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And from Sire Slat, a property owner in the area, she had learned that Graham’s own resolve and ingenuity had brought investors, including Sire, who had funded the growth of Fang Tech and the Fang District. He also offered that should she need an apartment, he would offer her an excellent deal. Delilah jotted down his number and stuck it in her purse before also entering it into her phone.
Jude was amazed by her gregariousness as she easily confronted so many strangers to piece together the winding story of their origin. Should she ever join the pack, she could be a wonderful asset to their networking efforts. Tive never told her what the Sable pack had gone through to get here, but maybe that was a story she would ask Jude for someday.
After confronting as many people in the community as she could and introducing herself to every shifter there, she finally sat down for dinner. She still clung tightly to Miranda, but Jude could tell she felt much more at ease.
After she had taken a prolonged bite of the prime rib, savoring it in her mouth and showering it with compliments, Jude finally asked what he and Graham wanted to know more than anything else.
“So now that you’ve heard the stories of everybody here,” Jude said quietly, “what’s your story, Delilah?”
Delilah swallowed another morsel of the delectable beef. Jude thought she was going to speak, but then she took another bite of scalloped potatoes and washed it down with a few sips of wine.
“I lived in a pack about a state over,” Delilah said, thinking while chewing. “I was going out with this guy, who seemed nice at first, but got kind of a big head and turned into a jerk.”
Jude listened closely, not touching a bit of his food. The loudest sentences were usually never spoken.
“Anyway, I got a waitressing job so I wouldn’t be so controlled by him.” Delilah sighed. “Then one day, he got to be way too much, and I hit the road, found this place, and here I am.”
Jude mulled over her story. Of course, he knew that people didn’t usually volunteer the most traumatic stories of their lives over a friendly group dinner, but he had still hoped for more.
“And that’s all that happened?” Graham also seemed to notice that a few details seemed left out.
“Yep!” Delilah said cheerily, now enjoying a ravioli.
Miranda gazed at her sympathetically. Jude and Graham just stared at each other, before realizing they were being rude, and the last thing they wanted to do was to make Delilah feel uncomfortable.
“Well,” Graham said, “we’re so glad you could join us!”
Jude nodded, also smiling. He wondered what could have possibly scared Delilah so much that she still couldn’t talk openly about it. He knew she would never truly find healing and move forward until she was ready to admit that it had happened.
Miranda shrugged, taking a swig of beer.
The night carried on well, and Jude could tell that Delilah had enjoyed herself, which was what mattered.
Still, a deeper part of him longed to know more and to help her heal. He committed himself to never press her for anything she wasn’t comfortable sharing, and to always listen to everything she wanted to say. Healing took time, after all.
Chapter 14
Delilah
Delilahhadnotseeneither Jude or Graham in the past week. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to see them. Quite the contrary. She had simply been too busy since coming home from the pack dinner.
Immediately, upon arriving home, Delilah had taken out her phone and dialed Sire Slat’s number.
“It was wonderful talking to you tonight, Mr. Slat!” Delilah said, trying to lay on the charm. “You said you might be able to set me up with a deal?”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, darling,” Sire had said. “But yes. As a friend of Mr. Grimmaw’s, I would be happy to offer you a generous deal.”
Though initially flabbergasted at how much Delilah was able to put down as she had been saving for quite a while, Mr. Slat offered her a wonderful apartment with plenty of space, with just a five-hundred-dollar security deposit and half a month’s rent. The biggest hurdle to her getting an apartment, the application and character references, were taken care of by Slat, who only needed a social security number to do the background check.
The move had been taxing, and Delilah was so grateful for Miranda’s help. Miranda had offered her car for relocating her possessions and was even willing to shop for furniture with her.
Delilah looked at her empty living room—furnished only by a small desk, a cream couch that Miranda had personally selected for her, and a new television. She had no tables yet, no chairs, and the bedroom was empty, except for a single queen size bed.
She was glad to have all this empty space to frolic in, but it had the opposite problem to the cramped hotel room. Rather than feeling cluttered and stuffy, it felt unlived-in and unwelcoming. Fixing that would be a multi-step process.
She looked down at her phone, filled with text conversations between her, Graham, and Jude. She chuckled at Graham’s banter and Jude’s social awkwardness.
Delilah wanted nothing more than to go down to the Fang District, the pack territory where she had been royally welcomed just seven days ago. Miranda had been an immense help, but she’d had to go to work and now Delilah was alone in this apartment with nothing but her own thoughts.
