Chapter 19%
That night, I sat at the edge of a bar near my apartment, the shadows flickering across my face like ghosts of memories. My finger unconsciously traced the rim of my glass, the scent of aged whiskey mingling with the faint musk of fur and iron–the scents of wolve: and humans packed too tightly together.”
The tavern wasn’t just any bar–it was neutral territory. A place where rogue wolves, exiled pack members, and the occasional witch with death wish all gathered under the dim protection of a silver–warded roof. The music pulsed, loud enough to mask a shifting heartbeat. The crowd moved like a living beast, a chaos of limbs and laughter, but I sat still.
Separate.
“Another one,” I rasped to the bartender. My voice was hoarse from hours of silence.}
From trying not to cry.
The bartender, a lean wolf from the northern borders, raised a brow. “Ma’am, this is your third.“}
“I’m fine,” I lied, my smile, a cracked mask. “Just one more.“}]
He didn’t argue. He could smell the grief bleeding off of me in waves. He poured.
I took a long swig. The whiskey burned its way down my throat, but the pain in my chest remained untouched. Draven’s words–his voice his regret–looped endlessly in my head. Like a curse I couldn’t shake.}]
He used to be my mate. Or so I thought.
The boy who used to chase me barefoot under the full moon, whose wolf once curled around mine under the stars–where had he gone? The man who begged for a second chance wasn’t him.
Not anymore.
“Miss. All alone tonight?“}
A voice like rotten teeth slid beside me. A man sat at the bar, reeking of too much cologne and desperation. His shirt was garish, his chest hairy and exposed, and the way his eyes raked over me made my stomach churn.
I turned slightly away. “Waiting for someone.”
“Wearing something that conservative to a bar, really?” He chuckled, his eyes sliding down my body. “Playing innocent, are we?“)
I clenched the glass tighter. My beige dress clung to me only because I had nothing else left from my former life. I hadn’t worn it to attract. I’d worn it to feel human.>
“Get lost,” I said, my voice low, my wolf bristling beneath my skin.
He leaned closer, undeterred. “Feisty. That’s exactly what I like-”
“She said get lost.”
The voice that cut through the tension was like silver slicing through fog. Deep, cool, commanding.
The future Alpha, Seth Hallow.
He stepped between us, one strong arm blocking the sleaze from getting any closer. His eyes–normally the color of warm honey- glowed faintly gold. His wolf was near the surface.
The other man took one look at Seth, clearly sensing the Alpha blood thrumming in his veins. No one with half a sense picked a fight with a dominant wolf. Not in a place like this.
The man muttered something unintelligible and slunk off.
I exhaled slowly, my shoulders falling.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, still not looking at him. My voice wavered, traitorous.}
Seth slid onto the bar stool beside me. Even seated, he emanated quiet power–the kind that didn’t need to shout to be heard.
“I could feel your wolf,” he said simply. “She was in pain.”
My gaze dropped. Of course, he could. We weren’t bonded, but we were connected in the strangest way. Seth was the closest friend I had -we’d been through everything together. He knew every part of me, just as I did him. We were so close that something inside me always stirred whenever he was near.”
He didn’t speak again. Neither did I. The silence between us wasn’t awkward–it was grounding. Steadying.
“That dress,” Seth growled under his breath after a long pause.”
“It looks really good on you.”
I froze, caught off guard.
My fingers tugged at the hem nervously. “I must look out of place.”
“No.” His voice sharpened with certainty. “You have the right to wear whatever the hell you want. You don’t belong to anyone who gets to decide that for you.”
His words cracked something open inside me. I remembered the night Draven dragged me out of a banquet in front of the entire pack, furious because the dress I wore had a backless cut. He’d said I was inviting attention. That I looked like a bitch in heat.
I’d cried in a bathroom stall for an hour. Still, I’d changed for him.
“Really?” I whispered, not even realizing I’d spoken aloud. “It looks good?“@
Seth’s golden gaze fixed on mine. “You could be wearing battle armor or nothing at all–and I’d still say you’re the most radiant thing in the room.“8
10:49 AM
Seth’s golden gaze fixed on mine. “You could be wearing battle armor or nothing at all–and I’d still say you’re the most radiant thing in the room.”
My breath hitched. His ears flushed faintly red, betraying the vulnerability in his otherwise composed exterior.
“I meant it,” he added, softer this time. “You look… perfect.”
The music in the bar shifted to something softer. Lower. Almost a hum.§
I turned to him, suddenly noticing things I hadn’t before–how the shadow of his eyelashes curled against his cheekbone, how his jaw tightened when he was trying not to say something, how the barely–there scar on his collarbone gleamed under the lights.}
My heart beat faster, not because of the whiskey, but because of him.”
“Seth,” I said his name, tasting it like it was something forbidden.§
His eyes flickered down to my lips. Then back up. I felt his wolf stirred, barely restrained.
“Yeah?” He said, his voice suddenly rough, hoarse.}
I wanted to ask why he always came when I needed someone. Why did his presence soothed my wolf more than my powerful Alpha mate ever did. Why did I never notice before how much I wanted him to stay.}
Instead, I said nothing.}
10:49 AM
“What is it?”
