Her cold heart

| 1 | His prey

Izaya’s P.O.V

Walking into the club, I found myself getting lost in the large crowd that filled the place. Taking a seat at the bar, I just sat there taking it all in. The bartender appeared and I ordered a shot of vodka and downed it without thinking twice before ordering another one.

A couple of rounds later, I find myself regretting drinking so much. I don’t drink well. I’m too tired to have a hangover.

The waiter moves away and I have no idea why, but my eyes lift across the bar, where a man is sitting in a booth.

Another man walks up to him and starts talking to him. The man whose face I can’t see rises to his feet.

I tear my gaze away, attending to the bartender, before taking my drink. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the bartender’s charming personality that did the trick, but I suddenly felt a lightness. One that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

And for the first time in forever, I felt normal, even though my world was just turned upside down.

Feeling like I was being watched, I looked back up and my eyes met his. We sat there, staring across the room at each other for what could be seconds or perhaps minutes.

Before he stands up, making his way toward me. I finally got a good look at him.

Tall, dark, and lethal, good-looking with a hint of power. As he got closer, I noticed he gave off a very strong Alpha scent.

He smelled like authority and aggressiveness.

A normal wolf would tuck his tail tight between his legs. But not me. For some reason, this made me more intrigued.

I watched him close the space between us, his stride long and calculated. He’s a wolf on a hunt and I think I might be his next prey.

He stops at the table and he doesn’t ask if he can sit. He just does. He claims the chair next to me, and the heat in his eyes tells me he plans to claim me with it. “Elijah,” he says, and his voice is rough, deep and masculine perfection. My eyes haze slightly, his face sitting toward mine as he continues to look at me, smirking. He lifts a thumb, rubbing it across his jaw.

“Bonnie,” I say. He looks so familiar. I’m pretty sure I know him from somewhere, but it’s hard to tell under the club lights, various splashes of purple and blue coloring his skin. “Let me buy you a drink, By the way, I know I’m handsome, but you honestly don’t need to stare,” he says in a low, husky voice, causing a wave of heat to hit my body and pool between my legs. I hazily sat up a little straighter, wanting to respond until I realize that anything I would probably be thickened with a slur. I divert my gaze toward the drink that I’m clutching in my hand, the liquid disappeared and empty, idly sitting in my stomach, waiting to be thrown up later throughout the night.

“I wasn’t staring, so don’t flatter yourself and no thanks, I’m good.” He laughs deeply, keeping his thumb on his jaw as he watches me. I felt something in my stomach stir uncontrollably; perhaps the drinks were coming up sooner than I thought they were.

“Of course you weren’t.” Turning away, I look back toward the bartender. “Can I have another drink please?” I ask him. “I don’t really care what, just make it strong.” Nodding, the bartender slides over a small glass.

“I thought you were good?” Elijah said while lowering his glance toward the glass in front of me. His eyebrows furrowed together, lip tucked between his teeth. “Maybe I just didn’t want your drink, “ I said, bringing the drink up to my lips. I grimaced at the strong taste when I took a sip. Okay, maybe it’s time to take it down a notch.

A chuckle from beside me startled me, I'd almost forgotten he was there. “Why is that?” He asked, smirking. His lips, which are full, beautiful lips that I shouldn’t be looking at, quirk at the sides. “I haven’t decided, yet,” I say because he’s a man who consumes women, and I can’t afford to be consumed. “Then I consider that a win.”

“How is that?”I asked. “It isn’t a no,” he points out.” I can still change your mind.”

“Do you do this with every stranger you meet?” I ask. “I could ask you the same question?” he retorted “That’s not an answer,” I point out. “I know.”he shrugs.

“Wanna dance?” “Don’t try to change the subject.” He arches a dark eyebrow. “Is it working?”

“Not really.” “Well, I’ll answer all your questions as you dance with me,” he said while grabbing my hand and leading me to a slightly secluded area. We danced for a while. Well, I was dancing. He was just glaring at strangers who tried to approach me.

I was about to ask him something when his friends interrupted us saying he needed him for something. Excusing himself, he asked me to wait at the bar while he left to go see what was wrong.

Ordering myself a vodka and coke shot, I immediately gulped them down.

“Well, valatieri, I never expected to see you here.” A voice behind me called. I froze in my seat. The only person who calls me that is–

“Dale?” I breathed out my heart beating erratically–not in a good way. “I knew you would remember me, babe.” He took a seat beside me, inching closer. “I missed you so much, don’t worry I still want you.” He took my hands in his slowly, stroking my arm, his musty breath fanning my neck. He reeked of alcohol. I tried to push him away but his grip on me hardened. “Dale, let me go.”

I guess he didn’t get it, cause the next thing I know, he’s kissing my neck. I tried playing nice, but now it’s time for me to put him in his place. “Didn’t you hear her? Get away from her before I make you!” A voice behind me barked, I looked up to see Elijah with his fist curled up to his side clenching his jaw.

Dale immediately let go. I quickly got up, holding on to Elijah’s arm. “There you are Clyde, Baby.” I silently prayed he wouldn’t retract his arm, but he played along. I could feel his hard muscles tense from my touch. “Stay away from my mate.”

