I followed Brayden into the dark stairwell, where a small row of lights lit each stair and led the way down. As we entered the second level of the club, it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dimly lit room. Unlike the space above, there was no dance floor, no idle chatter. Poles descended from the ceiling around the room, and several scantily clad women climbed and twirled off the shiny silver props, putting on a show for those who weren’t in the middle of more intimate relations. As I looked around, I realized that the vast majority of those on this level were in various stages of undress, and hands and mouths were everywhere.

Oh shit, I thought, as I watched a man unzip the pants of another before taking his cock into his mouth. Beside them, another pair—a woman and a man—were in heavy make-out mode, grinding on each other as his hands roamed under her tiny skirt.

What am I doing here?

“Fuck yeah,” Brayden said beside me, and then a huge grin spread across his face. “Where to first?”

“Uh…” I looked around for the bar, but there didn’t seem to be one on this level. A couple of cocktail waitresses were milling around, but for the most part, it seemed as though everyone was too busy to worry about drinking. Damn, I should’ve taken a couple of shots before heading down here. At least then I’d have a bit more liquid courage to deal with…whatever this was.

Brayden was still looking at me, waiting for an answer—or, rather, waiting to see how fast I bolted back up those stairs. But if I did that, I knew he’d follow me, and then his entire night would be wasted. As uncomfortable and out of place as I felt, I wasn’t about to ruin my best friend’s night.

“I’m gonna, um…watch for a bit. I think,” I said finally, trying to scope out a place hidden and out of the way where I wouldn’t be bothered and Brayden could…do his thing. Not that I wanted to see that, either.

It was right about then that a couple entered the room from behind us, and as the woman followed behind the man, she tugged on his hand and then they turned toward us, and both of their eyes roamed over Brayden, who seemed to enjoy their perusal. After something unspoken passed between them, Brayden clapped me on the back.

“That’s my cue,” he said. “Try to enjoy yourself, will you, Jesse? Who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself.”

Fat chance of that, I thought, but I managed a smile for him anyway, and then watched as he joined the couple on one of the couches.

I scanned the floor around me, trying to decide where to go—or hide—next, but really, there was nowhere out of the way on this level. There were no private booths, no tight little corners where I could melt into the shadows, and the more I looked around, the more I realized I was either going to have to continue to stand there like a total creeper, or I could go and take up a seat and watch the performance taking place on the poles.

Opting for the second, I headed off in the direction of a couch that had some spare room, making sure not to touch anyone as I weaved my way through the writhing bodies around me. I was almost at my final destination when I felt a hand brush across my ass, and I jerked around to see a guy around my height, with too-big hair spiked up top and a smarmy smile on his face as he openly leered at me. He looked to be in his early thirties, if I had to guess, but in the dimmer lights, it was hard to get an accurate read. What wasn’t hard to see was the intent in his arrogant once-over.

“Haven’t seen you in here before.”

I debated turning on my heel and just ignoring him. But then I remembered what Brayden had said earlier, that this club was an “anything goes” kind of place, so that likely meant this guy was just feeling me out—and up.

I offered my best smile, but knew it likely fell flat with how uncomfortable I was, and then shook my head. “No. It’s my first time.”

“I could tell. I’m King,” he said, as he slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “And I don’t mind it’s your first time. There’s nothing sweeter than virgin flesh.”

As he bared his teeth at me in what I assumed he thought was a sexy grin, I took a step back. This guy was a little too confident for my tastes. “Uh, I’m sure that’s true. But umm…I was just going to go and watch the girls up there,” I said, gesturing over my shoulder with my thumb, hoping the guy would get the message without me having to flat-out say, Sorry, not interested.

“You mean you’re going to brave the den all on your own? On your first night? Such a pretty young thing like you might need someone to…watch over him.”

My eyes darted around the immediate area surrounding us. I was hoping to spot Brayden. But really, if he did see me, he’d likely think I was finally having fun. So when he was nowhere in sight, I gave up and finally looked back at the man, who was most certainly not looking at our surroundings.

“I think I might just go watch for a while, but, umm…thanks for the offer.” I sound like a lame ass. Thanks for the offer? But before he could say anything, I turned around, determined to book it to the couch, and that was when I felt a prickling under my skin as though I was being watched. My eyes traveled up the deep purple walls for the first time since entering this level. How I hadn’t noticed the balcony surrounding the large rectangular space we were all standing in, I didn’t know. Maybe because that was the way it was designed, black and iron, so it faded into the shadows dancing about on the wall. But I was seeing it now. I could’ve sworn I felt someone watching me from up there—however, there was no one there. It was empty.

