I was on a side stage dancing to the song, ‘Drew Barrymore’ by Bryce Vine when my manager came over to the stage to tell me something.
“Celeste, you have a gentleman admirer! The guy requested a dance from you specifically!” Tisha, my boss, told me and pointed the guy out to me.
I nodded my head, “I’ll go over to him when I’m done with my rotation,” I smile as the song finishes. I collect the scattered dollar bills on the stage left for me and walk over to the last small side stage in my rotation around the club. It’s the stage closest to the DJ so I know it’s my turn to pick a song for him to play while we all dance on our respective stages. I asked him to play a song that was really hitting me close to home recently. I was happy to be free and away from my pack and away from Callen’s reach, but I was lonely and missing inside. There was a constant ache inside that seeped sadness into my soul. It was the piece of me Callen took. The part of me, I vowed I would NEVER share with anyone and would NEVER let anyone see ever again. Nothing would ever replace that emptiness inside me.
As the song I requested, ‘Whistle (While You Work It)’ by Katy Tiz, begins to play, I begin dancing and moving my hips in an upbeat, fun movement. I plaster that smile on my face as I dance and twirl on the pole. I look around and see a few other girls whistling as they dance on their poles and that makes me smile. It makes me feel like I’m a part of a sisterhood around here and we all know that feeling. As sad and strange as it may sound, around these girls, I actually didn’t feel so alone. That was another reason why I kept coming back to work here. It hadn’t been long since I started working here, but it was a slight comfort and lately, I had none of that so I would take what little I could get.
I was getting tired. It was late and was a very profitable night for everyone. I couldn’t afford to stop until closing though. I needed every penny. When the song was over, I got down off the side stage after collecting the ones men left laying on the stage around me.
As I stalked towards this mystery man requestor, I smelled something luscious in the air! It smelled heavenly really! The scent was somewhat common if you are from the south, but being as I wasn’t from THIS far SOUTH, the smell ignited a fire in me I never knew existed. The smell of a barbeque pit full of brisket! You can smell the meat smoking, the smoke, and wood-burning; each wood type having a slightly different scent. It drove me wild smelling the smell in the air, with a subtle additional smell I couldn’t make out with all the other smells mixed in the air. As I grew closer in the direction of this man, the smell got stronger and stronger. When I stopped in front of him and locked eyes with him, my body froze. The smell was emanating from him. It was his scent!
Those eyes were so prominent. You can’t miss them. His emerald eyes pierced through to my soul and that’s when I heard her loud and clear, ‘MATE! MATE! MATE!’
‘Bree? What are you talking about?’
‘MATE! HE’S OUR MATE!’ I can feel her tail wagging in my head. She is so excited and happy.
“Well…helllloo, goddess!” I hear him say as I approach him. I smile confidently, “Hey honey, heard you needed a dance?” I say in a sexy and seductive voice. I’m so nervous as I come closer to him to inspect this so-called ‘mate’ Bree has declared is ours. He is dressed like most of the men and wolves here- very business to business casual. This club is a more exclusive club that caters to the wealthier clientele in the area.
“I sure do!” He smirks as he reaches his hands out to signal for me to sit in his lap. I smell the liquor on him. He must be at least a little drunk. I follow his direction and get comfortable in his lap as I wrap my arms around his neck. The feeling feels as if I was meant to sit there.
“Okay honey, that’s fifty for a short dance and a hundred for a more intimate dance,” I explain and give him time to decide how long of a dance he wants.
“Oh, I want the more intimate one DEFINITELY!” His smirk hasn’t changed and he has kept his eyes on me the entire time. My heart is pounding and I am trying to keep my cool all while trying to keep Bree from taking control instantly. She instantly has become the horniest wolf I have ever met!
“Okay, honey. Let’s go over here so we can be more…intimate,” I smile and guide him by his hand to a corner couch sitting area that is relatively dark. I start to wonder if he recognized me as I did him? Why hasn’t he called me his mate? Would he reject me because of where he found me? I was getting in my own head! The DJ begins to play an old-school song that I assume one of the girls requested - ‘Stronger’ by Britney Spears. I inwardly chuckle at how perfect this song is for what I need to do.
‘Shut up! He will love us! He is our mate!’ Bree tries to reassure me.
