After persuading the Keres guy yesterday to tell them anything they wanted to know, I confessed to Draco about what I learnt when they kidnapped me. Seeing as they caught one of the guys, I thought it would help having the extra information to be able to find the women the guy who captured me spoke about.

I told him about where he confessed to be taking them, how many they had already kidnapped. The most important part, though, was that when all the women who belong to the Elementals were finally together, they would be able to prevent the Elemental men from turning Keres, if they were brought to them in time, and that was what the Keres were trying to stop.

I confessed to wanting to try to get the rest of the information when we went to extract Sam about how the women would stop this turning of Elementals to Keres, because even though at the time I didn’t know what he was talking about, I could tell it was important.

Draco and Ceric, who were with me when I confessed, stood frozen at the facts I presented to them. After a few minutes, Draco thanked me and asked Cassius to take me back to the compound, but at Ceric’s objection, he instead asked Wulf to go. Something about Cassius not being mated.

One thing I noticed about Ceric was that he was extremely possessive, and even though I constantly berated him, it made me hot as hell. I thought that maybe he would have come to his room last night, but after staying awake until late waiting for him, I finally fell asleep.

This morning, I awake feeling hornier than I have ever felt in my life, but I am too worried that he may come in and catch me pleasing myself, so I hurriedly get out of bed and shower, making sure to take extra care in my appearance today, as its Gabriela’s surprise birthday party and I want to be sure that Ceric’s eyes stay on me and don’t stray.

Yesterday, Bion went to Sam’s place to get my clothes and some for Sam. Until they’re sure we are safe, they insist we stay here for our own safety. Even though I’m fighting it, I don’t want to leave until I know if what Ceric professes to feel is true. I feel a pull towards him that I have never felt with anyone else. Not to mention the way my panties get soaked every time the man gets close to me.

Dressing in a tight pair of black low-waisted jeans and a skin-tight black T-shirt that shows off my breasts and falls short of the top of the jeans, showing off my belly ring that twinkles in the light, I look at myself in the mirror, pleased with the outcome. “Looking good, baby,” I murmur with a naughty smile on my face.

I make my way out of the room and walk towards the courtyard where I find a harassed Jasmine hurrying towards the kitchen. “What’s up, girl?” I ask, curious at her dishevelled appearance. Orion is oblivious to his mom’s anxiety, gurgling away as he plays with her curls.

“There is so much stuff to do still, and most of the guys aren’t back to help,” she huffs, pulling a curl out of Orion’s mouth.

“It’s fine. Just breathe,” I say calmly. “Now, tell me what is still outstanding, and I will help you.”

Two hours later, Jasmine, Aria, Brielle, and I are placing the finishing touches to the table with the food when we hear the guys arrive. The first to make an appearance is Draco and Cassius. When they walk in, they both stop and look around at everything we have done.

“Shit, this place looks like something out of Arabian Nights,” Cassius says, whistling. We persuaded a very disgruntled Brandr and Sven to help us drape all different colours of organza throughout the bar area. Brandr mumbled the whole time, complaining that we were emasculating their bar.

Celmund walks in next and also stops, his jaw opening a few times before he mumbles, “What the fuck happened to our bar? It looks like a fucking princess parlour.” I notice that Draco is just standing there as if frozen, a horrified look on his face. I just manage to hold in my mirth when the rest of the guys come in, their faces a mask of horrified shock.

“What the fuck, Draco? Are we pussies now, or what?” Burkhart grunts as he lifts, as if repulsed, a pink sheet of organza. Draco finally closes his mouth that was still hanging open in surprise and shows Burkhart the finger.

“Actually, that colour suits you, Brother. Goes with your eyes,” I hear Ceric tease from next to Burkhart.

“Very funny, asshole,” Burkhart calls. I hear Aria’s quiet laughter from next to me. These men must really have good hearing, because even with the music playing, they all look towards where we are standing grinning at them.

“Did you really have to turn our bar into . . .” Draco looks around as if lost for words.

“A fucking girly hangout,” Celmund suggests, a scowl on his face. I see all the guys nod at that, and I can’t hold it in any longer. These men, though looking at them will make anyone think twice about angering them, are standing in a doorway, acting like little boys who have just had a girl tell them she likes them and they find it disgusting. I chortle with laughter, tears running down my cheeks when I see their defeated looks.

“Of course she would find it funny,” Ceric calls and then the women behind me also lose their battle and start laughing loudly.

“I shouldn’t be laughing; they look scary as hell,” I hear Brielle say between giggles.