A firm hand clamped down on my wrist and spun me back around. The man gave me another slimy smile but kept his hold on me.

“You didn’t tell me your name,” he said.

This guy was not used to taking no for an answer. “You’re right. I didn’t.” I jerked my hand out of his grip.

“How about I sit here and…watch with you?” King said, taking a seat in a leather armchair and spreading his thighs. Then he looked up at the woman and winked before settling back with his eyes on me.

Resigned to the fact that I had a keeper now—one who seemed determined to catch more than my attention—I took a seat in an armchair a couple down from him and then planted my gaze firmly on the redhead wrapping her legs around the pole to spin herself down. She was beautiful, no doubt, but I didn’t know how anyone in a setting like this could get their rocks off. It was too open, too public, and I felt almost guilty for watching. But since the alternative was to give my attention to the man a couple seats over—I could feel his gaze heating my face—I faked my enthusiasm for the woman by giving her an approving nod and sinking into a more comfortable position.

* * *

“I know why you’re here, Wolfe,” Trinity said as I came to a stop beside her at the balcony that overlooked the Hunting Grounds—otherwise known as level two of the den. There were five floors in all, and each catered to a different sort of fantasy fulfillment. The patrons below were still feeling each other out, quite literally, not quite ready to take things up a notch.

“It’s my club. I’m welcome to be anywhere I choose.”

Trinity smirked. “I know you’ve seen him, which means it’s in your best interest to turn around and go back upstairs.”

Spreading my hands out along the black iron of the balcony that overlooked the crowd below, I shook my head. “I don’t recall asking your opinion.” Then I pinned her with a look that said I wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “You’re not above being fired.”

Trinity stared right back. “My opinion is one of the many reasons you keep me around. Who else will stand up to you? Or keep your pups in line?” she said, her gaze going back down below. “He’s way too sweet and innocent for the likes of you, whether you want to hear it or not. I can see his blush from here.”

“Duly noted.”

“You’re going to go after him anyway, aren’t you?”

I stayed silent, as opposed to lying further, because I wasn’t actually sure what my intentions had been when I followed him down there. All I’d known was that I needed a second look at him.

“Do you need me to remind you—”

“No. I don’t,” I said, cutting Trinity off before she could launch into all the reasons this was a truly bad idea. But there was no denying my interest in the fair-haired man below, so there was no use in me trying. “What do you know about him?”

Trinity looked back to the crowd below, and her eyes found the young man. He was standing beside the guy he’d been with up in the bar, and he looked about as uncomfortable in the Hunting Grounds as I would be standing in the middle of a church. Nothing shocking about that, though. An angel never looked right in a place full of sin. Just as the devil would stand out amongst all that was holy.

“Wolfe…”

“What do you know about him?” I said, and faced her. “I won’t ask you again.”

She frowned but then reluctantly gave me what I wanted: “His name is Jesse Clark, twenty-two years old, just graduated from Westport University with a degree in archaeology. He came tonight with Brayden Fairchild. And again—I must stress this point—he is not for you.”

Without a word, I turned back to the railing just in time to see his friend, Brayden, walk off with a man and woman, leaving the little lamb in a room full of hungry wolves. I braced my hands back on the rail to keep myself from heading to the stairs that led down to the main floor, and told myself to listen to Trinity.

She was right. He was too sweet. Too innocent. And way too young for me—sixteen years younger, in fact. There was no way I was going to go down there and put myself in his path.

As I resolved myself to that decision and was about to head back upstairs to the safety of my office, I spotted Sean King, one of the resident dominants, step up behind Jesse and brush his hand over his ass. My hands curled around the iron bars into fists, as I watched the object of my fixation jerk around and come face to face with the pompous dick.

As the two of them exchanged words, I could tell by the stiff set of Jesse’s shoulders that he was not interested in King, which shouldn’t have pleased me half as much as it did. And when Jesse finally turned around about to walk away from the man who liked to think he ruled supreme on the nights I was nowhere in sight, he looked up at the balcony, and I quickly darted out of sight. My cock hardened in an instant at the wide-eyed curiosity in those eyes. I wanted to draw him to me and defile him right then and there.

King chose that inopportune moment to make another move on the little lamb, reaching for his arm to haul him around once more, and a feral sound left my throat.

“Get him out of here,” I said to Trinity, who I knew still stood behind me. “He doesn’t belong in this crowd.” She didn’t have to ask who. The odd one out was the one in the most danger—from me and everyone else around him.

