“Oh my gosh,” I giggle. “That IS a good idea,” I laugh.
Clara linked her arm with mine. She wiggled her eyebrows and I nodded furiously at her. I tightened my grip on her as we scooted out of the booth arm-in-arm. I stood up and she giggled as she dragged me back.
“Oops,” she giggled. “Friends?”
Something lifted her up from the seat and placed her on her feet. I’m assuming she was talking to gift. Her “friends”.
“I’m so jealous, I wish I could just float above ground,” I whined.
“Say the word and I’ll help you float,” Clara said. “Although, I must say, I don’t think your boys would like that.”
“True,” I nodded, “but we’re not worrying about them right now are we?” I slurred.
“You’re right,” Clara said. “We’re going to feel boys.”
“Yes! To the booooysssss,” I sang.
“To the boys,” she repeated.
Clara pulled me forward but I looked back over my shoulder at Nyx. She stared at me and gave me a slight nod. I smiled and faced forward. Our steps seemed to glide forward and if I were sober I’m sure I would have questioned it. But I wasn’t sober and I didn’t question in. If anything, I loved it. We came to a stop in back of the crowd. Clara reached forward and tabbed a tall muscular man on the shoulder. He turned around angry but when he dipped his chin and saw the two of us a small smile formed.
“Can we come through?!” Clara yelled.
“You can come wherever you want,” the man said. Clara giggled and I couldn’t help but laugh. Clara pushed forward but not without brushing against him first. He growled as she reached down and gripped him. When she didn’t stop I knew he didn’t have what she was looking for. Clara unscrambled her arm from mine and grabbed my hand. The music filled my ears and the base shook my chest. She lifted my hand in the air and started dancing to the beat.
I followed her lead and started to sway my hips to the music. I watched a man slid up behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back. She ground against him, lowering herself to the ground before raising her hips up against his length. When she looked at me I knew he was not the one either. She turned around to face him and before I knew what was happening he flew backwards and disappeared into the crowd. She turned back to me with a bright smile on my face.
“Next!” She yelled.
“NEXXXXTTT!” I sang.
As if on cue, Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank you, Next,’ starts playing. Clara made this serious face and bobbing her head. We danced and sang. It wasn’t until someone’s hands gripped my waist and pulled me back against them that I was like oops. I looked over my shoulder and the guy stood a few inches above me. Before I could do anything, Clara pulled me toward her. He gripped my wrist and pulled me back.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Clara giggled. The guys eyebrows flew up and he glared at her.
“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” He asked.
He stepped away from me and towards Clara. Straightening his back he stepped towards Clara. He didn’t have the same height as Viktor or Jake but he was muscular. He gave off douche bag vibes as he tried to tower over Clara. She cocked her head and giggled. She took a step closer to him, lifting her chin to stare up at him. I watched as she lifted her hand.
“Oh,” she sang. “Just… a—”
Before she could finish that sentence a loud roar filled the room. It should have given me relief knowing that she didn’t out herself and announce that she was a witch but it didn’t. The man connected to that roar too familiar.
Uh-oh.
The man standing in front of Clara was gripped by the neck and forced down to the ground. A knee in his back connected to a crisp black shirt that led to a strong neck. I gulped. When my eyes connected with Jake’s beautiful blues.
Jake.
Don’t, Kacie.
Jake.
What are you doing here and with him? Who is this?
Jake’s eyes were glowing but he wasn’t looking at me. No, he was crouched low, his canines snapping an inch away from the man with his face into the ground. He flailed but Jake didn’t move an inch. Jake wasn’t the Alpha but he was the second in command. The only male below Viktor and he wasn’t happy.
He wasn’t—
Don’t. I saw him.
I was going to try and spare his life and say that he was touching Clara. That he wasn’t trying to hit on me but Jake had already seen. How long had he been watching? How long had he known. He’s not supposed to be here. He’s supposed to be doing something… else but he’s here.
Why are you here?
“How dare you touch what isn’t yours?” Jake snarled into his ear.
I looked up to make sure Clara was okay. She was stronger than a lot of people here but I was still worried. When I looked up at her there was a smile on her face as she stared down at Jake. The look in her eyes was knowing and satisfied as if she’d just gotten an answer to a question she’d had.
“Beta? I’m sorry I didn’t know she was… I didn’t know she was yours,” the man on the floor asked.
“You don’t know your Luna?” Jake growled. “You don’t recognized your Alpha’s mate? You had your slimy paws all over her. Then what? You stepped up to her… friend… and what? What were you going to do? WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO DO?!”
“No, I-I—” But his words were cut off as Jake ripped his head from his body.