The knuckles on Damian's hands turned white as he gripped the steering wheel with force and the artificial leather under his palms creaked pitifully.
He sat in his car for 40 minutes and could not and did not want to think, his body did not obey commands while only her smell was in his head. The smell of his steam.
He used to think that the torment was not knowing if his true mate existed in the world, but now, when he knew that she was there and lived somewhere nearby, Damian was going crazy and realized that he was ready to burn in Hell just to see her. To feel her scent again, dispersing the blood in his veins. The smell, with the help of which he felt alivefor the first time in all 17 years.
At first, having felt a strange smell and an inexplicable reaction of his wolf, Damian did not know what to think, believing that this was just an idiotic joke of his brain. He had been so used to loneliness for many years and already seemed to have reconciled himself to his fate and experienced panic, realizing that the wolf was glad to smell a couple. To tell the truth, Wayne didn't know why he was afraid, this was all new to him and he had no idea what to do with it.
Wayne didn't know what this new feeling was when he caught himself thinking that he was angry after learning that Grayson met his couple first.
The guy gripped the steering wheel with a new force, anger and something else burned his body from the inside, when he thought about Richard's hands touching his mate, his eyes saw his mate, he spoke to his mate and heard her voice, and Damian was forced to be content and rave only with a barely perceptible smell.
He was ready to personally interrogate Grayson, as long as it took and even more until he compiled a complete list of all the people he had met this week. Time, place, description of a person all this, he is ready to knock it out of him by force if it becomes necessary.
The very next day it became clear who she was. More precisely, almost nothing has become clear now. Dick, exhausted and tired from the endless questions of the evil Alpha, suddenly dug out a strange incident on the road from the depths of his consciousness. He did not remember anything important and valuable, except that the girl had strange, bright hair and he helped her with a panic attack. He didn't know the face or the name, and he didn't remember it.
The information about her attack caused Damian's parents to worry, but he dryly ignored them, turning only one thought in his head about hair. The next day, his people were already scouring the city and the search continued until now and Damian did not know a week or less had passed since that moment, but his patience was dangerously exhausted and the guy did not know how much longer he would hold out in ignorance of where his mate was.
Rumors that the heir of the Wayne family finally had a couple scattered like a flock of birds, and after the rumor reached the neighboring flocks. Damian was congratulated by other wolves, asking about how soon he would bring his mate to the pack, and he just waved away their questions, asking himself the same question.
His family called him crazy. He saw only her, his wolf felt only a couple, and this sometimes became dangerous.
Occasionally, at night, the guy woke up from the fact that he felt someone else's emotions. It happened insanely rarely and felt intangible and so far away that Damian began to feel that he was really slowly going crazy. Sometimes he stopped understanding what he was feeling, and for someone in whose veins Alpha blood flows, it was disastrous. Wayne was still a fucking Alpha and the concern for his mate was becoming very problematic for his affairs.
All this made him restless, anxious, nervous, and he hated it.
Now the guy was standing on the side of the road, the engine of his car was not turned off, and his phone was bursting with calls and messages. His cell phone screamed again, pulling him out of the bottomless world of emotions, reminding him of what Damian was doing and was going to do, as his thoughts went to the damn ass as soon as he felt the echoes of other people's emotions again.
This time, it was something remotely similar to fear and it made his wolf howl in despair that he was not there at that moment to protect her. Damian tried not to think about anything bad. Just the thought that something irreparable had happened to his mate and the guy couldn't restrain himself from growling.
Wayne blinked stupidly, trying to normalize his vision, looking at the windshield of the car, but his gaze disappeared somewhere in the distance. He followed the drop of water running down the glass with his eyes and shuddered sharply, returning to reality. Damian took a deep breath, trying to start reacting again and grabbed the phone with an uncoordinated movement.
He saw a couple of missed ones from his father and Grayson, and his brain finally began to convulsively return to reality, trying to start working again. He was driving to the pack council when the guy was overtaken by the emotions of his mate and unable to cope with it, Damian was forced to pull over to the side of the road.
They even washed about his mate, made him weak and Damian became disgusted with himself and his pity. He was fucking Wayne, a fifth-generation Alpha, and he shouldn't have been sitting around melting like a stupid boy dreaming of a girl.
