The Wolf's Web of Betrayal

Chapter4

The drive to Thorne's clothing and accessories shop took only 10 minutes. As they arrived, Lara was struck by the huge building's grandeur. The doors swung open, and Lyra excitedly clung to her, dragging her inside.

Oliver, Alex's older brother, greeted them warmly. Soon enough, Lara was forgotten as Lyra hugged him and begged to see the latest gowns. Lara trailed behind them, quietly scanning the aisles lined with jewellery, clothes, shoes, and bags. The store's elegant facade, complete with ornate ironwork and sparkling chandeliers, left her in awe.

As Lyra found dress after dress for Lara to try on, Lara's thoughts drifted to Alex, wondering where he might be. Oliver proved to be a charming host, but his attention was clearly focused on Lyra, which delighted Lara. She hoped they could work out.

When Lara emerged from the dressing room, she couldn't find Lyra and needed help with the last button on the back of her gown. As she struggled to reach the buttons, fingers grazed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She spun around, meeting Alex's warm, brown eyes.

"You look stunning in this dress, Lara," Alex said, his voice low and sincere.

Lara's cheeks flushed as she turned to the mirror. The knee-length dress accentuated her curves, but she knew she couldn't afford it. Lyra, a chef at a restaurant, might not be able to afford it either.

"Thank you, Alexander," Lara replied, finding her voice.

Just then, Alex's hand brushed against hers as he undid the top two buttons of her dress. He smiled and walked away, leaving Lara feeling bewildered.

After changing back into her casual clothes, dungarees, and a singlet, she found Lyra, who was beaming with excitement.

"I saw you with Alex! You should totally get that dress!" Lyra exclaimed.

Lara raised an eyebrow. "Where were you? Making out with Oliver somewhere?"

Lyra laughed. "No, I was picking out dresses for us.”

Lara frowned. " We can't afford these prices."

Lyra's expression turned stubborn. "Don't look down on me, Lara. I can afford it, and I want to treat you."

“I know you can afford them. I just don't want you spending so much”

“I want to, and I will”

Lara knew better than to argue with Lyra's determination. As Lyra went to pay the bill, Lara wandered over to a nearby rack, her eyes landing on a shirt she liked. She checked the price tag and was startled by a voice behind her.

"Who is attending to you?"

Lara turned to face a familiar woman – the brunette who always seemed to be clinging to Alex. A pang of unease settled in Lara's stomach. Maybe she was Alexander's girlfriend.

"I came with my friend," Lara replied, nodding toward Lyra, who was chatting with Oliver. "Oliver helped us."

The woman's expression turned disdainful. "You're the bartender, aren't you? I wonder how you can afford to shop here."

Lara felt a sting from the woman's condescending tone, but she refused to rise to the bait. The woman's parting shot was a dismissive glance before she stormed off, leaving Lara feeling unsettled.

Lyra paid for the clothes, and as they walked out to the door, Alex called out to her. “This is for you.”

She took the bag and saw the shirt she liked. She thanked him, though she didn't miss the daggers the brunette threw her way.

****

Lara couldn't help but notice the way Finn's eyes sparkled as he mixed drinks with ease. He was charming, and his confidence behind the bar was infectious. Aria was asking him a lot of questions, and they got chatting. Finn kept talking, and the three of them discussed everything from their shared love of music to their favourite books. Though Lara didn't talk much, Aria filled in the missing sentences she didn't finish.

Val walked in with someone missing from his usual trio, which was Malia. "Hi Lara," Jack greeted her. Lara responded kindly and served her a beer. Jack acknowledged her with a nod and went to their reserved table. Lara didn't like Jake, who rubbed her the wrong way. She was polite to him and gave him a beer.

Aria introduced Finn to Val, and they started talking about drinks and why they called him a mixology genius. Apparently, Emily had shared the gossip with Val. They spoke at length, and Val ordered a cocktail. Lara mixed one for him.

"Your nails are lovely," Val complimented her.

"Thanks to me," Aria squealed happily.

"I'll give you your flowers later," Lara said.

Aria slammed the surface, sighed, and walked away.

"Really, you should give her the flowers now. She made me do this," Lara said with a smile.

"I like to tease her, you know," Val replied, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Val sipped his drink. "So, your instructor tells me you're a slow learner."

Lara giggled. "Well, that shouldn't surprise you."

"Maybe I should become your instructor," Val suggested.

She giggled, and soon they began conversing again as Finn came back to join them. She found out that Finn came out of town and wanted to take art classes at Tenebrous. He loved music, and he loved puzzles.

