, but Zander speaks up before he can say anything. “I got her. It will be fine. This allhappened because the Fines pack is a bunch of lazy assholes. No one should have laid hands on her. Period.”

Zander’s support makes me feel somewhat better, like I’m not completely on the outs with the pack.

I swallow the lump that has built in my throat. I hate how my body betrays me, how my first instinct is to cry in reaction to the frustration and anger I’m experiencing. “Is there anything else?” I manage to get out. “I need to get ready.”

“No,” Randy Lamar says. I’m out the door before they can say anything, Zander on my heels.

“Hey, Steely,” he calls out as I try to hurry away.

I stop, unable to ignore him, and turn to face the wolf. Of all the Lamars, Zander is the closest to what I’d consider an actual friend. He’s the peacemaker, the calm one.

Back when I was the new girl and still stuck on the weekday shifts, he was usually the one left to manage the club. If I ever had a problem with a customer, he was always there, diffusing the situation. I’ve never not seen him on the dancer’s side when something comes up.

“Hey, don’t stress about it,” he says, putting a friendly arm around me. “Randy will see in a few weeks that it was a one-time thing and put you back on the schedule.”

I don’t look up, afraid my anger is going to turn into tears. “I hope so.”

“He will. And if you need anything, just ask. If the pack can’t help you, I’m more than willing to.”

“Zander, that’s sweet, but you and Nolig have the baby coming.”

He laughs as he folds his arms across his chest. “Nolig does not need any money I can provide. In fact, I’m pretty certain she’s slumming it by sticking with me.”

I smile despite myself. “I don’t think she sees it that way. She looks perfectly content being stuck with you.”

“You think?” he says.

I shake my head, letting him suck me into being distracted. “She’s a fae. I think your trailer would have had a million problems by now or you’d trip every time you passed a pretty lady if she didn’t want you around.”

He laughs. “I think I’d be in a lot more trouble than that.”

“Could she turn you into a toad?”

“Would that be so horrible, though?” he jokes as we walk down the hall. “Hopping around and napping by the pond sounds like heaven compared to bills and responsibilities and, now, with the baby coming…”

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, just wondering if I’m going to do this dad thing justice.”

---