1

Eve

Today was the day.

The day I dreaded all year.

I looked up at the row of shops and bars that lined the street across from me. Music blared from the club in the middle of the row, and a hulking bouncer guarded the door.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed a mini chocolate bar. In seconds, I had it unwrapped and shoved in my mouth. Chocolate couldn’t fix my situation, but it sure as hell could help. When I was nervous, I scarfed chocolate like a frantic hamster, cheeks full and eyes intense. It was not one of my finer qualities.

But I couldn’t be blamed. Not when it was time to pay the blackmailer who’d been on my arse for years.

This time, he insisted on meeting at Pandemonium, the underground fight club run by the shifters of Guild City.

Therein lay the problem: the fight club was on the shifters’ turf.

I hadn’t been back in their part of the city since I’d left in the dead of night, ten years ago today. Staying away was the only way to stay hidden.

My big secret? I was supposed to be the Alpha’s fated mate. I just didn’t want anyone to know.

“Get it together,” I muttered.

I shook off my nerves and walked toward the club, reminding myself that I was totally unrecognizable as the girl I’d once been. Growing up had been kind to me, turning me from a legit ugly duckling into a—well, not a swan, exactly, but I looked nothing like I had. Plus, I wore a charm that hid the fact that I was a failed shifter. I looked like a fae now, pointed ears and everything. No one would recognize me.

Still, every inch of me vibrated as I stopped in front of the bouncer. The disdainful look he swept down my form made me reach for another candy bar. I stopped before taking it out of my pocket, knowing it would be insane to eat it while making eye contact with him.

“Hey, weirdo,” he said. “Saw you standing across the street staring at the place, shoving chocolate into your gob. You trying to satisfy an unfulfilled need of some kind?”

Oh, wonderful. I was going to have to actually speak to this man. He was enormous, with pale skin and a crooked nose that had probably been broken a few times. The words Lost Warior Soul were tattooed on his neck. Did he know it was misspelled?

“Listen, if you’ve got unfulfilled needs, you might as well admit it.” He stuck out his tongue and waggled it. “You’re not really my type. I like classy birds. But I take on the odd pity case.”

“Well, that sounds like quite the treat. Must’ve worn my lucky socks today. But sadly, I’ve got to get inside. Are you going to let me in?”

His lip curled. “Sorry, this is a nice place, I’m afraid. Where’d you get those clothes? Clearance sale at Primark?”

Humiliation burned through me. Memories of being a kid and getting bullied for being poor and ugly flashed in my mind. To make matters worse, the Alpha—the one who was supposed to be my mate—had been the cruelest of my tormenters.

“I can change my clothes,” I said. “You’re stuck looking like a right idiot with a misspelled word permanently on your neck. Was it cheaper to leave out the second R on Warrior?” I tutted. “The state of you. Honestly. Now, are you going to let me in or not? I know it’s not actually that classy.”

“You still look like a charity shop case.” He glared at me as he opened the door for me.

I rolled my eyes and stepped forward. The top floor was just a bar, same as any other. Beer, bartender, patrons on stools. It was a bit darker and had a more dangerous vibe than my usual place, but nothing I couldn’t handle. There were only two people at the bar, both slouched over tumblers of amber liquid.

The bartender looked up, meeting my gaze with uninterested eyes. It was fight night, so people weren’t there for the drinks. I remembered enough of that from my brief youth, along with where I needed to go if I wanted to find the action.

I nodded once and turned toward the stairs at my left. The noise echoed up from the room below. Before descending into the crush of people, I made sure the envelope of cash was safe and that my pocket was buttoned. Inside that envelope was every penny I’d scrounged up over the last year.

I took the stairs two at a time, determined to get this over with.

Step one of hiding in plain sight: don’t act afraid.

When it came to hiding, my necklace helped, but attitude was half the battle.

And I had it.

Gritting my teeth and squaring my shoulders, I walked down the last few stairs and into the crush of people.

And immediately had a panic attack.

There were dozens of them, all crowded around the raised fight ring in the middle of the room. Sounds and scents and heat crushed into me.

I’d spent ten years hiding from my pack, and now I was surrounded by them. My pack. Once, my family. My head spun, senses in overdrive.

Get it together.

I grabbed one of the chocolates from my pocket and popped it in my mouth, chewing quickly. Calmed, I pushed my way through the crowd toward the bar. If I ordered a drink, I’d have a logical place to stand while scouting out the crowd.

The bar was crowded, but I managed to squeeze in between two guys to find a spot. One of them turned to me, interest in his pale eyes. All I had to do was turn on my Resting Bitch Face to make him flinch and turn away. RBF was key to encounters like this.

I leaned over the bar and caught the bartender’s attention. She was a tall, slender woman with a mop of purple hair and sharp eyes.

Fear immediately stabbed me in the stomach.

Clara.

A bully from school.

My heartrate rocketed as I smiled at her, and I drew in a slow breath through my teeth, trying to calm myself while not looking like a maniac.

She stopped in front of me, a polite smile on her face. “What’ll it be, love?”

“Pint of lager. Cheapest kind.”

She nodded and turned to the taps. Cold sweat raced down my back as I held myself steady.

She hadn’t recognized me. And she wouldn’t.

I was right.

When she handed off the beer, I gave her the money and turned away, studying the crowd.

Was Lachlan one of the people in the crush?

No. He was the Alpha, for fates’ sake—too busy and important to be hanging out at an underground fight club.

The fight in the ring had ended, and people were jeering or cheering, depending on their alliance. There was plenty of betting going on, and the emotion in the room was high.

Immediately, a sense of home washed over me.

I ached for it.

For all their faults, shifters were fundamentally good. Loyal, passionate, warm. Fierce when they needed to be, protective of those they loved.

I’d left it all behind, but that didn’t mean I didn’t mourn for it.

Shit, I needed to get my act together.

Fortunately, my gaze landed on the rat bastard himself: Danny Walker, who had figured out my secret. I’d tried to convince him to meet anywhere but here, but he’d been utterly terrified of leaving their land, which was new for him.

He stood in the shadows about halfway to the ring, his face pale and gaunt. He looked like hell, actually, like he hadn’t slept in a month. Danny had never been attractive, but this was rough.

Whatever. Didn’t matter.

I would pay off the bastard and return to life as normal, scraping by but happy, mostly. Free, definitely.