by Cece Rose
Chapter Two
“So, where are we actually going?”
“It’s a nightclub,” Erik answers me stoically, as we walk down the dark streets. I glance down at my clothes feeling ridiculously underdressed. He could have freaking told me. Leggings and my off-the-shoulder, baggy t-shirt is not going to cut it.
“Is it a shifter nightclub?” I ask. “I mean, you said you’d teach me more about being a shifter tonight. I don’t see how getting drunk could help with that.”
“Yes, it’s for shifters. It’s a neutral zone where we can all unwind. There’s at least one in every major city. We’re meeting someone there. And, I am teaching you, be patient. You can’t learn it all overnight, Selena.”
“But, I’m not learning anything!” I whine, the frustration getting to me. What kind of shifter can’t shift? He grabs my arm, pulling me to a halt. I look up at him, his icy, blue eyes stare down at me calculatingly for a moment.
“This is about earlier, isn’t it? You’re mad you couldn’t shift.” I grit my teeth and look away. Am I seriously that easy to read? “Selena?” he questions.
“Yeah, okay, maybe it is. But, why can’t I do it? You made it look so damn easy!”
“Keep it down, public place, remember? I’ve been shifting all my life, so yeah, it would be easier for me.”
“But, I just couldn’t do it at all. There’s something wrong with me. What if I did reject being turned, and I’m about to drop dead at any moment?” I ask.
“Selena, if you’d rejected the turning you’d know it. You’d have been dead within hours.” I shiver, feeling a cold chill run down my back at his words.
“Then why can’t I do it?” I ask softly.
“Some people just can’t,” he replies, matching my softer tone. “Even if you can’t shift, you get some of the benefits. You’ll still be stronger, faster, live longer. I’m not saying you definitely won’t be able to, this was only your first try. We can try again, try it differently. I’ll stay human this time and try to coach you through it step-by-step.”
“But, it’s possible, I might be one of those people who can’t shift?”
“It’s possible, but I wouldn’t count on that just yet. Come on, I think it’s going to rain soon, I’d rather not be caught in it.”
“Oh yeah, cats don’t like water do they?” I mumble, more to myself than to Erik.
“House cats may not, you’d be surprised, though, a lot of big cats can swim just fine,” he answers anyway. We continue walking down the road in amicable silence. Within minutes the rain starts to drizzle down. We pick up the pace a little.
“How far is this club? I’m going to look like a drowned rat at this rate,” I whine.
“It’s just over there,” he answers, pointing to a rundown building that appears to have been boarded up and abandoned long ago.
“Um, you’re kidding, right?” I pause, looking between the building and his deadly serious face. He smiles at me quickly, before carrying on towards the building. I guess not. “Wait up!” I call after him, as I trail behind him. He turns around looking back at me, shooting me a smile.
We reach the building, and he walks around to the left side of it, approaching the fire exit door. “Before we go in I should tell you, we’re not just here to educate you about shifters. I’m meeting my contact here.”
“The one you spoke about earlier?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers curtly, before he bangs his fist against the door in three sharp hits, ending the conversation for now.
We stand awkwardly for a moment, the rain pouring down on us. I’m just about to say something smart, when the door opens, revealing a large, burly-looking guy dressed all in black. His shirt is sleeveless, showing off just how thick and muscled his arms are. The left arm has a roaring bear tattooed on it. I have no trouble picturing what this guy shifts into. He glances at me quickly, before shifting his focus onto Erik.
“ID?” he barks.
I glance between Erik and the bouncer. He can’t be serious, carding Erik? He doesn’t look older than late twenties, but he’s certainly not boyish looking. The broad shoulders and tattoos kill any chance of that if there was any, which there really isn’t.
Erik, however, doesn’t seem surprised by this. He steps forward and instead of pulling out a form of ID, he pulls the collar of his shirt down. He taps a finger against the tattoo that trails up his shoulder and onto his neck. The design looks almost tribal. The bouncer raises his eyebrows, shooting Erik a slightly curious look, before he grunts and steps to the side, gesturing for us to enter. Erik steps into the building first, and I trail as close as I can behind him.
