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“You need that drink,” she says, her eyes scanning my face, searching for any sign of what just happened to me. I draw in a shaky breath and nod, wishing I could tell her right now but there are far too many people around.
“Yeah, I think I do …” I almost lose my focus again as my eye twitches from the effort of keeping my gaze off him. “I’ll have a gin and soda.”
Seline nods and leans over to tell Lindsey the order. With a smile, the blond moves to collect the top-shelf gin and makes my drink.
I force my eyes to stay on this side of the bar. I can’t look over there, not again. Too many people had seen the first time, and it would be way too obvious if I was caught staring over at him again. But the bond stretches between us, begging me to move closer to his side. My wolf lets out a huff of annoyance at my refusal to greet our mate, but she leaves it at that, understanding that there’s a lot more at stake right now.
“Let’s go take a seat,” Seline says as she hands me the glass, the cool liquid seeping into my skin, helping to keep my mind focused. She places a hand around my shoulders, leading us through the crowded bar and over to one of the velvet-lined booths. The club-goers with their easy-going attitudes surround us, out for a night with their friends or their partner to unwind from their stressful work week. I almost feel envious of them. If only I could slip into that mindset and forget about my troubles. But no matter where I go, I have to stay on my toes.
I briefly watch their writhing forms. The air is thick with the scent of lust as the night grows later, couples and singles finding one another on the dance floor thanks to the haze of alcohol lowering their inhibitions. The interior of the club is a little less flashy than the one in New York, since it’s the only one in town there’s no need for all the extra perks to make it stand out amongst the competition. But that being said, it’s still up to the same standard with a private VIP section that we enter now, passing by one of the security guards poised at the entrance and over to the private bottle service sections. I take one of the leather couches and she slides into one across from me, a low table sitting between us. The section is removed enough from the rest of the club that I can think over the pounding beat, but still close enough for groups to enjoy the atmosphere and music.
A sigh of relief slips from me as I sink into the couch, able to finally breathe away from the thick sexual tension that had cocooned itself around me inhispresence. I grimace at that though, wishing I could at least know his name or how to find him again. My heart sinks at the absence of my newfound mate, at not even being able to speak with him without the prying eyes analyzing our every move. But at the same time, he hadn’t even tried to come to speak to me. He had only pinned me with the burning hot look of lust and desire but hadn’t bothered to even stop me to get my name. I know I have an excuse to keep a low profile, especially around hot as hell men, but what was his?
My gut twists as the possibilities run through my mind—maybe he has a girlfriend, a fiancée, awife? Maybe he doesn’t even want the connection between us. I know I should be happy at that, I’ve only just stepped onto the path of accepting my other two mates, but there’s still a long road ahead before I finally get there. I could see that he felt the bond thrumming between us, but still, he stayed planted on the other side of the bar, merely letting his eyes convey his attraction and need.
“Hello? Earth to Sky, what the hell is going on?” Seline asks, waving a hand in front of my face. I jump at the sudden movement and silently let loose a curse. Again I let myself get drawn away into my thoughts, so much so even Seline’s presence had startled me. “Was it that guy, is he bad news?” she guesses, her brows creasing with concern as her mouth draws into a thin line. I knew she would kick him out if I wanted her to, despite the differences in power, she would do it for me.
“No—it’s nothing like that…” I trail off, unsure if I should divulge this right now. I glance around at the surrounding booths, but all I see are empty couches, half-finished bottles of liquor and juices lining them, forgotten as the groups most likely dance in the throng of writhing bodies just across the room.
I lean closer and she does the same, the determination changing to fear as she scans my face, clearly noticing the uncertainty there.
“He’s my mate,” I whisper low enough for only the two of us to hear. She sucks in a shocked breath, her eyes darting around us too, making sure we’re alone before she dares to respond.
“But, you didn’t seem like you recognized him, and unless he dyed his hair and changed his appearance, that isn’t one of them.” She gives me a sheepish smile at my quizzical look. “Everyone around here knows those two. They’ve come to the club often enough for me to remember what they look like, normally just for meetings or a casual drink,” she adds, giving me a wary glance as a lethal growl slips past my lips. I slam a lid down on the irrational anger bubbling to the surface.
That was before I knew them, and before they even knew they had a mate. But if I catch any women around them now, I’ll be cutting off their prized possessions. My wolf hums in agreement, and I can’t help the twitch of my lips at the sense of approval she sends my way.
“I have no idea who he is,” I admit, my head turning to stare wistfully back at the bar. Relief and disappointment mix as I look back at her. A group of guys takes up the spot where he stood a few minutes before. “But I felt the connection between us, it was the same as the others—it’s the mate bond, I know it.”
