Read Online Playing with Passion Theta Series Book 1 by Gayle Parness - Free Book Online Page A

Ingrid Hudson. Her first performance is
coming up in a few days and you can bet those lucky wolves are
licking their fangs in anticipation. Word is out the ticket price
has risen to fifty thousand dollars. Looks like business is good
for New York wolves, or maybe they're feeding on a wealthier
clientele? It's hard to say no to a handsome alpha, isn't it ladies
and gents?
     
    The feed continued to loop around as
all eyes in the room turned in Ingrid’s direction. "The press
writes what The Director tells them to write. It means nothing,”
Ingrid said with a frown.
    Staci whispered, "Diane's always been
nervous about keeping her position in the troupe, especially since
she handed over her ingénue role to the last Ingrid. We try to
reassure her, but there's only so much we can do or
say."
    Ingrid frowned. "I remember her from
when I was a kid in the training institute. She was a top ingénue
then and now she's a top diva. The Director would never delete
her.”
    “She’s afraid.” Sam said.
    "Delete her? You mean retire her,
right?" Alan asked.
    "Means the same thing,
kid."
    He scowled. "I'm not a kid. I'm
eighteen."
    "Okay, sorry." Ingrid tried to look
contrite.
    "You look like you're my age," Alan
scanned her face, curious.
    "Nope. Twenty-three." She glanced at
Gene, arching an eyebrow.
    "Plus one," he grinned, shoving a huge
forkful of blueberry pancakes into his mouth.
    Alan distributed his pancakes to the
three who'd placed their orders. He laughed as he plunked down a
fourth plate in front of Mack, who playfully placed his hand over
his heart in appreciation.
    "I might have to get those tomorrow.”
Ingrid said, eyeing the pancakes with interest. “They look
great.”
    Alan's smile grew a whole lot wider.
"Thanks."
    Mack stretched out his arm, holding a
forkful of the dripping-with-butter-and-syrup confection. "Here,
open up."
    She hesitated, but everyone was
watching her reaction, looking as surprised by Mack's offer as she
did. She decided to be a good sport and not worry about the
possibility of everything spilling into her lap. Of course,
touching him was out of the question. Another connection episode
would be disastrous.
    She opened her mouth slowly, hoping
for the best. He took his time reaching across the final few inches
with the food, but she managed to take in the full forkful without
incident. As she chewed, Mack's gaze never left her mouth and when
she swallowed, he seemed to watch the food travel down her
throat.
    It was almost as if he was touching
her neck with feathery fingers, the two of them alone in the room,
the world around them silent except for their beating
hearts.
    Ingrid looked down at her plate,
embarrassed. "That was delicious. Thank you."
    Gene was glancing from Mack to Ingrid
and back, a slow smile spreading across his face. “I never would
have believed it.”
    “What?” Mack’s eyes had
narrowed.
    “Oh, nothin’.” He went back to eating,
the grin now hidden but still present.
    "You’ve been an ingénue in four
troupes, but you’re only twenty three? You must have been assigned
too young." Staci seemed to be the opposite of Diane, her
expression full of concern, her voice soothing.
    Ingrid shook her head and glanced out
the window. The azalea bushes were in full bloom, the white and
salmon buds brightening up the yard. "To the public I'm a fragile
innocent. It makes the fantasy more fun for the rapists in the
audience."
    Again, the room was silent. Alan slid
into the chair at the end of the table as Gene closed the holo
program, sliding Sass across the table to Ingrid. "You sure know
how to quiet a room."
    Which confused the heck out of her.
"Sorry. Could there actually be someone here who’s fond of the
snake that’s wrapped his body around our race, squeezing the life
out of each of us?"
    "We do what we have to do. None of us
likes it."
    "But none of us does anything to
change it either." She stood and brought her plate to the sink.
Maybe this wasn't the troupe she'd