Chapter 23
Rissa
Sunlight pierced through the curtains as my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I stretched, joints popping, and grabbed it. A text from Krystal blinked on the screen.
I groaned, exhaustion heavy in my bones as I hauled myself out of bed. Last night had been draining, emotionally and physically. But today was important. Elle needed a dress for her first dance. I couldn't let her down, no matter how much I wanted to curl back up under the covers.
Heading to the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, wincing at my reflection. Dark circles rimmed my eyes, leftover smudged makeup from the night before.
I changed quickly into jeans and an oversized sweater, pulling my hair into a messy bun. Comfort was key for a day of shopping. Glancing at the clock, I had just enough time to make a quick cup of coffee before Krystal arrived. The rich scent filled the room as I sipped the life-giving elixir.
Maybe today would be okay after all. Seeing Elle's excitement always lifted my spirits.
I couldn't help but smile, picturing her bouncing in the car, eagerly awaiting our shopping adventure.
That girl deserved all the happiness in the world.
It was worth pushing through my exhaustion if I could give her even a tiny piece of that.
My phone chimed again.
Come on, woman! We’re out here!
I grabbed my purse and keys, took one last fortifying sip of coffee, and headed out to face the day. For Elle.
Krystal's SUV idled at the curb as I locked the front door. Elle's face was practically pressed against the back window, her grin visible even from a distance. I chuckled as I made my way over.
"Look who finally decided to wake up," Tavi teased from the passenger seat as I opened the rear door.
"Barely," I muttered, sliding in next to Elle. Bryce sat on her other side, clearly less enthused about our outing. Poor kid. Shopping wasn't really his thing.
Nathan had insisted we take an enforcer along, just to be safe.
Caleb, a relatively new addition to the pack, was stuffed in the third row.
"Morning, ladies," he said, his deep voice calm and pleasant. I wasn’t exactly sure how he’d be able to protect us from back there, but no doubt he’d elected not to go against Krystal first thing in the morning. Probably very smart.
"Isn't this exciting?” Elle chirped. “My first real dance,"
"Very exciting," Caleb agreed with a small smile. I turned to smile at him, and he nodded once. I returned the gesture, silently thanking him for playing along with Elle's enthusiasm.
As Krystal pulled away from the curb, the car filled with chatter. Tavi twisted in her seat to face Elle. "So, any cute boys you're hoping to dance with?" she asked with a grin.
"Tavi," Elle groaned, her cheeks flushing. "It's not like that."
"Oh, it so is," Krystal laughed from the front. "Your first real dance? That's practically a rite of passage."
I smiled, watching the exchange. It was nice seeing Elle so carefree and excited. She'd been through a lot in her young life. We all had. But moments like this, the simple joys of growing up... I wanted her to have as many of those as possible.
The car's steady hum and the ongoing chatter lulled me into a relaxed state. I turned in my seat and leaned against the door so I could see everyone in the car. Caleb had been quiet for most of the ride, only occasionally adding a comment here or there when directly addressed.
I found myself studying him, trying to place what seemed different. And then it hit me: his scent. Or rather, the lack thereof. I couldn't detect the usual markers that distinguished humans from wolves. He was just... neutral.
Before I could ponder it further, Tavi suddenly twisted in her seat to face Caleb. "Hey, not to be weird," she said, "but you don't have a scent. At all."
Caleb shrugged, his expression unperturbed. "I've heard that before. No idea why."
Krystal's brows knitted together slightly, and I could tell she found it as odd as I did. I caught her eye in the rearview mirror, a silent question passing between us. But before either of us could voice our thoughts, Bryce let out a loud groan from the back seat.
"Are we there yet?" he whined, his face scrunched in impatience.
Krystal sighed. "Almost, honey. Just a few more minutes."
True to her word, the mall came into view shortly after. Krystal pulled into the parking lot and found a spot near the entrance. As we all piled out of the car, Bryce immediately started complaining.
"Do we have to do this?" he asked, his lower lip jutting out in a pout.
Krystal fixed him with a firm look. "Yes, we do. Elle needs a dress for her dance, and we're all here to help her find the perfect one. We both need some new clothes, too, so stop your bellyaching."
Bryce's shoulders slumped, clearly not thrilled by the prospect of dress shopping. Krystal's expression softened, and she ruffled his hair affectionately.
"Tell you what," she said, "if you behave and don't complain, I'll buy you an ice cream when we're done. Deal?"
Bryce perked up at that, a smile replacing his frown. "Deal," he agreed eagerly.
I hid a grin as we all headed toward the mall entrance. Leave it to Krystal to know exactly how to handle her son. She was a great mom.
As we stepped through the automatic doors, the mall's cool air conditioning washed over us. I took a deep breath, the scents of various shops and food court offerings mingling together.
"All right," Krystal said, clapping her hands together. "Let's find Elle a dress,"
Elle grabbed my hand, practically vibrating with excitement. "Come on! Let's check out this store first,"
Before I could respond, she dragged me toward a boutique with glittering dresses displayed in the window. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I found myself grinning as we stepped inside.
The store was a flurry of activity, with girls and their mothers browsing through racks of dresses in every color imaginable. Elle's eyes widened as she took it all in, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
"Where should we start?" she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Krystal, Tavi, Caleb, and Bryce caught up to us, and we began sorting through the dresses together. Elle pulled out a few to try on, holding them up to herself and twirling in front of the mirror.
After taking a turn through the smallish store, Caleb looked at Bryce and nodded toward the entrance. “We’ll be on the bench in front of the store,” he said. “Yell if you need me.”
No doubt he’d carefully scrutinize anyone who came in the store while we were in here, but we were three very capable wolves together in here. Did we truly need an enforcer with us? No.
