THE ALPHA’S UNEXPECTED MATE

CHAPTER 5

CLARA'S POV

The moment we stepped past the velvet ropes and into the main body of OCTĀGON, I felt the heavy, vibrating bass echo straight through my chest.

The club was unbelievable. Towering LED screens flashed vivid blue and violet laser light across a massive, packed dance floor. On the platforms, dancers moved seamlessly to the pulse of the music.

"Come on, C!" Ari shouted over the roar of the crowd, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward a sleek glass staircase.

"The VIP lounge is upstairs!" We showed our black cards to the second security guard at the top of the stairs, who nodded and gestured us through into the private lounge.

The VIP lounge was dimly lit, with its own private bar and intimate leather booths framed by carved wooden partitions.

"Let's grab a drink first," Ari said, cutting through the crowd toward the marble bar. We slid onto a pair of vacant high-top stools.

A handsome, dark-haired bartender slid two signature cocktails across the counter toward us, flashing me a lingering, dazzling smile before walking down the bar to serve another guest.

I blinked in surprise, turning to find Ari wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively.

"What?" I laughed, taking a sip of my cocktail.

"Oh, you know what," Ari smirked.

"You need to let loose tonight, Clara. The man is a fine specimen, and he is clearly into you."

"Yeah, right". As I set my glass down, a strange, prickling warmth suddenly buzzed along the back of my neck.

It was the same feeling I'd been trying to ignore ever since we walked into the building. Driven by an irresistible pull, I turned around in my stool and looked across the VIP lounge.

Standing near a corner booth, framed by dark shadow, was a tall figure staring intently at me. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine from across the room.

Mr Handsome Rude Man.

Why was he here? Why was he staring at me? Did he recognize me from the restaurant? Did he know I was the girl who had woken up in his bed a few days ago? I pressed my palms against my cheeks, feeling the sudden flush of heat burning through my skin.

"Ari, do you want to dance?" I asked desperate to escape his eyes.

"You know I'm always ready!" Ari squealed, grabbing my purse.

"Let's go tear up the dance floor!" I pulled Ari towards the thickest part of the crowd, burying us among the moving bodies until I could no longer feel his eyes on me. We danced for three straight songs, Ari twirling me around until my feet throbbed in my heels and my lungs burned for fresh air.

"Ari, I need to sit down for a minute," I panted, waving a hand as I backed out of the moving crowd toward an empty booth nearby. Before I could take three steps, a hand clamped around my wrist, jerking me backward.

"Ari, I am going to sit," I called out loudly, assuming she was just dragging me back to dance.

"Let go for a second!" When the grip didn't loosen, I spun around and froze. It wasn't Ari. Standing over me was a broad-shouldered man in a crumpled suit, smelling heavily of dark liquor. His eyes were bloodshot, and he staggered slightly on his feet.

"Pretty lady, wh- where do you think you're going?" he slurred, pulling my arm toward him.

"Please let go of me," I said firmly, attempting to pry his thick fingers off my arm.

"But I just got here!" he hiccuped, leaning in way too close.

"Don't you want to dance with me?"

"No. I don't. Let go!" I shouted.

"Come on, pretty lady, don't be like that" He tightened his hold, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" A dark shadow blurred past my peripheral vision. A sickening crack echoed over the bass, followed by a choked gasp.

The man's hand released my wrist instantly as he collapsed to his knees, his arm bent at an impossible, grotesque angle.

Panic rippled through the immediate circle of dancers.

Within seconds, the crowd simply parted and carried on, treating the sudden violence like a minor inconvenience.

I stumbled back, my chest heaving, my eyes locked on the shadowy figure standing over the fallen man. As the tall man turned his head toward me, the dark violet lights hit his face, and for just a second his eyes flashed a terrifying, inhuman crimson.

The sight was like a jolt to my brain. The shock violently fractured the mental wall inside my head.

The suppressed memories came flooding back all at once in a terrifying, vivid rush. The dark alley, I've unconsciously been avoiding. Cold, brutal strength tackling me to the pavement.

A sharp, searing pain pressing against the pulse point in my neck. I gasped, my hand flying up to cover the exact spot on my throat where the skin had stung in the shower. Horror, cold and absolute, poured through my veins.

The air in the club suddenly felt suffocating, I felt vomit forming in my throat.

I didn't look back. I sprinted through the VIP doors and down the stairs, desperately trying to reach the street.