Page 13 of Alpha Marked

River took the long red dress cut low in the front. The slits in the legs almost met the v-neckline. She turned it around to find the back cut equally as low.

Of course.

"So, how am I supposed to keep this thing on my body?" she asked.

Bianca held up a small box of scotch tape.

River stared at the dress again and shook her head.Oh, what the hell?

CHAPTERTHREE

The chauffeur helped River and Bianca from the back of the town car. River had never been in a car with a driver, not that she'd been much of anywhere in a car in her life. She'd never needed one while with her pack. She'd used her mom's Corolla only a few times when Cherry had sent her to town for supplies. Since she was in NYC, she did not want to go anywhere she couldn't get to by walking or bus. She rarely even used her motorcycle.

But a paid driver who got out and opened the door for her? Nope. Never.

Bianca squeezed River's bare arm as River took in the posh restaurant with a line down the block.

"Isn't it amazing?" Bianca asked. "I never thought I would mate someone so well off."

"You aren't faking it for his money, are you?"

Bianca stared in disbelief, and tears sprang to her eyes.

River patted her. "I'm kidding. Calm down. Your dad has enough money to give you whatever you asked for."

Bianca gave her a nervous smile and swiped at her eyes. "Oh, okay."

River's wolf grumbled at the jest.

So it wasn't the best joke, sue me.

River tended to say things without thinking them through sometimes.

"Dad would give you whatever you want too. He loves you as much as he loves me."

River's throat dried. She knew all too well how much Strider loved her. He'd been the one to pay for everything since she moved to New York. She had no idea how she would repay him. Not that he would ever ask.

River put on her best smile. "Let me meet this guy and ensure he's enough for my baby sister."

The smile returned to Bianca's face, and she pulled River toward the front door. "You're going to love him."

River checked to make sure her senses were locked down as they mixed with the multitude of humans. The smells of New York weren't something she thought she'd ever get used to. Plus, every once in a while over the last four years, she'd caught a whiff of something like honey and amber, and every time she did, panic seized her. So, she rarely let her senses go full bore unless she was too tired or preoccupied to notice.

Bianca marched up to the maître d' and smiled. "Hi. My uh… fiancé made a reservation today?"

The maître d' smiled politely. "I'm sorry, that's not possible. We've been booked for three months. And as you see from the line, the waitlist is quite extensive."

Bianca pulled out her phone and showed it to the man. "But this is where he told us to come."

The maître d's smile tightened. "He must have been mistaken, Miss. As I said, we are booked out three months. There is no way-"

"Can you read the list?" River said.

The man turned his eyes on River, and the kindness of his smile began to crack. "I can read the list, but I assure you, if the reservations were made today, they were not at this restaurant."

"Maybe I should call him," said Bianca.

"And maybe he should do his job and read the reservation book."