Chapter 2

He slumped against my shoulder, reeking of alcohol the moment he opened his mouth.

“So this is how low you’ve sunk? A thousand bucks buys you for a whole night?”

I glanced at him coldly and said flatly, “You’ve got it wrong. I split with the casino thirty-seventy. Three hundred buys my night. At my lowest, fifty was enough.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Avery shoved me away and slapped me hard.

“Rory, you really are disgusting.” His voice shook with fury. “You think changing your name and putting on makeup means I won’t recognize you?”

My cheek burned like it was on fire. I lifted my head, numb.

“Isn’t your stepfather a Gamma in the Pack? You should be drowning in money. So why are you doing this to yourself? You make me sick.”

He wasn’t the only one. I’d felt sickened by myself more times than I could count.

Every time I finished with a stranger, I’d soak in the bathtub and scrub until my skin was red and raw before I’d stop.

I hadn’t always lived like this. Even though my biological parents abandoned me.

Henry took me in. I became, in name and in public, a proper noble young lady.

But because I carried a human’s scent, Henry covered for me and crossed lines he wasn’t supposed to.

We were cast out of the Pack. I had a child to raise. Henry got sick.

I needed so much money. The antiques, the jewelry, every last treasure we owned… all sold.

And still it wasn’t enough. Worse than that, I couldn’t swallow the fact that I’d been thrown away like trash.

I covered my face and swallowed the blood and tears together; it was bitter.

“Are you done?” I asked quietly. “If you’re done, move. My client is still waiting upstairs.”

Avery choked on his words. “You…does Henry know you’re doing this filthy shit?”

I looked at him like he was asking something stupid. “Does it matter? What does it have to do with you?”

My answer made him spin on his heel and stagger away, furious.

The night wind cut through me, making me shiver. I fixed my messy hair and hurried upstairs.

After one long night…

I pulled on a T-shirt and jeans and dragged my aching body out of the room.

Out of the crowd, a big, burly woman charged over.

With one hand, she yanked Miller by the ear. With the other, she pointed straight at me.

“Tell me. Did you fool around with this slut last night?”

Miller looked at her like a kicked puppy and begged in a small voice,

“Honey, don’t be mad. I just drank with her, I swear. Nothing happened.”

“You paid a thousand dollars just to drink?” The woman’s eyes went wide with rage. “You think I’m stupid?”

She slapped Miller again and again until he was yelping for mercy.

Then she rushed me, shoved me down, and straddled me, raining punches in my face.

“If you don’t hand over that thousand dollars today, I’ll beat you to death, you bitch who only knows how to seduce men.”

I clutched the inner pocket of my jacket with everything I had, letting her beat me until my face swelled and bruised.

Our lives depended on that money. How could I hand it over just because she demanded it?

People gathered in a circle, watching. Their condemning glances swept over me.

They didn’t help. They jeered, delighted, fanning the flames.

“Hit her! Beat her to death! That’s what she gets for stealing men.”

“It’s always these whores They hook men and make them throw money away like idiots.”

This kind of scene replayed every so often.

I’d seen enough faces like theirs. Heard enough filthy insults.

I’d gone numb, no emotion left to spare.

Egged on by the crowd, she took out a small knife, and the cold blade pressed against my face.

“If you don’t hand it over, I’ll carve up your face. Let’s see what you’ll use to seduce anyone then.”

The knife was about to come down—

When a hand suddenly clamped around the handle.

“Attacking someone in public,” a man said coolly, “aren’t you afraid the cops will haul you away?”

The woman froze, then sneered.

“Look at that. This cheap bitch has plenty of men… but you’re the first one who’s dared to stand up for her.”

I followed that hand up.

It was Avery.

Ryan stepped forward and barked, “Do you have any idea who you’re messing with? That’s Eric Jones!”

The woman stared at Avery in shock, then looked me up and down.

In the end, she spat right at my face. “Pfft. Shameless slut. Try seducing my husband again and I’ll break your legs.”

I turned my head and dodged it.

Avery shot her a hard look, and only then did she slink away.