Chapter 32
32
“ S olum?” I slowly spoke the name of the club that was emblazoned in neon lights on the brick front of the building. A line started at the front door and snaked around the corner, disappearing into the night as people waited to get inside.
Remy grinned at me from the driver’s seat as he pulled the SUV into a reserved spot.
“It means ‘alone’ in Latin,” Griffin supplied from the passenger seat beside him. His blue eyes sparkled as he spoke. When Remy had introduced us, there was something about him that instantly put me at ease.
“Kace, the friend who owns this place, was always a lone wolf. Said it was a fitting name for a club for how he spent his life,” he added, raking a hand through his sandy blonde hair.
“Line looks long,” Tate remarked, angling her head to see where it ended.
“We’ll use the side entrance.” Griffin turned and winked at her. “VIP experience.” He opened the door and climbed out.
Tate and I opened the side doors and got out, Dante climbing out from the backseat.
Once my feet were on solid ground, Remy grabbed my hand and pulled me close. I leaned against his arm, soaking in his warmth. The night air had turned cold once the sun set.
We all headed towards the side of the building towards a nondescript steel door with a man leaning against it.
He looked up, his expression bored as he looked at us until his gaze landed on Griffin. A grin split his face and he extended a hand.
“Griff,” he greeted. “It’s been too long.”
“Kace has you pulling security detail now, Felix?” Griffin smirked at him, shaking his head.
“Only when he’s not doing it himself,” Felix replied, pulling the door open for us. His eyes scanned us as we walked in. “Man can’t stop micromanaging every little detail.”
“Someone has to keep you fuckers in line,” a deeper voice said from inside the doorway.
The newcomer stepped into the doorway, nearly filling it with his size. He was one of the tallest people I had ever seen and built like a mountain. His pale gray eyes were almost translucent, and a long scar ran from his brow down the left side of his face, disappearing into the open neck of his black shirt. He would have been absolutely terrifying if not for the warm grin on his face.
“Kace,” Griffin said, shaking his hand while he stepped inside. “You remember Remy and Dante.”
Kace shook each of their hands and we all stepped inside the back room of the club, the door swinging shut. I could hear the steady thump of a bass from music playing, but the sounds were muffled back here.
Kace welcomed Remy and Dante before looking past them. The smile on his face grew exponentially as he looked at Tate.
“Tatum,” he said warmly, his eyes practically sparkling, “Good to see you again.”
She stepped around Dante and hugged him.
“You two know each other?” I couldn’t help the question that slipped out.
Tate grinned up at him. “Kace and I go way back.”
“You must be Skye,” Kace said. He didn’t hold out a hand to me. Instead he turned his smile to Remy. “She’s too pretty for you.”
Remy smirked. “I’m well aware.”
Still grinning, Kace looked at me with a wink. “If you’re ever in the mood to trade up, Skye, let me know.”
It was said in jest, and everyone laughed, but it soured something in me. The thought of someone other than Remy touching me was repulsive. Everything in me rejected it to the point that my wolf was snarling.
That unease must have been displayed on my face because Kace’s smile melted away. He held up his hands, taking a step back.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he apologized, his gaze turning serious. “I was just teasing.”
Remy’s hand tightened around mine, tugging me back to his side.
“It’s fine,” I said, forcing myself to let it go and offer a small smile at him. I pulled on politeness like a too-tight pair of jeans.
“Mate bonds are no joke,” he murmured, his gaze still wary. “Congrats to both of you.”
“Thanks,” Remy answered for us, his easy smile back.
Kace hooked a thumb behind him. “I set you guys up in the VIP section. Nero and Allie got here a few minutes ago.”
We followed him through the stockroom, past an office, and through a plain door that required a thumbprint to open.
The door opened and the sound of the music overwhelmed my senses, the bass throbbing in my bones as I stepped through the doorway and onto a loft that overlooked a dancefloor of writhing bodies.