The thought made him frown. He sent a quick message to his father that he would be there soon and threw the phone on the back seat, rubbing his face. Damian was no longer going to be driven by emotions and behave like a madman in love. He doesn't even know who she is, and already breathes unevenly at the thought of her. It was insanely stupid for Damian.
The guy growled angrily and pressed the gas pedal harder than necessary. He still has a question about the pack council, and if Damian doesn't show up there during this time, his family will raise the issue of his execution.
At the same time, on the other side of the city, Raven was once again asking how she had allowed herself to be persuaded to do this, standing in front of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city and frowning listening to the muffled music coming from the half-broken windows.
These five hours in her life were the most intense in her entire history and Rachel was afraid to think what would happen next. She barely fought off Rogers with a wardrobe of indecently short dresses and won her right to stay in shorts with a T-shirt and a jacket. Roth wondered where Amy had gotten these dresses and if Mrs. Rogers knew about their existence. After slipping through the window in her room, she and Amy found themselves on the street, where, according to her, a taxi was waiting for them. The car was really standing a few houses away from Rach and she allowed herself to be seated in a rather muddy-looking car, clutching a knife in her pocket all the way, and then she was happy to stay in the car after seeing the place where the party was taking place.
Rachel had never been to a party before and was not eager. She had a list of what was bad and what was good, and the parties just related to the terribly bad. She knew that this was bad, partly because it was at one of the parties at the age of 16 that her mother met Rachel's father, Traygon, and became pregnant. She also did not like a large crowd of people who were under the influence of alcohol and carnal desires and she herself had never had a love for this kind of event and she had a hundred and one reasons why it was just a terrible idea.
But she was still standing there, giving her hoodie to Amelia, who was shivering in her dress.
-" How would you like to go home and forget the way here? " Rachel drawled warily as she dodged a drunken crowd of teenagers.
She looked at Amy, who was trying to force a smile, but her eyes were just as uninspired looking at the gloomy building in front of her.
Rogers tangled herself more tightly in Raven's sweater, casting a brief glance at her, trying to distract herself from the darkening facade of the building and the growing sense of fear. It was the first time she was so far from home, and if it hadn't been for Raven, who agreed to go with her, Amelia would never have decided to do this.
- "I didn't know you had so many tattoos. " Rachel smiled dryly.
"More than twenty...I think. I've never counted them.
"Do they all mean something to you?" Rachel frowned, thinking about the answer to the question. She didn't want to lie to Amelia, and lying was never her strong point, but it would be better for both of them if they were just stupid drawings without meaning and without what was hidden under them.
- "no. Just pictures." she smiled.
- "Cool. Amy's distant reply sounded." The girl nodded in the direction of the warehouse. -" I think so...should we come in? Michael...he should have been there a long time ago."
-" I prefer to stay here. "Rachel caught the girl's reproachful look and just shrugged.
But Amelia Rogers wasn't the one who hesitated for a long time.
"Raven?" Amy said, glancing at the building, and Raven's name sounded questioningly on her lips. Roth looked at Amy for a few seconds, her thoughts were still against this whole terrible idea for the sake of one stupid boy, but she perfectly saw the love in the girl's eyes just at the mention of his name and smiled encouragingly at her, gently squeezed Amelia's hand.
Even if Raven had a certain fear of the party, strangers and the unknown, now...and even before that, she will not be able to say no when her hand is squeezed as the only support.
And Rachel Roth was the one who thought about others, much more than about herself.
Amelia nodded, a smile bloomed on her lips, and after returning the hoodie to Raven, she proudly walked to the warehouse, blowing a kiss to her friend. Rachel only quietly grinned after her, catching up with the girl and not noticing how wild, red-flushed eyes looked at her from the shadow of the forest surrounding the warehouse, and the toothy mouth stretched out in a cold snarl.
From the first moment they entered the warehouse, the thundering music deafened Rachel and she hovered in space for a second, trying to orient herself. There were neon signs everywhere, music and smoke, and Raven counted about ten couples kissing as she and Amy walked down the corridor and shyly covered her eyes with her hand, at the sight of not just kissing couples. Rogers snickered maliciously at Rachel
- "Shut up." Raven grumbled, still half covering her eyes with her hand.
She learned early what sex is because her mother saw fit to tell her about it at an early age and Rachel sometimes hated her for it.
