บท 2: Grab my hand

Veron sat with his eyes closed, his head thrown back on the plush sofa, and a large unlit cigar between his lips.

There were two beautiful, half-dressed women beside him, one on his right, the other on his left. Both women were running their fingers seductively on his sturdy chest, which was covered with a white shirt.

On the sofa by his right, sat Skye, Veron's best friend, and right-hand man. He had a lit cigar in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other. There was a small smile on his face, which didn't reach his eyes, as he moved his gaze around the club.

They had come here to spend the remaining free time they had, before setting out on a journey they hated to embark on, but had no choice.

Veron focused his attention on the music, taking his mind off his problems for a while. If only he could avoid the ceremony, he would. But because they wanted to punish him at every given opportunity, they made it compulsory for him to attend.

He sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the strong flavor of the cigar in his mouth, before exhaling slowly. However, the next breath he took in triggered a frown on his face, and his eyes snapped open.

"What is she doing here?" Gerrard, his wolf, who was just as surprised as he was, asked in his head.

Veron asked the same question too as he raised his head and abruptly sat up, confusing Skye and the two women beside him

Veron ignored whatever was happening around him, as his eyes scanned the building, searching for that person who just stepped into his vicinity.

Her scent was distinct, which was why he already knew it was her despite the hundreds of scents that had been moving around. Just a whiff of hers, and he was already struggling to stay still for so many reasons.

"Is something wrong?" Skye queried, narrowing his eyes, but Veron didn't respond because just at that moment, his eyes caught her figure by the door, and his jaw fell slack.

He shut his widened eyes for a moment, and opened them again, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things. When nothing changed, a frown overtook his features. Why was she dressed like that? And when did she even start wearing such clothes? What was she doing in a place like this?

"She is beautiful. Ahh-woooo..." Gerrard, whose jaws almost touched the ground in surprise, commented, howling in excitement after his recovery. "More beautiful than these cheap women who flock around you."

"You call them cheap, yet you never complained all these years whenever I screw them," Veron responded, keeping his eyes on the beautiful damsel who always disorganized him with her presence.

"Not until I met my mate. Why would I complain when I enjoyed their services? I just don't want them anymore. I only want my mate now." Gerrard voiced his desire.

"Dream on," Veron uttered, fluttering his lashes slowly.

"Tsk... You're such a stubborn thing." Gerrard uttered, and remained quiet after that, sulking at Veron's constant refusal.

Seeing how Veron didn't respond to his question, Skye followed his gaze to see what he was looking at. His eyes stretched when he saw Karina inside by the door. But that was not the shocking thing. She was wearing a dress and looking all dolled up, a sight he had never seen before and wouldn't believe if someone were to tell him.

Veron continued looking at Karina, wondering how she found her way into a place like this. He couldn't help but agree with Gerrard that she was indeed beautiful tonight, even though he wouldn't voice it to the satisfaction of his wolf.

If not that he was a frequent customer of this club, and her body language shows that this was her first time there, he would have thought she lived a double life. Good girl in the day, bad girl at night. But he had a strong feeling that was not the case.

His eyes narrowed until they became mere slits when someone approached her and she started conversing with the man. Why was she talking to that bastard? Was he the one who brought her here? What for? Several questions crossed his mind at the same time, getting him annoyed.

He hated what he was doing. It shouldn't bother him what she does or who she talked to, since he wanted nothing to do with her. But why couldn't he just look away and let her be?

Just as the man offered his hand to her and she took it, Veron's aura blazed, making those around him move away slightly, sensing the intense killing intent coming from him.

Understanding the situation, Skye chugged down his wine and jumped to his feet.

"I'll take care of it." He uttered in Veron's head, and walked away without waiting for the latter's response. He was aware that Veron doesn't want his mate, but seeing what just happened, he already deduced that Veron's jealous mode had been activated. And if nothing is done to deactivate or calm the raging alpha down, heads will soon begin to roll.

The women who were looking at Veron cautiously, knowing not to say a word when he was angry, turned to find the source of this sudden anger. However, they couldn't get the exact person as there were lots of people in the direction Veron was looking.

When they looked back at him, he seemed to have calmed down significantly, making them breathe out in relief.

Veron picked the lighter from the table before him, then lit the cigar which was still resting between his upper and lower teeth.

He dropped the lighter, pulled the cigar away from his lips after a long draw, then released the smoke slowly. When he returned the cigar to his lips, he leaned against the sofa once more, threw his head back, and closed his eyes.

"Hypocrite. I thought you said you didn't want her. Why then are you fuming like a mad dog because someone else wants her?" Gerrard asked in a mocking tone.

"Shut up."

Gerrard let out a scoff. "Stubborn housefly." He uttered before going silent again.

***

Karina stood at the entrance of the club, blinking as she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Women were walking around half-naked, some dancing seductively to entertain the men sitting there.

She had never witnessed such a level of nakedness in her life. Right now, compared to them, she was overdressed. It baffled her how people could confidently display such a level of nudity, and she was the one feeling ashamed for them.

The music was loud, almost deafening, and the man who ushered her in had left her alone, much to her relief. 'What was Chloe looking for in a place like this?' She asked in her head, pressing her back against the wall as if she sought to become one with the hard surface.

Well, if she could, she would. As much as possible, she would want to stay away from the prying eyes of the people in here. The place gave her an unsettling feeling. She wanted nothing right now than for Chloe to come out so they could leave.

After some time of waiting, with no sign of Chloe anywhere, Karina became uncomfortable. Her legs were already aching because of the shoe she wore, causing her to shift her weight from one to the other. She looked around the large hall once more in an attempt to find Chloe, but she got nothing.

Right now, she wished she had a phone. She had never really needed one, but in this situation, she needed it badly for the first time.

Nori might already be waiting at the venue of the party for them, while she was standing in a corner of a strange club with no sign of Chloe anywhere. The smell of alcohol and smoke from different substances filled her lungs, making her slightly dizzy and nauseated.

"Hi there." Someone spoke beside her, and she snapped her head around in the direction the voice came from.

"Hi." She answered in a small voice, noticing it was the man from earlier. He wasn't smiling this time, instead, he had a serious expression on his face which made Karina swallow unconsciously. Why does he keep showing up like a ghost?

"Want something to drink?" He asked, offering her a glass. "It's plain juice." He added, seeing the hesitation in her eyes. However, she still shook her head.

"I'm fine. Thank you." She refused politely.

The man nodded in understanding and withdrew the glass.

"Your friend is not back?" He asked, and when she shook her head again, he frowned.

"Maybe she is with the people helping the injured girl at the back."

"Injured girl?" Karina probed, setting her eyes on the stranger.

"Mm... I heard she fell down the stairs and broke her head. I think her name is Chloe."

Karina's eyes went round, as her heartbeat spiked.

"Chloe? Chloe fell down the stairs and broke her head?" Karina asked, her voice rising to the point a few people around her turned to look at her.

"You know her?" The man asked, taken aback by her reaction.

"Yes. She's my friend. Please where is she? Can you take me to her?" Karina asked frantically, forgetting all her troubles and throwing caution to the wind.

"Sure. Grab my hand. It's easy to get lost in here." He said, extending his hand for her to take, and when she did, he led her further into the building.