Carnal was a scene of chaos. So much so that Thistle had to wonder why she was there. Archer had summoned her so she had come but why. Even dressed nice which as ordered. Boots with a short, checkered skirt and a tight black body top. But now she wondered if nice meant something entirely different.
It took some time to figure out what exactly was going on. Apparently, it was furniture delivery day for the remodel and they had a private event that night. All hands were on deck even at five p.m. She even found Archer running around, looking delicious in a black tee. He only stopped to give her a quick kiss and made a promise to find her soon.
Eventually it was the bouncers Milo, Titus, and Clay that came to her rescue. All three of them were dressed in jeans and shirts. And all three of them looked sweat drenched and exhausted.
"Hey Thistle. We're going across the street to a sports bar for a bite. Want to come?" Clay asked, his black and orange fur looking extra messy.
"Is the food any good?" She asked giving him a questioning look. She had come to know all three of them over the last few months and saw them like big brothers now. A role they seemed to like but also came with plenty of sass from her.
"Best wings in the city. Even for a snob like you." Titus joked.
"How am I a snob?"
"You're asking if bar food is good."
"Hey, I may be a starving artist but I'm serious about bar food. Nothing beats the place near my gallery."
"These will." Titus replied, reaching to ruffle her hair as he walked passed. "Come on."
She cursed him as she fixed her hair and followed after. She caught a glimpse of Archer as she left. She gestured as she was leaving, receiving a nod from him. Then it was off to the bar.
The wings were pretty good, not amazing but good. Even with the teasing she honestly loved hanging out with the guys. It was only recently dawning on her how accustomed she was becoming to the pack. There was barely a day she wasn't texting people or bumping into someone. Even though she was dressed for a hot date at a rough bar with three guys, she felt safe.
She had been drinking too much soda for the tight outfit so she wandered off to find a bathroom. On her way back though a large man stepped in front of her path.
"Look at you. A fancy piece of ass in our shit hole." He said, his eyes lingering far too long on her chest.
"Don't look at me like that." She replied coldly. "I'd rather keep my food in my stomach, thanks."
"I'm just admiring the goods you're putting on display. Want to join me for a drink? I'll treat you better than those three."
She rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. "Right, how is a one pump chump like you hoping to do that exactly?"
He must have not seen that reply coming as his face went from shock to rage in seconds. It only seemed to get redder as a few people at the bar snickered at her joke.
"I'm not.... fuck you bitch. You know you want this so stop playing hard to get."
"Hey Thistle, you all good?" Milo's voice broke through as he snuck up on them. He was smiling but she could see how tense his body was. Clay and Titus were also watching keenly from the table.
The man turned to face Milo making a dismissive noise. "No way you could pull a piece of ass like this. So, fuck off you pretend boyfriend."
Milo was a lovable goof. Kindhearted and caring. But the look he got, the darkness entering his eyes. She now understood why he was a bouncer.
"You're right. She's too much of a smart ass for me." His smile never left as he spoke but it was no longer kind. It was a veil barely concealing the anger underneath boiling out. "With that being said, she is our packs Luna and that means no one fucks with her."
"What the fuck is that?" the man exclaimed. That made two of them. She had no idea what Milo was talking about either.
Clay and Titus came up then, Clay putting a massive hand on the man's shoulder. "It means if you insult her one more time we will rip you into pieces. So, leave. Now."
The man seemed to finally grow a brain. He skittered around until free and then booked it. Even those at the bar seemed to find new fascination in their drinks, eyes turning away.
"You alright?" Milo asked his goofy lopsided grin coming back.
"Yeah, appreciate it. Though I could have handled it. I'm not that soft thing you had to save on her first night anymore."
"No, you're not." He held out a fist and she gave him a bump.
"Now, which of you three want to explain this Luna thing?" She put her hand back on her hip and looked all three in the eyes. If she wasn't so furious, she would find it cute how terrified they looked after being all intimidating a second ago.
"Archer hasn't told you?" Titus mumbled, realization hitting him.
"No. He's rather bad at informing me on this pack stuff. Start talking."
"I'm sure that's why he had you come early." Milo offered. "Before everything went crazy."
"Don't offer excuses for him." She shot back, making his eyes drop to the floor.
"Sorry, ma'am."
"Who is going to explain?"
"Well, it's not official yet but we figured it was a formality that would be confirmed at the pack gathering tonight." Clay spoke up.
Pack gathering?
She thought. Yeah, she was ripping Archer a new one now.