“They are going to ruin our fucking reputation,” Cassius says before he turns and walks back out of the bar. The others start to do the same, but Jasmine stops them before they can leave.

“Don’t forget you all need to be here to surprise her in another hour. Don’t worry, you’re going to love it. We have cute little cupcakes with hearts on them,” she calls as they all throw her dirty looks and start to grumble about having to eat fucking heart cakes. I am bent over gasping for air by the time they are all out of the bar.

“Do you really have heart cupcakes?” Brielle asks between fits of laughter.

“No . . . but if I had known how they would react, I would have gotten some,” Jasmine answers. I already saw the birthday cake, and it was a two-tier cake with beautiful black and gold patterns on it.

An hour later, the guys start to enter the bar. First, Brandr walks in, a frown still on his face, but his eyes light up when he sees Aria.

Advancing towards her, he places his hand behind her neck, pulling her towards him. “You should sit, sunshine; you have been on your feet nearly the whole day.” He kisses her lightly on the lips, his hand on her extended stomach, stroking lightly.

I feel butterflies in my stomach when I think that maybe that could be Ceric and me. Would he be as caring as Brandr is being, and as I have seen Bjarni and Wulf being towards their women? Just then, Wulf walks in carrying Orion, Draco and Celmund right behind him. He makes his way towards Jasmine. Lowering his head, he kisses her lightly on the lips. I would think that after being with the boy the whole day, he would pass him to her, but no, he pulls her up against him and hugs her around her waist, moving her tight against his side. Orion, on the other arm, seems happy as he pulls at his father’s long hair that is loose today.

Looking at the other two, Celmund is still scowling as he looks around, but he moves towards the couches and sits down with a cold beer in his hand that he got on his way here. Draco isn’t scowling anymore, but I can see that he seems a bit out of place.

Just then, I hear Ceric’s voice as he walks in with Caelius. Looking up from the serviettes I’m laying out, I see him stop in the doorway and scowl at me. What now? Then he’s moving hurriedly towards me. “What the fuck are you wearing, woman? Go change. Every fucking man in this joint is going to be looking at you.” His voice is gruff, his shoulders tense as his eyes stare at my breasts.

I forgot that I had dressed this morning to entice him. At his comment, I just manage to hold back my smirk. Mission accomplished. Now I know Ceric won’t be looking at anyone but me tonight. Looking down at myself exaggeratedly, I quip, “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt. What do you want me to wear, a sac?” I see his eyes darken with lust as I breathe in deeply.

“Fuck,” he growls as my breasts stretch the material of my T-shirt.

“Besides, why the hell would I change? I can wear anything I please. You’re not my boss,” I say, and turn, making my way towards the table with all the food.

“You’re playing with fire,” he promises as I walk. During the next twenty minutes as everyone arrives, Ceric’s eyes don’t leave me.

“You enjoying it, aren’t you?” At Aria’s words, I look around at her.

“What?”

“Ruining the party for him.” No use denying it. She would know if I had to make as if I didn’t know who she was talking about. I grin mischievously at her words and see her shake her head. “Careful you don’t push him too far, and then you won’t have a say anymore.”

“Who said that isn’t what I’m hoping for?” At my words, her eyes widen, and then a smile lightens her face.

“Well, I think with what you have planned for later, you might just get your wish. Not just you, but all of us. I just hope the poor guy doesn’t get killed.” At her words, I look around and find that nearly everyone who was invited is here already. Some of the guys from the Cape Town chapter whom I met when I arrived are here too. Tor, the handsome Viking beast, president of their chapter, is standing against the wall talking to Draco. Looking at those two men, anyone can feel the power they both hold, not to mention their looks. Suddenly, I’m chuckling when I remember what Celmund said about Arabian Nights, and I imagine these alpha males dancing seductively around the organza.

“Who’s that?” I hear Bion ask as he walks into the bar. Looking over, I see he’s looking at Brielle. I don’t think he has seen her yet, as when they pulled her into the car, he was already making his way towards us.

“The bird we saved from the Keres,” Caelius responds. I see Bion pale at his words, a shocked look on his face. Looking back at Brielle, I see her laughing with Jasmine. What could possibly be upsetting Bion like that? He looks as if he sees a ghost.

“No fucking way,” Caelius states, as he, too, is looking at Bion in question. I see Bion nod, and then they both stand there scowling at Brielle. What a strange bunch. I wonder what about Brielle is making both these men scowl at her.

Just then, I notice Bjarni walk into the bar, holding Gabriela’s hand. She squeals when she sees how everything looks, and Bjarni frowns at the transformation, but soon, he is smiling when Gabriela throws herself at him. Bjarni lifts her up gently as she kisses his face, being careful not to hurt her. “I love you, I love you” she says between kisses.

