Obsession: A Rejected Mate Shifter Romance (The Mate Games #1)(15)

“Moira!”

“What?” She blinked innocently at me. “I should know. It’s what I’d be thinking about.”

“Is it even possible for you to fuck me from behind?”

She gave me a sad, pitying look. “You poor, vanilla virgin.” Moira didn’t give me a chance to respond to that before pushing me toward her desk chair. “All right, now let’s do something about your makeup.”

Forty-five minutes later, I was groomed, painted, and polished to within an inch of my life. We’d paired a chic leather jacket with my clingy dress, as well as some heeled ankle boots. She’d rubbed something rose-scented through my hair that made it silky and shiny and gave it a subtle shimmer. Then she gave me something else from her endless beauty supply to rub into my skin, which did the same for my body. All of that had been topped off with more bottles and tubes of makeup than I could count. Though the bold, red lipstick she playfully informed me was named ‘Don’t Stop’ and the winged black liner around my eyes were my personal favorites.

“Wow,” I breathed when she was finished, barely recognizing myself.

Moira grinned at me. “I won’t even say I told you so.”

She looked equally amazing in her black leather microskirt and sheer long-sleeved blouse. She’d done her makeup similar to mine, though she’d opted for a glossy black lip instead of red. And I still wasn’t sure how she planned to dance, let alone walk, in her thigh-high heeled boots.

“Come on, now we’re ready for a night of bad decision-making.”

She took my hand and pulled me toward the door. This time I didn’t even feign a protest. If I was being honest, I was already feeling better and sort of looking forward to it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone out and partied with a friend. Hell, I could barely remember friends. Being the pack outcast had really put a damper on my social calendar.

“Fuck it. What’s the worst that could happen?”





Chapter

Nine





SUNDAY





“Are you sure this is allowed?” I asked as Moira led the way down a dark corridor.

“Don’t be afraid. Nothing will happen to you while you’re with me.” Alek’s voice was a caress as he leaned in from his place behind me.

“Why’s he here again?” I asked, trying to suppress the involuntary tingles the puff of his breath sent racing down the back of my neck.

“Because I’m the muscle. And a damned good time,” he added, the invitation to play evident in his voice.

“Stop flirting with her, Viking. Give her a chance to get used to the place before you start pissing on her to mark your territory.” Moira stopped at a dead end and turned to stare at us. “Now prepare to be wowed.” She held out both hands like a magician about to do a trick.

“Now who’s flirting?” Alek teased.

Moira returned her focus to the blank wall before waving her palm across the brick. A faint green glow began to emanate from the mortar lines, the shape of a door appearing as the verdant shade spread. I knew witches existed, but I never really spent time with them. Our kind didn’t really . . . intermingle. Seeing Moira in action was astonishing.

“Apres vous, mes amis,” she offered in flawless French.

I hesitated, just for an instant. Walking through a glowing green door to parts unknown wasn’t the brightest idea. Not with the warning from my dream still bouncing around in my head. But Alek took my hand in his and squeezed.

“Together then?”

Letting my gaze travel up, up, up, his large frame, I allowed his piercing eyes to calm me. “Okay.”

“Ugh,” Moira scoffed. “I’m dying to dance. Come on, you’re acting practically human.”

Together, Alek and I crossed through the doorway. My skin prickled, pins and needles breaking out across my entire body as magic coated us then snapped away as we passed the barrier. My ears popped the instant we crossed from school grounds to the exterior of a nightclub. The red neon script over the door said Iniquity.

“Are you sure this is a nightclub and not a strip club?” I asked.

Alek laughed. “Afraid of a little nudity?”

“No, but I like to know what I’m walking into.”

Moira shoved past the two guys standing at the door. “Hi, fellas.”

“Miss Belladonna,” one of them said before pushing open the door for us.

Thumping bass spilled out of the club, low and loud, commanding attention, almost its own being. Moira took my hand and tugged me out of Alek’s grip as we walked down a set of stairs and into Iniquity.

The dim lighting was just bright enough for me to see the path mapped out by the hallway, and when we reached the end of the walkway, I saw yet another staircase to my left. I moved to head down, now eager to let loose and dance my ass off with Moira, but Alek’s large palm encircled my arm.

“Not that way, Sunny. That’s the true den of Iniquity. You’re not ready for what lies beneath the surface.”

My stomach clenched. What kind of sinful delights were hidden down there? And did I want to find out? He turned me in the opposite direction, tugging me to the right and into a club filled with people.

“Wow, this is . . .” I started, but my voice faltered as I took in the massive space, lit in greens and blues with purple spilling out from under the bar and DJ’s booth. The dance floor was full of couples grinding together. A vampire in the corner had his fangs buried in the neck of a human woman who looked like she was on the verge of orgasm or maybe in the throes of one.