Chapter 16 #2
The overhead lights saturate the floor a murky red. Once thumping enticingly, the bass now moans. Heart pounding, I grab an empty drink and shatter the glass against his forehead. Blood trickles down my hand. The female reprimands me with an ominous growl.
Oh gods, what have I done?
Terror sends me skittering back onto the dance floor. Half blinded by tears, I try to think; there must be another staircase somewhere nearby that could lead to Dominik's office.
But I only find strangers with blank faces—Holy shit, where are their eyes?
I stumble into another, his long, serpentine tongue priming mangled teeth. The pair of lycan bouncers by the back exit snarl at me, bound in silver chains. Stone walls behind them are splattered in crimson sludge. The same substance coats both my hands, flowing down my arms.
What the hell is happening?
I'm abruptly shoved by sweaty bodies. Pounding music overtakes all my senses, making it impossible to see even two feet in front of me.
Only strobe lights and the bloody sludge that collects on the slick tiles.
Hundreds of hungry demons are starting to circle.
It's only a matter of time before they tear into me.
Axe
After five hours of driving, all I want is to pass out in front of my favorite fireplace. But when Cora’s text comes through, there’s a slight change in plans.
Cora
Need you at Sonic Jungle. Vessa's got something bad in her system. Bring my kit.
With something like two hundred inebriated people packed into this building, pinpointing Vessa's scent may take a little effort.
Ray, a stocky Bleeding Sun warrior who works part-time as a bouncer, admits me through the employee entrance around the back.
When I slip inside, I detect the faintest trace of the smell that's been driving me mad over the last week.
Beneath a hazy green strobe light, I lean against a steel beam and close my eyes to filter out the overwhelming stenches of sex, booze, marijuana and cheap cologne.
Finally, I narrow in on the essence of her.
It guides me through a rowdy cluster of dancers.
The aroma of dread amplifies the closer I get to her. Whipping my head around, I’m hustling faster now, clutching the first aid kit to my chest.
A new message buzzes in my pocket.
Cora
Ladies' room. Behind the south bar.
My wolf rumbles deep in my chest. There.
My eyes connect with the illuminated sign. I rush to the restroom, swiftly dodging servers in slinky dresses. I see my medic's concerned face before my eyes dart over to my hyperventilating mate.
"She won't let me come near her," Cora explains. "I don't know exactly what she's seeing but judging by the yellow powder on her face, I think she’s hallucinating from a dose of Ludone."
Ludone? Dom and I have zero tolerance for it here, mainly because it isn’t just a drug.
It’s a manipulative agent that lycans pass around to amplify human scents, making for an enhanced sexual encounter.
The problem is most humans that snort Ludone get so high it causes nightmares to bleed into the boundaries of reality.
Vessa trembles against the wall, clutching onto it for dear life.
Crimson oozes out of her hand. Judging by her petrified eyes, it doesn't seem like the pain even registers in this state.
Cora rummages through her first aid kit, selecting her instruments.
Carefully, she reaches out to try and see to Vessa's injured hand.
"No!" Vessa shouts. She jerks it away and sinks down to the floor.
Cora backs off. A pair of humans pass by, snickering cruelly as they watch her writhe. Vessa recoils from them in horror. Stupid pricks.
I decide to drop to my knees so that I'm at her eye level. By design, Ludone is an intense high for my species. For a small thing like her, I’d imagine it has the strength of a horse tranquilizer.
Cora cringes, likely contemplating the same. "If it’s Ludone, then her hallucinations will fluctuate. The drug works as an entropy accelerant.”
“In Agathoran, Doc. Please.”
“Right. First, there's about an hour of ecstasy. Then, the frontal lobe of the brain goes dormant, like what happens when children have night terrors. Like that scenario, waking them up in this state can be dangerous. It can prolong the disassociation and cause them to submerge further into the delusion.”
She dabs her brow. “I’ve read that often a person is shown their deepest fears on replay. But what they’re really seeing are glimpses of Somnium."
Silverfire, I know exactly what that’s like.
Someone scurries over with a glass of water and hands it to me. Gemma. For fuck’s sake, Dom’s letting in underaged girls now?
The young cadet looks nauseous as she takes in Vessa's blotchy face.
Cora nudges me as she opens a roll of gauze. "Try offering her the water."
I say Vessa's name and place the cup two feet in front of her. She’s on the verge of hyperventilating.
At first, she doesn't move a muscle, so I try a different approach.
I take the cup back and bring it to my lips, swallowing the drink.
Then I place it by her feet again, whispering,"Water. Just water."
Reluctantly, the skittish girl lets me look into her wide eyes.
Terror holds her hostage and I can’t fucking bear it.
But through her tears, there’s a subtle spark of recognition.
Slowly, Vessa reaches for the glass of water, downing the liquid in two seconds flat.
The potent scent of her distress diminishes as she stares back at me, panting.
“Are they gone?" she sniffles.
I cock my head, not entirely sure what she means. I extend my hand to her, slowly. "Take my hand, Moonshine. We'll get yours fixed and take you somewhere safe."
Ever so slightly, I lean closer. "You're safe with me. I promise."
Vessa's lip quivers as she rests her injured hand over my open one. She then brings the other to cup my cheek. Dilated pupils are slowly shrinking.
"Wolf," she murmurs.
Her gaze drops to my mouth. Slowly leaning in, her breath is shaky.
She tilts her jaw, offering her lips. My thumb swipes along them, admiring their cashmere softness.
Her eyes flutter closed. When she opens them again, a familiar luster returns.
Vessa nods to Cora, opening her palm and inviting her to tend to the wound.
