Ken showed me to the dressing room, which is huge. The space is filled with vanities littered with make-up. The mirrors have built in lights rolling garment racks are bursting with outfits and fill the room. I follow Ken inside weaving between the racks.

"Lexie, this is Maddy, She'll get you ready for tonight and make sure music and everything's ready." Ken hands me off to a tan freckled woman with strawberry blonde hair and Jed eyes.

She gives me blinding smile throwing her arms around me. "Hi! It's so nice to meet you." She exclaimed stepping back. Maddy looks over my shoulder at Ken. "Don't worry, boss. We'll take good care of her."

Nodding, ken gives us wide smile before heading back to his office. Maddy leads me over to a tiny kitchen in a corner filled with a group of men and women chatting amongst themselves.

"Everybody!" She claps her hands getting their attention. "This is Lexie our new colleague. She's dancing tonight so I want everyone to pitch in showing her the ropes," she said making me sound like an amateur. "You'll learn all the names in time," Maddy murmured pushing me into a chair and settles down next to me.

People call out hello's and are genuinely very nice.

"So, since our biggest clientele are heterosexual men all nights except Tuesdays and Saturdays, we girls dance and serve while the boys bartender. Tuesdays and Saturdays are girls nights so the boys dance and we do the rest." Maddy explained as people separate from the group heading away to get ready for work. Maddy doesn't seem to be in a hurry though, so I don't stress. Taking my time to breathe everything in and learn the way they run things here.

Two girls turn their chairs our way, joining the conversation. "I'm Bella, that's Jasmine." The Almond skinned woman with short light brown hair, Bella, said. Her eyes are captivating. Narrow and sultry. Jasmine smiled brightly at me. Her long dark curls tumble down her back and frames her pretty face.

"Hi, I'm Lexie," I said smiling back.

They offer their tips and warns me from certain patrons that can get a bit too handsy or doesn't have the best hygiene. We exchanged stories and chat easily for a while and listen closely to everything they have to say about the Black peony.

"So, what brings you to King's cove?" Jasmine asked once the conversation starts to die down.

I chuckled uncomfortably not knowing what to say. "Long story short, I grew up here and felt it was time to come back." Not a total lie.

"Where'd you use to live?" Bella asked excitedly.

"Oh, uhm, you know that the orphanage?" She nodded. "Around ther," I answered vaguely. If people hear about a woman name Lexie that lived at the orphanage, they'll start putting two and two together so vague answer it is.

"Oh my god. I grew up on the east side in one of the townhouses by the park," Bella responsded and I nodded remembering the area well enough.

Shade and Hunter grew up there. Both of their mothers were single and stripped to get by. I think they even worked here. The small townhouses are a bit ragged and could use some paint but it's neighborhood with a lot of families and single mothers so it was a relatively good place to grow up. We used to hang out there a lot. Shade's mother always baked us cookies. Well, she heated up bought cookies and pretended to have made them.

That woman really couldn't cook. Hunter8 mom could though. She made the most amazing stew. My heart aches at the memories and I chased them away before the girls noticed my dip in mood.

"Does the pack still run things?" I asked already knowing the answer but curious to hear about it. I need to know about the boys so I can avoid them and Mr. Rux.

"Yeah, Rux is still running this city. Though Ryder Rux hepls him now," Bella said eyes glinting at the mentioned of the son. "Him and his friends run a gym and bar on their own. Fronts for the gang business." She leans in lowering her voice.

Jasmine sighed her eyes drifting away. "They're so hot.. it's so sad they never come here." Thank fuck. I think to myself as Jasmine goes on. "They're like the avengers but tattooed and morally ambiguous."

Maddy leans in two and looks between us. "Allison, she's tall with short blonde hair you'll meet her soon, her ex accused her of cheating, which she hadn't, and hit her. She was on her way to work the next day when she ran into Shade. He saw her bruised face," Maddy breaks off and eyes the bruise around my eye before continuing. "He followed her here and put some iced on her eye. He didn't leave until she'd told him what happened. Same day, her ex runs from town with his tail between his legs never to return on pain death." She leans back into her chair. "They may be morally ambiguous but they're good men. Know how to treat a girl right." Maddy adds throwing pitying glances my way.

None of them ask about how I got the bruise, but I read on their expressions I can talk them if I need to. I give them smiles that reassures them I will if I need it. "Any of you know anymore who's in need of a roommate?" I wonder changing the subject. I've heard what I need about the boys. Talking about them more will make the ache in my chest worse.

