Fighter (Outsider Series)

by Micalea Smeltzer

  I rolled my eyes. “Sure.”

  “Thanks,” he smiled and presumably went back to his castle. If I weren’t such a nice person, I’d go over there and kick his castle over for putting that disturbing image in my head about Gram. I shuddered.

  I still held Caeden’s phone in my hand and I quickly dialed Gram’s number while trying to get rid of the nasty image Bryce had conjured.

  “Caeden?” she snapped into the phone. “What do you need? I’m busy.”

  I giggled. “Gram, it’s Sophie.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Well, what do you need?”

  “We just wanted to tell you that we set a date for the wedding…” I paused, waiting for Caeden to jump in but he didn’t. “It’s July sixth.”

  “No babies?” she asked.

  “Gram,” I laughed, “there will be no babies for a long time. Don’t get so worked up.”

  She let out a gust of air. “Your daddy made me a young grandma and I don’t need you makin’ me a young great-grandma.”

  I shook my head. “Just make sure that mom and Amy don’t make the wedding to over the top.”

  “I’m on it,” she said. “I’ve gotta go, love ya’ll.”

  “Love you too, Gram,” I hung up.

  I turned to Caeden. “See, that wasn’t so bad.”

  “I guess it wasn’t,” he smiled and pulled me back to the ocean, clothes and all.

  four.

  Caeden flopped across the bed and peered into the bathroom, where I was drying my hair with a towel. I could see his grin in the mirror and how his eyes followed my every movement.

  Finally he spoke, “I think we should all go out tonight.”

  “To dinner?”

  “No,” he shook his head, “I want to go clubbing.”

  “Clubbing?” I stopped what I was doing and turned to stare at him. He had to be kidding. “I didn’t even want to go to prom! Do you really think I want to go clubbing?”

  He pouted. “Please, baby?”

  I scrunched up my nose. “I really don’t want to.”

  “Please,” he begged, now turning on the puppy dog eyes. Darn him to pieces.

  “I don’t have anything to wear,” I defended.

  “I’m sure Charlotte or Christian have something you could borrow.”

  “I hate you,” I stuck out my tongue.

  He grinned. “That must mean I’m getting my way.”

  “Don’t you always,” I muttered under my breath.

  He stood and sauntered towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He swept my hair away from my neck and placed a kiss beneath my ear. I think I melted.

  “No, my she-wolf, I most definitely don’t get everything I want.” He stared into my eyes through the mirror and my legs turned to mush. Thank the Lord that I could lean against his body for support. “But I think it’ll be fun,” his fingers glided over my neck making me shiver. Goosebumps broke out across my skin. “I want to celebrate the fact that in two weeks, you’ll be my wife.”

  I leaned my head against his chest and tilted my head so that I could see him. “Two weeks.” My heart stuttered. “I’m scared,” I whispered.

  He pulled away, his brow furrowing. “Of marrying me?”

  “No, definitely not,” I shook my head, turning to face him. “But what if I fall? Or say the wrong thing?”

  He laughed. “That’ll only make it more memorable,” he cupped my cheeks in his hands.

  “Only you would say that.”

  He shrugged. “It’s the truth…” He paused. “And just so you know… I’m scared of the same things. I think that’s normal.” His fingers tangled in my hair. “And even if you fall on your face, I’ll still love you. I just might laugh though, so don’t hate me too much.”

  I laughed. “Caeden!” and smacked his arm.

  “What? That would be funny. Wouldn’t you laugh if I was the one to fall?”

  “Probably.”

  “Then we’re even.”

  “Clubbing?” I got back to the original topic.

  “Clubbing,” he waggled his eyebrows.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “I’ll send the girls up so they can help you get ready before you change your mind,” he headed for the door.

  “I hate you,” I said to his retreating back.

  “Love you too, babe, love you too.”

  * * *

  “Hold still,” Chris commanded, grabbing my chin.

  “I don’t want to,” I grumbled.

  “You have to,” she narrowed her light green eyes at me. “Now close your eyes.”

