Chapter 49
I pouted at the club clothes I'd wanted to pick up, rolling my eyes at the two women hovering nearby, watching every piece I touched.
The past couple of months with them had been a willy-willy, full of highs and lows.
Their constant demands, endless gifts, and fancy restaurant dinners, which I thought would've stopped by now, showed no sign of slowing down.
My hand reached for a bra-and-panty set that would look perfect under a fishnet skirt.
But they'd been pressing me not to buy anything for the club—or at least, not with any plans to wear it there.
I knew why; they were trying to wean me off the club scene, and it was something I hadn't exactly agreed to.
The club had once seen me every night, and now it was down to three times a week.
"Are you buying that for us to see you in, or for the club?" Jager asked, her tone firm. Wade stood by her like a bodyguard, her gaze sweeping the store.
"For the club," I replied, just to see the exasperation cross their faces.
"Fine, get it," Jager relented. "But it's for us to see you in."
I huffed, turning away from the set, but Jager grabbed it anyway, tossing it to Wade, who had taken on the role of my "shopping trolley," her arms already holding the few items I'd picked out.
Then, my gaze fell on a business skirt suit, and an idea sparked. I smirked, holding it up.
"What?" Jager asked, eyeing me with suspicion.
"Oh, just a thought..." I said, striding into the aisle lined with corporate attire. I held a skirt up to my waist, guessing it would hit right at the knee, my grin widening as the idea started to take shape in my head.
Jager tilted her head, her expression curious.
"What if I came to work with you guys?" I suggested, testing the waters.
"Absolutely not!" Jager snapped, shutting it down immediately. "We don't want you working."
I blinked, surprised by her reaction. It was just a joke, but now I was tempted to take it further. "I like working! Don't you think I could handle a corporate job?"
"You could," Jager admitted. "You're smart enough for it. Do you have the qualifications?"
"No," I pouted. "But if I went to college and got qualified, could I work there?"
Jager smirked, taking the skirt from my hand. "You'd look sexy in this."
I pulled out another, slightly shorter one. "What about this one?"
Her smile faded. "No. Not even a quarter inch of your thighs should be visible to anyone else. That's for us."
I scoffed, deciding to push the teasing further. "Wade?" I called softly, pulling her into the game.
"Yes, Snow Bunny?" Wade's voice was low and warm.
A blush crept up my cheeks as I turned to face her, feeling their attention on me. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the shorter skirt and rested it against my hips, lifting one leg slightly. "Don't you think I'd look good in this, Wade?"
"You'd look beautiful, Snow Bunny. Beautiful for the bedroom, not the office."
I grinned, arching a brow. "Maybe I'll wear it to work one day."
Jager held up the skirt she had picked. "This one's better... but we'd prefer if you stayed home."
"You know staying home can get boring," I replied, reaching for the skirt. She held it high, using her other arm to pull me against her. Their bodies were always warm, and I spent most days lounging between them—naked—and never once felt cold.
"We'll take you out wherever you want," Jager suggested gently.
"I want to go on vacation," I joked, gazing into her light red eyes. It was beautiful how their unique hue captivated me every time I looked at them.
"Where? Name it."
I chuckled and buried my face in her chest. "You have work," I said, feigning innocence.
"Is that your excuse?" she teased.
"It is. You're not really going to take me on vacation.
" Honestly, I wasn't even sure where I'd want to go.
All I could think about was returning to Oklahoma, where there were more humans than vampires.
But that was a lifetime ago; my life had changed in so many ways these past months.
I felt happy here, though that happiness brought a tinge of worry, which I tried to brush aside.
"I'm not foolish. But I can't think of any other countries with great vacation spots," I admitted.
Jager laughed heartily, and I playfully punched her arm before breaking free from her hold and stepping back. "I'm sorry, Snow Bunny," she said, still chuckling.
I couldn't help but smirk at her.
"I have a couple of places in mind," Wade said.
I looked over at her, my expression softening as thoughts of wanting to deepen my connection with them flitted through my mind.
But my head reminded me to stay on guard; I couldn't let my guard down completely.
It was a balancing act that sometimes turned my good days sour and left me feeling grumpy.
"Where?" I asked softly, reaching for a dress on the hanger.