A DJ was set apart on a platform in the center, a bar ran the length of the far wall with several people working it and ten times as many crowded around it, vying for attention. The space had an open, industrial feel. The lights pulsing to the beat of the music pulled me in, hypnotizing.
Kace led the others off to the side, but I lingered and slowly walked to the railing that lined the upper level, needing a better look.
“Whoa,” I murmured, pausing at the iron railing overlooking the main floor and letting my eyes wander across the room.
I inhaled through my nose, and immediately regretted it. The potent scent of shifters, sweat, and hormones was overpowering and slightly intoxicating.
Remy came up behind me, bracing a hand on either side of the railing and boxing me in. I leaned back into the protective cage of his arms.
“What do you think?” The deep timbre of his voice elicited a cascade of shivers in my nervous system.
“It’s unreal,” I replied, a little in awe. “There’s normals down there, too?”
Remy nodded, his cheek brushing the side of my head. He swept my hair aside before putting his hand back on the rail and lowering his chin to my shoulder.
“The majority of the people down there are normals,” he replied. “Some of the staff, too.”
“How does that work?” I asked curiously.
It had been drilled in my head since birth that shifters didn’t mix with normals. The risk of exposure was too great.
Not that I was ever allowed outside the compound walls in Long Mesa.
Blackwater was different, but I still had minimal exposure to the normal humans who had no clue we existed in their world.
“A lot of the staff Kace uses are lone wolves,” Remy explained, “but there’s some humans, too.”
“Do they know about us?” Curiosity warred with the small spiral of panic I felt pressing in.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “They shouldn’t, but Kace does his own thing. Always has. Humans aren’t supposed to know we exist, but Kace has a thing for strays. Wolf, human... Solum has been a safe place for them.”
I turned, putting my back to the room as I faced Remy. His hands moved from the railing to my hips.
“We can go dance if you want.” He jerked his chin at the dancefloor below me.
My cheeks heated, remembering in vivid detail the last time we had danced together. My body remembered the feel of his hands on me, the way his body aligned just right with mine.
It was also the night Maren had been taken.
“Maybe later?”
He nodded and kissed me once before grabbing my hand and pulling me along the wall until it opened up into a private space where the others were gathered. The VIP section clearly had room for easily another thirty people, but we were the only ones using it. A private staircase led down to the main floor.
“We’re going down to get drinks,” Tate said, standing by the stairs with Griffin and Dante. “You guys want anything?”
“Water?” I asked.
“Whatever you’re having,” Remy said with a shrug.
“Thanks,” I called as they headed down the stairs. I looked back at the two people left in the room.
Nero and Allie were curled together on one of the dark sofas, and both watching us curiously.
Allie’s dark eyes glittered as she smiled at us. “There you two are.”
“Allie thought Remy might be trying to keep Skye to himself,” Nero added, his white teeth flashing against dark skin.
Allie slapped his stomach playfully, rolling her eyes. “Oh, shut it.” She smiled at me. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Skye.”
“You, too,” I said, sitting down across from them beside Remy.
“We didn’t really have a chance to talk yesterday.” She reached for a glass of water on the table in front of her.
“Uh, no,” I replied, unable to stop from glancing at Remy.
He was smiling ruefully. “Guess that’s my fault.”
Nero took a sip of an amber liquid in a tumbler. “Yeah, you planning on telling us what happened?”
Remy hesitated, his gaze lingering on me for a second.
“Leave them alone,” Allie shushed him, resting a hand on his thigh. Her long, pink nails traced out a pattern on the denim of his jeans. “Obviously it’s mate business.”
“It’s still hard to believe you guys are mates,” Nero said, shaking his head.
“Because we’re so young?” I guessed, a little tired of hearing how young we were.
Nero gave me a rueful smile. “Guess you hear that a lot?”
“Only daily,” I said, trying to smile and laugh it off.
