Page 35 of Seduced

“Follow me,” Miranda said, smiling as she opened the car door.

Delilah was starting to feel uneasy. She trusted Miranda, but she wasn’t sure why she’d taken her so far out from the city. Above her and to the right, she made out the sign of a business, which was too faded to read.

As she stepped inside, Delilah was immediately greeted with the reason for their visit. A small family and a few guys all stood in their own booths, wielding axes that they threw at wooden walls.

“Ever been axe throwing?” Miranda asked. “It’s a great way to unleash your aggression.”

Miranda paid for thirty minutes for each of them. At first, Delilah was afraid of the axes, but after a trainer came around at Miranda’s behest to give her some pointers, Delilah learned the correct way to throw.

Soon, she was tossing axes with abandon, and with each throw and thunk of the axe hitting the target she felt her stresses unburden.

It was a truly great way to vent her frustrations.

Chapter 19

Jude

Ithadbeenamagical night, but Jude and Graham were both grateful when Delilah didn’t object to their abrupt exits that morning. They had told her they both had busy days at the office, and as far as she knew, that was completely true.

Everybody at Fang Tech had been instructed to play dumb if she showed up and to act as if they were in, working a full day. Jude hated lying to Delilah about it, but she would appreciate it later.

“Miranda didn’t even have to push,” Graham said, scoffing lightly as he helped blow up balloons. “Delilah called her after she woke up anyway.”

Jude was relieved. There were a lot of variables to this and so many ways it could go wrong. And it seemed like, for once, everything was working out.

But they had to give her the best birthday they could. She’d had plenty of stressors this year. This was their opportunity to ensure her new year started off on a better foot. It was their chance to shield her from her past.

They had set up Delilah’s birthday party in the Fang District’s plaza, and they had gotten everybody from both packs to participate. Dozens of shifters sat at wooden tables, some still blowing up balloons despite Graham’s insistence that they had enough. Yellow, blue, and white balloons filled the tavern, coasting lightly across the floor, bouncing over tables, and colliding with the bar’s brick ceiling.

They had brightened up the place as much as they could, but the tavern was still mostly lit by firelight from lanterns, candles, and one large roaring fireplace.

“She should be here any minute,” Graham said to everybody in the room. “Get ready!”

Everybody watched the stairwell, waiting for the sound of the entryway opening. It was unnaturally tense for such a joyous occasion. Jude just hoped they could make her feel safe and get her mind off of what had happened only the day before.

The entryway opened, and as coordinated, Jude saw a billowing sundress descending the stairwell, with Miranda tailing behind as rehearsed.

With a loud shriek, a rogue party horn filled the silence. Jude could see the irritation on Graham’s face. He hated party horns and had tried to confiscate them all.

“Surprise!” they all yelled.

Delilah’s jaw dropped as she looked across the room, not saying anything. She found an empty chair, looking out across the room. At first, Jude was terrified that she hated the party as Miranda hovered behind her expectantly.

“My god.” Delilah scanned the room, her gaze landing on every person as tears welled in her eyes.

Panicking, Jude advanced toward her, Graham following not far behind. Everybody in the room watched Delilah while Jude, Graham, and Miranda all found seats around her.

“I don’t know what to say,” Delilah whispered.

“Are you okay?” Jude caught himself asking.

Delilah’s lips curled upward into a smile, but it was a gradual change. “I’m so happy.” She looked down at the place setting on the table in front of her.

“She likes it!” Graham hollered to the crowd.

Delilah forced herself up, and voice cracking, she loudly announced to the room, “Thank you all so much!”

The room applauded. Jude could see Delilah looking at the extravagant display of wrapped gifts on the farthest table, near one of the tavern’s side rooms. Later, she’d get a better look at the cake.

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