Chapter 12 Casey
Casey
I follow Riot around and snarl at the saleswoman who tries to flutter to his side. I swear, she’s got hearts in her eyes. It’s been the same everywhere we’ve gone. The town doesn’t know what hit it. He charms women, men, and children with an easy smile and his whiskey-soaked voice.
He’s too damn pretty to be allowed out.
I am totally not jealous, not at all.
It’s been four hours, three more hours than I’ve ever spent in this town shopping, but somehow, this alpha knows not just how to spend money, but how to bring humans to their knees with just an arched brow and a smile that makes me want to crawl to him on my belly.
Not. Freaking. Jealous.
I’m carrying around too many bags. Just the sheer volume of clothes we’ve purchased has made my head spin. At the third shop, he’d bullied me into trying on some clothes and told the sales clerk to burn mine. She had tittered at him while I cussed him out.
It didn’t make a speck of difference. So, now I’m wearing jeans so tight that if I hadn’t been the one to put them on, I’d have thought they were painted on my body.
Underwear that is little more than lace on a string, a bra that has no practical support at all and itches like crazy.
A top six inches too short and three sizes too tight, and I have a brand new leather jacket over that that hugs me like a glove.
Every curve I’ve been trying to hide, every mask I’ve deliberately cultivated is gone. I’m exposed, and he’s smiling like he knew what I was doing all along. I can’t even tell him to stop without explaining why.
How do I explain what I am?
Would they think differently of me if they knew I was the princess without a wolf, the pack reject, the joke? Nothing but a breeder.
Riot turns on the street corner and sees I’ve fallen behind; his lips twist with easy amusement.
As soon as I catch up, he puts an arm around me.
I’m almost too tired to care, but he’s like warmth and…
no, he’s sexy, and I’m human. My body is reacting the way any red-blooded person would in close proximity to him. He guides me into a new store.
I take one look and turn, but he grips my hips and drags me back.
“No!” I protest, struggling, but my arms are full, and he’s not even using any strength to stop my escape.
“Behave yourself, and you’ll get a reward,” he purrs into my ear.
I melt. The saleslady, who is trying really hard not to hear, melts. The whole damn world melts.
He turns and flashes a charming smile to the poor girl, while I’m still standing there trying to remember how to breathe. “We’re going to need five evening gowns. One in red, black, white, silver, and bronze.”
The girl coos, and why wouldn’t she? The alpha is god-level hot, and he’s spending a fortune; it’s the day of her life. “Um, any particular style?”
I look around the store, at all the gowns, glitter, feathers, sequins, taffeta. Dresses that would be useless to me up on the mountain. Why am I letting him do this?
Because he’s a force, and I have no idea how to stop him.
“Make her curves shine.”
I snap my head in his direction and glower. “I don’t want to shine.”
The girl looks me over, frowning, and then nods. “I think we have some of those that might work, but we can order the other colours in.”
They both completely ignore me. I adjust the bags in my hands, trying to squash the panic that’s pressing at me.
“Excellent,” Riot purrs.
“Am I paying for all this?” I hiss, running down another avenue of attack before I start crying.
“I hacked your bank account this morning. You can afford it.”
“You hacked my…bank account?” I feel faint. Who does that?
He cups my cheeks and leans in so our faces are alarmingly close to each other.
Kiss me, please. I’m dying for it.
“I hacked your account.” The corner of his lip curls upwards, smug, knowing. I’m sure he can hear my thoughts.
He’s really lucky I have my hands full. I might hit the smugness off him.
“Trust me. I promise I won’t steer you wrong.”
I want to trust him, but I can’t yet, not for me. But I can trust completely how much he wants to be free of this spell. So, I reluctantly nod.
This is for them.
His smile makes my stomach jolt and a warm feeling grow in my chest. Their touch over the last two days have been insanely addictive. They have been warm and lingering; the close proximity makes me want more. I can’t resist leaning into them now.