Bella frowns before perking up. "We'll ask around but you're welcome to sleep on our couch until you find a place. It's really comfortable."

Jasmine nods and I figure they're living together.

"Thank you." I breathe. "You're life saver." They both smile warmly at me and follow Maddy as she ushers me in front of a vanity exclaiming at how the time flies by. Bella and Jasmine help with my hair, curling it in long flowing waves.

Maddy expertly covers up the bruises on my face and neck. She eyes the hand prints for a a moment before getting back to work. My face now looks alive and stunning. My gaunt cheeks have turned into high cheekbones and the dark circles under my eyes are gone making me look bright and healthy. The false lashes add some volume on my own and that cat eye make-up gives me a dark sultry look. My lips are painted red drawing focus to them

They've always been one of my best assets, naturally big plump. The red lipstick only enhances that.

The red bra pushes up my small breast to give them some plushiness and the matching thong sits perfectly over my hips accentuating my waist. I like my small chest but sometimes they need a little push. My ass however is fully capable to stand on its own. My thighs have always been thick and are now corded with muscle. Hips wide and around ass look glorious in this outfit. The red glittering heels are strapped onto my feet lengthening my kind of short legs. I'm 5'5 so I'm not exactly short but not tall either.

The girls lead me around backstage to place where we can see the entire clubbl that's quickly filling with people. It's a friday night and they expect every seat to be fiiled. Bella leaves us to start her shift. I watch as she works the pole effortlessly mesmerizing anyone who lays their eyes on her. Maddy points out the pole in the middle where I'll make my debut. The nerves start creeping in. It doesn't matter how big of small the venue is, I always get nervous right before I start dancing. Then I forget everything. This place is bigger than anywhere I've ever worked before making me more nervous than usual.

Maddy and Jasmine hype me up as they noticed that I'm in need of it. Their words make me relax a bit and walk on steady feet onto me relax a bit and walk on steady feet onto the stage. The beat of music takes over the drum of my heart. It sinks into my skin and flows through my veins as I start to move. I realized that I've missed this.

That I for the first time in years feel somewhat like myself again as I move under the spotlights. Forgetting everything except the movement of my body to the music that fills up every empty space inside me.

Shade pov

"Will you shut up if we come?" Hunter snaps at Dylan who keeps prattling on about a "guys night." The man's as loyal as they get and a hell of a sharpshooter but he talks non-stop. He's been trying to get us on to come with him to the Black peony for years.

"Sure dude." Dylan answers distracted by something on his phone. "Tonight's the perfect night." He exclaimed face lighting up. "They just posted that a new dancer's on the stage tonight. Let's go check her out." He bounces in place like an excited over grown puppy.

Jeremy shrig8 not against going. He's the more social of us and can stand Dylan's incessant chatter. I'll go if the others do, I don't really care either way.

Hunter makes a show of looking pissed, which he does most of the time. He rarely smiles anymore. He mostly works and keeps to himself.

Ryder looks to me and I give him a shrug that says it's up to the others. He's the unannounaced leader of our group. Though we try to be a democracy, Ryder's the one who makes the split decisions if there's no time to discuss. I can see the thoughts churning in his head, always calculating. He's probably thinking that going with some of the younger wolves, and one or two of the pups, to the strip club will strengthen our bonds with them and strengthen the pack.

"Alright, let's go." Ryder nods to the park9 lot and Dylan squeals jogging to Jeremy's truck.

I make a mental note to check up on Allison while we're there as a throw a leg over my bike and start it up. Ryder's bike is parked next to mine and he nods before disappearing down the road. I follow behind Jem's truck before gliding up next to the passenger seat where Hunter sits looking glum. Breezing past them I ride next to Ryder brining his competitive side into light. Our motorcycle pick up speed as we compete to reach the clubs parking a lot first. I beat him by a corner. Ryder glares at me as he turns his bike off and grumbles something about it needing an upgrade.

"Don't blame the bike, you're only as good as you drive," I teased as Jem parks next to us. Ryder lunges for me wrestling my head under his arm and ruffling up my dark hair. Shoving out of his grip I stumbled away chuckling.

The light are dimmed and takes a while for a guard keeping the crowd at bay to recognize us. His black immediately strengthens and head dips in respect as he let us pass.