* * *

“Jesse, there you are.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Brayden, his lips swollen and bruised, but there was a huge grin on his face. His jacket was gone, and he was quickly unbuttoning the rest of his shirt.

I raised my eyebrows. “What are you doing?”

“It’s time to get this party started, my man,” he said, shrugging off his shirt to reveal a toned physique. He’d never been shy about his body, and he’d shared it with men and women alike all through college. I’d grown immune to him parading around half-naked by now, but being in this club—or den, or whatever it was called—was like being surrounded by hundreds of horny Braydens. That was something even I couldn’t ignore. “We’ve got to go downstairs.”

That doesn’t sound promising… “Should I ask what’s down there?”

“Probably not,” Brayden said, chuckling, and then he knelt beside my chair. “Beds, mirrors, toys, and some major action. More than we can do up here.” Brayden glanced over his shoulder at the couple who were waiting on the couch watching him.

“I don’t know about all that…” I started, but when Brayden’s face fell, I quickly added, “I mean, maybe I’ll just stay up here while you…you know. Do…them.”

Brayden laughed, and then looked over my shoulder at where King was still watching me and listening intently.

“I’ll show your friend around,” he said to Brayden, giving him what I assume was meant to be a charming smile, one to let him know I’d be in good hands.

The thought made me shudder.

Brayden flashed him a smile, but then under his breath said, “You gonna be okay with that?”

“Whatever happens in this place has to be consensual, right?” When he nodded, I said, “Well, then, yeah. I’ll be fine. And maybe I’ll go down and…watch. Or something.”

Brayden visibly brightened at that. “Just make sure you lose your pants. And your shirt.”

“Come again?”

“I haven’t come the first time, but I’ll be sure there’s a repeat,” he said, winking. “But seriously, to get to the Pack level, it’s strictly no shirt, no pants.”

Jesus, what is this place? I asked myself for about the millionth time that night. Saying you were going to a sex club was one thing, but actually being there? Experiencing it? It was the strangest thing I’d ever done by far. Then again, wasn’t Brayden always going on about how I needed to live a little? That was why he’d dragged me along, and it wasn’t like I was a prude. I wasn’t sleeping around on the regular, and definitely not in front of other people, but I was a single guy, and there seemed to be more than enough willing participants, evidenced by the stares in my direction.

Maybe I could…get…interested. Stop thinking so much. Loosen up, have a casual, no-strings-attached hookup.

“Ahh, see?” Brayden said, leaning back and nodding. “It’s supposed to be fun. And the best part is, you leave it all here. No awkward one-night stands to wake up to. Most likely you’ll never set foot in this place again, so the likelihood you’ll run into someone in a city this big is slim to none.” Then he went in for the kill. Squeezing me above my knee, he winked and said, “Plus…you’re hot. It would be wrong to deprive these poor souls.”

Rolling my eyes, I laughed and pushed his hand off my leg. “Fine, maybe I’ll go check it out.”

“Good,” Brayden said, hopping to his feet and pulling me up with him. “Strip.”

I could feel people watching, and looking around only confirmed I was right. I wasn’t drunk enough for this. “Everyone’s watching,” I whispered.

“Told you, my man. You’re hot.”

There was no way I was putting on a strip show, no way in hell. “Tell you what. You go ahead. I’m just gonna change in the bathroom.”

“You are not. You’re totally gonna pussy out on me.”

“I swear I won’t. I just need another five shots and to change, and then I’ll come down. Really.” I have lost my mind. Don’t think too much about it. As a matter of fact, try not thinking at all.

Brayden gave me a dubious look, but when I held up my pinkie finger, he began to laugh. “Yeah, yeah, okay,” he said. “See you down there.”

“See you.”

He walked over to the stairwell, following behind the couple who had already stripped down to their underwear, and when he glanced over his shoulder back at me, I shooed him off with my hand.

After they disappeared from view, I stopped a cocktail waitress passing by and did a couple of purple shots—something strong and fruity—in quick succession, and before I could grab my wallet, she was gone.

Wait…my wallet. I couldn’t pay her anyway, because I’d left all my belongings in that lockbox. Meaning the drinks were free and you couldn’t tip down here. I would’ve said it was a good deal if I hadn’t seen how much Brayden had paid to get in.

All the more reason to cut loose, I thought, steeling myself for the next couple of hours. As I headed across the room to change, I passed King, who was still regarding me, and I must’ve gotten brave in the last few minutes, because I paused in front of him and said, “Don’t even think about following me,” before heading straight to the bathroom.