curse of the alpha - episode 05 & 06 Read Online Free

even with Ainsley very soon.

CHAPTER 6
    A  n hour had passed since Erik left for work.
    Ainsley had called Grace from Erik’s landline and Grace was going to call her back about heading to the house to get her stuff. Ainsley looked forward to talking with her friend about Brian, but Grace was on duty, and Clive must have been nearby, because for once she said she couldn’t talk.
    Next, Ainsley had cleaned up the kitchen things. That had only taken a few minutes. A bit of nervous pacing had killed ten more minutes and then she had begun to contemplate cleaning the whole house or reorganizing Erik’s closets.
    That was when she thought more about cleaning. Why not clean up the woodwork in the living room? A quick search under Erik’s sink yielded a bottle of vinegar that looked like it had survived the Depression and a plastic bucket. They must have come with the house.
    Humming to herself, Ainsley made a vinegar and water solution, grabbed some old rags and got to work. After just a few minutes she could see luster of the chestnut beginning to shine through the grime on the baseboard. It was slow going but ought to keep her mind off…everything.
    A terrific bang sounded on the porch, startling Ainsley. She gasped and nearly knocked over the bucket. Was it too late to hide?
    Before she could think of what to do, Cressida’s long form appeared in the doorway.
    “Who are you? Cinderella?” Cressida let loose a long throaty laugh.
    “For fuck’s sake, Cressida! Haven’t you learn to knock?”
    Ainsley was horrified to find herself excited as well as annoyed.
    Completely ignoring Ainsley’s outburst, Cressida strode over and toed the bucket curiously, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the vinegar. Then she met Ainsley’s eye and cocked her head in mock reproach.
    “Hey, you didn’t call or text or anything!” she teased.
    Ainsley colored furiously and began to scrub the baseboard again.
    “What do you want, Cressida?”
    “Put that down. I need to talk to you, Connor. Woman to woman.”
    Ainsley slammed the rag down and looked up at Cressida indignantly.
    Cressida slid down to the floor with her. She looked worried
    “Look, I only have a few minutes before my shift starts. Literally.”
    Oh. Cressida must be patrolling today. That put things in a different light. Ainsley knew she ought to be grateful.
    She looked into Cressida’s eyes. She had never seen Cressida sit still before. This must be an important conversation.
    “What do you want?” Ainsley asked again, this time more gently.
    “We can’t protect you forever, you know. Clive has already started trouble.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He’s harassing Erik over permits right now. He’s trying to stop the job entirely. Erik’s going to lose his shirt over it.”
    “Is he allowed to ask for permits? That should be the borough’s job.”
    “Do you think Everett Stopes is going to stand up to Clive?”
    Everett Stopes had been an old man when Ainsley was a little girl. He was a good code enforcer, but she could see how Clive might push him around.
    Ainsley shook her head.
    “And he’s got his own patrol. They’re just waiting for one of us to let our guard down. There’s a battle coming, Ainsley, and you need to pick a side.”
    That last gave Ainsley a little shiver of anticipation. What was happening to her? She really was becoming more of a wolf here.
    She glanced over at Cressida, who was observing her with curiosity.
    “The thought of a good fight got you excited?”
    Ainsley gave her a crooked smile.
    “You’re changing, Connor,” Cressida said approvingly.
    Was that true? Ainsley looked down at her hands, but the smile didn’t leave her face.
    “One more thing,” Cressida whispered.
    Ainsley leaned in.
    “I know you want me to fuck you again, but I won’t today – for two reasons. One- you smell like whatever awful thing is in that bucket. Two- you need to fuck Erik.”
    “Wh-what?”
    “You heard what I said. It’s not