“Well, I think it’s amazing,” Allie said firmly. “Life would be a lot easier if we could all find our mate when we were still in high school.”
Nero gave her a strange look. “You’ve known me since I was eight.”
Allie snorted and tossed an unimpressed look at him. “You’re right. I’ve known you for almost two decades. That’s why I didn’t agree to marry you until two years ago.”
“Are you two…” I trailed off, not sure what their relationship was.
“We’re not bonded,” Allie told me. “We got married last year, and this year…” She shared a secret grin with Nero before covering her stomach with her hand.
She was pregnant. I knew it.
“When are you due?” I leaned forward, happy for them.
“Congrats, man,” Remy said, standing up to shake Nero’s hand.
“I’m only a few weeks long,” Allie said, her face glowing as she smiled. “Nero didn’t like the idea of me being so far away while he was here, so I came with him.”
Nero sat back down, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. His lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s too volatile right now. Until we figure out who is taking these missing girls, I’m not letting you out of my sight, sweetheart.”
Allie curled into his side, her head leaning against his shoulder. “I know.”
“I still can’t believe they closed the school,” Nero continued, shifting his attention to Remy. “And you know one of the girls who disappeared, right? The one from Dante’s pack?”
“Maren,” Remy said quietly. “She’s my sister’s girlfriend.”
Allie’s dark eyes filled with tears. “That’s so awful.” She wiped her eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry. Hormones are the worst.”
She stood up swiftly, blinking fast as she looked up at the ceiling. “I’m not ruining my makeup again with baby tears.” She looked down, fixing her gaze on me. “Let’s dance.”
“Oh, um...” I tried to come up with an excuse, but Allie grabbed my hand and started pulling me up.
I gave Remy a helpless look, but he was smiling.
“Go have fun,” he said, his dark eyes dancing in a way I hadn’t seen much lately.
I looked back at Allie. “I don’t really dance.”
She waved a dismissive hand, tugging down the bottom of her dress. “So? In that crowd, the most we’ll be able to do is shuffle side to side. That’s not really dancing .”
I made a face. “No, really, I don’t—”
“You’re too hot for that body not to be noticed,” she declared, then winced when Remy stiffened beside me. She waved a dismissive hand. “I won’t let anyone touch your girl. I’ll go all mama bear on their asses.”
I stifled a sigh. “Seriously, I’m not a dancer.”
“Or I can stay up here and cry,” she said, her dark eyes yet again filling with tears.
“She’ll do it.” Nero chuckled from where he sat on the couch. “Don’t mess with the pregnant lady.”
“He’s right,” Allie said, her tears evaporating in front of me as her wobbling lower lip curved into a wicked grin.
I threw up my hands with a laugh. “Fine.”
Allie punched the air with a gleeful smile. “Yes!”
Shaking my head, I stood up and shrugged off my jacket, handing it to Remy.
He grinned at me. “Have fun.” Then his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “But not enough fun that I’ll have to come find you.”
I arched a brow. “Maybe I want you to come find me.”
His eyes turned molten as I winked and stepped back, letting Allie lead me to the stairs. I wondered for a second how she would navigate them with the heels she had strapped to her feet, but she easily descended like she lived in five inch stilettos.
Tate, Dante, and Griffin were coming up as we were coming down.
“We’re dancing,” Allie announced, reaching out for Tate with her other hand.
Tate shrugged and passed off the drink in her hand to Dante. “I’ll see you later.” She leaned in and gave him a quick, loud kiss before letting Allie lead us onto the dance floor.
Allie pulled us onto the floor as one song slid into another. The crowd around us cheered, clearly happy with the new song pumping through the speakers.
We were swallowed up by a sea of dancers.
I hesitated for a second, watching as Tate and Allie’s bodies started moving to the beat like they were connected to it on a soul-deep level.
“Just let go,” Tate yelled, watching me struggle for a second.
