Page 7 of The Thief

“That wasn’t nice,” Robyn hissed.

Lucian glanced up, seemingly bemused that someone had taken offense. “For your information, I’m only telling you the facts from a male’s point of view. Chitahs tip taller women and Chitah servers, and Shifters like women with big?—”

“That’s enough,” Bear said with a firm punch to his words.

“Calm down, boys.” I held up my hands to defuse the situation. “I’m not easily offended. Lucian makes a good point, but my personality compensates for any physical shortcomings. Personality goes a long way in the service industry, and I can charm the skin off a snake.”

“Maybe you should find something else,” Bear suggested in a rumbling voice. “Some of those men at Dragonfly’s don’t know how to treat a lady.”

“Oh, I’m not gonna work there. Nothing against your Vampire friend,” I said to Melody, “but their customers are handsy, and I didn’t see any bouncers. I’m sure he has some but not enough to keep an eye on everyone. More servers also means more competition. I plan to get a job at the Rabbit Lounge.”

Melody spit out her drink. After wiping her chin, she asked, “At Calvin’s bar? Have you met the man? He’s a lunatic. A few guys in town won’t go in there anymore because they’re afraid. Calvin doesn’t hire people.”

“He will once he meets me.”

Melody gave Lakota a concerned look. “Calvin once tossed me out because I asked for a root beer. True story.”

“All the more reason,” I said. “If he’s doling out insults and throwing people out, they need incentive to come back. He needs me—he just doesn’t know it yet. Don’t you worry. I’ll find work one way or another.” I clutched Bear’s thick arm, and it was firm beneath my touch. “This supper was beyond delicious, but if I don’t get some shut-eye, I’m gonna pass out on the floor from exhaustion.”

“No dessert?” he asked.

“Not tonight. And don’t tell me what you fixed and make me regret leaving the table.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll save you some.”

That was sweet of him, especially at a table of people who devoured his desserts like ravenous wolves.

Everyone resumed their chatter, excited about the vacation and shift in work duties. When I scooted my chair back, Bear stood. He didn’t let me take my plate to the kitchen, and he only sat back down after I pushed in my chair and walked away.

How is a man like him not mated with kids? He must be young and still playing the field.

I didn’t know everyone’s true age. That wasn’t a topic immortals cared about, and the older ones stopped counting. Sometimes I guessed the era from the memories they shared. Humans loved the question. They were obsessed with age and even named generations things like “baby boomers,” “millennials,” “Generation X”—I never saw the point. After meeting a few idiots born in the time of pharaohs, I learned that a person’s character matters more than the number.

After reaching the end of the hall, I entered the shadowy living room and stood to the right of the fireplace by an open doorway that looked into the giant art room. During the day, an abundance of light poured in from the two south-facing windows opposite the door. The left wall had a window overlooking the front yard, and in the morning, sunlight painted a yellow rectangle on the wood floor.

Melody and Hope planned to use this space for designing jewelry, clothing, purses, shoes, and more. Both outsourced a great deal of labor to third parties so they could focus on new designs and special projects. The room wouldn’t be exclusive to them, however. Tak invited anyone with a passion for art to enjoy the space so long as they respected Melody and Hope’s work hours. After all, Moonglow was the pack’s bread and butter.

Our house was a shell of what it would one day become, and it was thrilling to be here from the beginning.

I thought about finding work. My wolf understood the value of a pack, but I still had lingering doubts. I was single with no wealth or skills, and that made me a weak link. Tak might change his mind and let me go, so it was imperative for me to find a job and prove myself an essential packmate, especially now that I’d grown attached to everyone. Tak and Lakota were fair leaders who protected us, and that was invaluable.

I headed back upstairs to my room and closed the door. After changing clothes, I switched off my butterfly lamp, crawled onto my soft bed, and pulled the corner of the blanket over me instead of getting beneath the sheets.

Between finding employment and working on the house, so many thoughts were swimming in my head. Suddenly, I had responsibilities and plans. I had a pack of my own, and people trusted and believed in me.

My life was idyllic, and that was saying a lot, especially since most of it, I couldn’t remember.

Chapter 2

One thing I never had to fret about with a pixie haircut was spending a lot of time styling it. The sides were short and the top a little longer, so I only needed a dollop of hair gel before running my fingers through it. That morning, I spent more time than usual getting myself together.

After parking my powder-blue Vespa by the Rabbit Lounge entrance, I took off my white helmet and stored it in the seat compartment. Luckily the helmet was small enough to fit.

My favorite outfit always included jean capris, but Calvin needed to know what type of woman I was, so first impressions mattered if I wanted to gain his favor. I dusted off my white capris, and after adjusting my crop top, which matched my heart-shaped turquoise earrings, I opened the door and entered the establishment.

Dragonfly’s and Sonic had been our two main outings as a pack. We usually went out in pairs or small groups, so I wanted to find a place for us to hang out as a family—a home away from home.

Upon first glance, the Rabbit Lounge looked like a typical pool hall with nothing else to do but drink. No television, no music—not even a jukebox, which was a nostalgic fixture in most Breed bars. There weren’t any signs that indicated they served food or had drink specials.

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