“What was that about?” I question him.
“He wanted to see my affiliation tattoo, to see what pride I belong to.”
“And what pride do you belong to?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“I don’t. My tattoo shows affiliation to a pack, not a pride…Cyrus’ pack.” At the mention of his name a silence falls between us, as we walk down the dusty-looking hallway, heading towards a set of stairs that lead downward. “I once belonged to a pride, but I left before I was old enough to be marked,” he adds, as we reach the stairs. I mull over his words for a moment before another question pops into my head.
“Why didn’t he check me for affiliation?” I ask.
“They don’t worry about stray females coming in. Most female shifters don’t get their affiliation tattoos until they’re mated. They usually join whatever group their mate belongs to, so it would be counterproductive to get a tattoo just to later cover it up and get a new one,” he answers.
“So, they only let shifters with packs in here?”
“For the most part. A few independents creep in, normally just the ones who have some kind of agreement going with the owner. Most lone shifters are bad news, Selena. Shifters thrive together, not many choose to be alone.”
“So, how come there are lone shifters?”
“Sometimes they don’t get a choice. You can be shunned,” he answers.
We reach the bottom of the stairs. I can faintly hear music coming from the other side of a large, black door. Erik grabs for my hand, and I shoot him a quizzical look.
“Trust me, it’s better for you if they think you’re with me,” he answers. I roll my eyes and snatch my hand away.
“I’ll take my chances,” I retort.
He smirks. “As you wish,” he answers, his voice somewhat carrying a smug tone.
He pushes open the door, and we step into a smaller-sized room, with another bouncer on the door at the far end. He waits until we have closed the door behind us, before pulling open the next for us. I can hear the music louder now. We pass through the door and enter a long corridor that seems to slope downwards. Just how far underground are we going?
After a few minutes of walking down the sloping path, and the music getting louder and louder, the path evens out. We turn around a bend, and I gasp as we enter a huge space. Metal stairs lead down into a vast room. The place is packed with people, their bodies swaying to pulsing music.
A long, shiny, black bar covers an entire wall to our left. There are at least twenty people behind it serving, spaced out along the stretch of bar. Looking up, I notice several other entrances, like the one we just entered through, littered around the place. Each has metal stairs leading down from them. As we descend the metal stairs at our entrance, I look around in wonder at the huge, cavernous space. There is a large section of booths and tables to the left of the bar and across from there, is a huge dance floor. I look up at the insane lighting system shining down, casting the floor in a multitude of colours. An empty stage is located to my right, and next to that, is a DJ booth, raised high above the people dancing on the floor below. Near the DJ booth, is a set of black stairs, corded off with a red rope. My eyes follow the stairs up to the black, guarded door at the top of them.
I grab hold of Erik’s arm, slowing him, so I can talk. “This place is insane!” I have to raise
my voice to be heard over the blaring music.
“This is a quiet night here,” he responds. “Come on, let’s grab a drink, we have another thirty minutes until my contact is due here.” I nod, and we make our way to the bar. I end up grabbing hold of Erik’s hand in an attempt not to lose him as we slide through the crowd. He shoots me an amused grin. We reach the bar, and almost instantly a bartender is standing before us. The woman has sharp, green eyes, blonde-coloured dreadlocks, and a huge smile, directed straight at Erik.
“Long time, no see,” she says, her tone friendly, but her green eyes seem calculating as her gaze snaps between Erik and me.
“I’ve been out of town, mostly,” he answers, not returning her smile. I am not going to analyse why that makes me happy. Nope, not today, Satan.
“Your usual?” she asks.
“Yes, and what do you want?” he asks me, as he slides an arm around my waist. I look at him quizzically for a moment, before an idea strikes me. He clearly wants to make it look like something is going on between us. Maybe the girl is an ex, and he wants to look unavailable? I smile at him, trying to show him I understand what he wants. He returns my smile.
