Chapter 44

Helen POV

I blinked up at the sight of my mate. He ran upstairs so fast I hardly had time to crawl into the room to change clothes. He bore daggers down at me without mercy. I shuddered.

“Mate, what exactly are you doing?”

I hollowed my throat with a gusty inhale. “I was—it wasn’t like—”

Part of me was still so struck with his aura, with his power over our bond, but I had grown stronger too. I was no longer the tricolor wolfen with such a disappointed family and a bleak future.

I was pure now, more beautiful than I had ever felt in my life, and Alpha Justin is still my mate.

Climbing to my feet, I slung a finger into his chest. “You lied to me? You know the bloodsucker?”

Justin’s gaze narrowed at my newfound courage. “I never claimed to not know him, Helen.”

“You never claimed to know him, either!”

I spun around quick, marching towards the bedroom to change but the grip of his hand on my wrist stopped me. It hurt, but not enough to cause a mark. He would never do that intentionally. I trust him even when we’re arguing.

“I’m sorry, little mate,” Justin huffed, pulling me into his chest. His hands ruffled my lacy lingerie, tempted to tear it off while he begged my lips for a prolonged kiss. “I should have been upfront.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me you know a vampire?”

“I don’t know him, per say” he growled. “I know of him, Helen. He and my father have a history. They crossed paths a few times. Vampires have no real sense of boundaries when it comes to pack lands. It was a simple squabble that ended years ago.”

I felt my brow lift in bewilderment. Speaking in a light whisper, I asked, “so why is he here now?”

Justin looked over the railing briefly, kissing my temple. “Go get changed into something more suitable and we will go find out together.”

I did so quickly, slipping out of my scandalous outfit and putting on something simple. Justin pulled me to his chest downstairs, kissing me tenderly with a firm grasp on my hips to keep me planted until his tongue was satisfied with the tour around my mouth.

Justin sat on the chair, while Geoffrey lounged on the expensive couch, downing his wine. I aimed to sit on the couch, far away from Dracula incarnate.

My mate didn’t like that, pulling me instead to sit on his lap. I rested against his solid chest, tilting my head under his neck while my hands played with both of my necklaces.

“Interesting jewelry choice,” Geoffrey said, leaning forward to eye the collar on my throat.

Justin growled in response, “my father’s doing. If we pull it off, it will spike her with wolfsbane.”

“What a terrible thing to do to such a pretty little wolf,” Geoffrey hummed.

Justin tenses. “Why are you here, vamp? What the hell do you want?”

Geoffrey hardly seemed conflicted with my mate’s tone. “I heard there were wolves here; a Lycan. I was curious and wanted to see if it was true.” He doesn’t move his cold glare off of me now. “I wanted to take you both out tonight for some fun.”

“Fun,” Justin growled the word. “What kind of fun?”

“We’re in Vegas, Lycan. Loosen up. I have several different clubs around the strip. Some are for drinking, some are for dancing, while others are—” he taps his pale chin with a long, pointed nail. “Well, it would be better to show you, than tell you.”

I waited for Justin to reply, while he did the same with me. Truthfully, there is no trusting a vampire. But for the both of us out here, trying to create distance between his father and us, we probably could use a little fun.

“Come as you are,” Geoffrey said, standing abruptly. “I’ll handle the rest.”

Although hesitant, we both followed the vampire outside into the bustling Vegas night. Humans were everywhere, all of them drunk and horny and perplexed by the sight of us three.

Justin is gorgeous obviously, his attractiveness ebbing through the crowds that passed us on the sidewalk. Geoffrey has a very particular look that draws eyes for a different reason. Although still modestly aware of my appearance lately, I know I’ve grown beautiful.

It doesn’t settle my nerves to see so many humans swooning over my mate, though. They can’t sense Lycans, so they can’t fear him, but they should fear me if I catch one of them stepping too close to my mate to try to entice him.

Justin held my hand a little tighter, Geoffrey pulling us down a spare sidewalk less lined with a crowd. We came upon a large, steel door flanked by two other bloodsuckers. They bowed at the sight of Geoffrey and opened the doors, both of them looming over the sight of me a little too much.

My mate tenses more than before, looking back at them both in a stern warning.

This place is dark with purple lights and black velvet-textured walls. There was a deep music playing through the hall, some of the rooms lined with curtains while others were still open wide. Geoffrey waved us forward, into a massive dancehall so dark it was like we went underground.

The crowd was electric and scattered with sexy vampires in scantly dressed outfits. I looked up, watching women dance in lace and leather and chains. They spun on poles and twirled their bodies in ribbon.

“Is this a strip club?” I asked.

A waitress came over with nothing on but a bikini top and a thong, aside from a chain leash that sat over her shoulder, handing me a clear shot glass with a red liquid inside. I sat horrified until Geoffrey took it from me preemptively.

“It’s not a strip club, wolfy,” Geoffrey hummed, downing the crimson shot that had to be blood judging its thick consistency. “It’s a puncture and pleasure private club!”

I swallowed at that claim. I don’t know what a puncture and pleasure private club is, but looking to Justin, we both had a bad feeling settle in our guts. Everyone cheered with Geoffrey, eyeing the Lycan and the she wolf that stood in the middle of their bloodthirsty powwow.

I looked to my mate with worry. “We shouldn’t have come here.”