“Night guys, it was lovely to meet you all,” I tell the room full of tired-looking women, and most of them smile at me as they say goodbye. I’ve been introduced to Catty, who is mated with four children, and she gave me lots of advice on children that made me want to run out the door. Then I met Melissa, a single wolf, who is training to be a hunter for the royal family after she lost her parents to rogues. Overall, most the wolves here have pasts, just like I do, and its shocking to find out how many of them were turned and not born wolves. It gives me some kind of understanding with them that I was in the same place they all were at some point when we were turned. They felt the same pain and fear. Gold and Snow wave goodbye as I leave the room, and my phone starts ringing. I get it out of my pocket and see Colton’s name and the photo of him flashing. It’s a silly photo really; just his goofy face, and the cracks in the screen make it hard for me to unlock the phone call.
“Late for a phone call,” I answer, my tone playful.
“Not late for me,” he replies, and laughs with me.
“What’s up?” I ask him.
“Come to the gate and jump over it. The guards are sleeping, and I’m outside waiting for you,” he says, just as I walk into the empty entrance hall.
“You can’t be serious, and why are they sleeping?” I mutter, knowing that he is likely being very serious. This is Colt, my playful Colt.
“Come on, I want to take you somewhere. I even brought you clothes and slipped the guards some fay powder in thier drinks, makes them a little sleepy for a while,” he says, and I chuckle. I dread to know what clothes he bought me and how much effort he put into getting the guards to sleep.
“Nikoli would go mad if I left,” I comment, looking up the stairs, knowing he is sleeping up there.
“It's for one night, and he wouldn’t know. I’ll have you tucked back in bed by the morning. Promise,” he says, boldly.
“Alright,” I say, knowing part of me is desperate to see him and misses him. I walk around the house, to the door in the empty dining room I know isn’t likely to have a guard on, like the front door, and it’s easier to sneak out. I run through the forest, towards the gate, keeping my ears open for anyone that could be following me. The freezing cold air makes my eyes water as I run, and I know I should have got a coat. It’s too cold for escape plans without a jacket. I stop when I see the gate, slowing down, and see the guards are both sleeping in their chairs, like Colton said. I run as fast as I can towards the entrance and jump, flying over it and landing on the other side. I pause as one of the guards stirs a little in his chair, and then starts snoring again. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
I run away from the gate and down the road, smiling when I see Colton’s car parked to the side, and he is leaning against the bonnet.
“Knew you could do it,” he chuckles, standing up, and I find myself looking at him differently than I ever have. Colton has black jeans, a white shirt and a leather jacket on. His blond hair is styled to the left, and when he pulls me into a hug when I get close, he smells amazing. I press my nose into his leather jacket, loving how the leather smell mixes with his mint-like smell. Nikoli, on the other hand, smells like the forest. Two things I never knew I loved the scent of until now.
“Are you smelling my jacket?” he chuckles next to my ear.
“What? Nope,” I say, stepping back, and he laughs.
“Come on, my little sniffer, we have to get going,” he says, and I shake my head at him as my cheeks grow warm. I get in the car at the same time Colton does, and he starts the car up as I slide my seatbelt on.
“Where are we going then?” I ask him as he drives through the forest.
“To a nightclub. A supernatural nightclub, to be exact.”
It makes sense there are places you can go to meet other supernaturals, and a nightclub is indeed one way.
“Clubbing?” I ask him with wide eyes. I’ve never been or really had the chance to.
“You’re eighteen, and everything has been so serious since your birthday. I want to get you out for a night.” He shrugs a shoulder at me and smiles.
“I’m not dressed for clubbing,” I look down at my black leggings and a tank top. I didn’t even get a chance to grab a coat. Not that I could wear a jacket into a club anyway.
“I bought you clothes, remember?” Colton says and stops the car. “Get in the back and get dressed. I won't look.” He winks at me.
“I don’t believe you.”
“You’re a wolf now. Aren’t you meant to be okay with nudity?” he asks.