Raven didn't know if it was related to Angela's pregnancy or if it was just her parenting method, but she remembered closing her ears to her mother's words, blushing in every possible way. Even now, having already a driver's license and a mental disorder, Rachel never considered herself old enough and ready for this, without ceasing to be embarrassed and it was quite stupid in her opinion, but she couldn't do anything about it.
She grimaced, feeling annoyed when some left-handed dude blew cigarette smoke in her face, continuing to follow Amelia down the corridor. She didn't know if the girl had been here before, but of the two of them, Rachel thought that Rogers knew what she was doing, so she just followed her.
The music grew louder and minutes later a massive door appeared at the end of the corridor, and behind it a huge room. The sharp smell of alcohol and something sweet hit Rachel's nose, sharpening her senses and she had to admit that the club looked much better inside than outside. It was a large, spacious room, in the center of which was an improvised dance floor, a DJ booth and hundreds of people, covered with music and alcohol. At the end there was an iron staircase and Rachel followed it with her eyes, paying attention to the fact that there was something like a second floor on top, where the party guests were. To her right was a large neon-lit bar, to which Amy dragged her through the crowd, grabbing Rachel by the arm.
She barely caught Amelia's words to the bartender over the loud music, but the next minute Raven was staring in disbelief at the machine in her hand, in which an amber liquid was splashing.
- "Is it necessary? "- she said and felt Amy roll her eyes almost to the ceiling, standing with the same glass and smiling provocatively.
-" Yes, especially for a boring ass like you. "Raven looked doubtfully at the glass again, completely sure that it was something alcoholic. Probably not once in her life had she stood and breathed so close to alcohol and did not even expect to drink when she agreed to a party, but the amber liquid in her hand aroused her curiosity. Rachel had no idea what the hell was in her glass and it did not cause confidence, although she trusted Amy, but her cheeky side of character began to take up and Rachel tried to sniff the drink, catching the mocking look of the bartender. It made her pride growl.
- "How about something else and non-alcoholic?"
"Oh, my God, Rachel, just drink this!" Amelia shouted, trying to shout over the loud music and drained her glass in one gulp. Raven stepped back, and after a few seconds she couldn't breathe as her throat burned and her lungs filled with fire as she tried to breathe. It was bitter, sharp and hot, but Rachel hummed to herself when the first sensations subsided and a pleasant sweet taste was felt on the tongue. It was a sharp contrast and it seemed to stop the time inside her and Raven caught herself that she liked it. The corners of her lips lifted in a satisfied grin and she defiantly licked her lips, collecting the remains of the drink, seeing how the young man behind the counter nervously swallowed.
Sometimes Rachel did it before she thought about it, but alcohol inspired her with confidence that previously she would not have had enough for this. Amelia watched this scene with the pleasure of a mother for her child.
- "Why didn't you tell me earlier about the magical effect of alcohol on you? I would put it in your lunch every day." - she drawled mockingly, replacing their drinks. Raven shrugged, twirling the glass in her hands and drank without hesitation. She felt her brain beep a warning signal to her, but ignored it and heard Rachel call sharply. She barely managed to leave the glass on the counter before Ro was dragged back into the crowd.
- "What about your adventures with Michael? " Raven finally remembered their main goal.
"That's why we're going to dance, Rachel...I saw him near that column." Amy whispered conspiratorially in her ear and led them to the one Raven Colon understood. They squeezed in between the flow of people, slowly dancing to the music Rachel tried to concentrate, the alcohol hit her well in the head, but she continued to wander with her eyes in the direction where Amy was nodding. Then she saw him, a dark brown-haired man with gray eyes, vaguely known to her from her friend's love stories as Michael. He seemed to be playing football...or not, and that didn't interest Raven much.
"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked.
-" Push us off. Amelia's immediate response came, and Raven's eyebrows shot up in surprise when it sounded like a well-thought-out plan from Rogers ' mouth.
-" Now we will pass by him and you will accidentally stumble and push me into him. " Amelia dictated, and shot Rachel a furious look. "Don't you dare miss."
- "And he will save you from meeting the asphalt like a prince?"
- Okay. - if it hadn't been for the two glasses she had drunk, Raven would never have agreed to such an adventure, but now she found it somewhat funny.
