“Lafayette,” he offers, holding a hand out for me to shake. I startle, sitting up straighter as I shuffle to dry my hand on my slacks before reaching out to his. He takes my hand gingerly and to my surprise, pulls it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss there. I blush, but he’s dropped my hand before I can say more.
“So what is it?” He throws a towel down on the bar and starts wiping up the remnants of the drinks left by a couple who just got up to leave. I watch curiously as they snake their way through the crowded room towards a door in the back. A moment later, they are let through and disappear to whatever lies beyond.
“Your story,” Lafayette specifies when I don’t answer right away.
I turn back to him, pursing my lips together as I consider answering. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.” I take another sip of the drink and try to pace myself from chugging the rest of it.
“Well, High Quarter, I hope you find what you’re looking for here tonight. But keep an eye out for trouble; there’sa lot within this territory that would love to see your kind bleed.”
My body tenses, my knuckles going white where they wrap around my drink. I look to my left and then to my right quickly, hoping no one heard his words. “How did you know?” The words rush out of me as I lean in, lowering my voice so it's barely audible over the loud music.
He grabs a bottle from under the bar and pops the top off before taking a swig as he smirks at me again. His lips smack together when he pulls the bottle away.
“Darling, you may as well be a neon sign for the High Quarter. If it wasn’t for the fear I can sense radiating off of you, I would have gone as far as to say you were a member of the Watchers themselves.”
I shift uncomfortably. I had hoped I was at least a little more discreet than that, but I hadn’t had time to run through any kind of disguise before escaping tonight.
“Hey, I’m not one to judge,” he calls out. “You’re not the first of your kind to grace our streets. And you certainly won’t be the last. Lucky for you, the Market Ebon is the place people go to forget where they came from.”
I let out a sigh of relief, hoping that the sentiment carries throughout the patrons around me. I let my eyes roam over the expanse of the room, taking in the ambiance. My eyes linger on a taller stranger in the midst of writhing bodies moving to the beat of the music. I watch him for a moment, stricken by how confident he is as he moves. A plan formstogether as I let myself enjoy the sight of him, a hope that my previous excursions amidst the High Quarter and MidLands may help me find a place to sleep tonight.
To my surprise, I realize he’s watching me too. His eyes track my every move and I cannot deny the warmth that spreads in my core. It may be reckless, but I don’t have many options at the moment.
“How much do I owe you for the drink?” I ask, turning back to Lafayette and digging in my pocket. I realize, too late, that I don’t have any money on me, and my face drops in horror.
“Don’t worry about it,” Lafayette chuckles, his eyes darting down to my empty hands. “It’s on the house.” He sidesteps a couple paces to refill someone’s drink. Eyes still on me. “Consider it a little liquid courage.” He nods slightly towards the male that’s caught my eye. The one who’s still watching me. “So long as you promise to be careful while you’re here.”
I grin, heat rushing to my cheeks. “Thank you,” I call out, hopping off the stool and raising the glass to him. He tips a nonexistent hat my way before I turn and make my way through the throng of people to introduce myself to the male who’s waiting for me.
The sound of my own giggles fill my ears as I pull the stranger in front of me closer and bend into his hold, reaching up to meet his lips. Perhaps it's the vodka sodas, all three of them. Or perhaps it's the need to feel some semblance of control over my own body—not to mention the need for a bed to sleep tonight—that has led me to the back alley of the bar and in the arms of a complete stranger.
Either way, I relish in the feel of his hands on me, opening my mouth to let his tongue slip between my lips as he kisses me deeper.
This isn’t the first time I’ve allowed myself to give in to my more primal desires. Both within and outside of the High Quarter. Though it is harder to find willing participants closer to home. Whether they're too devout to give in to such desires, or too terrified to do such scandalousthings with the daughter of the Alpha, it hasn’t been an easy journey to sexual discovery.
A moan slips past my lips as the male before me moves his mouth to my throat.
I don’t even know his name, nor does he know mine. That’s how I prefer it. Anonymous, pragmatic. We both know we're only here for one thing, and I’d rather not acknowledge my true identity—lest my father get word of my extracurricular activities. It protects both them and me, and allows me to inhabit a different identity, a different reality. Even if it’s just for a few short moments.
His hand slides over the curve of my ass and I lift my leg to push his hips closer to me in an instant. I feel his hard length press against me, and I’m instantly molten. I need this, need the release, need to feel like I’m in control.
“I need more,” I breathe as my head falls back against the wall behind me. I unbutton my top, exposing the swell of my breasts. “Take me home.”
He chuckles, pulling back and admiring the view. “You think because you're from the High Quarter you can order me around?”
My body stiffens. “What did you say?”
His eyes roam the exposed planes of my body. “You really think you can come into our streets and masquerade as one of us? You’re not fooling anyone, sweetheart.”
All pleasure dissipates from me. I pull my hands to my chest, feeling suddenly foolish for coming here. As I'mputting my top back in place, he grabs at my wrists and pins me against the wall. I gasp at the sudden change in his demeanor, but I push my fear aside and fix him with a heated glare. “Let me go,” I bite out through gritted teeth.
“Or what?" he sneers. "You’ll run and tell daddy dearest what I did? You think I fear the Alpha?” He spits on the ground by my feet. “Not in these streets, sweetheart. You and your daddy have no power here.”
I jerk away, attempting to slip under his arm in hopes to run back into the bar. If I can get back inside, perhaps that bartender will help me. But the fog of the liquor slows me, and suddenly the male’s arm is slamming into my stomach, knocking the breath out of me.
“You see, I’m all too familiar with your kind," he gloats, lifting a strand of my lavender hair and examining it with distaste. "I’ve witnessed firsthand the kind of darkness that exists within your lot.” I’m gasping, trying to catch my breath from the wind he’s knocked out of me which only seems to egg him on. “Your father? He personally saw to the disposal of my family. Took my parents' lives and tried to force my sister and I into servitude.” His face hardens as he lifts his nose to the midnight sky. “But I got away.”
He slams me back hard and lifts me against the wall till my feet can't touch the ground. My head comes into contact with the brick behind me. A scream rips from my lungs as blinding pain flashes through my head, making my vision go dark for a moment.
