Samiyah Lisimba glanced at the invitation her assistant Bibi Naidu, placed on her desk after the mail run. As an advocate for abused and refugee children, she was always getting invitations for some project or charity auction. As the goddess Bastet, she’d been sought after more times than she could count. Someone always tried to summon her with a bountiful offering or with an overtly expensive trinket. However, she’d grown tired of a life of gaining respect through accepting gifts, or helping those who might not necessarily need it simply because they’d given her that offering.

In the last two-hundred years, she’d distanced herself from her goddess status and tried to find purpose. However, being immortal within the human world had its draw backs. In time, she’d have to leave the law firm where she practiced family law and move somewhere else. Europe sounded interesting. Maybe the English Isles or Belgium or even Spain.

She hated the idea of leaving Bibi behind. The hyena didn’t come from the best of villages, and with the water crisis along with food shortages, the desert terrain was becoming more of a hazard than a safe-haven for her cackle. Add in the asshole who was vying for the Alpha position and things were going to get downright nasty. However, Samiyah stayed out of it. She wouldn’t interfere with the fates on this one. Though shifters knew of her existence within Cape Town area, she didn’t do anything to draw their attention. She handled everything quietly if they requested her help.

Which brought her back to the invitation. She hadn’t enjoyed a Wag festival in a long time. It seemed over the years, most forgot about the tradition of honoring her. It was the one time no one asked for anything. They spent the time giving thanks for her many blessings. It refueled her soul and her belief in humanity. How nice it would be appreciated once more.

“Bibi,” she called. “Could you come here for a moment.”

Her assistant slipped into her office. Her head was bent, her posture curled in. Almost as though she tried to hide in plain sight. “Miss?”

“I need you to do me a favor, please.”

Her assistant opened her small memo pad. “What can I help you with.”

“The invitation you delivered to me? I need information on the men hosting the event.” She handed the gold parchment paper back to the girl.

Bibi nodded. “I will get that for you. Your eleven-thirty is here, ma’am. Would you like me to show them in?”

“Yes, please.” She nodded with a grin.

 

She glanced at the clock as the boy, no more than ten and his guardian, a Cape Town police officer, stood to walk out of her office. Six month ago, the boy showed up in the local hospital. He didn’t know his name, how he got there, or where his parents were. After a bit of investigation, they found out, the boy, John, came from a camp in the Sudanese refugee area near Chad. His parents had been killed along with his three brothers and two sisters. The doctors in the hospital believed he repressed the memories of what he witnessed, and one day, he’d have to face his past.

Meyer Ebrahim, the officer who’d found him wandering outside of the hospital, malnourished and suffering from Cholera had taken the boy in. The man had sat there day and night for the first week of the boy’s hospital stay. Now, almost six months later, Samiyah was helping Meyer become John’s father.

“Remember, we have court next week. Then everything will be official.” She escorted the officer and his soon to be son out of her office.

“Thank you, Miss Lisimba. I appreciate everything you have done for John and me.” Meyer shook her hand.

“I haven’t done a thing. You’re the real hero here, Officer Ebrahim.” She squeezed his hand. “If you have any questions between now and court, please don’t hesitate to call.” She gave them a final wave as they headed for the door.

The case had been simple because they hadn’t needed to find the boy’s relatives. The genocide, though no one wanted to call it such, had succeeded in killing off generations of families and wiping out others completely. The hard part would come when the boy remembered his past. Remembered what happened to his parents. And his sisters and brothers. It would come when he remembered why he’d been wandering outside the hospital and the physical trauma he’d experienced. Samiyah had read his medical reports, knew the physical damage inflicted on him. When the day came, she only hoped there would be enough resources at the boy’s disposal.

She pivoted, ready to ask Bibi what she’d found over the last hour. Her fingers were twisted together, and she swore she heard a soft sob pass the girl’s lips. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Had the issues her assistant confided in her been worse than she suspected?

“My sister called,” her soft accented voice, reminding Samiyah of a melody. “She is in trouble.”

“The alpha?” They’d talked. The man ruled with a heavy hand and decreed all females would provide pups for him. Her sister hated the idea. Samiyah didn’t blame either of the girls for their disliking of the idea.

Bibi nodded. “She married him today. Without our family. It was a closed ceremony for them.”

Samiyah sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“We have been trained since birth to accept the marriage of an Alpha, but this man is not good. I have fears.” She wrung her hands together as she glanced around, then pitched her voice low. “Many, many fears.”

Perhaps Samiyah needed to quell them if only for a moment. “Gather your things and meet me in my office. I might not be able to interfere with this arrangement, but I can do something else.”

The shy, fright-filled girl turned her dark-brown gaze on Samiyah. “Where are we going?”