"What about this one?" Elle asked, holding up a pale blue dress with a flowy skirt.
"It's pretty," I said, "but let's keep looking. We want to find the perfect dress for you."
Elle nodded, putting the dress back and moving on to the next rack. We combed through the store for the next hour, pulling out dresses for Elle to try on. Each time she stepped out of the dressing room, she modeled the dress for us, striking poses and giggling as we gave our opinions.
I loved seeing her so happy, so carefree. It was moments like these that made me realize how much I cared about her, how much I wanted to be a part of her life.
But at the same time, it absolutely terrified me down to my bones. Yet here I was, bonding with Elle and experiencing a fierce protectiveness over her.
What if I messed it up? What if I let her down somehow? The thought made my stomach clench with anxiety.
"Rissa, what do you think of this one?" Elle snapped me out of my thoughts. She was wearing a deep purple dress with a beaded bodice, the skirt swishing around her ankles as she turned.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, forcing a smile. "It's beautiful. You look stunning."
And she did, with her eyes shining and her face lit up with joy, she looked every bit the young woman she was becoming. My heart swelled with pride and affection, even as the fear lingered in the back of my mind.
I couldn't let that fear hold me back. Elle needed me, and I needed her too, in a way I hadn't fully realized until now. I would do everything in my power to be there for her, to support and love her like she deserved.
Even if it meant facing my own fears and insecurities head-on.
Elle disappeared into the dressing room with another handful of dresses, still giggling as Tavi tossed one more onto the pile for her to try. I smiled, shaking my head at their antics.
I stepped toward the mirrors, intending to check my reflection, when a flicker of movement caught my eye. A man lingered near the dressing rooms, too close for comfort. His gaze was fixed on the area where Elle had just gone, and a sinking feeling settled in my gut.
The moment he shifted his stance, angling his body toward Elle's stall, I moved. Fast. I was between them in a heartbeat, my eyes narrowed and my voice low. Dangerous.
"Can I help you?"
The man's eyes flicked to mine, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Just looking."
His tone sent ice down my spine, a chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. Every protective instinct in me roared to life, and I fought back the urge to bare my teeth.
"You're in the wrong section," I snapped, hard as steel. "Move. Now."
I didn't raise my voice or make a scene, but the threat in my words was clear. This man was not welcome here, not anywhere near Elle.
I stared him down, every muscle in my body coiled and ready to strike if needed. I may have been small, but I was a wolf. A predator. And right now, my prey was standing right in front of me.
The rational part of my brain knew I couldn't actually shift in the middle of a crowded store, but my inner wild part didn't care. All that mattered was keeping Elle safe, no matter what it took.
The man's smirk faltered, but before he could respond, Caleb was suddenly there.
"Everything okay here?" His tone was pleasant, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it. A warning.
The man hesitated, then shrugged, trying to play it off. "Didn't mean any harm."
But Caleb didn't ask again. In one swift motion, he grabbed the man by the collar and hauled him toward the front of the store, not giving him a choice. The man stumbled, caught off guard by Caleb's strength.
I followed closely and watched as Caleb shoved the man through the store's entrance. He threw him out into the mall with zero effort, sending him sprawling onto the carpet.
"Don't come back," Caleb said.
The man scrambled to his feet, shooting us a venomous glare before slinking away and disappearing into the crowd of shoppers.
I let out a breath, my shoulders sagging with relief. It was over. Elle was safe.
Speaking of. I turned back to the dressing rooms just as Elle peeked out, her eyes wide with shock and awe.
"Holy crap," she breathed. "That was awesome."
I shook my head, a wry smile tugging at my lips despite the situation. Leave it to Elle to find the excitement in a potentially dangerous moment.
"Come on," I said, ushering her back into the dressing room. "Let's find you that perfect dress."
As Elle disappeared behind the curtain, I caught Caleb's eye. He gave me a slight nod, a silent acknowledgment of what had just transpired. I nodded back, grateful for his intervention.
The rest of the shopping trip passed in a blur of dresses and giggles, Elle's earlier excitement returning in full force. But even as I laughed along with her, I couldn't shake the nagging sense of unease that lingered in the back of my mind.
As we walked out of the store, bags in hand, Elle bounced alongside me, her face alight with a grin. "Rissa, you totally scared that guy off, even before Caleb came. That was so badass."
I shook my head, adjusting my grip on the shopping bags. "I was just making sure you were safe," I said, trying to downplay the situation. But even as the words left my mouth, I couldn't help but feel a slight swell of pride. It felt good knowing I could protect her and keep her from harm.
The drive back was filled with chatter.
When we pulled up to the pack house, I spotted Nathan outside, deep in conversation with Gavin. Elle was out of the car before it had even fully stopped, racing toward her father with barely contained excitement.
"Dad, you should've seen Rissa," she exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes. "This creepy guy came near me, and she totally got in his face. She was so ready to fight him. She was a total badass, Dad. It was amazing. Caleb had to drag him out of the store."
I watched as Nathan's face shifted from amusement to concern, his brows furrowing as he listened to Elle's tale. Then, he glanced over at me, his eyes darkening slightly.
I held his gaze for a moment, unsure of what to expect. But then, after a pause, he simply said, "Good."
Relief flooded through me. Nathan approved. He understood.
But the moment was short-lived as Nathan turned back to Elle with a sigh. "Watch your language," he chided gently.
Elle just grinned, undeterred by the reprimand. And as I watched them, father and daughter, I felt a pang in my chest. A longing for something I couldn't quite name.
But I pushed it aside, focusing instead on the warmth of the moment. We were safe. We were together. And for now, that was enough.