“You’re so cheeky,” I say with a laugh and climb in the backseat, while he carries on driving. I pick up the bag on the backseat and find the mini black dress inside, as well as some high heels. I roll my eyes. It’s what a typical guy would buy, and I doubt there isn’t going to be much on show tonight. But I don’t want him to turn out and go home. I need a night out, Colt is right. I pull my top off and push my leggings down, only looking once at Colton to see he is still looking out the front window. I pull the dress on, which is a simple black dress that pushes up my breasts and stops around mid-thigh. It’s very tight. I slip the heels on, surprised that he got my size right, and pull my hair out of the messy bun it was in, letting it fall down my shoulders. I keep my eye on Colton the whole time, but he never looks, like he promised he wouldn’t.
“I’m climbing through again, but you don’t need to stop the car,” I say, and I see him nod before I climb over the seats. It’s a little awkward, and I’m sure my butt is way too close to his head at one point, but I do get into my seat eventually. I look over to see Colton staring at me, not the road, and his eyes are lit up a brighter purple than they were before. This is the first time I’ve seen his teeth this close, as the sharp points just appear out of his mouth. I want to say part of me is scared – I should be afraid – but I’m not. No, I’m turned on instead, and can’t stop thinking about how sexy he looks. How much I want to kiss him.
“Damn, Harper, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look as lovely as you do tonight,” he says gently.
“Eyes on the road, Colt,” I chuckle, and he smirks at me before doing as I ask. The drive is about twenty minutes, to get into town and to the club on the other side. Colt parks in one of the empty spots opposite the club. The place looks deserted from the outside. And dodgy as hell.
“Really? It looks like a dive bar,” I comment, looking at the place. It’s what I can only describe as a hut, with broken windows and a door hanging off the hinges. There’s trash all over the floor under the windows, and broken bottles lining the pathway to the hut.
“There’s a fey glamour on the bar. It’s amazing inside, but it looks like this to make humans avoid it,” he tells me, then gets out the car. “It’s perfectly safe here; it’s a neutral zone. As in, no one is allowed to hurt another inside. There’s magic that stops fights somehow, but I’ve never even seen a fight break out in one of these. Everyone knows not to mess with the neutral zones.”
I slide out my side and shut the door behind me before going over to Colt’s side. I trust him enough to know he isn’t going to lead me into a random dodgy hut, but I also know enough about this messed up fairy tale world I’ve been led into, that anything is possible.
“I forgot to mention, we are meeting some here,” he tells me just as we get up to the door.
“Who?” I ask him.
“My sister. She is looking forward to meeting you.” He looks down at me and chuckles. “Don’t look so panicked.”
“You didn’t tell me I was meeting your family, dressed like this?” I wave a hand out, gesturing to my outfit.
“This is modest. Most supernaturals don’t care for wearing much. You will see,” he tells me gently, squeezing my hand.
“I thought that was only a wolf thing, as Nikoli never puts clothes on,” I say without thinking, but I Colt doesn’t respond to it. Instead, he leads me through the doorway, and a feeling like someone poured a bucket of water over my head happens. When I open my eyes, water is the first thing I see. Lots and lots of water, and nearly naked people. The middle of the club is a floor composed of three rocks, with a waterfall in the middle, and it’s surrounded by glass. There are rock tables, with glass seats, and I can see two bars in the room as well as the floors above and below us. I have to stop looking around to stare at the people in the room; the supernaturals. Colt was right, they do not like clothes. Most of them are wearing the bare minimum to cover themselves. There are so many scents in the room that it's overwhelming, and the noise from the dance music playing is loud, but not loud enough that I need to shout.
“This place is amazing,” I say to Colt, who pulls me closer to his side.
“It’s your life now. I can show you everything I couldn’t before,” he tells me, and gently kisses my cheek. I turn my head, both of us staring down at each other. Everything seems to pause as Colt leans forward and presses his lips to mine. He moves his lips slowly, gently, but the passion behind the kiss can’t be missed as I copy what he does. If someone told me a year ago, when I met Colt, that I would be kissing him in a supernatural nightclub now, I would have laughed.
