THE ALPHA’S UNEXPECTED MATE

CHAPTER 4

CLARA'S POV

For the rest of the week, I couldn't stop thinking about how I had ended up in the arms of Mr handsome rude man.

But no matter how hard I tried to remember exactly what happened I couldn't. Luckily or unluckily I didn't bump into him again for the rest of the week.

Beep-Beep.

"Humph... don't people sleep?" I groaned into my pillow as I reached blindly for my phone.

"Ahhhhh!" A sharp, ear-piercing shriek blasted through the speaker. I winced, pulling the phone away from my ear.

"Calm down Ari. You almost made me deaf!"

"You don't seriously expect me to be calm right now, do you?" Ari demanded on the other end.

"What is it, Ari? Why are you waking me up this early on my day off?"

"You have got to be kidding me," she gasped.

"It's your birthday, girl! And you know what that means!" I blinked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I looked over at the calendar pinned above my desk.

There it was, September 4th, circled in thick red ink.

"Don't tell me you forgot your birthday," Ari scoffed gently.

"Well, that doesn't matter because you have me. Be ready by eight. I'm picking you up."

"Picking me up?"

"Clara, it's Friday!" she said, her voice bursting with excitement.

"That means we're going partying. We are going to party until we drop and to do that properly, we have to go shopping first."

"Shopping? Ari, no," I protested, sitting up in bed.

"I don't have money for a shopping spree right now."

"Girl, It's your birthday, which means all expenses are on me, and I am not taking no for an answer."

"But Ari-" I objected. "No buts! I am picking you up at eight, okay? Let's go shopping. Love you, bye!" The line went dead before I could argue. I dropped my head back onto the mattress with a soft laugh.

Ari could be an absolute storm when she wanted to be, but that is just Ari.

"Oh, come on, Clara! What's wrong with this one?" Ari groaned, inspecting the fitted gown I was wearing in front of the store mirrors.

"Are you seriously telling me you can't see what's wrong with it?" I asked.

"Alright, C, name just one thing."

"Everything," I sighed. The dress was stunning, but I was tired. This had to be the tenth outfit I'd tried on in the last hour.

The ones she loved, I found very uncomfortable; the ones I liked, she claimed lacked 'birthday drama.'

"Wow, look at this one," Ari said, pulling down a glittering silver dress from the display rack. I looked at the dress and it was stunning. I grabbed it and retreated straight back into the fitting room.

"Well? What do you think?" I asked nervously, turning in front of her.

"You look jaw-droppingly gorgeous, C," she whispered, wiping away an imaginary tear. I burst out laughing at her ridiculousness, turning toward the full-length mirror.

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. The dress hugged my curves perfectly, shimmering so beautifully under the boutique light.

"Let's go get you some men and if I'm lucky, find one for myself too," Ari winked, grabbing her purse.

"But Ari, isn't this dress too expensive?"

"No, C, not another excuse," she cut me off, shoving me back into the changing room to swap into my normal clothes.

"I am starting to think you're genuinely addicted to the word but!"

"Would you hurry up, girl?" Ari yelled from the passenger side of the cab an hour later. I looked at my bedroom mirror one last time barely recognizing myself.

After laying out endless reasons why she should handle my hair and makeup, I honestly considered enrolling her in law school. Ari had won the battle. My hair looked amazing and my makeup was done flawlessly. I slipped into my silver heels and hurried down the apartment stairs.

"Finally!" Ari teased as I slid into the back seat beside her.

"You are going to make us late!"

"Seriously, Ari?" I chuckled, closing the cab's door.

"Can someone actually be late to a club?"

"Of course you can," she replied with absolute seriousness.

"So, where are we actually going?" Ari just wore a mysterious, triumphant smirk.

"Don't worry. You'll see." Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up to a towering black building glowing with violet neon lights. Pulsing bass vibrated through the floorboards of the car before we even stepped outside.

My eyes widened in disbelief as I read the massive neon sign overhead.

"Don't tell me we're actually at OCTĀGON."

OCTĀGON was the country's most exclusive club. Celebrities, socialites, and high-rollers traveled from everywhere just to get past the velvet ropes.

"Too bad we won't get in," I sighed, pointing toward the massive line wrapping around the corner.

"Look at that queue."

"Voilà!" Ari grinned, pulling two glossy black cards from her purse. I stared at the passes in her hand.

"Ari... are those VIP passes?"

"I know a guy who knows a guy," she boasted, her smile widening.

"It's your birthday, only the best for my best friend." A sudden lump formed in my throat. Knowing how hard she worked, seeing how much effort she had poured into making me feel loved today hit me right in the chest.

"I swear, I love you so much."

"No tears, girl! You are not ruining my hard work," linking her arm through mine as we walked past the massive crowd toward the VIP entrance.

A few girls waiting in the line glared at us, desperately adjusting their clothes to catch the security team's eye.

"Back of the line!" one girl called out as we bypassed the rope. Ari simply smiled, holding up our black VIP cards.

The hulking bouncer glanced at the passes, nodded respectfully, and immediately unclipped the velvet rope.

"Enjoy your night, ladies," he said, stepping aside.

I held Ari's arm and stepped through the heavy double doors into the dark, glittering chaos of the club.

A sudden shiver ran down my spine, making me look over my shoulder into the crowd.

I brushed the feeling off, completely unaware that stepping through those doors would change my life forever.