would trust his rebellious alpha female with such a huge task, seeing as how little control he had over her. Then again, perhaps in some way, it was a small offering, a little tit for tat. Vall knew how close Jaclyn and Sunray had grown over the last few weeks. If Vall offered Sunray a new plaything, maybe in return she’d be grateful enough to submit to him—like she adamantly refused to do, but should have done so many years ago.
The two women began spending all their time together, which seemed to please Vall immensely. From working together at the department store, to meeting up at Vibes for after-hours drinks, to ending the night at Jaclyn’s place, where a night of real female bonding ensued. They talked about Sunray’s past and the man she’d loved and lost, as well as the reason Jaclyn had come to Serene in the first place.
Even though Jaclyn enjoyed Sunray’s company, her body craved Slyck intensely. She felt so desperate for his company, her insides hurt. Just knowing he was across the street and she was unable to go to him filled her with turmoil. That turmoil had her panther pacing, urging her to answer the demands of her body.
She ached to be with him, needed to be with him more than she needed her next breath, but it was far too risky to blatantly cross the street and go to him. Everyone around town knew how Slyck felt about lycans, and if she and he were spotted together, even briefly, it would raise Vall’s hackles.
After many days into her “change,” and with the full moon merely three nights away, Jaclyn continued with her daily routine. She’d left the department store and taken a quick lunch break at the neighborhood café. Apparently, before one’s first shift, one had a ravenous appetite until their metabolism stabilized, so Jaclyn made sure the townsfolk watched her gorge. While she was sitting near the window, enjoying a sandwich, salad, coffee and blueberry pie, her cell phone rang. She dug into her purse and hauled it out. Her heart lodged somewhere in her throat when she saw the number.
She swallowed her last bite of flaky crust and flipped her phone open. “Hello,” she said, feigning enthusiasm. She loved her parents—she truly did—but this was so not what she needed right now.
“Jaclyn, darling, how are you?” her mother asked, in her usual cheerful voice.
“Fine, Mom. Just been busy. I meant to call earlier—”
Her father’s voice boomed in on the other extension. “No worries, Jaclyn. I know you’ve been working hard. I have the sales figures in my hands to prove it.”
Jaclyn smiled. She missed them both, and even though they were only a few states over, it felt as if they were a million miles away. “I guess that will make the board happy.”
“More like thrilled,” he corrected and Jaclyn could just picture the boisterous smile on his robust face. “This will finally prove to them that Jaclyn Vasenty, brilliant, hardworking daughter of Benjamin Vasenty, is just the woman to take over the reins when I retire,” he boomed out.
Oh God, her father was counting on her to run his empire, and she owed him that. He’d put all his faith in her, and she didn’t want to disappoint him or let him down, not again.
“Which might be sooner rather than later,” her mother piped in. “Isn’t that right, Benji?”
Benji? She’d never heard her mother call her father Benji before. What the hell was that all about?
Jaclyn crinkled her nose and nodded her thanks to Lily when she stepped up to the table and refilled her coffee mug. Was it just her imagination, or did her mother suddenly sound giddy and a bit flirty with her father? Her parents had always loved each other—that much she knew—but her father was a workaholic who never really made a lot of time for his wife, nor had her mother ever acted like a love-struck teenager before.
Jaclyn took a small sip of coffee and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “What’s going on?”
“Oh your father and I just purchased a retirement home in Florida, honey.”
“I’ve spent a lot of years working and building this company, Jaclyn. And now that everyone knows my business is in good hands, I plan on making up for all the lost time I’ve been away from your mother.”
Her mother giggled again and Jaclyn’s smile widened. She loved that the two of them were finding each other again after all