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I could get used to that feeling, too.

22

Tully

“Try again.” Walden flicked a discerning look over me.

It wasn’t harsh, but the judgment wilted me all the same. I put the heels to the side with a grimace and rubbed my ankles. I’d asked Baylark Pack to critique my outfit and my walk to prepare for this dinner. More than anything, I wanted to stand next to them and be equal.

“You don’t have to wear these, Tully.” Ajax held the heels up by their strap.

Walden’s sisters had picked out the shoes, and I loved the diamante details, but not the height. I’d been too nervous to admit that in front of them, though. They stalked along in heels, even taller than this pair with no issues. Maybe that was why men were so confident, they weren’t tottering on tiny little stilts.

“I want to look the part,” I explained, taking the shoes back. “Like I belong next to you.”

“You do, Tully. Who cares what people think about you?” Lloyd protested from the lounge.

I sighed, unable to put into words how wrong he was. Clothes were a shield, and I’d used that a thousand different ways over my short life. It told people a story before you even opened your mouth.

Pan clicked his tongue and pried the heels from my hand. He slipped them onto his feet and tied them up with a flourish. He wore black cargo pants with an oversized graphic tee, and his toes hung over the edge. They still looked better on him than on me.

“Posture is everything, angel. Shoulders back, chin up.” He demonstrated with a wink. “You’re going to put your heel down first and gently roll onto your toe. Just take small steps, and if you’re on a slippery surface, it’s a perfect excuse to wrap yourself around your alpha.”

Pan fluttered his lashes at Walden, who offered his elbow with a smirk. They took a turn of the room and the sight of them together made heat build between my thighs.

“Your turn.” Pan dropped to his knees and dragged his fingers down my arches.

My stomach clenched, and I chewed my bottom lip.

“You know, no matter what you wear or say, you’ll be the only person we care about at this dinner, don’t you?” Ajax dropped a kiss on the top of my head.

The sick feeling in my stomach intensified. I wanted to clutch that declaration to my chest like an anchor but it dragged me down instead. I didn’t know how to put this fear into words. The bone-deep inadequacy.

Seph has that old glamor elegance you wish you had, doesn’t she, pretty?

Chase’s voice rang like a bell through my skull.

Lloyd leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Do me a favor. Go upstairs and put on the lingerie that makes you feel the sexiest.”

I gave him a quizzical look.

“Trust me,” he said and his scent rolled over me like a gentle tide.

I did as he asked, wearing a tight pink number with ribbons underneath my tracksuit pants and sweatshirt. As I padded down the stairs, their gazes drifted to me and I felt it. The wash of confidence that came when I was Tahlia, not Tully.

“What did you say, Lloyd?” Pan asked as he put my shoes on for me. His fingers quested up my calf and his eyes delved deep. I still wobbled when I stood, but this time I managed a sultry smile.

“Engage your core.” Pan used his instruction to touch me again and his breath puffed hot against my neck.

I nodded and glided across to Ajax, who held out his arm with a wide, welcoming smile. I leaned against him, and let his scent drown out the anxiety of mine.

“You got it, Tully,” Walden praised. “Beautiful.”

Can you cancel the order I made?

I hovered my finger over the text message to Thorn. All I had to do was press it and decide.

But it was so final.