Thundering Foosteps

Mattie was waiting on board. Even though Devin was anxious and worried, she was excited. She was uncharacteristically holding it down since he was really worried about what had happened to Destiny in the last four years.

She was more than ready though. Wolf Island women had the whole world at their fingertips. In the Wolf Waters, the women weren't thought of anything more special than anyone else. They were about 50/50 when it came to the population.

She wasn't even special enough to slide into a nice job. She had to work hard to get a job, and she wasn't doing so well in that department again.

Devin never had that problem. He had so much pirating skill that he got to work with Wolf Waters best organization. Her brother was super polite, but he was still a killer. There was nothing funnier than to watch him apologize before he killed someone.

The next person he would be killing was definitely that director guy. Maybe the guy that got them stuck in everything in the first place too.

Right now it wasn't an option because Devin's Director of Operations wanted them to follow the contract for now. They had some kind of different plan. She didn't know what that plan had been, but she would find out when Devin came back.

She would also have to tell him that she lost her job for months ago. His worry about the whole den thing should make his reaction more dampened. Hopefully. He wouldn't like the news.

Most of the population had left to loot at some point, it was just a fact of life. Everything underneath the waters was either scavenged or stolen from the surface. Even things that were considered theirs came somehow from the surface. That was a part of living on the Wolf Waters though, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Any land that was within a certain distance of Wolf Islands was supposed to follow it's laws. Real werewolves didn't live on land though, they were in the ocean, meaning they could escape their judicial system. The Wolf Islands and Wolf Water's were in the same locations, but being underwater kept the werewolves existence safe.

They weren't supposed to shapeshift at all when they weren't in their own bubble homes, just in case they were caught. When they were and there was no identity they would claim they were just on the outside islands that were more wild. That seemed to work everytime.

It also made it easier to plunder from the surface. The worst thing about pirating is the lines in the tubes. She had only done it once. She had to rent a spot on a ship, go to the Wolf Islands and steal something tangible to bring back.

She put on her treasured plunder. Not knowing where to go, and not really one to fight, she snuck into an open window and grabbed the first thing she saw that was cool. A cheap gold skull necklace with matching earrings. Not the greatest at all, just sparkly plastic probably bought at a bargain place. Might have even been costume decoration.

Yet it was her favorite because it's the one thing she got. The first (and only time) she did it, Devin was angry at her. He treated her like a child half the time that couldn't take care of herself, but she was nearly twenty already.

Besides, it was needed. She explained that all of the job applications wanted pirate experience. Even minor pirate experience was needed now for a simple fast food job. He wasn't happy to hear that, but that's just the way it had to be.

He had always offered his own home and to take care of her instead of her trying to live it out on her own. She never liked that though. One day, Devin would actually find his mate, and it wouldn't be so easy to get married and have kids if she was living there too.

That and it was still freeing to live her own life. He was probably going to give that offer again to her once he found out she didn't have a job anymore. Speaking of Devin, she could hear thundering footsteps running against the deck. It wasn't surprising everyone had to change to catch up with Devin. When he was nervous, he was fast.

She went up to the deck and saw everyone as wolves. "You guys are so lucky Devin keeps this thing stacked with clothes. Devin didn't even look at her as he started to get ready to take off. She went toward the wolves she didn't recognize. "Jill and Lily? You guys want dressed?"

"Definitely," Lily muttered through her teeth and through her beautiful gold purse. Ooh. Mattie could see why she grabbed that with her, it matched her so well. She opened the door to below the deck and closed the door as they went down.

She went toward Devin. "So, we are going to get paid for these contracts, right?" Fast but smooth. "We must, I mean there's no way Lily or Jill is going to keep their jobs." And . . . "Plus, I don't have a job any more."

Devin immediately looked toward her. "You lost your job?"

"I was a little fired four months ago," she admitted.

"How did you get fired?" he asked.

Why? Oh come on, he had enough on his mind right now. "Someone stole something from a customer. I was fired for not going after them."

"Well, you shouldn't have been fired for that," he said with a low growl. "Your job was customer service, not tracker."

"That's probably where the pirate experience came in for it," she said slowly.

"Pirate experience isn't tracker experience," he disagreed.

"Sorry." Okay it was done. He knew. "Anyhow, we are getting paid for it, right?"

"We'll be secure while we are there," he admitted. "Afterwards, you should come back with me for a little while."

Ugh, he still did it! "I will get another job, Devin."

"When you do, then you can leave," he reasoned.

"Argh!"

"Boy, you have that pirate sound down good," Billy teased her.

Ugh. "How long are we gonna be there?"

"I don't know," Devin admitted as another wolf's footsteps were heard.