“Hey bro, maybe you should put your mate down so I can say hello?” a woman says, and Colt breaks away from the kiss, looking at me for second and turns to look at her. I turn as well, seeing the stunning blonde woman in front of me. This must be his sister. She has blonde hair that is so long it hits the back of her knees, and she has a very short, pale pink dress. She has long eyelashes, expressive lips, and bright purple eyes that watch me. She looks a lot like Colton; they have the same eyes, the same colour hair, and the same shaped nose.
“Belle, this is Harper. Harper, this is my sister, Belle,” Colton introduces us, and she holds a perfectly manicured hand out for me. I step forward and slide my hand into hers.
“So, you’re the stupid one that got bit by a wolf, when you're destined for a vampire,” she laughs, holding my hand tight enough to hurt me. I squeeze her hand as tight as I can as I take another step closer.
“I’m destined for not just a vampire, Belle,” I say, and she laughs.
“I like you, you don’t back down, but I could use my hand back,” she says, and I drop her hand as Colt slides his hand around my waist.
“Be nice, Belle,” he warns her.
“Okay, baby brother. I guess I can be nice to your little wolf,” she chuckles. “I’m going to dance. Talk soon.” She winks at us and then walks down the steps, and around the waterfall to the bottom level.
“Let’s get some drinks,” Colt says and leads me to the waterfall, where one of the bars sits on the other side. Colt orders us some drinks, keeping an arm around me the whole time, like he expects me to run off. We find some seats near the waterfall, with Colt at my side, and I pick up the purple drink he got me.
“What is it?” I ask him.
“Drink and see,” he chuckles. I place the cocktail to my lips and take a sip. It tastes of blueberries, my favourite. I look in shock at the glass, which refills itself as I watch.
“Fey magic. A never-ending drink.” He chuckles at my shocked face, and drinks his own dark blue drink.
“I don’t think your sister liked me,” I say, and he shakes his head.
“It's not that she doesn’t like you. She doesn’t trust you with me. She knows we aren’t mated, and you’re living with wolves. Belle is just protective of me.”
“I don’t live with them to upset you, or because I don’t want to be with you, Colt,” I tell him, taking another sip of my drink.
“I know you don’t. I know you need time, and I would wait forever. But it’s difficult not being able to see you every day, like I was used to doing. I miss you,” he tells me, and I lean my head on his shoulder.
“I miss you too. I don’t want to be away from you so much, but I don’t see how Nikoli would let you come and move in with the pack,” I say. I know that wouldn’t happen, but I guess I really never thought of the long-term problems we are going to end up having. If I’m split between them permanently, I’m always going to be leaving one to go the other.
“I wouldn’t move without my family either,” he says gently, and I sigh.
“This is impossible. Why were we fated to all be together, when it clearly just can’t work?” I say, sitting back on my seat and looking at my drink like it holds all the answers in the world.
“Let’s not worry tonight. Let's just drink and forget all the serious stuff for a night. We are too young to be worrying about everything all the time,” he tells me, and I grin up at him, leaning up and kissing him gently.
“I like that idea,” I whisper against his lips that turn up in a smirk as I lean back and down my drink.
“Come and dance with me,” he whispers back, drinking more from his glass, and offering me a hand to help me off my seat. We walk hand in hand down the rock steps to the lower floor, which is just a dance floor full of dancing people. I don’t have long to look around. As the music gets louder, the further we walk into the crowds of people, and Colt pulls me to his chest. He sways with me, one hand on my hip and the other at the back of my neck. I rest my head on his chest, loving the way he moves our bodies. At least one of us know what we are doing.
“I could do this all night,” he whispers to me, before gently kissing the top my ear. I look up at him, and he kisses my lips deeply.
“Me too,” I whisper against his lips. And I mean every word.