Fighting For A Goddess

All Alone

Xander watched Monica grinding against her two friends. She was putting on a show, and he knew it. She rushed over and grabbed his hand, whining for him to come dance.

“Come on, Xander! You’re no fun at all!” she pouted. Xander had already told her earlier that he wasn’t dancing. He’d only come with Monica and her friends because he knew they’d been drinking, and he wasn’t about to let her drive or end up here alone with her reckless crew.

“Mon, I told you. I don’t dance. Go have fun with Tess and Kim. It’s girls’ night. I’m just here to make sure you all get home safe,” he said, forcing a smile.

Monica rolled her eyes, clearly pissed, and walked off without another word. Xander watched her go, then stood up, scanning the crowd. The new song thudded louder than the last, and he weaved through people who were grinding into each other. He needed a break from the noise, a place to chill that wasn’t right next to the speakers.

“Xander!” a voice boomed from behind him, sharp and unmistakable.

He froze, then turned around to see Kyle, grinning from ear to ear, with a blonde in a bikini hanging off his arm.

“Bro! I thought you said you didn’t come to these things!” Kyle yelled over the pulsing music, clearly amused.

Xander frowned. “I don’t,” he replied, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m just here to keep an eye on Monica and her friends.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Kyle said with a wink, squeezing the blonde’s waist. “I came with Jade. But figured I might as well have some fun while I’m here.”

Xander’s heart dropped. Jade?

His mind flashed with an image of some guy grinding against Jade—one of those d***s from earlier, no doubt. His wolf, Ares, growled inside him, a deep, rumbling sound that made his skin prickle.

“Wait, Jade’s here?” Xander asked, his jaw tightening.

Kyle shrugged casually. “Yeah, but I told her to get lost,” he said, nonchalantly. He was already pulling the blonde closer, his lips tracing her neck.

Xander’s chest tightened, a mixture of anger and disgust sweeping through him. “You ditched her?” he muttered, his teeth gritted. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The kid was a damn mess.

“Yeah, what’s the big deal?” Kyle waved him off. “She was cramping my style. Wouldn’t have met this babe if she was following me around.”

Xander’s fist clenched at his side. He wanted to punch him. The guy had no idea how good he had it. Growing up, Xander had wanted a sibling—someone to look out for, to have his back. But Kyle? He didn’t even give a damn about Jade. Or anyone, really.

“f**k, Kyle. You’re such an asshole,” Xander muttered under his breath as he turned and walked away, leaving his so-called friend and his latest fling behind.

He didn’t have time for this. Not tonight. Not when Jade was somewhere in this mess, and he was already starting to feel a gnawing unease in his gut.

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Jade climbed the two flights of stairs toward the hot tubs, grateful for the escape. The noise from the party below faded into a dull thrum, replaced by a rare stillness. There were three hot tubs, each surrounded by fake rocks that created privacy. The first one had a couple in it, too absorbed in each other to notice anything else. The second was empty, so Jade kept walking to the third one at the far end of the area. It was the most secluded, and the absence of the pounding bass made it the perfect place to unwind. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

She set her backpack down and pulled off her sundress, revealing her all-black two-piece swimsuit. It was sporty, showing off her curves without drawing too much attention. She quickly secured her hair in a messy bun and stepped into the warm water. She sank onto the bench, letting the heat soothe her muscles as she closed her eyes, grateful for the moment of peace.

The soothing quiet didn’t last long. She heard a few rowdy male voices, their laughter carrying through the still night air. Jade opened her eyes, sitting up slightly, and immediately felt the shift in the atmosphere. Her pulse quickened. The last thing she wanted was to deal with more attention. She glanced toward the stairs, hoping they wouldn’t spot her, but two guys appeared at the top, making their way toward the hot tub.

As soon as they locked eyes with her, their laughter stopped. One of the men—a tall, lean guy with shaggy black hair—gave her a once-over, a slow, predatory look that sent a chill down her spine. He smirked.

“Well, this is a nice surprise,” he said, stepping into the hot tub without waiting for an invitation.

Jade stiffened. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she sized them up. There was something off about these two, something in the way they looked at her that set every nerve in her body on edge. The second guy, with a shaved head and several piercings, wasn’t as overt in his stare, but his heavy, muscular build gave her pause. He circled around the hot tub like a predator, stepping in from the side and sitting down far too close to her. His leg brushed against hers, and Jade instinctively pulled away, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Whoa, baby girl, where you going?” the black-haired guy said, blocking her path to the stairs.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Panic started to bubble up inside her, but she pushed it down. Stay calm, she told herself. She had to think clearly.

“We just want to talk to you,” the other guy added, his gaze trailing slowly down her body, lingering longer than necessary.

Jade forced herself to stand up, keeping a step back. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she spoke. “I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend waiting for me. So if you’ll excuse me…”

But the words came out shakier than she’d intended. The man with the piercings didn’t seem deterred. He laughed low and menacingly, his eyes never leaving her body.

“Oh, baby girl, I think you’re lying. Why would your boyfriend leave you alone?”

Jade’s throat tightened. No one can hear me up here, she thought, panic beginning to rise.

The isolation of the hot tub area hit her all at once. There was no one to help, no one close enough to hear her scream. Her eyes darted around, but the nearest people were in the first hot tub, caught up in their own world. The music from below masked everything else.

Without thinking, Jade bolted for the side of the tub, her heart hammering in her chest. But before she could make it, the guy with the piercings grabbed her waist, his grip tight and unyielding. She gasped, trying to break free, but his other hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream.

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Xander scanned the crowd again, his mind never leaving Jade. His instincts had been on high alert ever since he’d left Kyle.

Suddenly, something shifted in his chest, a low, guttural growl echoing inside him. Ares, his wolf, stirred restlessly, his hackles raised in warning. Danger.

Xander’s eyes snapped wide. He could feel it—something was wrong. His heart rate spiked as he turned on his heel, cutting through the crowd with a speed that startled even him. He could feel his wolf pushing forward, urging him to find her. To protect her.

Jade.