Free Shifter Romance: In the Pale Moonlight (Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance) (New Adult Shifter Billionaire Romance Short Stories Alpha) by A.J. Lewis

This was my second day on this cleaning job and the noises coming from the basement were beginning to grow terrifying. The old man that had called me out assured me that it was just his dog that he kept locked up when visitors were around so that no one got hurt.
    The sprawling manor was covered in a coating of dust, and even though I’d steadily been working at it, the next two floors weren’t even close to being done. I felt pity for the animal as its whines echoed out from the storage closet and into the rest of the first floor. I liked dogs, but if the old man thought he’d bite someone, I best not feel too much pity.
    “Damn.” I mumbled out as I realized my second bottle of pine fresh had run out.
    The old man had been hiding out in his office all day while I worked my ass off to get everything spick and span. I wandered over and knocked lightly on the door. A creak of floorboards sounded just before the door opened.
    “Yes?” The rickety weasel faced old man asked.
    “I’ve run out of a couple of things. I think I’m going to have to cut out early today. I’ll start again first thing in the morning.”
    The old man sneered, “I think not. I’m paying your company quite a sum to get this place clean and presentable and you haven’t made as much progress as I expected. There are a few things in a closet in the kitchen. Use what’s there.”
    Asshole. I’d made plenty of progress. The whole place already smelled better. When I’d first gotten there, everything smelled of mold. I gave him my best plastered on smile before going to the kitchen. Again the whining dog could be heard through the basement door.
    I opened the door next to where the dog was held and searched around. There was plenty of bleach, some outdated multi purposes things. No piney fresh anything, nothing for dusting. I’d have to make do with what was available.
    “Help me…” whispered out between the whines of the dog.
    The hair rose on the back of my arm and I paused in my search. Did I just hear a voice? The dog quieted then. The scratching on the door stopped. Everything seemed to go still then.
    I must be losing it.
    “Help.” Came out faintly again. I heard it. There was no denying that a voice had just come from the basement door where the old man said his dog was. I envisioned some helpless person in there, just like on TV or the late night news.
    I jumped into action then and attempted to open the door. It was locked. I jiggled the handle but to no avail.
    “Is… is there someone in there?” I whispered through the door while pressing my ear against it.
    A faint male voice replied back, “Yes, please, get the key. The old man has the key.”
    I wasn’t crazy after all. The nasty old man was. He was keeping someone prisoner in there, and all along I’d thought it was a dog. It had sure sounded like one though. I’d heard a ring of keys jingling from the old man’s side when he showed me around on the first day.
    ‘I’ll be back soon.” I whispered though the door.
    My heart was thumping in my chest as I went back to the old man’s office door. I knocked loudly, trying to remain calm and composed as if I hadn’t just discovered something that could likely get me killed.
    The creak of the floorboards inside the room sounded again, and the old man opened the door with a huff.
    “The closet where the supplies are is locked. I can’t get what I need.”
    The old man raised one graying eyebrow up, but didn’t ask any questions. The smart thing would have been to call the police at this point, but I wasn’t sure if the old man was armed. He could simply take me hostage or do away with me if he grew suspicious. I mean the guy locked someone in a storage closet!
    He walked towards the kitchen and I followed. This was it. The moment where I’d have to act, the old man took the keychain that was snapped to his belt and flicked through the keys one by one until he found the one that went to the door in front of him. He