  I closed my eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. She had already covered my face in five layers of makeup and rubbed some kind of glitter lotion on my arms and neck. She started to swoop some eye shadow across my lids and I protested, “Don’t make me look like a hooker or a raccoon.”

  “Now, why would I do that?” she asked and mocked surprise.

  “I don’t put anything past you.”

  She laughed. “Not much longer.”

  She finished with the eye shadow and moved onto eyeliner and mascara. After about ten different coats of mascara, she pulled out lipstick and gloss.

  “Don’t worry, Sophie,” she noticed my fear. “I know you don’t like that whole dramatic look, so I went with earthy and simple. You’re gonna love it and be begging me to do your makeup every day.” She twisted the tube of lipstick and I was surprised to find that it was a pale pink instead of a starlet red. She expertly applied the lipstick. Then pulled out a gloss with just pale pink glitter. She stepped away and assessed me the way an artist would a canvas. “Perfect,” her smile was infectious. She turned me towards the mirror. “If you don’t let me do your makeup for the wedding, it would be a shame.”

  “Wow,” I took in my reflection. She had curled my long brown hair so that it hung down my back in beachy waves. My makeup was flawless. The eye shadow was a light purple and pink that made me eyes pop. She had applied something that made it appear as if my skin was glowing gold. The glitter on my arms and chest shimmered in the light.

  She gave me an I-told-ya-so look.

  “Thank you so much,” I ran my fingers through my hair.

  “You’re welcome,” she grabbed something else out of her magical makeup bag. “Just one last thing…” She spritzed me with a light, flowery scent, before handing me the bottle. “Take this with you, it should fit in your clutch. Perfume is a must have when you go to a club.”

  I read the label. Daisy. I sniffed it again and was surprised by how much I liked it. Most scents, especially perfumes, were so strong with my shifter nose that they nearly knocked me over.

  “Now for clothes,” Chris rummaged through her suitcase, which she’d made Bentley carry up. “My jeans are going to be too short for you,” she bemoaned. “Did you bring any jeans with you?”

  “No,” I shook my head. “We’re at the beach. I saw no need for jeans.”

  Charlotte spoke up from the corner. “I don’t have any jeans either.”

  Chris shook her head. “You two are lucky that I packed enough clothes to last me through a zombie apocalypse.”

  “I think if there really was a zombie apocalypse, clothes would be the last thing on your mind.”

  She turned to me. “I can look great and kill zombies.”

  “And what will you do? Stab them in the eye with your high heels?”

  She stuck a finger in the air. “That is an excellent idea.”

  “Why are we talking about zombies?” Charlotte asked as she sat down on the end of the bed.

  Chris shook her head, sending her straight blond hair swishing around her pale shoulders. “That’s not important. What is important is making you both so irresistible that Caeden and Bryce have to beat the other guys away.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think I want any kind of beating happening. I want to have fun,” I said, even though I thought it would be impossible for me to have fun in a club.

  Chris rolle
d her eyes. “Oh please, I know I’m not the only girl that thinks it’s hot when her boyfriend gets all jealous and protective.”

  “I’m pretty sure you are,” Charlotte said.

  “Ugh, whatever,” Chris turned her attentions back to her suitcase. Her eyes lit up as she pulled some kind of black fabric with silver strands woven through it. “This will be perfect for you,” she tossed the fabric to me.

  I stretched the fabric, trying to figure out exactly what it was. “What is this?” I asked Chris.

  “A skirt,” she said without turning to me.

  “It’s not going to cover anything.”

  This time she turned to look at me and stopped her rummaging. “That’s the point.”

  “Hell no,” I dropped the skirt, if it could even be called that, like it had burned me.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “Don’t make me strip you down and dress you myself.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I paled.

  “Want to find out?”

  “No,” my eyes were about to pop out of my head.

  “Good,” she said.

  “I need a top,” I muttered.

