Mated by Marriage

Chapter 13

I look around, hoping to catch Chase before he disappears into his room for the night. I quickly spot him shuffling towards the stairs, and I jog over.

"Chase, hey, wait!"

Chase peers backwards over his shoulder, a particularly sleepy expression mixed in with his usual stern look. He wobbles for a second, with one leg perched on the second stair, the other on the floor still.

"Hmm?"

I stifle a giggle.

"You look really tired. I won't keep you long. Tia texted me and said we're going to The Den? I tried to ask her what that was, but she just said she'll be here in an hour to get me."

Chase immediately rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath.

"It's the pack nightclub. There's a dance floor, lounges, private rooms, and a bar menu specific to wolves. It's better than a human bar, but it's still not my scene. So, on that note, I'm going to get to bed before Tia ropes me into this too. Goodnight, Meli. Be safe."

I watch him disappear up the stairs before I take my turn. I sprint up the stairs two by two, checking the time on my phone as I go. I have a little less than an hour to put myself together, so I get to work immediately.

*****

I'm looking at myself in the long bathroom mirror, quite impressed with my handiwork when I hear a knock at the door.

"It's open!"

I had to dig for a while, but I managed to find a sheer, tight-fitting, nude dress with a matching lace set to go under it, and a pointy black red bottom heel. My hair is perfectly curled, bouncy, and shining in the light, and my makeup is an iconically messy smokey eye slapped on top of my natural look from dinner. The click of heels snaps me away from my own reflection. I turn to see Tia looking like a cross between an angel and a model. She’s sporting a tiny, white, fur-trimmed skirt, with a matching tube top, jacket, and furry heels, topped off with a white fur headband. I feel my mouth hanging open as I watch her approach.

"Oh my goddess, Meli, you look AMAZING!"

I gather my jaw off the ground and try to tear my eyes away from her body and back to her face.

"Tia, shut the f**k up. Look at YOU, holy s**t. I think I almost passed out again."

Tia smacks me in the arm playfully, giving me a fake scowl.

"Let's go, come on. There's a car waiting outside, and I'm excited to introduce you to some people!"

I don't protest at all, following her out into the hall. A few years ago, this was all I ever wanted. A group of friends to hang out with that weren't terrified of my rank or my dad. So, who cared if it cut into my sleep a little or gave me nervous butterflies? The cool evening breeze hits me like a breath of fresh air, drawing me out of my thoughts. Tia leads me down the long driveway to a sleek black SUV waiting on the road. She opens the rear door, shuffling in and waving me along. I slide in behind her and shut the door. Looking around, I vaguely recognize the faces of a few warriors I've seen around the grounds. The car is loud, full of music, laughter, and smiles.

"Guys, shut up! Shut up! I need to introduce you to Melissa!"

Tia sinks back into her seat, a playful look of defeat dancing across her face. A tiny girl with red hair seated on the opposite side of Tia pokes her head forward and turns to face me.

"Hi Melissa! I'm Annette, I'm so glad you're joining us tonight. You're going to love The Den!"

She smiles brightly, reminding me of Tia. I wonder to myself if everyone in this pack is cheerful except for Chase. Another voice pops up from behind me in the third row.

"You don't have to be so formal, Annette, she probably hates that s**t. I hear Ironmoon has a pretty strict hierarchy. Can't be easy to make friends like that."

I follow the grumpy voice to a man with black hair and strange grey eyes. He's leaning against the window, one hand perched under his chin. Before I have a chance to respond, another voice in the passenger seat chimes in.

"f**k off, Alex. Annette is always like that, and you know it. Ignore him, Melissa. He's in special intelligence and doesn't know how to leave work at work. This is his weird way of getting to know you."

The car erupts into giggles and overlapping voices sharing anecdotes about Alex using interrogation techniques on people at the bar. I smile to myself. The group is boisterous for sure, but it feels warm and comfortable. Tia sighs.

"The one in the passenger seat up there is Kana, and the one driving is Noah, her fiancée."

I nod, looking around the car, putting names to faces in my memory. As I scan the crowd, I can't help but notice that Derrick is missing. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, I had assumed he would be here too. I nudge Tia lightly.

"Where's Derrick?"

She purses her lips together as if restraining herself before responding.

"He insisted on being assigned to the first security detail in town...so I could take tonight off. He'll be near where we're headed, so he might join us after his shift."

I nod again, settling into my seat and enjoying the ambient noise of chatter and music. The drive is short, ten minutes at most. We pull into a parking spot on a beautiful street lined with flowering trees and string lights. I step out of the car, craning my neck to see everything at once. The buildings are cute and petite, like something straight out of a storybook. The group slowly funnels out of the car and towards a pale blue door with high arches, nestled at the end of the block next to the alley. Above the doorway hangs a bright neon sign with the words "The Den" written in a fancy font. Tia grabs my hand, dragging me towards the door.

"Come on, don't get left behind."

I follow her blindly, somewhat enchanted by the thumping music growing louder as we close in on the door. Once inside, my senses are immediately overwhelmed. Strobe lights streak across the floor, a live DJ at the head of it all is playing a mix of EDM, and the scent of herbs and alcohol lingers in the air. Tia continues to hold onto my hand, dragging me towards the stairs and guiding me to an opulent glass box overlooking the dance floor. There are black velvet couches dotted around the room, a hookah set on the center table, and several unopened bottles and glasses littered around the side tables next to the couches. From the box, the music is slightly muffled, but still loud enough to dance to, which is perfect since the room also features a small light-up dance floor.

"Well? What do you think?"

Tia's voice is full of eagerness and excitement, which I'm beginning to believe is contagious. I smile, shaking her shoulders.

"This is insane! I've never been invited out before, let alone to a place like this. It's amazing!"

Tia's grin widens, and she drags me to the mini dance floor. For ages, Tia, Annette, Kana, and I stay on our feet, dancing to the music while the men smoke and occasionally bring us drinks. After a while, I realize I've been dancing in heels, and it’s starting to catch up to me. I shout to the girls that I'm taking a break and hobble my way over to the couch. I plop down near the men and lazily pick up a hookah hose.

“What’s in this, anyway? You guys have been smoking it all night."

Alex wiggles his eyebrows at me and nudges Noah in the ribs.

"Ooooh, does Ironmoon not have Lunarleaf? Those guys are more stuck up than I thought."

I roll my eyes, fighting the urge to be argumentative.

"I'm sure we have it, just wouldn't know where to find it. I don't even know what I've been drinking tonight. Like you said before - it’s not easy for me to make friends in Ironmoon."

Noah and Alex share a meaningful glance.

"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have brought it up. Look, the hookah is almost out. Why don't I go get a fresh one so you can try it? Noah can come with me and grab some more drinks. It’s Moon Wine you've been drinking, by the way."

Alex scratches his head awkwardly, and I can't help but smile. He seems a little younger than I am, and fairly well-meaning. But he's rough around the edges and gives off the impression that he struggles with social settings just as much as I do. I nod to him.

"Thank you, that sounds great."

The two of them take off together down the stairs, and I'm left lounging on the couch. I stretch and realize the room feels a little blurry, and my bladder suddenly feels very full. The thought crosses my mind that I might actually be drunk for the first time. Not the fleeting buzz I got from my birthday tequila, but the kind of drunk you get from drinking alcohol made for wolves. I rise to my feet unsteadily and wave to the girls, letting them know I'm going to go find the restroom, and then I stumble down the stairs.