Page 23 of Knot Happening

The way she defends herself makes me giggle. Fair enough. I turn back to my locker and start getting ready for the night. I arrived early because Dream offered to show me how to do my hair and makeup to make the most money. “I ran into someone from my past, and it brought back a lot of really shitty feelings. I was blindsided, and it rocked my shit.” I try to keep the explanation simple, and not filled with too much of the way I’m feeling right now.

Dream walks in and cringes. She meets my eye in the mirror, and I shake my head, just enough that I hope she won’t mention my interaction with Hayden. She starts setting everything up for my hair and makeup, and I glance down at my baby blue nails.

“Doesn’t matter.” I do not want to get into the details right now. It’s bad enough that he’s going to be working here. “I’ll be fine.”

Madison shrugs. “This one time, my ex came in here drunk off his ass. Declan himself came out of his office and dragged him out.” She sighs, this dreamy look in her eyes. “It was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Anyway, if someone here bothers you, he won’t let anything happen to you.”

I snort. I doubt Declan will throw an employee out just because he’s my sort-of-but-not-really, ex. I pull on the light pink lace lingerie uniform for the night. Dream directs me into a chair, chatting my ear off for the next forty minutes as shecurls and styles my hair, then does my makeup. By the time she’s done, I look hot as fuck. I’ll give her that.

The pink bows she tied into my hair are cute, and my makeup is smokey, enhancing my natural features.

“Thank you.”

“Get out there and make money, boo!” With a smack to my ass, Dream prances off.

I just need to avoid Hayden, and everything will be fine.

I’m upstairs serving drinks in VIP, considering my chances of successfully shoving Hayden off the balcony, when Declan scares the fuck out of me.

“Baby?” he asks, using the name I picked at orientation. I whirl around, yelping loudly. My fear must trigger his instincts because he’s pulling me against him and spinning us, so his back is facing the rest of the room.

I haven’t even caught my breath when he’s pulling me further down the hall and into his office. He locks the door before backing me up against the wall.

He wears scent blockers when he’s here, so I can’t even get a calming sniff right now, which sucks, but I don’t say that to him.

“I’m fine, jeez,” I grumble, pushing him back, but he doesn’t budge. “I just wasn’t expecting you to pop up behind me like that. You can let me go,Alpha,” I huff.

His pupils are blown, and he’s breathing heavily. I do a sniff test, assessing my own scent, and finding it a little too filled with fear. Not great.

“Hey, I’m fine.” I place my hand against his chest, now trying to soothe him. After he scared me…right.

“Fuck, sorry. I just… I noticed you were glaring at someone. Are you okay?”

“Yep. Just, not the biggest fan of your new bouncer,” I grunt.

“Oh?” His eyebrow raises as he scents how I’m feeling.

“It’s nothing. I should get back out there. Got dances to dance and all that,” I joke, but he just watches me for a long moment, before nodding, and finally releasing me from the warmth of his body pressing me into the wall.

“If he becomes an issue, tell me.”

After that show of Alpha possession? I think not.

“Alright.” I nod, as he takes his place behind his desk. The sight is something else. My scent spikes then, as I admire the attractive Alpha, and I gracefully go into panic mode. “Do you sell heat suppressants?” I yell out, before I can stop the words, and Declan stares at me for a long, long moment. I’m ringing my hands together behind my back, my anxiety flooding the room with a sour blueberry scent.

“I have access to them.”

Relief at his words flood me, at the same time that I worry I might get fired for asking my boss to sell me illegal drugs.

“Can I…uh…” I trail off, now that we’re staring at each other, the burst of bravery is gone. Perhaps it was stupidity.

“They’re dangerous.”

“I’m aware. I have my reasons for needing them.” I sound slightly snotty, and I have to concentrate on not sounding bitchy. “Please,” I whisper. I’m begging. But I need them. I’ve had no luck over the last six days, and I’m reaching the end of my packet.

“Twenty-two.”

“Hundred!” I gasp, jaw dropping. “What, you can tell I’m desperate, so you thought you’d rip me off! That's insane–”

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