THE LAST SECRET KEEPER Secret Keeper series books 1-4

CHAPTER 4

It didn't take much brains for the store clerk to realize that Lanecea was the ringleader and she wasn't impressed as she watched Ella and Alice struggle to find dresses that would fit.

"You really should keep sizes that fit women expecting multiples, not to mention, your prices are outrageous. How do you expect women to be blessings for their husbands when you are charging these prices?! Utterly ridiculous. In fact...well, it's just wrong. No wonder so many couples only have one or two children. It is almost as if you expect them to be running around naked for nine months, not even considering they may have many children to feed which is far more important than spending these outrageous prices."

Lanecea was livid, the leader of the soft-spoken priestesses ripping the owner of the maternity boutique apart, although her voice was still deceptively soft, and yet Ella and Alice were truly afraid as they observed their leader standing face to face with the vampire hybrid, Alice already reaching for her cell phone to send her husband a SOS text. Lani was just getting started and vampires always had reinforcement.

Herja was clueless but was fingering the hilt of her revolver as she stepped closer, keeping an eye on all three women who were counting on her to shoot straight should anything happen while their men were away. She wasn't about to disappoint.

Lani wasn't surprised at all to see a store clerk appear at that very moment, a shifter hybrid - of course.

Panther.

The shifter swished his tail in a silent warning as he bared his fangs at the goddess.

"Back down, Shifter. I know who you serve. I was simply voicing my opinion but the vampire is not worthy of your devotion."

The shifter looked between the goddess and the vampire hybrid but didn't say anything before backing up.

"Come, Ladies, they must have a fabric store in here. We will just throw a sewing party tonight."

Ella fingered the satiny white dress one last time before turning away.

"It would have been so nice to all match. It is not every day we have the privilege of attending a banquet in France," Ella murmured, but not quite enough, the vampire hearing every word.

"A sewing party will be far more fun," Lanecea smiled at her friend as Herja led the way to the fabric store.

"Lani's right. We could host it at my house and then leave from there for France in the morning," Alice offered.

"I'd need to go home to pack and get my passport first," Herja pointed out. "I won't be getting off work until midnight."

"You won't need..." Ella stopped herself just in time, biting her lower lip, "...to sew - you'll be much too tired."

Herja couldn't help but smile at the priestess who wanted all the women in their group of friends to match, including her.

"Are you going to match with us?" Alice turned her attention to Lanecea who was quiet, that vampire hybrid still on her mind and its shifter slave.

"No...I look far better in blood-red than innocent white."

The priestesses laughed as Lani winked at them before turning her attention to Herja.

"We are going to need a lot of fabric. Will you please help calculate how much? Our math skills are atrocious. While you take care of that dilemma, I'm just going to be right over there," Lanecea indicated the section of green fabric.

"Sure - here's my phone. You're going to need it."

"Thank you, Herja. I love your initiative," Lanecea praised the woman who was showing potential while her poor friends struggled not to giggle at how obvious Lani was, training the common woman with positive reinforcement, but thankfully Herja had no clue what Lanecea was up to.