Just then, a group of rowdy men stumbled into the bar. They went to a table and sat down, ordering a waiter to come over. Finn was busy, and Aria was on her bathroom break. Val told Lara that he could go in her place, but she thanked him and took timid steps to the table.

Among the 10 guys, Lara recognized the one with the tattoo. He smirked at her and ordered drinks for his companions. She served them and then turned to where the bouncers were supposed to be, but she didn't find any sign of them.

If the men wanted to cause trouble, Val couldn't handle them alone, even with Jack and Jake. They were outnumbered. Lara prayed that they wouldn't cause any ruckus.

Finn turned to Lara and smiled. "Hey, thanks for showing me the ropes tonight. I really appreciate it."

Lara smiled back, feeling a flutter in her chest. "No problem, happy to help. You're a natural behind the bar."

She mixed another cocktail and glanced at him with a shy smile. "Besides, you're a mixology genius. I'm the one learning from you."

Finn chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I've had my fair share of practice. But I have to say, I'm really enjoying it here. The atmosphere is great, and the people are even better."

Lara felt a warmth spread through her chest at Finn's words. She was glad he was enjoying himself.

As she cleaned a cupboard where the wines were kept, Lara lifted her eyes at the sound of Aria's voice. It was a group of six guys, and the guy with the tattoo was staring at her. His gaze was creepy, and his mates were raising their voices at Aria.

Finn wanted to step in, but she held up her hand. He was new. She had worked here for ages. All she had to do was save her best friend who could handle herself really well, but there were 6 large looking men with her.

Lara took little strides to their table, where she found out why Aria was shouting at them. Apparently, one of the creepy guy's friends was dissatisfied with his drink and claimed that Aria had served them a bottle of beer that was half empty.

She wanted to slam her head at the stupid reason that had caused the argument.

“You seem to be dumb didn't I open the drink in front of you “Aria’s hands went up in the air

Lara could see a guy with a similar tattoo on his neck and green hair respond. “ You fucker, can't you served me a drink properly huh. Maybe you opened it, took a sip from it and closed it back tightly, pretty sure your hole ain't as tight as the bottle is”

Before she could reach the group, Aria had slapped the green haired guy. Not that she blames her. So she held Aria down before she could throw another punch. “You dumb w***e. You only think with the tiny thing between your legs. That is why you are retarded”

The green-haired guy stood up, and Lara got his attention. "So, I see you brought your little b***h to save you, but you can't, because I would f**k both of you till your brains become retarded."

Before she could blink Lara felt a slap on her backside, followed by her butt cheeks being smooched. Tears fell from her eyes as she realized it was happening again.

But before another slap could reach her, Finn had already stepped in, his eyes flashing with a fierce intensity. "I've got this," he said, his voice low and commanding.

She immediately gazed at Val’s table and saw Jake smiling like a maniac. She ignored him and focused on the guy with tattoos. He smiled and she spotted the canines on his teeth. She knew werewolves were real; she had met her fair share but it had been a while since there had been any misbehaviour from them. Arachne had told her that they handled those that Abused their gifted abilities and she thought she was safe apparently not.

She watched nervously as Finn expertly evaded the punches thrown at him but Finn may not be a werewolf these guys were. She finally saw the matching tattoos on all of them and Aria was busy trying to get a punch in and Finn was busy trying not to get hit. She was left alone and the creepy guy leaped after her. She covered her face immediately, crouching down to hide her face between her laps expecting the hit that never came. Val and Jack had stepped in and together they started to beat the guys. Apparently the bouncers had come back from their hiding place. She cursed them in her mind for slacking. Once again 10 to 5 wasn't enough and Jake had finally joined in the brawl. Soon 2 other people rushed into the bar so fast her eyes couldn't comprehend the movements. After looking closely she realised it was Scott and Thorne the guys she usually saw with Alex. They had joined the fight and it was a whirlwind of chaos, plates breaking, tables falling, glasses being smashed. Movements to fast her eyes couldn't follow. Was Val a werewolf, she wondered.

Soon the fight ended and they threw them out and Val immediately came to her side.

As Val held her while she cried she felt his hands being moved by someone else and she heard Val caused “what the f**k?”

She turned and saw Alex but he wasn't staring at her. His gaze was fastened on Val. His right hand was around her waist and his left hand was in front of him clenched in a fist.

“What right do you think you have to touch her Valentine?”

Lara's eyes widened so they knew each other, she thought but how?