Tess
The club is throbbing with energy tonight, the beats blasting in my ears, the floor shaking beneath me. People push and shove against each other as they make their way through the crowd. Flashing neon lights illuminate the scene, creating an atmosphere of chaos and excitement.
“Are you having fun?” Claudia asks me while dancing beside me. There are a few werewolves from the pack checking out her rack, and she winks at them but quickly focuses her eyes on me to show me that she is listening.
I smile. “W-well... it’s certainly better than being stuck with my mate that doesn’t want me.”
She frowns. “Still thinking about Lucas?” I give her a faint nod, and she rolls her eyes. “Then you haven’t had enough to drink. We should do Jell-O shots right now!”
We make our way to the bar, and Claudia orders us two Jell-O shots. We clink our glasses together and down them in one go. The sugary sweetness quickly takes over my taste buds, and I feel a warmth spreading across my body. My cheeks flush, and I feel like I’m ready for whatever the night brings me--including some more drinks if necessary.
As we wait for our second round of shots, Claudia is approached by an attractive wolf from another pack who begins flirting with her. She looks at him with interest, her eyes sparkling as they share light laughs together—she seems to have forgotten all about me. Not that I mind. I want Claudia to have fun, and when the guy asks if she wants to dance, I make a motion with my hand for Claudia to just leave me by the bar. She beams at me over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd with her new date.
I chuckle to myself as I watch Claudia go. I’m happy for her and decide to have fun on my own by ordering another drink. But as the night goes on, my thoughts keep drifting back to Lucas. Will he ever accept me as his mate?
Suddenly, a hand touches my shoulder, and I turn to see a tall man standing beside me. He is wearing a tight white t-shirt that does nothing to hide his muscular chest, and when I look up at his face, I realize it’s Freddy. My heart flutters in my chest as he smirks at me.
“Hey there,” he says while sliding into a chair, his voice low and husky. “Mind if I join you?”
I swallow hard and nod, unable to speak. What is he doing here? Isn’t he afraid that the pack might see him? Then again, what could a pack of drunk werewolves do against a hybrid?
“You shouldn’t be drinking on your own,” Freddy says and lifts a finger to get the bartender’s attention. When they notice who is ordering the drink, they gasp in horror but fall silent the second they lock eyes with Freddy.
I sigh and lean my cheek against the palm of my hand, eyeing the blonde man beside me. “Do you use your compulsion on every person you meet, or what?”
He releases a low laugh. “What’s the fun in having that ability if I’m not going to use it?”
“And that’s why you’re evil...”
“Evil?” he looks amused, and I hate myself for finding him attractive at that moment, vampire teeth and all. “That’s not very nice, considering I came here to watch over you.”
I don’t believe him for a second and narrow my eyes. “I’m sure you’re here for a whole other reason, like spying for the enemy pack. The Safir pack, right?”
“That’s the one I joined, yes...” He flashes a smile at the bartender when our drinks arrive: a soda for me and a glass of bourbon for him. Freddy lifts his glass, probably expecting me to clink mine with his, and I flare my nostrils.
“Why did you order me a soda?”
“Because you’ve had enough to drink,” he says, arching an eyebrow. “Unless getting drunk is your plan?”
“No, of course, I don’t want to get drunk!” I growl, blushing because, for some reason, Freddy makes me nervous. My heart is pounding, and I bite my lip before muttering, “I can’t believe you think that of me... I just had one drink and maybe two shots, and you already think I’m drunk.”
“Aren’t you?”
My face burns hotter. “No...”
“Fascinating... So the red color on your cheeks is because of me and not the alcohol then?” he teases.
I avert my eyes. “Shut up...”
He chuckles. “I like this feisty version of Tess. Much better than the stammering one.”
His words cut me like knives. It’s not like I ever stammer on purpose. “That’s j-just because I’ve had alcohol...”
“Ah, don’t be sad, I was just teasing,” Freddy says.
“Teasing?” And wait, how did he realize I’m sad?
“Mhm...”
I’m a bit surprised by how gently he is speaking to me, and when I look at him, his glowing red eyes are on my lips, but quickly swoop up to meet my eyes. His lips curl, and I must be drunker than I thought because I find him charming.
“Thanks for the compliment,” he smirks. “Also, if you want another drink, all you need to do is come over here and take it,” he points at his glass of bourbon. “Fight me, Tess.”
“Fight you?” I question and groan. “And wait, did you just read my mind?”
“Sure did.”
He is so annoying!
“You’re a jerk for reading my mind whenever you feel like it, you know that, right?” I glare at his amused face. “I don’t know why I ever considered you a friend.”
To my utter surprise, Freddy looks a little stunned by my words. His mouth opens and closes multiple times. It makes him look like a goldfish before finally finding his voice again. And when he does, he sounds shocked. “You...considered me your friend?”
“For about five minutes, but then you had to go and ruin it by reminding me you’re the bad guy.” I give him an offended look, and Freddy slumps his shoulders.
“Tess...”
Before he can say anything else, I gather enough courage to turn in my chair and look at him directly. “No, don’t you ‘Tess’ me and think we will be fine. You’re the enemy, Freddy, and you shouldn’t even be here. In fact, I have no idea what you’re doing here in the first place.”
Freddy goes awfully silent, and when anger crosses his face, I worry I’ve ventured too far. He is a hybrid, and I’m a human—getting angry at him is a dangerous game. If he wanted to, he could end my life in the blink of an eye.
“Alright, fine,” Freddy concedes. “I’m sorry for reading your mind, Princess.”
I freeze. “W-what did you just say?” Did he really just apologize, or did I mishear that part?
“I said I was sorry for reading your mind all the time. I just can’t help it. When you’re near, it’s like a siren song to me.”
I gulp. “Does your apology mean y-you won’t read my mind anymore?”
“Surprised?” Freddy is smiling faintly, his red eyes amused. He is so beautiful that I fall silent. With sculpted cheekbones and clean, fine features, it’s no wonder my heart is racing. But there is something scary in his smile too. Something dark and possessive that makes me shiver.
Suddenly, he moves closer, his eyes fixed on my face. “I have to go, but you should know that there’s a storm coming,” he says, his voice low and intimate, as if he is telling me a secret. “I would leave this bar if I were you.”
I stare at him but turn around when I feel a tap on my shoulder. My eyes land on Claudia, who can barely stand straight. Even her eyes are cloudy.
“So...I think...” She giggles. “That I’m drunk.”
“Then we should head home,” I glance back at Freddy, not too surprised to realize he is gone. I wonder what he meant by saying there will be a storm?
“Can you help me walk?” Claudia asks, and I giggle when she pouts at me.
“Of course, I can.” I wrap an arm around her shoulder and support her weight, ready to help her walk outside. “Just hold on to me, okay?”
Claudia hiccups. “You’re the best, you know that, right?”
“And you’re drunk.”
“Maybe,” she giggles. “But I’m a werewolf—I won’t be drunk for long. It will pass.”
“I sure hope so...”
We cross the dancefloor but stop in our tracks when the windows break and large werewolves that aren’t from our pack land on the floor. The Safir pack?
Damn, what am I supposed to do?!
Fear makes my heart pound faster. The enemy wolves are snarling in every direction with angry eyes, and adrenaline pumps into my ears. What is going on? Why are they here? My eyes search the room for Freddy, but he’s not here; he must have known this was coming!