Chapter Four: I Didn't Look Back...

Ros

I felt like Goldie Locks and the Three Fucking Bears. This club was too big. This club was too hot….to cold. Too full of taken guys. Too many ugly guys. Bad drinks. Bad smells. Too old. Too young. Too blah. As we made our way north, we came to what looked like our last destination.

"Can I just say, Dallas sucks big hairy, nasty balls," Stella huffed. "I thought we would have better luck here. With the way this night's been going, we would have done better to just stay home."

"No, this one is going to be it. I can feel it. I can smell it. It's humming with possibilities." I couldn't contain myself. I needed to get in that door. Something smelled all kinds of wonderful, and the music was already making me sway. This was the one.

"Ros, I don't know what has gotten into you, but no. It seems like every other uppity Dallas club we've been to. Maybe next time we just wait until Spring Break and go to South Padre?"

"Oh, no. You don't get to be the negative nelly. This was all your idea, and we are seeing it through. And duh, we are going there for spring break. Dad has a conference, and Mom is going with him."

"Your parents are still mushy romantic. That's kind of sweet."

"I know. And it's useful for me to come and go as I please. It's when they are not distracted that I get in trouble."

Stella laughed. "You'd get in trouble no matter what. I swear trouble is like a siren song to you."

"So that must be it. This place is singing to me because it's full of trouble?"

"By the way, you are burning up, without a doubt." I stuck my tongue out at her, which only made her laugh. Then blew air kisses. The bouncer watching our little show waved us right on in. Stella didn't even bite him when he smacked her butt. Once inside, she growled, "I might have to go back and kill him for that. Wanna help?"

I was laughing and about to tell her hell yes, when something caught my attention. It was a scent. Strong, masculine, and filled my senses. No amount of alcohol or bodies could cover that heavenly aroma. Stella dragged my arm to the bar. I was like a wild animal looking around.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I don't know. Do you smell that?"

She sniffed and looked very annoyed. "There is nothing out of the ordinary." The bartender quickly took her order and handed us our drinks free of charge. We stood at a nearby table for a minute to get the layout of the place and sip our drinks. I threw my mudslide down like it was a shot. Stella shook her head. "You know I really don't understand how you drink that thing."

"Well, it tastes delicious, and I need a boost of caffeine. I have a feeling this long night is going to be even longer." I winked. "So, see anything that tickles your fancy?"

She scanned the room. Then her head stopped, and she smiled. "To the left side of the dance floor. There is a gorgeous dark hair man, and I do believe he is in a tailored and designer suit. Any interest in him?" She looked eager and really wanted me to say I had no interest, and he was all hers.

"You’ve definitely got dibs. But you sure he swings our way. He is very pretty and,” scrunching my eyes to see further away, “very manicured.” I bit my lip to hold back a laugh.

“Well, from the way he is eye-fucking my tits, I’d say I’m just his type.” If she could have, she would have stuck her tongue out at me, but we were in predator mode. Stella knew who was going to take her home tonight. “Let’s go dance, and see if anyone catches your eye.”

“That’s fine. You know me, I like my men a little on the rougher side. A little more real. Jerk nails don’t do it for me.” That earned me a glare. “I want a man who will rip my clothes off and make me scream. Primal, passionate, and can sense my wants and needs.”

“You want a Mate, Ros. That’s the problem, you want your Mate, and now.” She shook her head. We were both seventeen. Neither one of us had ever shifted or had our first heat cycle. It would be impossible to find our Mate. I mean, I understand why nature gave us some time. I’d heard it could happen at any point now. We were nearly eighteen, and that is pretty much considered mature in all societies. Apparently, females used to shift and go into heat around sixteen, but that was ages ago. People and shifters didn’t live very long back then, and those were fertile years.

“That’s crazy, Stella. I’m too young for a Mate.” She rolled her eyes and led me to the dance floor.

We had a system. If we told the other, don’t wait up that meant we were going home and doing the nasty with our intended. We weren’t very creative, but it did signal we were into a guy and wanted a night of fun. As soon as we started dancing. Mr. Fancy Pants turned his attention to Stell, just as she planned. She twirled, rubbed her body against his, and put on a really good show. I could see his hard-on even in the dark. He wouldn’t last long. She’d be disappointed and probably have to finish herself at this rate back in the hotel. But she should know how guys like him typically are at this point. Not my place to say anything else. I’ll just make fun of her over breakfast when she tells me about her unfulfilling misadventure.

We flipped. This time she got the hotel room, while I would either get another room or go home with my conquest. Safety wasn’t exactly an issue for us. Yes, we could get drunk, but it still took more than a human. Drugs didn’t work at all. And then there was the fact that we had enough training to take down two grown men without breaking a sweat. Both of us had enough good sense to notice danger. We might not always notice family around, but we listened to our guts, and it kept us safe.

Stella was dancing, and I was swaying to my own beat. But then it hit me again. I felt hot all over. The sweet smell of burnt honey surrounded me. I felt like I could see and hear for the first time.

I honed in on two gruff voices. “That’s her,” the one lowly growled.

I looked around, searching frantically to find who that voice belonged to. Then I heard an almost identical response. “Fuck, she’s gorgeous.”

“Come on, Brock, the goddess, must have made her for us. Look at the shiny, perfect package.”

Goddess. These weren’t just men. They had to be shifters.

Stella smacked my arm and gave me a weird look that clearly was asking, What the fuck is wrong with you? I nodded and mouthed I’m fine. But I wasn’t fine. I was far from it. Something was going on tonight. I could feel it in my bones. Two almost identical voices, an intense smell, and my body was wild. I’d heard stories. But I wasn’t old enough. But I didn’t care.

Stella was watching me as I turned around to sway to the music. I blinked, and my eyes found them.

Two sets of perfect gorgeous honey brown eyes looked at me. Good goddess, they were walking sex gods coming right for me. Both dressed in dark clothes and jeans. They were rippling with muscles with short dirty blonde if not brown hair, and frankly looked like they were pulled off the stage of Magic Mike if they could move like Channing Tatum, I would never leave their beds or sides.

“Rosie,” I shot a glare at Stell. “Rosie, shifters. Remember.”

That’s right, no matter what, I was Rosie tonight. Houston college student whose family was from out of state. This was a normal night out at the club. It was just going to be a hook-up.

“Can you deal with two?” she was whispering as quietly as possible. Shifters had excellent hearing.

I already turned back to the two powerful, sexy shifters my body was screaming for. I nodded my head to her as I was walking away and said the magic words, “Don’t wait up for me.”

And I didn’t look back.