Bjarni’s eyes darken. “Baby girl, if you don’t stop while you’re ahead, we are leaving now and fuck the party. I will make you happy another way,” he promises. She laughs happily and says something in his ear that makes him groan, but then he smiles at her, tenderly placing her on her feet while still supporting her with an arm around her waist.

Everyone starts to wish her a happy birthday when they see that she has arrived. There is excitement in her eyes when she looks at how we have decorated the bar, and then she spots the food and starts to pull Bjarni by the hand towards it. I see the tender look in his eyes as he follows her. Looking around, I see most of the men smiling at her. As time passes, I start to see that maybe what I believed all these years may not be a hundred percent correct.

Maybe there are good men who love and protect their women. The men I see around me are dangerous, but meanwhile, they treat their women as if they were the most precious things on earth.

Gabriela spends the night laughing as all the men dote on her. Two hours into the party, Ceric approaches me. “Sven says there is someone at the gate who has a present for Gabriela from you, and that he is the one who needs to deliver it.”

“Oh yay, he has arrived,” I say, clapping my hands.

“So he must be let in?” he asks. Ceric has been leaning against the bar since the party started, glaring at me or at any man who even thinks to glance at me.

“Yes, please,” I say enthusiastically. I can’t wait for this to start. From what I have seen of Ceric, he is going to blow. He lifts his phone and sends a quick text to Sven, letting him know that the guy should be allowed in.

“What present did you get that needs someone to deliver it?” he asks, suspicious.

“You will see,” I say, and start making my way towards the door to greet the stripper.

“Dutch, I’m so glad Sam asked you,” I say when I see the stripper Sam arranged for me. Dutch is just as ripped as any of the guys here tonight, but if it has to come to a fight, I doubt he will be able to beat any of them. Drawing closer, I whisper just loud enough for him to hear, “Just be careful, okay? Do your thing, but don’t touch any of the women.”

“Don’t worry, sugar, I’ve got this,” he says with a wink. “I just need you to play the music on this for me.” And he hands me a USB. Looking him up and down, I wonder what he’s wearing under the coat. Now that he’s here, I’m a bit worried that the guys will shoot him first and ask questions later, but now the show must go on.

I walk towards where Jasmine and Gabriela are sitting, and motion for them to join me in the middle of the dance floor. I see a nervous smile on Jasmine’s face before she looks over at Wulf, but she gets up and brings Gabriela with her. Looking over at Aria standing with Brandr and Brielle, I indicate that its time. She nods, lifts to say something in Brandr’s ear, and then moves towards us, dragging Brielle with her.

I place a chair in the middle of the floor and ask Gabriela to sit. “What are you girls up to?” she asks, laughing as she sits on the chair. We just smile; I lift the remote for the sound system where I placed the USB, and press play. Instantly, the music changes. “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by Joe Cocker comes on, and then Dutch saunters towards us.

The men quietened when the music changed, but now that Dutch starts to dance, I see them tense. He is wearing what looks like an old pair of old low-waisted jeans, but I know that those jeans can be ripped off, and a black shirt.

As he reaches the area where we are standing, I see the men move closer. He starts to dance right in front of Gabriela. Bjarni takes a step towards him, but Cassius places a hand on his shoulder and says something that makes him stop, but going by the scowl on his face, he’s not happy.

When Dutch holds his shirt and rips it open, we women all squeal in delight, but the men don’t enjoy the show as much.

“What the fuck?” Bjarni roars.

“Motherfucker,” Wulf growls.

“Fuck that,” Brandr thunders.

“No fucking way,” I hear Ceric boom before I am off the floor and thrown over his shoulder. At last, I think in happiness as he starts to move away from the party. Looking up, I see Draco and Caelius dragging Dutch out of the bar while keeping Wulf and Bjarni away from him. At least I know Dutch didn’t get hurt.

“What do you think you are doing? Put me down, you caveman,” I say loudly. I want Ceric to finally take me, but I can’t let him know that this was my plan all along, or he’ll never let me live it down.

“There’s no fucking way you’re watching some other fucker get undressed,” he growls below me.

“Why not? He’s damn fine,” I reply, “and I paid a lot of money to have him here tonight.”

“He won’t be so fine when I kill him,” I hear him growl under me just as he opens the bedroom door and walks in, kicking it closed again. “The only man you are going to think about is me.” He throws me on the bed and instantly follows as he stretches out on top of me. His lips crash down onto mine, and he kisses me until I forget about everything but the man above me.