"How about Canada for your first vacation?" Wade suggested.
I loved the idea of a shopping trip. As I turned the dress around, my fingers brushed the price tag, but Jager took hold of my hand and kissed it instead, distracting me from my thoughts. "Do you like it?"
I nodded slowly.
"It's your size?" she inquired.
"It seems to be."
With a swift motion, she snatched the dress from my hands and tossed it at Wade, who caught it just in time—though it landed over her face. She growled playfully beneath the fabric. I would have never guessed Wade was a princess in her homeland if I hadn't snooped around.
Wade cleared the dress away from her face. "I think Canada is a great idea."
"When?" Jager asked, her brow raised.
"Well, I don't have a passport, so..." I trailed off, considering the logistics.
"You don't have a passport?" Jager asked, surprised. I shook my head, lifting another dress from the rack. All I had was my ID.
"And I don't have a bank account. It requires too many things I don't have," I added, noting how the world was gradually becoming more tailored for vampires.
"We're taking you to the bank after this," Jager declared.
I laughed. "Believe me, I won't get one." A single glance from the vampire bank teller was enough to deter me. No humans worked at the bank, aside from the janitors.
"You're getting one," Jager insisted.
I shrugged and handed the dress to Wade, glancing at the growing pile of clothes in her arms.
"No more clothes," I said. I didn't want to be overwhelmed with too many purchases. When it came time to leave, I didn't want to be burdened with boxes.
"Are you sure that's all you want? You've only picked out a few dresses, a shirt, and some bottoms," Wade observed.
"Yeah." Their looks suggested I should be taking more.
"Fine, I'll grab a few more things. Just five more pieces," I conceded.
They laughed. "Don't count; just take whatever you want."
Blushing, I ventured further down the aisle, but suddenly collided with something solid. It turned out to be a man in a suit, who glared down at me. "I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling flustered.
His gaze sharpened as he ignored my apology, turning his attention to Wade and Jager.
I noticed two guards approaching behind him.
"My apologies if this human is bothering you," he said, his disdain unconcealed.
"I am the manager of this store, and the clerks reported some suspicious activity involving this human.
" The way he emphasized "human" filled me with an urge to flee the store.
"She's with us," Jager asserted.
"Her?" he replied, disbelief lacing his voice, as if I could ever pose a threat to vampires. The sadness in the moment struck me; he was human. It was always easy to identify one. I noted the hatred in his blue eyes and the lines of age etched into his face.
"Yes, she's our wife," Jager growled.
His eyes widened in shock, and mine mirrored his surprise. Even the guards looked taken aback. I instinctively moved closer to Jager, prepared for any sudden escalation.
"My apologies. You can continue shopping," the manager stammered.
"No," Wade replied, dropping the clothes she was holding onto the floor. I scrambled to retrieve them, but Jager held me back.
"You're human," Wade said, her tone firm.
His expression faltered, as if he had momentarily forgotten his humanity. Perhaps, being one of the few humans privileged enough to work among vampires, he had lost sight of his true nature.
"We're not spending our money here," Wade declared.
"It's fine," I insisted, still trying to gather the clothes. "We can still buy—"
"We're not buying anything here, Xanthe. We're going somewhere else."
The manager chuckled jitterily, realizing he was losing potential revenue. "We mean no harm."
Wade's glare silenced him, and I continued to struggle against Jager's arm, trying to retrieve the clothes from the floor. "Get out before I rip your throat out," Wade threatened, baring her fangs, which made him back away into the guard behind him.
"I'm sorry," I said to him.
"He should be the one apologizing," Jager replied, leading me out of the store.
"He already said sorry. It I could have been a misunderstanding," I stammered, not seeing the sense of the situation.
Wade laughed coldly. "That was no misunderstanding. This is how humans behave on this side of Vegas. They treat other humans like garbage while the vampires spend the real money. It's typical for humans to abuse their privileges and power here."
I hesitated to agree but had to acknowledge the truth in her words, especially after witnessing the store manager's behavior.
It seemed that corruption ran deep; it wasn't just vampires who exploited others, but humans, too, were complicit in taking advantage of their own kind.
It was disheartening to realize that the very people who should support one another were often the ones who inflicted the most harm.
Only one phrase to think: The world was fuck.