Dale laughed angrily. “Mate? You wish. You can have her. She is not even worth it,” he replied before disappearing into the crowd.

“You alright?” he asked. “I will be.” I exhaled and he sat down beside me, placing a gentle hand on my back. My heartbeat slowed down, and I felt at ease and secure in his embrace.

“I am just gonna stay here with you until someone comes over to fetch you. Is that okay?”

I nodded. Even if he hadn’t offered, I would have asked him to stay. Dale was trouble and I couldn’t afford to confront him again.

I know trusting an absolute stranger is wrong, but frankly, anyone is better than Dale.

The fog that filtered around my brain was clearing, the intoxication I’d been feeling was slipping away every minute I sat with Elijah.

I lean back, assessing him like an opponent in a courtroom. He settles against the leather back of his chair, his expression is unreadable.

He leans forward. “Do you know who I am?”

“Should I?” I smirk “You tell me,” he presses, a sharpness to him that wasn’t there before.

“I’m starting to think that you’re more important than I thought and arrogant enough to believe that everyone, including a random stranger, knows about you. I don’t know who you are. I didn’t come here for you.”

“But you’re staying for me?” he asked.

“No. I’m staying for myself.” But the truth is if he’s someone I don’t know, but should, this could be a mistake. I should leave, yet I’m still sitting here, letting him touch me without touching me because that’s how intense the pull is between us.

“How did you know I came with someone?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Well, don’t most people come to clubs with others?” I gulped down another drink. “Then why are you here with me instead of with them?”

“I thought I came with you, as your mate Clyde,” he said, smirking. His eyes trailed down my legs. I hesitated under his scrutinizing eyes, making me hot in the right places. “Clyde wouldn’t be checking his mate out like that.”His eyes lingered longer on my breast but he didn’t touch me. “Clyde would be f*****g the daylights out of his mate if she was this beautiful,” he moved closer, bringing his mouth to my face, his warm breath hitting just below my ears. “Too bad Clyde suffers from erectile dysfunction,” I stand up grabbing my purse and make my way out. This man was getting too comfortable, to my slight dismay, but it wasn’t bothering me much at all. In fact, I kinda enjoyed it and that scares me.

I’ve just crossed the street when a hand catches my wrist and I whirl around to find myself facing Elijah. “I’m sorry. That was too forward of me.” he apologizes. “Yeah and I’m sorry that turning you down hurts your ego, but stalking me ain’t gonna help you,” I say, while the tingles from where he grips me ride up my arm.“Call it what you want,” he says, “But I’m not letting you go when there is clearly something between us.”

“You really are arrogant.”

“Yes. I am. But I’m also not wrong.”

“I don’t want this,” I say “I don’t want to know you.”

He arches a dark eyebrow, the moonlight catching on the challenge in his eyes. “You don’t?”

“No,” I say but even to my own ears, I do not sound convincing. I do want to know him. It’s just the wrong time.

Suddenly, though, his hands are at the back of my head, and he’s stepping into me, his big body framing my body, and then this stranger’s mouth is now on my mouth. His lips are firm, demanding, and yet somehow a gentle seduction. He’s kissing me, tongue licking into my mouth in a deep, drugging stroke, followed by another. I moan softly, and any will I had to resist is gone.

I sink into the taste of him, drinking him, and he tastes like sin and satisfaction with a hint of whiskey. I melt into the hard wall of his body, and he is so damn hard everywhere. In this moment nothing matters but him.

He rotates me and presses me against the wall, and I swear, I want him here on the street when that’s ridiculous.

I just don’t want time to find logic again, but that won’t be easy to do anyway.

His lips have left mine but he’s caging me. His powerful thighs framing mine. His fist is on the wall on either side of me.

“I’m going to take you home and then you’re going to give me your number so that we can arrange part two of that kiss.”

Reality. Now he’s trying to bring me back to reality. I don’t want to go there and while I’m not a shy person, I go farther than is my norm. “I don’t need to be seen home,” I say. “And if you want to f**k me, why wait?”

“Never rush anything that feels good.”

“There is nothing good about me.”

“Yes, there is. You just haven't seen it yet.”

“You don’t know me enough to say that.”’

“I want to know you.” He says those words low.

“Why?” i asked

“Before I answer, I need to know. Do you want to know me?”

“No,” I lie, despite hating lies.

He leans in close, his hand back at my waist, scorching me, claiming me, his cheek against mine.

“Liar,” he whispers by my ear, and that whisper, his warm breath on my neck and ear, shivers a path through every inch off me.

My hands go to his chest, and I can feel his heart thundering beneath my palm, radiating up my arm.

I don’t remember ever responding like this to any man, ever, in my life. Certainly not the one I’d once thought I’d loved. But this isn’t love, it can’t be. This is just plain lust. “This isn’t about knowing you.” He pulled back and looked at me. “And yet it is. Where do you live?”

“I’m not telling you.”He studies me for several intense beats and then takes my hand.

“Then come with me.” He doesn’t move but waits for me to agree. “Where?” I asked, not believing this was actually happening.

“To get to know each other, maybe f**k. Isn’t that what you want?”