Shadows Of A Wolf Moon(2)

“Another werewolf to the slaughter.” Jill eased up beside her and gave her shoulder a nudge. Her light brown hair had been styled into long curls that cascaded down her back. Her makeup, complete with a smoky eye and dark red lipstick that accentuated her full lips, made her look like a model on a runway. She wore a barely there white halter top, bikini bottoms, and tall white boots. She looked like every man’s erotic dream.

“Nah. She’s not like us. She’s human.” Catty sighed and sank onto the stool next to her makeup mirror.

Jill sat on a nearby stool, her light brown gaze assessing and cautious. “You okay?”

“I should have encouraged her to leave, to go home and never come back here.” She looked in her friend’s eyes. “It’s dangerous enough for females like us. I can’t imagine being a human and working here.”

“You know as well as I do she wouldn’t have left. If anything, it would make her want to be here even more.” Something flashed behind Jill’s eyes, something resembling regret.

“I know, I know.” No need to make her friend feel bad too. “What do you have?” Her gaze landed on a white gift bag perched in Jill’s lap.

“It’s a little something for you.” Uncertainty flickered in Jill’s voice. Catty couldn’t decide whether it was excitement or nerves.

“What is it?”

“It’s my favorite stilettos.” Jill reached in the bag, pulled out the coveted red shoes, and dangled them in front of Catty.

“I can’t take those. They’re your favorite. Besides, you need them to dance in.”

“No, girl. That’s the other part of my surprise.” Jill put the shoes back in the bag and set it on the floor. She turned and took Catty’s hands in hers. “Tonight is my last night.”

“You’re leaving?” Her heart stuttered and tripped in her chest.

“I’ve saved enough money for junior college. I start in a few weeks. I’m going to be a nurse.” Her eyes and voice brimmed with excitement.

“Wait. What?” Between the white noise buzzing in her ears and the music in the club, maybe she hadn’t heard correctly.

“Try not to look so surprised.” Jill chuckled.

Catty forced the muscles in her face to cooperate into a smile. “I can’t believe you’re leaving.” She wrestled with the panic growing in her chest. If Jill left, she’d truly be alone. “I had no idea you were even interested in being a nurse. I just thought…”

“That I was content to be a stripper forever?” Jill teased.

“No, I didn’t mean it that way, it’s…” She was happy for her friend— deep down inside, she truly was. She just didn’t want to lose her.

“As you know, I had a pretty rough time. Being strung out half the time didn’t help either.” Jill lightly fingered the silver cross pendant hanging around her neck.

“So what made you decide to leave?” Catty’s heart beat a little faster. She wanted to know the defining moment of choosing a different life.

“I guess I got sick and tired of being sick and tired. Know what I mean?” She lifted her chin and met Catty’s gaze.

Catty knew exactly what she meant. These past few months had her entertaining the idea of leaving for good. But she didn’t have a solid plan. Where would she go? What would she do?

“It’s not too late.” Jill leaned in. “You’re not that pissed-at-the-world girl anymore, Catty. You need to leave and go live your life.”

“I don’t know.” Fear gnawed at her gut. She couldn’t go home. If her parents found out she’d become a stripper, they would be devastated. It was a paralyzing fear that kept her tied to this shit hole.

A tiny shard of hope rose up sharply in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, she could get a do-over, a second chance, and change her life forever. She couldn’t go home, but she could make a fresh start somewhere new.

“Girl, I don’t even know how you ended up here in the first place,” Jill whispered as she looked around. “You’re different than us, Catty. You were meant for way better things than this. You don’t belong here. You never have.”

Catty shifted in her seat. How could she tell her friend she’d gotten into stripping because she wanted to be seen? To be acknowledged? Growing up in a family that was all about high standards and achievements had been like a prison. She’d chosen this career out of her own selfish need for validation.

It all seemed so childish now.

The pain of her brother finding out what she’d done was enough to suffocate her in guilt.