CHAPTER 2

Erebus

“I only turn twenty-one once,” Lucian whines behind me. Refusing to turn around I just respond to him with a growl. “You promised,” he adds in.

Spinning around in my chair, his blue eyes are sparkling with fake tears and his lower lip is pushed out. “That does not work on me anymore,” I growl at him even though I feel my restraint begin to dissolve. “What will people think if they see their King out drinking at a bar?”

“Ugh,” Lucian groans, throwing his neck back in frustration. “When did you turn into our mom?”

Anger fills my body at being compared to her. I open my mouth to rebuke his comparison when I see his eyes flicker with amusement and a grin crosses his lips. “Where are we going,” I growl.

His bright blue eyes glitter with excitement, “It’s a place called The Wolf’s Den.”

“That place is a shithole,” I groan.

Lucian is practically jumping up and down. “So you’ve heard of it?”

“Can we pick a nicer location?” I rub my eyes roughly with palms of my hands.

“Nope,” he grins. “No one will recognize us there.”

Before I can explain just how wrong he is, he bounds out of my office like a child. Shaking my head at his childishness I return to my paperwork when I hear someone clear their throat at my door. “Yes Mother,” I ask without even raising my head from my work.

“I hear you are taking your brother out for his birthday,” she says sweetly, even though I know that her intensions are nothing but sweet.

“And…” I say shuffling the papers in front of me before placing them in a pile.

“I do hope you are taking him to a reputable establishment,” she says as she crosses her arms over her chest, tapping her bright red fingernails on her arm.

“Take that up with Lucian, he picked the location.” I close the file and meet her cold gaze.

“Don’t think I do not see the women coming and going from your room at all hours of the night. I do not want your brother to follow in your footsteps.”

I cannot help but snort at her. Lucian is far from the innocent perfect child she has crafted in her mind. “Of course, Mother. I will bring your golden child home in one piece with no irreputable woman on his arm.”

Five hours later I am standing in parking lot looking at the shithole bar my brother insisted that we come to. It looks like it was built with whatever spare wood they could pick up for free. Several different colors of siding line the sides of the building and iron bars cover the windows that are already broken and covered with plywood. A crudely painted wolf howling at the moon hangs above the door with a neon sign that is flickering ‘The Wolf’s Den,’ except the only letters that are still lit up are the ‘W’ and the ‘D.’

Flinging the door open, the smell of cigarettes and marijuana hit my nose but there is something mixed in that is enticing. Stepping through the door the bartender immediately catches my attention. She is tying up her long black hair in a messy bun on top of her head. As she whips her hand around her hair it hits me, the scent of vanilla hits my nose and my chest rumbles in response, “Mate.” Her eyes widen they lock on with mine and she immediately turns around and starts organizing the glasses behind the bar.

Lucian hits me in the stomach with the back of his hand and draws my gaze away from the vixen behind the bar. “So much for not being noticed,” he growls in my ear. Looking around I see that every eye is on us as we make our way to the bar.

Placing my hands on the bar I sniff the air, but now I cannot get a read on what she is. When her scent first hit my nose I could have sworn that she was a rogue werewolf. But now that I am closer to her I am not so sure. The smell of vanilla is still strong, but it seems like it is muted for some reason. I don’t miss the tattoos that line her arms as she puts the dishes away. I know witchcraft when I see it and a growl threatens to escape my chest, but I muffle it my clearing my throat.

I don’t miss her back tensing when she hears me, but she refuses to turn around. So I clear my throat again. She doesn’t even try to hide the sigh that leaves her. She peeks around the bar, before placing her pencil in her hair and turning around with a fake smile plastered on her face.

“How’s the weather up there, Big Guy?” she jokes. She obviously does not know who I am.

I have to stop the smile that is tugging at the corners of my mouth. She is absolutely adorable. “Is that really the best you could think of?” I say with an air of exasperation.

“I was not expecting a full-grown ogre to walk into the bar tonight or I would have had something better lined up,” she does not miss a beat and I can hear Lucian laughing loudly beside me. “What will it be?” She asks when I don’t respond to her insult.

Before I answer a little she-wolf with brown hair grabs her wrist and turns her around. They stare into each other’s eyes for a moment before the other girl smashes her lips down on my Little Vixen. I try to not growl loudly but it is still not missed by Lucian. He cocks his head to the side, as the word “mine” growls from my lips while a burning sensation rips through my chest. I watch as the girl’s tongue slips into my mate’s mouth and it is taking all of my strength not to rip them apart.

After what seems like forever, they break apart both of them gasping for air with their foreheads pressed together. The little she-wolf sends my mate on her break, tapping her on the butt on the way out. Turning my gaze back to the brown haired she-wolf in front of me. She has a fake smile spread across her face. “What can I get for you?” She smiles sweetly.

I lean in closely and grab her around the throat. “Do you know who I am?” She squeaks a little, as she nods. “Who is that girl?”

“Ella…” she manages to breathe out as I tighten my grip on her throat.

“What is she?” I growl at her.

“Human…” she squeaks out again.

Letting my aura wash over her, she tried to bare her neck against my hand. “You will not tell her who I am… got it?”

She nods as tears roll down her cheeks onto my hands. I drop my neck from her throat, and she falls to the ground with tears streaming down her face. Storming out of the front door, I make my way around the back of the building looking for my mate. I find her leaning against the brick wall of the wall of the building with a joint in her hands. I roll my eyes as I approach her.