“Vodka and coke will be fine…babe,” I cringe as I mumble the last word out but try my best to cover it. His smile widens into a grin. Clearly, I’d gotten the right idea.
The bartender shoots me a somewhat dirty look, before sorting out our drinks. Erik hands over some money to her, and we head to the seating area, mumbling thanks as we go.
“An ex?” I ask as we take a seat in a booth. I expect him to sit across from me, but he slides in next to me, blocking me in.
“Something like that,” he answers, taking a swig of his drink.
“Care to explain?”
“I’d rather not,” he says, a grimace taking over his face.
“That bad, huh?”
“She’s a clinger,” he answers.
“Is this safe to drink then?” I ask teasingly, holding my drink up. He takes me by surprise by grabbing it, sniffing it, and then taking a small sip. He tilts his head to the side as if contemplating it for a moment, before placing the drink back down in front of me.
“It’s safe,” he announces.
“And, if it wasn’t?”
“Well, I’d rather me than you drink it.”
“Don’t be stupid,” I mutter, but I can’t help but feel somewhat warm at the idea he’d rather keep me safe. I pick up my drink and down half of it before putting it back on the table. “So, who are we meeting?” I ask.
“A friend,” he answers, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He tilts his phone so I can’t see the screen. He taps on the phone for a moment, before tucking it away again.
“That’s not really an answer,” I reply, when he looks back up at me. He taps his tongue piercing against his teeth and seems to contemplate for a moment before answering.
“He’s a member of a pride, my fathers’ pride. He wants to share some information with me, and he said it couldn’t be done on the phone,” he answers me in a hushed tone.
“You said you left the pride before you were old enough to get the tattoo?” I question. He nods, a frown taking over his face. “How does a liger end up in a wolf pack?” I ask softly.
“It’s complicated. All you need to know is, I had to leave, and Cyrus’ parents took me in,” he answers.
“No, I need to know what the hell is going on. You said this guy could help me? But, why would you trust someone from a pride that you left?” I snap.
“Because, I’m his brother,” a commanding voice interrupts.
“Jason, you’re early,” Erik greets, turning quickly to face the man. I lean forward, so I can look around Erik and see his brother. They’re nearly identical, feature wise; dark hair, pale skin, and the same intelligent, blue eyes. Their sense of style however, is vastly different. Erik is covered in tattoos, piercings, and black clothes, whereas his brother is far more clean-cut. His blue, button-up shirt perfectly complementing the colour of his eyes. I wonder if I could convince Erik to ever wear that colour?
“Lovely to meet you, you must be Selena,” Jason greets me.
“You can call me Lena,” I reply politely. “Only my parents call me Selena. And Erik does, but I think he just does it to be awkward,” I add.
Jason smirks. “Well, most people actually call me Jace, so we already have something in common,” he says, his honey-like voice flowing right through me. His eyes really are exact replicas of his brothers, and I find myself searching them for difference. Erik nudges me in my side.
“What?” I snap at Erik.
“You're staring,” he answers, his tone bored.
“Sorry, you just look so much alike,” I reply. They both chuckle at that. “What?” I snap at the both of them this time.
“Nobody ever thinks we look alike, not since we were children, anyway,” Jason answers as he takes the seat across from me. He places a drink onto the table in front of him. The exact same one as Erik got. I frown. Why would nobody think they're alike?
“But, you look so similar?” I say softly, voicing my confusion.
“Feature wise, yes. But most people don't look beyond the surface. Tattoos, hair style, clothing, piercings,” Erik lists off.
“Well that's stupid,” I mutter. I take another sip of my drink before continuing. “So, why are we here?”
“Because I can't leave London, and this is the only safe ground to meet on,” Jason answers, not skipping a beat.
“Safe ground?” I question.
“Yes, the entire of Shiftz is neutral ground. And, even if it wasn't, nobody is going to risk pissing off Aisa,” he answers.
