Shit.
The werewolf’s human eyes locked onto me with a predatory gaze. He was a red-headed giant, his skin glowing under the lights. He moved toward me, asmirk playing at the corners of his mouth, the intensity of his aura undeniable. An alpha.
I tensed, my hand moving to my boot, fingers brushing against my push dagger.
“Well, hot damn,” he drawled, leaning against the bar. “What do we have here?”
I turned to face him, my expression neutral. “A girl having a drink alone,” I replied, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart.
He chuckled, his eyes roaming over my body. “A fucking Nubian Goddess. Pretty little things like you shouldn’t be alone in a place like this.”
I lifted an eyebrow, my fingers slipping over the dagger. “And why is that?”
He inched closer, his breath suffocating me. “Because there are big, bad wolves around. And they just love to eat girls like you.”
I grimaced, pulling away. “Is that so?”
He nodded, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Oh, yes. And I bet you taste delicious.” He licked his lips. “Let’s dance.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Look. Thanks for the flattery, okay? But I’m not interested.”
He chuckled again, but this time, I could feel his darkness spread. “I don’t think you understand, sweetheart. Declining ain’t an option.”
I rolled my eyes again. This asshole was pissing me off.
“And who the fuck are you supposed to be?”
He smirked, his eyes flashing with arrogance. “I’m the one who’s gonna have you face down, ass up.”
I’d had enough. Grabbing the crystal pendant, I stood up, shoving the werewolf back with enough force to send him stumbling. “Fuck off.”
He growled at me, his eyes wide with surprise.
Shit. I was in trouble.
But Marcus appeared out of nowhere, launching himself at the werewolf.
Their bodies collided with brutal force, sending a shockwave through the room. I watched in awe as Marcus’s muscles rippled beneath his skin, his body transforming into a monstrous half-wolf form. His eyes glowed, his teeth elongating into sharp fangs as he snarled and snapped at his opponent.
The other werewolf retaliated with an equal ferocity, shifting into the hybrid form only alphasseemed to possess. His claws slashed through the air, narrowly missing Marcus’s face as they tumbled across the ground.
It was a violent dance of fur and claws.
Marcus’s fist connected with the werewolf’s jaw with a sickening crunch. But the werewolf was undeterred, his eyes burning with an anger that seemed to fuel his strength. He lashed out, his claws raking across Marcus’s chest, leaving deep gashes that welled with blood.
As the fight raged on, I noticed something strange. While the shapeshifter club patrons were shamelessly enjoying the brawl, the humans seemed oblivious to the supernatural duel. Something else held their attention with a hypnotic grip.
I moved closer, trying to focus on the humans as I struggled to understand what was happening. And then I saw it—the stamps on their hands, pulsing with an eerie energy.
Realization hit me like a cold wave.
The stamps carried a spell that kept the humans docile and unaware of the true nature of the creatures they drank and dancedwith.
Marcus’s roar shattered my focus, yanking me from my discovery. His body twisted with an explosion of strength. He slammed the werewolf into the wall, leaving a crater in the brickwork. The werewolf slumped to the ground, gasping for air.
Marcus stood over him, chest heaving. “You better pray to the Moon you never see her again. Because if you so much as look in her fucking direction, I’ll kill you.”
The werewolf looked up at him, his eyes filled with loathing. “She’s unclaimed!”