Seline nods, scanning the bar herself to check for anyone close to us before she continues. “I’ve seen him around a few times, but he never comes in with anyone, from what I remember. I mean, wolves from other packs have only recently started coming in. Maybe one of the other girls knows him,” she offers hesitantly, and I ease the pressure on the glass that still remains untouched, perched on my knee. No, I definitely don’t want to know if any other girls know him, or else I might do something completely irrational.
I bring the glass to my lips and tip my head back, letting the cool drink flow over my taste buds. The complex taste causes a satisfied hum to leave my lips as I bring the glass back down. The stray strands framing my face sweep over my cheeks, tickle my skin as I lower my chin and open my eyes.When did they slip closed?
“I could fucking watch that all night and be the happiest man in this place,” a gruff male voice says from the entrance of the VIP area. His voice sends tingles skating along my skin, and I instantly know who it belongs to even without the taut connection between us drawing me to him. “You really thought you could get away from me that easily, firecracker?”
Heslides in next to me and casually sprawls out onto the couch, propping his arm up on the top to face me completely. He pins me with that amber gaze, glowing like embers in their depths. My stomach does a flip as he engulfs me in his scent of a fresh campfire and whisky. I want to melt into his side and soak in all the delicious heat radiating from him.
“I’ll just be going,” Seline says, clearing her throat to get our attention. My head snaps in her direction, and I give her a sheepish look, feeling like a teenager caught sneaking out of her house to meet her crush. “Let me know if you need anything.” She gives me a pointed look and waggles her eyebrows, as though telling me I’ll need to fill her in on every detail of what she missed. Fuck, how am I supposed to keep my wits about me now? I still need to keep a low profile, but every time I meet his gaze, I get lost in their fiery depths. I slide my glass onto the table and swallow thickly. My fingers itch to run through his short perfectly quaffed red hair, and feel the drag of its softness, just as I would with his wolf’s fur. I want to swing my leg over his lap, our bodies grinding together to the music until—
“Oh that won’t be necessary, I can take good care of her.” His rough voice cuts off that thought and draws my gaze back to him. He hasn’t bothered to look away from me since he strode into the booth. Not once. His words are full of the promise of everything that he can do to me, and honestly, I want every single drop of pleasure he can give me.
I notice Seline leaving out of my peripheral and catch the look of amusement she flashes me as she exits.Ugh, I’m never going to hear the end of this.I suppose it will only get worse once she officially meets my other two mates.
“Oh can you?” I ask wryly, my eyebrow lifting in challenge. Sure he’s smoking hot and I want to rip his shirt clean off him right now just to get a better look at those ripped pecs of his. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to. I have way more self-restraint than that … I hope.
“I can do things to you that you’ve never even imagined before,” he says as his fingers reach out to tenderly push back a stray piece of hair on my forehead. I lean into the soft caress, loving the feel of his rough hands touching me so tenderly. “I can take care of you now.”
His words cut through me like a knife, and I stiffen as though his touch has physically burned me rather than sending flames of desire up my spine. What had he seen on my face that would make him say something like that? He could sense my dominance as surely as I could sense his. A wall comes slamming down between us and I slap his hand away and put some distance between us. I struggle to draw in full breaths. His presence fills the room convincing me that he’s the only one here when in reality there’s a club full of patrons just behind us and any of them could have seen that tender touch.
“I can take care of myself,” I growl, needing to feel something other than the lust that fogs my mind every time I look at him. Indignant anger it is then, I can do that.
I cross my arms over my chest, using the extra space between our chests as a barrier, imagining that the bond could be blocked temporarily by that simple move.
“I knew you’d be a firecracker the moment I locked eyes with you,” he says, inching closer. I can feel his wolf rising to the challenge and thankfully mine doesn’t rise to the bait, remembering why we can’t, not yet anyway.
“Don’t call me that,” I say, trying for a sneer but failing miserably. I just can’t use my usual steel on him for some reason. It’s as if the fire melts it away almost immediately. I don’t bother moving back again, knowing he’ll just follow after me, leaving me hanging on the edge of the couch and forced to cling on to him to avoid falling off. As soon as the scenario pops into my mind I know it’s true, I can almost see the gears moving in his devious mind.
“What should I call you then?” he asks, inching closer. His mouth tightens when I make a move again, clearly put out that I’m not about to fall for his plan. I keep my arms firmly planted over my chest, that is until his eyes dip down and I realize, I’m inadvertently propping up my breasts in the low-cut black dress.