“Who's Aisa?”
“She’s a—”
“She's the owner of the club,” Erik cuts in, shooting a glare at his brother.
“And she's enough to keep Cyrus out of here?” I ask.
“She won't keep him out, but he'll know better than to try and nab you here. Nobody crosses Aisa, or her sisters for that matter,” Jason elaborates. At the mention of her sisters, Erik narrows his eyes on his brother. What is he hiding?
“So, there's nothing to stop him grabbing me when we leave?” I ask, feeling the panic start to work its way through me.
“There are many exits here, Selena. We'll be fine, honestly.”
“What's to stop him following us out, though?” I snap.
“Club rules. Trust me, please,” he says, he utters the ‘please’ so softly I barely catch it over the sound of the music.
“Fine,” I answer. “But, if we get into any trouble, I'm blaming you.”
“I wouldn't expect anything less,” he answers, a grin taking over his face. “Now, down to business.” He redirects his attention to his brother.
“No update on the crimes, but he's again extending an invitation for you to come home, brother.”
“You know that's not going to happen,” Erik replies coldly.
“I know, but you know I've got to extend the invite. Look, I've got the documents you asked for,” he says softly, as he pulls out a brown envelope. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“Yes, until we have the evidence we need, there's nothing we can do about Cyrus. It's best just to lie low.”
“Is it worth it?” Jason asks softly.
“Yes.”
“Then the best of luck to you, brother. Let's hope the Seelie don't drive you insane.” He places the envelope on the table and pushes it across. Erik reaches for the envelope, and Jason's eyes go wide, looking at someone behind us. “Shit, is that?” Jason asks. Erik and I turn around.
“Hey, how's it going,” Luc's friendly tone flows over us as he nears.
“Luc,” Erik acknowledges.
“Risky business, I'd have thought you'd be out the country by now. Hell, in a different realm even,” Luc remarks, eying the envelope in Erik’s hand. I grab onto Erik's thigh and squeeze. He turns to me, and I look him in the eyes, frantic. What the hell are w
e going to do? Surely Luc is going to tell Cyrus we are here? I try to communicate my thoughts through my expression.
“It's fine, Selena. Luc owes me one, don't you, Luc?”
“Yes,” he answers. “Is this really what you wanna call in my debt for?” he asks.
“Yes. Forget we were here, and we're even.”
“Fine. It was nice seeing you, Lena. Cyrus wants to speak to you, consider it,” he says, his tone pleading. He holds out a business card to me, and I eye it suspiciously. “Please just take the card, pretty girl. At least then you have the option.” I take the card, realising it's the easiest way to get Luc to leave. “He won't hurt you,” Luc adds.
A stabbing feeling strikes me in the chest. Melissa. I have to find her. “He already has,” I answer.
Luc nods and steps away. “Best of luck, Lena. Stay safe.”
“I will, thank you.”
He walks away, and all three of us follow him with our eyes as he leaves, taking the metal stairs leading up two at a time.
“Okay are we leaving now, then?” I ask Erik.
“No, Luc will keep his word. You're in no more danger than you were before,” Jason cuts in.
“We really should be going, Jason.”
“Come on, you can't leave without at least catching up first. Just one more drink, what's the worst that could happen?”
“Is that okay with you?” Erik asks me softly. I look between him and his brother. It's clear to see that Erik wants to spend the time with him. After all he's done for me, it's the least I can do to stay a little longer.
“Totally fine, but I'm going to need another drink,” I tease, and then down the rest of mine.
Jason chuckles from across the table. “Next rounds on me.”
Chapter Three
“Can I buy you a drink?” a smooth voice asks me. I look up to see a guy with sandy-blond hair and small, pale-green eyes standing over me. He has a way too confident smirk and is already in the process of pulling his wallet out. I roll my eyes. This is the third guy to come up to me since I’ve been left here. I’m starting to think Erik wasn’t kidding about it being better for me if people assumed I was with him.