"If you do it right, I'll get you some more of those cocktails." Amy smiled cheerfully.
"Oh, this is definitely getting interesting."
Raven leaned against the bar, irritably trying to wipe off her beer shorts. Some drunk idiot decided to flirt with her without being able to connect even two letters and stumbled, overturning the contents of the glass on the girl. Her head gradually began to spin, and her vision became blurry and indistinct, and she felt her body relax and get drunk, making her pliable and sluggish, and Rachel suddenly frowned.
Oh, yes, Rachel Roth, keep digging your own grave.
Rachel grimaced irritably, rubbing her face and returning the remnants of her mind, she was determined to get out of here before it was finally too late. She would have done it much earlier if it hadn't been for Amy, who, as expected, fell into the arms of her prince and flew away from Raven on the wings of love, forcing Roth to hang out near the bar, ignoring her anger at her friend.
She was angry at Rogers for just leaving her, but at the same time she was worried about her. Amy hadn't been in her field of vision for a long time, and Raven tensed her eyebrows on the bridge of her nose. Theoretically, Amy was with Michael, which means no one else could threaten her, but Rachel was the one who knew what girls in love could do and it covered her with a wave of nervousness. Maybe she was exaggerating, or maybe it was the effect of alcohol on the brain, but panic slowly rolled up to her throat and Raven rushed into a bunch of dancing people with a clear goal to get her friend away from here.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but a sharp sense of danger and panic didn't stop leaving Raven and she wasn't sure if it was just because of Amy.
Rachel suddenly found herself barely breathing as she scoured the building in search of a friend and her gaze involuntarily stopped on the man.
He was there, standing in the darkest corner of the opposite wall and his eyes were incredibly glowing when the man looked directly at Raven and she felt a herd of goosebumps run through her skin as soon as she could recognize in his dangerous and cruel smile, the local leader of the football players and her nedo-rapist Jonathan Wild.
He was looking at Rachel and only at her, and when he caught her eye, he grinned caustically. Raven swallowed hard.
The fear for her friend faded into the background. Now Raven was beginning to fear for herself. She didn't know what Wilde was capable of, but the fact that he was right here and right now, watching Rachel with fierce eyes made her doubt that it was an accident and her body froze with fear and Raven didn't know that it was possible to sober up so quickly.
She watched as Wilde moved in her direction, waving away everyone who got in his way, and this pushed Rachel to take a few frightened steps back. She needs to run. Right now. Her eyes carefully and warily slid around the room and Raven clung to the green sign "exit" under the stairs, and without wasting a minute rushed there. She felt like vomiting was rising in her throat from sudden movements and convulsive brain work, but she continued to confidently make her way to the exit through the crowd of people.
Grabbing the door handle, she forcefully pulled the iron door, literally falling out of the building, covering her mouth with her hand and leaning over the cold iron railing, spat the bitter taste of alcohol on the asphalt. Her head was buzzing, her hands were crumpled, and the fabric of her black shorts was soaked through with beer, viciously sticking to her body and she opened her eyes wide, staring into the forest.
Damn Data with its solid thickets.
Rachel tried to figure out what to do next. She had no idea where she was and was going to bite off her finger from anger that she didn't pay attention to the road when she and Amy were driving in the car. Her phone, of course, was happily left at home. And who could Raven call when her parents had already had their third dream, believing that their daughter was sleeping in her room with a girlfriend.
Amy. Raven could only guess where this woman had gone, but at least she was sure that she had a phone and money with the prince and urged herself to calm down mentally, her problem with the ferocious Wild hung over her a danger sign and Rachel had to move away from the building a few steps, I hope that she was able to break away.
Several long minutes passed, Wilde did not appear, but her nerves were on edge, Rachel stopped breathing, then inhaled sharply without taking her eyes off the iron door. The music continued to be loud, and Raven knew that no one would hear her screams from here. She shuddered.
Don't you dare think about it, Rachel Roth. You made it. You ran away. Well done.
In the next minute, her blood cooled and stopped, and her mind completely refused to accept what was happening. Raven heard a branch snap at her side and she heard a growl. A wild, bestial and dangerous growl, not capable of being made by a person. She swallowed hard, her muscles stretched into a rigid string and she did not remember how she turned around, meeting the gaze of three pairs of eyes. Wolf's eyes.