  “Just hang on a second,” she said. “Aha!” she pulled out a slinky halter-top and held it up in the light. It was red and the front was covered in red sequins. Thankfully, it was longer and wouldn’t show my stomach. I took it from her and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Luckily, the skirt wasn’t as short as I had originally believed, although it was still a little too short for my taste. The halter-top didn’t let too much cleavage hang out and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  I opened the door and Chris’ jaw dropped. “Damn girl, Caeden won’t be able to take his eyes off of you. He’s going to want to bring you back here and lick every inch of you.

  “Can we please not talk about… licking?” I blushed.

  Chris’ eyes widened. “You mean?”

  “Don’t say it,” I pleaded.

  “You guys haven’t had sex?” she seemed scandalized.

  “I take it you have,” I retorted.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, yeah. I mean, Bentley is the one. Why would we wait?”

  I blushed. “We haven’t really talked about it… I just always wanted to wait… Not that I haven’t been tempted,” I put my hands up in an appeasing gesture.

  Chris’ smile stretched even further. “Oh I’m going to have so much fun with this information.”

  I paled.

  Before she could elaborate on her ‘plans’ she turned to Charlotte. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” Charlotte adjusted a cute pink dress Chris had no doubt talked her into wearing.

  Chris rolled her eyes. “Are you a virgin?”

  Charlotte blushed. “Yes.”

  “Great,” Chris threw her hands in the air. “Now I feel like a slut.”

  “You’ve only been with Bentley, right?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” she answered.

  “Then I don’t think that makes you a slut.”

  “You’re right,” she brightened. “And,” she grasped my arm, “in two weeks’ time, you’ll be joining the club.”

  “Yes, but I’ll be married.”

  Chris harrumphed. “Well, aren’t you just the all mighty one.”

  I giggled. “Are ya’ll ready?”

  “Just one sec,” Chris said and slathered on some more lip-gloss. After fluffing her straight hair to give it more volume she said, “Ready.”

  * * *

  The guys were all waiting downstairs, watching TV.

  “Whoa,” Caeden’s eyes widened when he saw me. I don’t know whether it was because he thought I looked nice or because I almost fell down the steps in Chris’ ridiculously tall high heels she’d talked me into wearing.

  Bryce whistled at Charlotte and she blushed in embarrassment.

  Bentley wrapped his arms around Chris’ waist and kissed her on the lips. I was so happy to see those two together that a ridiculously large smile lifted my lips.

  Caeden came over to me, smiling from ear to ear. “You look hot.”

  “I still don’t want to do this,” I pouted, hoping he’d change his mind, and we could just go to dinner. Or a movie. Or better yet, not leave the house.

  “Nuh-uh,” he waggled his finger. “Nice try, babe.”

  I shrugged and took his offered hand. “It was worth a shot.”

  He pulled me closer and kissed my cheek. He nuzzled my ear and said, “You’re going to give all the guys a heart attack with how sexy you look.”

  I blushed and said, “You don’t seem to be having chest pains.”

  “Oh, but baby, I am in pain.”

  In order to change the subject, I said, “Where’s Logan? Is he not coming?”

  He rose up from the couch, scaring the crap out of me, since I hadn’t realized he was in the room. “I am most certainly not going. I’ll only sulk around by myself. No thank you. I’ll stay here.”

  I frowned. “Maybe we should go to a gay club or something? I feel bad.”

  “Hell no,” Bryce said. “I do not need some guy hitting on me.”

  “Why do you think they’d hit on you?” Logan asked.

  Bryce threw his arms out. “Just look at me. Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?”

  “Seriously, you guys, go on. I have a couple of phone calls to make. Go on! Shoo!” Logan waved us out the door with a genuine smile.

  “Don’t wait up!” Chris shouted over her shoulder at her brother.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he grinned and waved.

  I refused to walk to the club in heels. No way, Jose. So, we took the cars. Caeden pulled into the lot of unassuming building. Its walls were a plain gray concrete. But it was obviously a club. The music pulsed so loudly that the car was shaking. A line of scantily dressed college students snaked around the building. A neon signed that changed colors decreed the place as Pulse.