We're led by a waitress in high heels and a short black dress to one of the tables that sit front and middle. Two pups and give of the other wolves our age sit there, drinks in hand. They make room for us and people rush away to get our order.

Closer by nine inch nails blasts through the speakers as a girl in a red lace set moves around the pole. I sink into my seat, eyes locked on her as she dances. She's absolutely stunning. The way she hits every beat and comes alive to the rhythm. As if they're one and the same. It doesn't hurt that her ass is fucking perfect. I'm not normally a fan of places like this but I'd come here every night just to see her.

Anger rises unbidden as I noticed every other guy in this place watching her every move. Hunter's glower is gone replaced by absolute awe. Jem's drooling and Ryder's leaning back hit thumb resting against his lower lip.

Dylan stops one of the waitresses carrying our drinks and asks "who is she?"

The waitress looks up at the stage and smiles wide. "She's made quite the entrance, hasn't she?" She muses as she appreciates her new colleagues moves. "Lexie. Her name is Lexie." She added before walking away.

Lexie. I nicknamed a friend that once.

Alexa.

Her name strikes a chord in my chest in my chest which echoes through my head. I try not to think about her, but sometimes the sky reminds me of her eyes or I imagined I hear her a laugh in a crowd and I can't help but remember. Then there's the songs that none of us listen to anymore.

They come on the radio and Ryder changes the channel. Sometimes, when I'm alone, I torture myself by playing them over and over again. I have a feeling Hunter and Jem do the same. She broke something vital in all four of us the day she took her fathers diary and skipped town without even leaving so much as a note. Hunter became obsessed with finding her and I don't think he ever stopped searching. Not even when Ryder ordered us to stop. I don't think Ry could take coming up empty again.

The music shifts and the crowd goes wild, begging the dark-haired woman in red to stay on stage. U + Ur hand by pink starts playing instead and I catch a bright smile as she stripper spins. Her red painted lips move along to the lyrics as she lets loose. She gradually lowers herself into a crouch in front of our table. Falling to her knees, she skims her fingers up her thighs, over stomach and above her head. Flipping her hair in a circle her knees slide apart and she places her hands on the ground and leans forward giving our table an eyeful of her chest. One of the pups jumps forward and tuckes a dollar bill into the strap of her bra. She winks at him and straightens on her knees rolling her body to the beat.

Her eyes flutter open and locked with mine.

Everything stops. The air in my lungs dissipates. My muscles lock and I can't hear a thing.

Lexie.

She's here. On stage. Stripping. My lexie is dancing on stage in her underwear being watched by over a hundred men.

She's here.

Lexie.

My lexie.

"What did you just say?" Ryder snarls. His black eyes are furious. Jem and Hunter are all staring at me. Jem's expressions is sad, worry shining in his grey eyes. Hunter's face is a carefully blank not an emotion shows on his features.

I look at my friends. The fear of being wrong, of my eyes betraying me. Creeps in. But I'd know those eyes anywhere. It's her. I know it is. "Lexie. She's here."

My own feelings are reflected back at me in their faces. Shock and hope mixing in their eyes.

"Where?" Hunter snaps back first. He turns in his chair searching the room for her famili6 ashy blonde hair. His gaze is frantic, the way he snaps his head around desperate.

I tilt my chin at the stage in front of us. "Up there."

Their brows furrow as their expressions start to fall with disappoinment. All they see is a grown dark-haired woman. But as they look closer at her face, they noticed what I did. Jem's gaze falls on her stomach as his face lights with hope. He's looking for the tiny round birthmark that sits right above her navel.

"It's her." Jem turns back to me a choked laugh bubbling out his throat. Right there, above her navel is the mark.

I take in the black and white flowers tattooed over her right shoulder. The delicate leaves end right beneath her key bone and it seems to climb behind her shoulder too. A black lily climbs its way up the side of her left hip. The same lily in white is wrapped around yhe the black one snaking down it.

I remember the day she got her first tattoo. I kept telling her that she could squeeze my hand as hard as she wanted too. That it'd be over quick and anything else I could to reassure her she could handle the pain. When the needles pierced her skin, she didn't even flinch. She sat there gazing stead8 at me not moving a muscle. She said it fucking tickled. Jem had groaned and nearly broken the bones in Hunter's hand as he got his first. But she took it like a pro.

The word thats marring all of our skin burns where it sits over the elbow pit of my left arm. My fingers trace the letters over the fabric of the black shirt I wear. Knowing them my heart.