Two days, and they are breaking my will.
They are ruining me.
I’ve never been more aroused or attracted to anyone. I want them to stop; I want them to never stop.
It’s the most confused and conflicted I’ve ever been in my life.
He uncurls my fingers from the bags and takes them, moving to sit on the lounge while the saleswoman ushers me behind a curtain. A massive pile of dresses has her almost bending backwards trying to keep them off the ground.
“I don’t see why I need five. I don’t have anywhere to wear them,” I grumble.
“Why does anyone ever need a reason to look like a queen?” Riot’s ridiculous answer comes from where he’s sitting.
I strip off my clothes and hesitate before allowing the woman to carefully help me into the dress.
The black lace falls heavily around my hips, but the bodice is tight. Trish, I read on her nametag, smiles and turns me to face the mirror. I stare and blink; the reflection doesn’t change.
“You look lovely.”
I do look lovely, not at all like me. I look grown up and mature but not in that aged, dried up way I’ve been trying to hide myself. No, this gown will thrust me into all sorts of attention.
When I look at myself, all I feel is fear.
“Come on, let’s show him. He’s going to love it,” Trish almost squeals as she takes my hand and squeezes it, completely oblivious to my meltdown.
I step out from behind the curtain, and Riot looks up. He freezes when he sees me, his mouth going slack, his eyes heating. I see the wolf in the spark of colour before he gets control and gives us a dazzling smile.
I twitch the skirt nervously and then force myself to stop.
“Casey,” he murmurs. “You look magnificent.”
He stands up, leaving the bags, and glides towards me, circling. Trish turns away, and I find myself watching him from under my lashes as he circles. He stops behind me, his hands cupping my shoulders.
“You still tremble when I touch you,” Riot whispers. “I’m starting to think you like us touching you.”
I bite my bottom lip, trying to control my breathing. He should not think that; it’s not safe.
“Casey,” he whispers.
The way he says my name has me fighting the urge to turn and throw myself into his arms.
“I should…uh, get changed.”
“Should you, though?”
“You wanted me to try on the other dresses,” I remind him breathlessly.
“I’m not sure I can survive another dress.”
Before I can say anything else, he drops a kiss on the back of my neck, then walks to his couch and sits down. I stumble half-blind to the change room.
Trish fans herself and then me. “Do you need water? Like a bucket?”
“Yes!” I say to her. “Maybe a lake.”
Riot, damn him, laughs.
I’m exhausted after the tenth dress and ready to concede that dress shopping is closely akin to next-level torture. The only highlight has been the steadily growing tension between Riot and I.
Because he’s not smiling anymore, and his eyes have not stopped glowing. For the first time in my life, I can see that this alpha wants me. Not because of my pack or anything other than he finds me attractive.
It’s as empowering as it is terrifying.
I pull my jeans back on and hiss at the feel of them where I’m so freaking sensitive. This is not right, not at all. I walk out, pretending like everything is fine, but his nostrils flare.
I freeze. He can smell it? Of course, he can smell it! I’m horrified. My arousal would be obvious to a wolf; how stupid can I be?
Riot stands up, but the way he does it is all predatory.
He hands the woman the card he must have pilfered from my purse when I wasn’t watching, without even looking at her.
He prowls towards me and stops in my space, so close I find it hard to breathe, so close all I can smell is his incense scent.
I tilt my head back so I can see him. He’s not smiling.
He’s intent, intense, focused, searching for something in me, but I don’t know what.
He bends, lowering his head. He’s going to kiss me. There’s a split second of panic, and then I throw it to the wind.
“Hey, are you two ready to go?”
Riot slowly, reluctantly takes a step back, giving me space to breathe, space to regret.
I turn, with my heart hammering in my chest, and find Khaos leaning against the door, a knowing asshole expression on his face.
Riot closes his eyes and then storms past Khaos, leaving me to pick up all the bags and find a few precious seconds to work out exactly where and when I lost my freaking mind.