She grinned. “Shopping. I have been invited to a Wag festival. You shall be my plus one.”

Bibi began to stammer out a response, but Samiyah held her hand up, cutting off the girl’s protests. It might not be enough to help in this devastating situation, but it would take the girl’s mind off her sister—if only for a few hours.

“It will be fun. Perhaps we’ll even figure out a solution to your circumstances.” There, a small smile floated across Bibi’s face. A sense of right along with a current of power coursed through her. For the first time in hundreds of years, Samiyah felt called upon. Useful. Instead of being asked, she gave of her own free will.

“Thank you. It will only take a moment.” Bibi began to shut down her computer.

Samiyah returned to her office and sat down her desk. The R.S.V.P. portion of the invitation only had an email address, so she sent a quick reply making sure to add Bibi’s name as her plus-one.

How … extraordinary.

Sometimes, at her age, she marveled at the ingenuity of man. To transform time and space to allow digital transferences of data to and from computers. When she’d been born, things were much more rudimentary. She thanked Ra every day for the lifetimes she’d been granted to experience, even when times were less than desirable.

“I’m ready.”

“Excellent,” she answered grabbing her bag. “Let’s start at the new boutique then we’ll grab some lunch.”

“Thank you.”

She patted Bibi’s arm as she passed. “You don’t have to thank me for anything. It’s my pleasure.” Again, another bolt of rejuvenating pleasure surged through her veins. Maybe the goddess was getting her groove back after all.

 

On the drive, she thought about the men and the upcoming party. She knew both Wilhem and Christoph. Maybe not in the biblical sense, but they were revered throughout Cape Town. Mostly by women. Sometimes by men. They were exquisite specimens of the male gender, and were both alpha lions. The kitty within her purred at the idea of getting to rub all over them. “Bibi, did you figure out why Wilhem and Christoph are holding a festival?”

“There is a rumor, Wilhem is trying to find a wife,” she answered with a shy smile. “His brother is trying to help him find a bride before the end of his birthday. Others say it’s to find a mate.”

Interesting. “Well, we won’t disappoint them.” She winked at the girl as the car came to a stop. “We’ll knock them dead.”

Already, she began form a little plan. A game of cat and mouse. What could it hurt? Both men were handsome, and she doubted Wilhem would find a mate during this festival even if he sought out a wife. She opened her door and stepped out. Bibi joined her moments later, and they strolled towards the shop.

She’d admired the clothing in the boutique windows on her way to work several times, but without a reason to stop, she’d continued on her way. Today, she would enjoy the experience with her assistant. “Remember, whatever you want, it’s yours. You only have to ask.”

Her assistant opened her mouth, but then thought better of it, and nodded. “Thank you.”

Samiyah strode over to the dress she’d been staring at for weeks. The black deep V-dress would be perfect for her. However, the cream-colored flowing frock would move with her. It reminded her of her dresses when she’d been a young woman in the palace. She’d caught many an eye. She ran her fingertips along the soft, silky material. Oh yes, she had to have this dress.

“May I help you?” A kindly woman asked, coming up beside her.

“I would like this dress in a size four.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the garment almost afraid it would disappear if she did.

“It is exceptional,” the woman stated. “I believe I have a four in back. Why don’t you have a seat in the fitting room, and I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.” She spotted Bibi at a different rack. She glanced at each of the pinned-on tags before pushing the dress aside. Samiyah pursed her lips and shook her head. The girl truly didn’t have much. She’d taken the job at the office to help her cackle and to provide their food and water, electricity and heat. Common enough commodities, but for where the girl lived, they were always struggling to make ends meet—another reason to dislike the incoming alpha.

“I told you to pick whatever you like. Don’t bother with the tags.” She tried to keep her voice light, almost playful. “Don’t you ever want to dress up and pretend for a while?”

Every day,” Bibi murmured. “But, it’s too much, Miss Lisimba.”

“Nonsense. Show me what you’ve liked so far.” She motioned to the dresses in front of them.

The girl drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, I did find one.” She stepped away from Samiyah and stopped in front of a diamond designed dress. It was silver, with gold and black diamond shapes. The lamé wrap plunged in the front which would accentuate Bibi’s curvy frame.

“You should get it,” she encouraged the girl.

“It’s too much.” She said the proper words, however she couldn’t hide the yearning from her voice or the way she stared at it with such longing.

“It’s perfect.”

“Are you ready?” The sales associate appeared at the threshold near the fitting rooms.

“We are,” she answered. “And we’ll take this one in a …”

“Size twelve,” Bibi answered.

“Splendid.” The woman smiled. “Your dress is in the first room on the right, and I will gather yours from the back.”

Samiyah took Bibi’s hand in hers. “Let’s go have an adventure.”