Eero's Perspective
I patted Claudius' waist to send him a signal to press and ground himself harder against me."Baby, we're literally pressed with each other. How close do you want us to be?" He hummed in my ears. Frustration fills me. I want something from him.
I hooked my arm on his nape after I faced him, "Kiss me," I demanded. Claudius pecked at my lips. I opened my eyes only to be greeted by his tired eyes.
"I didn't mean like that."
"Then, like what?" He said, teasing me.
I tiptoed for his lips, but Claudius stood up straight, and because he was taller, his standing that way further distanced his lips from my reach. I clung to him, almost crawling at his body to get what I wanted from him, when he suddenly lowered himself, roughly crashing his mouth with mine. Surprised by his unexpected move, I lost my balance, but his arm reined me in.
Claudius pinned me on the wall, and I couldn't remember how we got here.
"Is this how you want my kisses, hmm?" He whispered seconds after he stopped slurping my lower lip.
I looked at Claudius with my mouth half-opened, asking for more. I undid some of the buttons on his long sleeves. Before I could expose his chest. Claudius caught my hand to stop me.
"Ha?" I muttered out of confusion, caught off-guard by his rejection.
"Claudius... why?"
"Claudius, where are you going?"
"Claudius?" I called for the third time, but the blasting of the music on the speakers drowned my voice.
Claudius completely vanished from the sea of crowds. Feeling rejected, I anxiously looked around while I pulled my dress in an attempt to fix myself.
"Where did they go?"
"Eero, I'm trying to look for our mate, but I can't find him nor whiff his scent," my wolf answered.
"Then, are you telling me that Claudius left us in that bar? Why would he do that?" I asked confusedly as I was walking on the side of the street, forced to figure out how I'd get back to the realm.
I flinched and nearly stumbled on the pavement as a honk startled me. I thought it was Claudius, so I quickly turned around, but it was a Maserati and not a BMW. The driver rolled down his tinted window. Miguel greeted me with a grin.
"Do you need a ride?" He asked.
"No, thanks. I'm fine. I'd hail a cab," I answered, turning my back on him, but I halted and launched myself at his car after I remembered that I didn't have cash to pay for my taxi fare.
Miguel opened his door, and I sat there silently.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm this part of the city? Or who am I with?" I asked a few minutes later.
"I was dying to know, but I thought you wouldn't want to share, and now that you did. What's going on? Did you go clubbing? With whom?"
Hearing his questions made me regret opening this topic to him.
"I saw you walked out after the mating ceremony was over, but I didn't expect to see you here."
"Did you come here with Claudius?"
"Does my father and the beta know that it's him that I went out with?" I asked Miguel back.
"It's really him."
"Miguel?"
"Your father knew that you left, but he wasn't looking for you. I'm not sure about Beta Octavio, though." I nodded my head and hoped that the Beta was on cloud nine and was minding his business now that he had successfully married his daughter to the Alpha King.
"If you came here with Claudius, then where is he now?"
"I don't know. We were on the dance floor kissing—" I closed my eyes, and my jaw clenched as the truth accidentally slipped from my mouth.
"He left," I answered him honestly, "Not sure why he did, but yeah that's what happened, and I don't know where is he now."
"What? That damn bastard. He knew how dangerous that place could be for you, especially if the shifters in the bar started to notice that you were the Alpha King's daughter. Why is Claudius setting you up for trouble?" Miguel asked.
"No, he didn't. Claudius wouldn't do that to me," I said to Miguel and repeated it to convince myself before I anxiously bit my fingernails.
"Something must have happened, which is why he left me in the bar," I whispered to convince myself.
"I'll take you home, your grace."
"Miguel, please keep this a secret, hmm?"
"Of course, when did I ever spill your secret to anyone, your grace?" He asked, which made me smile.
It felt like I had made another friend in this place.
*************
"Eero!" The sun had just set in the sky, and I had a massive headache from my hangover. Dealing with the Alpha King isn't how I want my morning to start.
"You cunning little wolf, get up from that bed and talk to me!" He yelled, tugging my comforter from my body.
I was squinting my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness of my surroundings.
"Why? What is it? It's just seven in the morning," I whined, holding my head.
"Where have you been last night?" Hearing that drives my sleepiness away.
"Shit!"
"Someone tipped me off that you were seen at a cheap bar with Claudius. Is that true?"
I gulped and tried to remain calm.
"You were seen making out with Claudius in a bar. Is that true?"
"Who told you this?" I asked, dodging his questions.
"Did Beta Octavio make this report? And was he having me followed—"
"Answer my goddamn question, child!"
"I didn't go to a bar with Claudius. Why would I do that when I know that associating myself with him will put me in trouble?" I licked my lower lip and watched out for his expression. The Alpha King sighs.
"Whoever made this report and claims should be punished, father. These are nothing but vile accusations meant to ruin me to you because this is what they want to happen. That you lose your trust in me, and we drift apart."