Hannah

27

Hannah and her happy harem spent the rest of the morning together. Holland and Max took care of bringing a lunch buffet to their cabin. The florals, ornate gold and granny decor having grown on everyone as they bonded over food, conversation and subtle, telling touches. It was nice, Hannah hated when she looked at the clock and realised she really needed to get ready and then to the last performance she had booked for herself.

She was not going to ruin her business's reputation. She was better than that. Hannah was proud of what she had made. Olympic Productions had been doing well. Caspian had been the one to manage most of the turn around of her business from only legit on paper to a proper one. He showed her the new business plan, the schedule he had worked on to train in the fae performers who desired a chance to live a more mortal life. 

Hannah had smiled when she thought about fairy's wanting to switch enchanted existence for a more mundane one on Earth. "Like an backwards fairy tale." She had whispered to herself.

Holland knew Caspian was nearly done gloating to Hannah over his accomplishments for her company, and finally took his turn to interject. "We do still need to officially pay out to that scumbag ex of yours, but that is just a formality." Holland paused for a breath.

"Thankfully, Carson used the cheapest contract generator possible, terminating him was almost too easy." Max was feeling left out. He hadn't been any help with setting up an expansion plan for a business. He didn't have a head for reading the minute details of a contract. Max didn't have the assured confidence Holland swaggered with.

He was just Max. The in over his head Beta with the grief stricken Alpha and a pack that had no connections. Max was distracted by all his self doubts, that he didn't notice as Holland smoothly snaked out his arm, grabbed Max's hand and pulled Max in between himself and Hannah. Hannah instantly curled around him, Holland's chest was against his back as he wrapped both Max and Hannah in his arms and held both of them. Hannah kissed Max, soft and sweet on the lips. Looking into his eyes, and his doubts melted away. He knew where he belonged. Everything else was secondary.

Too soon Hannah pulled away. She really had to get ready. Unfortunately, the club had booked with Velvet Viola. A black bob wig, paired with a specially designed corset top, tiny black panty and to the thigh high lace up platform boots. Finished with a lace mask to obscure her features from the patrons. This look, this personality was not Hannah. Not at all. Velvet Viola was dominant. She was in control. The cocktail dress for afterwards was barely any better than the performance costume.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing the wig that required a lot of effort to keep in place the entire night, the makeup, and the performance costume, it had been to a chorus of growls and wolf calls. Hannah had to knock them all back. She had to remain pristine, they were running late to get her to the club for tonight on time as it was.

Everyone piled back into the SUV. Hannah mostly show ready, hidden under her overcoat, wearing normal shoes. The performance bag full of everything she would need to switch from her set costume to social meet and greet time. They did not say goodbye to any of Holland's family, except his mother Hattie who cornered them just as they were leaving. Apologising for her children, hoping to get another chance to make a better first impression soon. With far fewer siblings.

Holland drove again, Max sat in the front with him. Caspian and Hannah were in the back, Caspian knew Hannah was anxious about looking imperfect, and about being late, so he was good enough to only make polite conversation on happy topics for the drive. Both he and Hannah enjoyed watching Max and Holland flirt together in the front seat.

Hannah was relaxed, smiling and perfectly on time when her men dropped her off at the hidden entrance to the club she was told to use as a performer. To keep her a surprise until she performed. Holland parked the car. Everyone got out to kiss her good bye. Each trying to go farther than Hannah could when she needed to stay show ready. Touching up her makeup was already going to be a task with whatever mirror or staging area she got tonight.

The moment she stepped away and knew she wouldn't see them for hours, Hannah already felt sad. She didn't want to be apart from them, and from the looks in each of their eyes, they didn't want to be apart from her either. The show must go on and Hannah made her feet move to take her into the club after tying her mask in place. Velvet Viola stayed masked once on the job. One countable plus to this persona at least.

Hannah was led to a private dressing room by the enormous bouncer that had been working the VIP/Performer door. Letting her know she had about twenty minutes before it was her show time. Just enough time to try and pull everything together and maybe do a few warm up stretches before doing a medium length routine, a couple top moves then a quick clean up to pretend to be happy and enjoying herself the rest of the night.

Hannah could feel each of her mates as she settled herself at the makeup table. Adjusting some of the lights to try and make sure it was as even as possible as she finished putting on her fake lashes, and lipstick. Smoothing out the wig. Even if Velvet Viola wasn't her favorite persona, this wig sure was. It fit her well, the hair looked real and natural, and it seemed to want to stay styled.

Lacing herself into the absurd boots was the last step. She practised her walk, tested her balance. Making sure the absurd boots were on her feet correctly.  Hannah had moved on, satisfied her costume was perfect, and was working on stretching when there was a knock on her door. She answered it, towering over the man who was on the other side in her platform heeled boots. He was very delicate Hannah noticed, as he introduced himself as Aspen, and that he would direct her to the stage.

If Hannah wasn't already working through her planned routine in her head, she would have noticed the familiar way that Aspen was looking at her. If she wasn't already marked by three men who burned for her constantly, while also anxiously making sure she would be able to hit all her marks, she might have noticed the new, undeniable pull towards the man she looked at only enough to consider him fair attractive. Before returning to thinking about her routine, making sure she knew the steps. Counting the beats and moves in her head.

Hannah was always the most anxious right before she performed the first time in a new space. This was no different than any other first time. Run her marks. Think of Viola, be dominant. Be Viola. Viola was all in the eyes, and attitude. The smirking smile she had practised in the mirror. Count the marks. Know the alterations. Three peak moves. Had to hit three peaks. Hannah was repeating everything she needed to do right until showtime. Unable to figure out that the feeling she couldn't shake, was another man who desired to be hers.

When she heard the MC announce Velvet Viola, and heard the applause everything in Hannah's head went quiet. Now there was only the show. Taking a deep breath Hannah let the music she knew so well take her away as her body did what it knew to do. The music triggering ingrained muscle memories after hours of practice in the mirrors. Meanwhile, at a diner just a block away. Caspian, Holland and Max were having a snack while discussing the unfinished business each of them wanted to finish.

"I can't believe someone has been using Hannah like this for three years." Max said dejectedly looking at the financial statements his pack's accountant had sent to his email. Hannah had been able to stay ahead of all her bills, and live a comfortable life. Barely. She was smart and frugal. Caspian couldn't be more proud of Hannah, she had worked hard and done so well on her own. Carson had done nothing and made a profit. A fact that burned at Caspian. Holland's eldest siblings were working to find Carson now. Trying to trace the money.

Holland, Caspian, and Max could feel every little shift in Hannah. They knew she had seen someone who had every so briefly caught her attention. Then all her focus was on her show. As they ate they could feel her concentration. Feel how hard she was working. Felt her pride when she landed a hard stunt. Conversation was light as the food kept arriving at the table, but the new details anyone could offer became scant. Everyone was focused on Hannah, wishing they could see her perform tonight. 

Carson was better than the average criminal, it had never taken Holland's siblings more than a few hours to find someone. Max had received notice that their notice of intent to buy Carson out of his stakes in Hannah's company had been accepted without contest when they had sat down at the diner. As they finished their mains and were nursing a beer each. Just waiting for the clock to say Hannah was free. Holland's phone buzzed with an alert from his sister Winnie. Carson's payment to be bought out of his stakes in Olympic Productions, were being made out to the same company that had hired Hannah tonight. Carson had lured her in, and Hannah had no idea the danger she was facing.