Ryder's voice snaps me back to reality. He's waved a waitress over. "We want a private dance with Lexie." His tone brokers no argument making the waut8 shuffle her feet.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's her first night I don't know if she'll do private dances tonight." She responds, eyes wary.

"Then find out." Ryder bites through clenched teeth. The womam scurries away on her high heels while Ryder turns back to Lexie. His fists are clenched and shoulders tight as he fights the urge to pummel the man who slips a dollar bill into Lexie's thong.

"She's a stripper." Huntet stated talking to himself more than us. He stared at her in disbelief pain twisting his features and worry darkening his forest green eyes.

"Not anymore." Ryder growls eyes never leaving her.

We've all dreamed of her. Of seeing her again. Of getting her back. Wondered what she looks like now. Where she's been and what she's doing. If she's okay. If she'll ever come back.

Now here she is. Hair dark and dancing in a fucking strio club. Doing a great job at it too. This isn't her first time on stage. I wonder if this is how she's gotten by all these years. How young she was when she had to resort to stripping to survive.

Not that there's anything wrong with the profession but there are establishment that are wrong. Worry over what else she may have done to survive. All of it leads me back to the question it always does:

Why did she leave?

Shade pov

The waitress returns turning all our heads.

"She'll be expensive. A lot of people have requested private dancers before you."

Ryder sucks his cheeks in biting on the inside of his mouth. "We'll pay whatever you want in order to move to the stop of that list."

The waitress nods quickly. "Yes, sir. I'll come fetch you when she's ready." She curtsies before hurrying off strawberry coloured Ponyta swishing as she goes. It doesn't take long before the lights on the main stage darken and Lexie slips off the stage. Men boo and call out for her to come back while another dancer takes the stage.

Ten minutes later, the swishing ponytail came back and leads us to a private room off the left. The four of us follow her walking stiffly. We look as if we're heading to our execution. Faces grim and postures rigid. We're all scared. Terrified that it won't be her. Equally terrified that it will be. Longing for answers to our questions and afraid of the answers.

The room is dim. There's a small round stage with a pole on it in the middle of the room. A black couch sits in a half circle against the wall. I stay standing as Jem perches on the edge of it.

Ryder leans back folding an ankle onto his knee. Hunter paces back and forth impatiently. New drinks are already waiting for us on the small tables spread out in front of the couch.

Hunter downs his one swoop. Tossing the whiskey back and slamming the glass back down without making a face before resuming his pacing.

It feels like hours before the door opens and Lexie saunters in. She heads for the pole slipping of the see through red tinted robe she wears as she goes. Tossing it to the ground she takes to the stage. She looks so goddamn professional.

The music stops and Lexie abruptly halts her movements, her back to us. I can't help but admire her ass. Then my gaze falls on the black and white lilies on her left thigh. I eye the faint scar beneath it. It's not really visible under the tattoo but the flowers aren't as long as the scar which goes all the way down to her knee.

A flood of memories from that day surfaces. The way of my heart stopped as she pushed past us and jumped. How seeing her disappear beneath the waves made me sick with worry. How I went to jump after her but Hunter being the rational one stopped me.

All of us raced to the beach and sprinted to the water. I've never felt such strong relief as I did when I spott her swimm toward us. We released a collective breath of relief. Our instict was to get her to a hospital but Lexie couldn't be able to afford it.

So, we went to the den where one of the wolves that's ex military and has stitched people up before took care of it. With only oainkill in dull the pain Lexie gritted her teeth and cried silently as he brought the needle in and out of her skin.

I remember wishing I could take her pain. Feeling useless I sat down and started talking about the Harry Potter books. Lexie used to love them, she could talk about it for hours and got me and Jem hooked. Ryder and Hunter only read them and got invested for her sake. I talked and talked, tried to make her laugh even as she cried and did anything to get her mind off of the pain. We went back to the beach afterwards, stole some choc ice cream which is Lexie's favorite and watched the sunset.

Pushing the memory back I draw my gaze away from the scar.

Slowly, Lexie turns on her heels meeting each of our gazes. The blank mask on her face could rival Hunters. It reveals nothing.

"Hello, boys." She drawls her voice deep and sexy as hell making my cock jump to attention. "Long time, no see." Her eyes rake over us. Noting all the changes. They linger on Hunter's long nearly white hair pulled back in a bun. Jem's little muscled form. Ryder's tattoo in his left arm. My height and hazel eyes.