  Caeden took my hand and pulled me right up to the bouncer. I tried to pull away. “I think we’re supposed to get in line.”

  “Just hold on a second Sophie.”

  I huffed and let him drag me along. Caeden smiled at the bouncer and shook his hand, transferring a wad of money. Caeden motioned to me and the others behind us, and the bouncer motioned us through, but not before strapping some kind of wristband on each of us.

  The music was so loud that I wanted to cover my ears, but I knew that would only garner me unwanted attention, so instead I held onto Caeden with both hands.

  Bodies writhed all around us and the lights pulsed in different colors with every changing beat of the song. The bar was long with a Lucite countertop that had lights that changed colors too, with the song that was playing. I watched the bartender make a drink, and wouldn’t you know they even had glowing ice cubes.

  Curious to see if the floor glowed too, I looked down. It didn’t glow, but it was pretty cool. The concrete floor was painted black, with different colored glitter tossed in, creating a rainbow affect.

  “This place is awesome!” Chris shrieked and dragged Bentley onto the dance floor.

  Charlotte looked as scared as I felt and had stopped in her tracks. Bryce cupped her cheeks in his hands and looked tenderly into her eyes. I saw her nod and he helped her onto a barstool. A moment later a bartender appeared and I saw him poor a ginger ale and hand it to Charlotte. She sipped the drink and Bryce rubbed her back. I never knew Bryce had such a sensitive side to him.

  Caeden leaned down and his hair tickled my cheek. “Dance with me,” he coaxed.

  I knew I’d never win the argument on not dancing, so I decided to surprise him by dragging him out onto the dance floor. A girl nearby eyed Caeden and I sent her a death glare.

  I ran my hand down his chest and gripped his belt pulling him against me fully. Air hissed out from between his teeth. I felt like I was being tortured by being dragged here, so I might as well give him a taste of a different kind of torture. I threw all my inhibitions out th
e window, and told myself not to be shy or afraid. No one here was paying any attention to me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I closed my mind off from his and said; you can do this Sophie.

  I let the music soak into my bones, my muscles, and watched the other girls near me. I wasn’t going to do the slutty dance they were doing but sexy and sensual? I think I could pull that off, as long as I didn’t chicken out.

  Taking a deep breath I finally just let go.

  My hips ground into his and he groaned. His hands slid down my arms to grip my waist. I used my hands to swish my hair around my shoulders. I brought it up and then let it fall, so my hair hung down my back like a curtain.

  He pulled me closer and his teeth grazed my chin and then my neck. His lips brushed my ear and he said loud enough for me to hear over the music, “I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

  I smiled and winked. He growled low in his throat. “My little she-wolf,” he entwined our fingers together. Suddenly, he flipped me around so that my back was pressed against his front. I hoped he didn’t expect me to do that whole grinding thing; I so was not going there.

  His left hand rested under my breast and his right hand ventured down my leg and around front where he gripped my thigh. He rubbed his hips into my back and nibbled my ear with his teeth. “Two can play this game,” his words caressed my skin.

  Oh wolf pups, what had I gotten myself into?

  With his left hand, he pulled me even tighter to his body. I couldn’t get away even if I wanted to. His right hand ventured dangerously higher and my chest constricted, in either fear or passion; maybe a bit of both.

  His hand slid under the edge of the skirt and I gasped.

  He growled in satisfaction and then his left hand slowly crept downwards. He found the edge of the top, and eased it away from my skin so that his hand rested over my stomach. My breath came out in an embarrassing gasp. I couldn’t see it, but I knew he was grinning.

  He swayed his hips in time with the beat and the friction it caused against me was so hot I was surprised I didn’t burn.

  His hips continued to roll around and I thought to myself: Caeden can dance.

  His laugh echoed in my ear and I knew that my thoughts had projected to him.

  Darn it.

  His lips brushed my ear. “Babe, you can dance too,” he commented, and I realized that without me realizing it my hips had formed a mind over their own. My hips rolled with his and I suddenly realized what a turn on just dancing could be.