Free Web NovelChapter 20: QUICK WITTED
Trishelle
"Trishelle, I’m so glad you made it back."
Trishelle turned to see Candice beaming at her, a smile so bright it felt fake. For just a second, she thought she saw a flash of pure, unadulterated hatred in the she-wolf’s eyes, but it vanished so quickly she was sure she’d imagined it. The second Vodka and Cranberry was warming her from the inside out, smoothing the jagged edges of her nerves. She managed a smile over the rim of her glass.
"Hey, Candice. I’m back."
Candice pulled her into a tight, perfumed hug, exclaiming loudly about how beautiful she looked. Sammy, puffing out his chest, was all too happy to take the credit for transforming the ’ugly duckling,’ as he put it. Trishelle slapped his arm, but she was laughing. Soon, the three of them were a small island of conversation, sampling colorful drinks the bartender kept sending their way.
Candice leaned in close to Sammy, her voice a conspiratorial whisper that barely carried over the music. "You know, Sammy, my friend over there has been asking about you."
Sammy followed her gaze and saw a pretty she-wolf in a lilac dress stealing glances at him, even though she was surrounded by a group of vying males. "The one in the purple?"
"Yep, that’s Maria. She said she’s had a crush on you since you were pups. She definitely wants to know what kind of man you’ve become."
Sammy took another look. This time, Maria didn’t look away. She held his gaze, a shy blush creeping up her neck. He chuckled, impressed by her quiet courage.
"She seems interesting. How ’bout you ask her to join us?"
Candice gave a little wave, and a moment later, Maria was part of their circle. It was no secret she was smitten, and Sammy’s interest was clear. Soon, the two of them were lost in their own little world, and Trishelle felt a genuine swell of happiness for her friend. He deserved a night of fun.
Maria whispered something in Sammy’s ear, and he nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. He turned to Trishelle, tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey, Maria wants me to go with her for a bit. Would you be okay by yourself? Or do you want me to stay?"
"No, I’m okay. You go and have fun," Trishelle insisted, smiling at them both. "Besides, I’ll be here with Candice."
"Are you sure, Rosebud?" Sammy asked, his brow furrowed. As much as he wanted to get to know Maria, a nagging feeling told him not to leave Trishelle alone. He glanced around. The other males seemed to have found new targets for their attention. And they were on pack lands. She would be safe, right?
"Hey, Casanova, go have some fun," Candice chimed in, draping an arm over Trishelle’s shoulders. "I’ll keep your friend safe. Don’t worry."
Trishelle nodded in agreement and gently pushed Sammy toward Maria. With one last, concerned look at Trishelle, Sammy took Maria’s hand, and they disappeared into the crowd, searching for a quieter corner.
Trishelle watched them go, a pang of loneliness hitting her. For a moment, she wanted to call out, to grab his hand and make him stay. She stopped herself. It was just the nerves, the overwhelming newness of it all—the crowd, the music, the dress. She was just holding onto something familiar. Shaking off the feeling, she turned to Candice with a bright smile. "Okay, what’s next on the menu?" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Candice
To say Candice was annoyed was the understatement of the century. Not only did she have to spend her night babysitting ’Trash,’ but she had to pretend to be her best friend. If Richard hadn’t promised her the run of the new omega quarters for a month—a private, spacious room she’d been coveting—she would have ditched the omega long ago. She was pulled from her bitter thoughts by Trishelle herself, who was actually touching her arm. Candice fought the urge to recoil.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, she plastered on her most convincing, saccharine smile. "What’s up, hon?"
"Umm, Candice, I think I’ve had enough to drink," Trishelle said, her words a little slurred.
Candice internally rolled her eyes. Great. Now I have to be a babysitter. "Oh, honey, maybe what we need is a teeny, tiny break. Hmm... how about you have a glass of Long Island Iced Tea? It’s so refreshing."
"Oh, I like tea," Trishelle said, her face lighting up.
"Really? Well, that’s great!" Candice turned to the bartender, giving him a look she knew worked on most males. "Make my friend here the finest Long Island Iced Tea you’ve ever made." freewёbnoνel.com
"Yes, ma’am," the bartender replied, his muscles flexing as he reached for a shaker. Candice licked her lips. He could do more than just make drinks with those arms. Maybe once she got rid of the dead weight beside her, she could have a real taste.
She watched Trishelle gulp down the sweet, potent drink, then quickly ordered two Appletinis. As the bartender turned to get the garnish, Candice dipped her hand into her top and pulled out a small, folded paper packet. She deftly emptied the fine, greenish powder into one of the glasses, swirling it until it dissolved. She wasn’t sure exactly what was in it—Richard had just given her the ’herbal extract’—but it smelled exactly like the concoction her aunt used to help she-wolves induce their heat outside of their natural cycle.
She opened her mind link to Richard. Phase two complete. I’ve given her the drink. Thirty minutes, just like you said.
His reply was instant. Perfect. Get her to the cabin. I’ll handle the rest.
The drug usually took about thirty minutes to fully take effect. That gave her plenty of time to move ’Trash’ to the next location before she was free for the night. After the former Alpha had crushed the neighboring pack years ago, some of their outlying buildings had been left standing. They were a great place for patrols to use as a base and for wolves who wanted a private place to mate. Everyone knew which cabin was for what.
Candice watched as Trishelle finished the Appletini, wrinkling her nose. "This one has a weird bitter aftertaste."
"Oh, that’s probably just from the tea you had before," Candice said smoothly. "Sometimes the flavors mix weirdly. It happens."
Trishelle just nodded, accepting the lie.
A few minutes later, Candice leaned down to the now-tipsy girl beside her. "Hey, Trishelle, I’m feeling a bit stuffy out here. I want to go for a walk to clear my head, but I don’t want to go alone. Would you mind coming with me? I’d feel so much better if you were there. Please."
"Of course, I’ll come with you," Trishelle said readily. "Actually, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed myself. A break sounds good."
Candice helped Trishelle to her feet, and they left the party, arm in arm. Trishelle quickly realized they were walking away from the pack house and into the dark woods. "Hey, Candice, where are we going?"
Candice paused, her mind racing for a plausible lie. "Ahh... I just wanted to take you to one of my favorite spots. It’s nice and quiet. You’ve been so kind to me tonight, even though I haven’t been... well, you know. I just wanted to make up for it by sharing my secret place with you."
"Oh, how sweet of you," Trishelle said, her voice full of genuine warmth. "You know, I always thought I wouldn’t have any friends here. I’m so glad I was wrong."
Candice just smirked into the darkness. They walked for a while longer, but soon Trishelle began to stumble, her steps faltering. "C... Candice, I don’t feel so good." Sweat beaded on Trishelle’s brow, and her skin felt clammy.
Seeing they were close to their destination, Candice had had enough of the pretense. She let go of Trishelle’s arm, letting the girl slump to the forest floor.
"I don’t know what plan Richard has for you," Candice sneered, looking down at her, "but I guess you’ll find out soon enough."
"What are you talking about?" Trishelle held her head, a pounding headache joining the sweat that now drenched her body. The beautiful dress felt sticky and suffocating as it clung to her skin. All she could think about was tearing it off, but her limbs felt like lead. "What plan?"
Candice laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. It felt good to see ’Trash’ slumped at her feet. If only she could be the one to make the Alpha mark her, then she could experience this feeling of power all the time. The sound of approaching footsteps cut her gloating short. She turned toward the sound. A muscular silhouette emerged from the trees, and Candice’s eyes went wide with shock. "No freaking way! You?"