That had been Ainsley’s advice when she and Katy taught me how to dance. Closing my eyes, I let the music settle into my bones. I shoved away the stress of the day, hell, of the week. I bottled up the nerves fluttering around about my testimony tomorrow.
I was alive, with my friends and my mate, and in the moment, I could just be me.
Time ceased to exist as we danced together. One song melted into the next as we moved, dancing and laughing with each other.
At one point, I glanced up to see Remy, Nero, and Dante leaning against the railing, watching us. I grinned, hoping Remy would come down and join me, but he seemed content to be a voyeur.
“I need water!” Tate yelled after the sixth song, fanning her flushed face.
I nodded and glanced at Allie.
She gave us a grateful smile and turned on her heel, leading the way off the dance floor. We barely made it a few feet from the dancers when Allie paused, grabbing her side.
I touched her elbow. “You okay?”
Grimacing, she nodded. “I think I need the bathroom first. Morning sickness is a lie. It happens literally any time except the mornings.”
“Morning sickness?” Tate echoed, surprise on her face.
“Surprise,” Allie said, still making a face.
“Congratulations!”
“Thanks,” she wheezed out, grabbing my arm. She jerked her head to the side hallway with the restroom sign emblazoned over it. “We can hug it out after I throw up. Right now? Bathroom.”
Allie was pale by the time we made it to the bathroom. Thankfully there was a stall open. She slammed the door open, barely managing to kick it closed before she threw up.
Two girls at the sink turned, both of them wearing identical expressions of disgust.
“Your friend should lay off the bar, honey,” the taller of the two remarked, her lips pinched.
“She’s not drunk,” Tate snapped.
They exchanged a glance and started giggling.
Annoyance flared in me. “Do you have anything else to say?”
They paused mid-giggle to stare at me, almost looking astonished that I had dared say anything.
Somewhere behind me, a toilet flushed.
I arched a brow, still waiting for the girls to reply. My gaze narrowed. “No, really. Tell me what’s so damn funny.”
They both dropped their eyes at the same time.
Huh. Shifters.
“Sorry,” the shorter girl muttered, grabbing her friend’s elbow and pulling her out the door.
Rolling my eyes, I turned and looked at Tate.
“What?” I finally asked when Tate wouldn’t stop looking at me.
She gave me a warm smile. “I’m just glad we’re friends.”
I rolled my eyes, stepping aside as someone exited the stall next to Allie and headed for the sink.
“Allie?” I called over the roar of the hand dryer. “You okay?”
Silence.
The door to the bathroom opened again. The girl washing her hands left, and another came in, slipping past us and heading into the vacant stall.
Tate tapped on Allie’s door. “Allie?”
The door cracked open, and Allie’s face looked a little green as she leaned heavily against the door.
My eyes went wide. “Can we help?”
“Can one of you get me some water? Or maybe tell Nero we need to go?” Her eyes closed. “He’s going to be pissed. He told me to stay in and take it easy. I probably shouldn’t have danced that much.”
“I’ll go get him,” I said quickly, already taking a step back. I looked at Tate. “Stay with her?”
Tate nodded, her eyes fixed on Allie. “I got this. Go get Nero.”
I spun and shoved through the door, nearly knocking over two girls who were trying to come into the bathroom.
“Shit, sorry,” I apologized, moving around them and crashing into another body in the hallway.
“Sorry,” I said again, turning to the person I had almost body checked.
A hand closed around my bicep, the touch bruising with intensity.
“You should really watch where you’re going, Skye,” Preston said darkly. “Especially when it seems like your mate is nowhere to be found.”
I tried to jerk away. “Let go. Now.”
“No,” he snarled, his grip tightening to the point of pain.
I looked around, my eyes wide.
No one else was in the hallway.
I could scream and Tate would come running. Maybe even more people.
“Nope. We need to have a little chat.”
Preston spun me around and slapped a hand over my mouth, pulling me deeper into the hallway and out of the side door.