"What did you do to your hair?" Jem blurts returning to the shy boy with zero game that he was the last time he set eyes on her.

She huffs out a short cold laugh. "It's been ten years and the first thing you're going to ask is what I did to my hair?" Her voice is icy and cuts sharply.

"It was the first thing I could think of," the poor msn mutters in defen lower his head defeatedly.

"Where have you been?" Hunter snaps stalking forward before coming to a halt at the edge of the stage. Lexie turns her icy blue gaze on him. Hunter meets the challenge in them head on.

"A lot of places, non of them good," she responds her lips curling up in a cruel smile. It makes my heart clenched. This isn't Lexie. This is not the girl we once knew.

"What happened to you?" Hunter snaps back his eyes scanning her face searching for the smiling girl who used to dream big. She always found the good in the world. In us. Brought it out too. Made us dream right alongside her. Our dreams were often the same as hers. They still are. Though it seems as if she's got new dreams now. Or none at all.

She sighs and turns away avoiding our eyes. Then she snaps her gaze back to Hunter. "Long story short; I survived."

Hunter's nose twitches the only outside sign of his aggravation. He resumes his pacing right in front of the stage and Lexie's narrowd eyes follow him.

"By stripping," Ryder speaks for the first time drawing Lexie's focus to him. She lifts one shoulder in response. Seeming totally unfazed by the dange power oozing fron the man. "Why are you back?" He questions. The man on the couch isn't my friend Ryder. It's Mr. Rux future leader of the pack and business man.

She shrugs again, "Was no better place to go."

His gaze narrows on her scrutinising every word. "How long are you staying?" Ryder goes on knowing when to push and when not to.

"Who knows," she raises a brow at him completely unbothered.

"Where are you staying?"

"None of your business."

Ryder nods realizing how this conversation will go and switches tactics. He rises from his place on the counch, Jem following. The three of us close in on Ryder recognizing the set of his shoulders and glint in his eyes. "Have you signed a contract?"

Her brows furrow slightly creasing the skin in between them. "What do you care?" Her voice is laced in suspicion.

That's a no. Quick as a viper. Ryder lunges grabbing her behind the knees and tosses Lexie over his shoulder. He wraps an arm around her thighs right beneath her ass keeping her locked in place as she kicks and slams her small first into his back.

"Ryder put me down!" She strikes sounding so muck like the Lexie I know that it brings a smile to my mouth. She's still there somewhere. We just need to draw her out. Hunter pulls his jacket off and hepls Ryder stuff it around Lexie's middle covering her almost naked form. Her fists swing for him and Hunter barely avoids a punch to the face.

Striding out of the room with a shrieking stripper on his shoulder Ryder pushes through the crowd with Hunter, Jem and me in tow. Workers and guests alike stare as we pass.

The commotuo has drawn Kai out of his office and he square off against us by the door. Protecting his dancers from anyth and anyon. "Put her down, Ry," he orders staring Ryder down. "I don't give a fuck that your father owns this town, you do not touch my girls." I admire that the man sticks by his morals even as he's faced with a man like Ryder.

"Alexa Johnson doesn't work for you anymore," Ryder states calmly and Ken's face flashes with a recognization at the name. Everyone who lived here when we grew up knows about our friendship with the beautifully wild orphan girl.

"What?" Lexie shrieks kicking her feet. "You can't do that!"

Ken sighs amd steps aside. "I'll send a check for tonight."

Ryder nodd pleased with that answer as Lexie shouts "traitor!" at Ken who only murmurs a "good luck" at us before going back to the office. He knows we'd never hurt her. Knowd that she's in good hands with us.

Excitement mixes with concern as Ryder dumps Lexie in the back of Jems truck who slips inside along with Hunter and locks the doors so she can't jump out. Hunter barks at her to put her seatbelt on fron the oassen seat. Lexie sticks her tongue out him and holds up her middle finger before crossing her arms and glaring out the window. For the first time tonight, Hunter laughs.

Hoping onto my motorcycle I wonder how Lexie will react when we get home. What she'll say when she sees the white house that she built in her imagination for us. There's always been a piece missing within those walls and it's finally being filled. Ryder and I exchange a knowing look. Both feeling the same thing as we start up our bikes and pull out of the parking lot behind the truck. Heart hammering in my chest, I race home.