Voiceless - M. Sinclair Page 0,18

and office, it was actually a fantastic layout. It was a shame it wasn’t being used anymore.

“Have you ever danced, baby?” Dylan asked curiously.

She nodded enthusiastically before turning to face us. She pulled out her phone and quickly typed.

Little Fox: I’ve danced for years. Does no one own this place anymore?

I latched onto that small piece of information immediately, thrilled to have something to work with. I offered a vocal response. “Unfortunately not, Ms. Miller passed away and the building was given back to the bank.”

Colette sighed while nibbling her lip, looking around, somehow unhappy or unsatisfied with my answer. I hated that. I watched as she looked at the mirror, briefly running a finger through the dust on the surface, slightly deflating. She shuttered some type of emotion before turning towards us and motioning to the door as if she was ready to leave.

“You know the property can be purchased again,” I offered, watching her reaction curiously. I wasn’t positive how much she enjoyed dancing or why she liked the space, but I wasn’t sure I cared right now. Even if she just wanted the space to fucking sit in, I’d buy it to see her smile like that again.

Before she could hide it, her dark intense eyes flared with excitement, before she offered me a small dismissive wave as if it wasn’t important. She walked past us towards the door with a smile that hid her feelings as Dylan offered me a look. I nodded as he caught up to her, my fingers moving across my contacts to dial a familiar number.

“What?” Luca asked, sounding frustrated as he answered the phone.

“Take a break from learning for a moment, I need you to get papers drawn up for the old ballet studio,” I entertained quietly. Something Dylan was distracting Colette with was making her laugh delicately as he wrapped both arms around her.

It made me happier than I could admit seeing her smiling and to see him relaxed. Our family had been through enough, we deserved some happiness. My wolf was pissy that we weren’t touching her right now but he also seemed more relaxed as if he agreed with the phone call I was making.

“Why?” he asked curiously.

“Colette couldn’t stop smiling while she was looking over the space,” I admitted, feeling like a sap. “She seemed extremely interested in it.”

“Reason enough for me.”

I grinned as he hung up. Plus, if Colette had a business she owned, she would be less likely to leave, right? I fucking hoped so. I would just need to come up with a million reasons and ways to tie her here because I didn’t want her ever out of my sight again.

Should be easy enough… and where the fuck had she and Dylan gone?

5

Colette Allard

“Colette!” Lena called out.

I looked up from the pile of receipts and the new Bunny Bites accounting book I’d purchased. My new roommate and co-worker, for all of three days, barged in through our front door and pinned me with a massive smile that was much too upbeat for such a rainy Tuesday evening. My phone pinged with several messages and I tried to not blush, knowing who exactly was texting me.

To say my first few days in Willowdale Village differed from how I had grown up would be the understatement of the goddamn century. No. Seriously, it was actually ridiculous. In the best way possible, of course.

After my mini tour of the old ballet studio, Dylan had convinced me to hide from Hunter with him so he would ‘freak out’ when he got off his phone call. I’d sort of thought the dangerous dimpled man had been joking, but Hunter had been authentically worked up when he found us hiding nearby. Then he hadn’t let me leave his side for the rest of the day, which was perfectly fine with me. The man smelled like pine, and it was absolutely wonderful.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t seen Luca since that morning but we’d been texting and I wasn’t positive, but I think he was planning something because he kept telling me to be free tomorrow evening.

Okay, so obviously he was planning something, but I didn’t want to assume and get my hopes up. My stomach tightened, feeling exhilarated and nervous at the same time.

The one thing I’d learned growing up with humans was that most people didn’t know how to converse with someone who couldn’t talk like themselves. They would ramble nervously or ignore me completely if others were present. At first