The medic wastes no time bringing her tweezers to work in the dark.
Vessa whimpers from the sharp prodding of the instrument.
I dab away a black smear from her cheek and pull her into my arms, holding her steady while she remains in a faraway haze.
My wolf surges on the cusp of a tantrum when I note the scent signature of another male coating her skin. Oddly enough, it’s lycan.
When the worst is over, Cora sterilizes her palm and wraps it with a thick bandage.
Gemma palms her throat. “Is she okay?”
“Did you see who did this?” I growl. When I get my hands on this piece of shit, I’m going to ram my claws through his throat. Repeatedly.
The young cadet shakes her head. “N-No. I’m sorry.”
Damn it. “You two stay vigilant. Look for anyone else who might have this in their system. If you scent the powder or any wolves you don’t recognize, call me. And don’t let them leave.”
Cora’s head dips. “Of course.”
Vessa’s arms encircle my neck, clinging tightly as I lift her off the floor.
I tell her to keep her eyes on me as I carry her up the stairs and down the dimly lit hallway that leads to Dom's office. Muffled moans sound from inside. As I set Vessa down in the nearest chair, she’s still fisting my jacket.
Gently, I pry her fingers away and drape her fur coat over her shoulders.
While my temper steeps, I allow myself a moment to take her in, sparkles, smooth legs, and big hair.
Even as a drunken mess, she is beautiful.
"Wait here," I tell her.
My foot slams into the door. The topless girl who is on her knees with Dom’s cock in her mouth immediately spits it out and scrambles to cover herself. He swears, hiking up his trousers. It isn't an alarming sight—and probably won’t be the last time I walk in on my brother being serviced.
"Explain why I just found Ludone downstairs. On my mate."
His blood freezes over. “What?"
I look over to the girl, letting her know that now would be the time to see herself out.
When the door shuts, Dom scowls. "How’d she get ahold of that shit?"
"I don't have any idea. But if I ever find trace of it in this establishment again, I'm shutting everything down."
He laughs. While I’m accustomed to his blustering dismissals, the animal part of me still snarls viciously.
I grab him by the collar. "We don't need human enforcers raiding this building when they catch wind of a new hyperactive substance. I had hoped you would do some good with your inheritance, not attract more trouble than we already need."
"What I do in this office with my money is none of your fucking business.”
My voice plunges deeper. "If it endangers my Luna, or any pack member for that matter, then you’re godsdamned right it is."
He shrugs me off again with that famous insolent smirk of his. "She's not your Luna. Or at least she wasn’t acting like it an hour ago."
For a second, all I can do is blink. But then his words sink in and I can no longer pretend to ignore the remnants of another man’s sweat on her skin. Just like that, my level head swells with rage.
“She’s human. She should be allowed to choose pleasure over being tied down to a cult that will never accept her."
Once more, my wolf bellows. This isn’t the first time he’s used the world cult on me. It’s what he does, always looking for ways to feed his ego and the growing wedge between us. I can brush off any insult in the book, but when it’s directed towards our family? The community that raised us?
“If I were you, I’d watch that silver tongue of yours.”
Dom doesn't breathe as his eyes erupt with a verdant flare. His wolf coming to his defense.
"She hasn't crawled into your bed yet. I'd say that doesn't make her off limits. You should remind the other unmated males of that, too."
“Don’t make threats you don’t have the balls to uphold,” I snap. Straightening my spine, I add, “You stay the fuck away from her.”
“If you had a solid pair, I wouldn’t need to.”
On instinct, I lunge forward. But I stop myself before my anger propels me to swing at him. If I don’t remove myself right now, my wolf is going to burst out of my skin. I don't give Dom the satisfaction of smashing my fist into his nose. But damn, do I want to lay into that door again.
Back in the hallway, a shot of panic stops me in my tracks. The chair has been abandoned. But thankfully, Vessa hasn’t gone far. At the end of the hallway, where the balcony railing merges with a wide steel beam, she dances alone. My fury fizzles out instantaneously.
The sight of her hips moving beneath that dress has me in a chokehold. Sparkles from the disco ball reflect off the material, her waist stirring in a fluid motion, hypnotic in the way that I can’t tell if I’m looking at her or a body of moonlit water.
I want to touch her so badly my lungs are screaming.
But I can’t. Only a hint of lucidity shines in those smoldering eyes.
Eyes that track mine even as she dips and caresses her thighs, fingertips migrating upwards, playfully rolling up the hem of the dress.
Merciful Goddess, where did she learn to move like that?
I’d give my right arm just to trail a single finger up her thigh.
To press my mouth to her neck. That fucking scent—it’s dangerous, dizzying enough to make a chaste man feral.
I grow more gluttonous with every inhale.
Resisting this woman is a torment in the worst degree.
And I haven’t the slightest idea as to what defenses are even possible.
Even if I did, my wolf has every intention of sabotaging them.
Right on cue, he punches me in the chest, shoving me forwards. Her hands slink to my sternum, sliding down the center until she grasps my own. She places them on her swiveling ass.
“I can’t stop thinking about these big hands.”
Fuck. Me. My wolf drawls a guttural growl and I stumble backwards.
“Please,” she whispers. “I need you.”
“No,” I huff. “You don’t. You can’t even begin to imagine what need feels like.”
Vessa throws out her hips, tossing her hair with a sultry giggle.
“C’mon. It’s time to go.”
Her answer sends my blood boiling. “Make me.”
Lassoing her in with the coat, I grip her waist with one hand and drape the garment over her frame with the other. Stifling the wolf’s urges, I haul her over my shoulder. She squeals in protest, laughing breathlessly as her dark locks sway all the way to my truck.