As I snake my hands up and down his chest as I start my dance, I take note of his muscular and toned build. He is STRONG! I turn and rub my butt on his lap.
“Good goddess you are DIVINE!” He growls as he gently touches my waist with one of his hands.
“Mmm…no touching,” I moan and giggle at him as I push his hand away and feel an immediate electric pulse course through my body. This felt amazing but the tingles that followed melted me. My panties held a seeping puddle. Add the music and I was a bag of mixed emotions. I wanted to stand tall and strong in front of my mate, but the simplest thing as his touch sent me almost to my knees quite literally.
“Sorry goddess…I promise I won’t do it again.” He takes his hand away with a playful smirk plastered on his face. I’m sure he was testing me. The new clients always test us, or maybe it was the other way around and the regulars tested all the new girls to see what they could get away with?
I can’t tell if he is being flirtatious for real, or if he’s fucking with me because we’re mates. Why doesn’t he recognize me as I do him? Could he be drunker than I initially thought?
I push the thoughts away and just focus on the dance. I needed this time to go a little faster. This was becoming a bit uncomfortable for some reason.
“So, what brings you here tonight?” I ask him, trying to change the subject as I grind on his lap, straddling him.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“What’s that honey?” I innocently ask.
“To escape our lives.” That was kind of cryptic. But the more I think about it, who does this guy think he is? Who wants to escape a life of wealth and privilege like most of these men and wolves coming to this club have to possess to even be extended membership.
“Ahh…yes…to escape…I know EXACTLY what you mean.” His words struck me in a spot I tried to bury, the feeling of HOME. I was escaping my life by being here. I was letting so many people down. It was an obligation, one I was just realizing my pack might pay for if I don’t follow through. A pang of guilt courses through me and I hesitate for a moment.
“You okay goddess?” He looks up into my eyes with a sexy look of concern that makes me want to throw myself at him with abandon. I pull myself back because I know that’s Bree’s doing. She’s sending my hormones off the charts!
“Uhh, yeah…just lost my balance for a second there,” I lie to deflect. It works.
“Let’s get out of here! Come home with me tonight!” He leans in and whispers in my ear as I realize I am close to the end of my time with him for this dance.
“Sorry honey, I work all night. Rain Check?” I flirt back, letting him down kindly.
He pulls out his phone, makes a few text messages on his phone, and laughs, “I just bought the club out for the rest of the night. And I say, we’re closing now. Come with me, goddess?” He smiles with such sinful promise in his eyes.
I’m floored. He just bought out this entire strip club to shut it down so I can go home with him. I don’t know whether to be flattered or disgusted! Or is it the mate pull making him react like this? I don’t know what to say to him so I just stand there with my arms crossed looking a bit nervous. I bite my lip, “I…I don’t…I don’t go home with clients. That’s not me. I…I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”
“Sure it isn’t goddess, let's escape just for tonight?” He pleads with me, and when I look in his emerald eyes, it’s as if I see a piece of my own soul shining back, the need, the longing, the desire. I take his hand and follow his lead out to his limos waiting out front of the club after grabbing some of my essentials from the back.
“I’m leaving with you and I don’t even know your name!” I blurt out in a bit of a panic and a state of embarrassment.
“You don’t know who I am?” He looks shocked that I don’t recognize him, but I don’t. He must be some business mogul with a fragile ego. I shake my head innocently.
He studies my face for a moment, before smirking. He’s strong, VERY strong. Bree also picks up that he’s ranked, HIGH, in his pack but she can tell he’s hiding or holding something back.
“So who are you?” I ask innocently.
“My name is Dante, but let's not worry with that stuff tonight. Remember, we are escaping, Celeste.” He whispers in my ear with a sexy smirk that makes my insides melt.
I nod my head with an equally sexy smirk.
“C’mon goddess, let's forget who we are tonight!” He smiles as he tugs me along into the limo.
In the limo, Dante leans against me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. He is very comfortable around me and that makes me nervous, but relaxed for some reason.
“Sooo…what do you do?” I ask, trying my hand at small talk.
“I guess you could say, I’m like the boss…” He smirks mischievously.
“So you own your own company? That’s cool!” I smile as I pay attention to where we are driving, in case I need to make a quick escape so I can find my way home.
“Sure…It can be.” He comments stiffly. Strange, but I guess he isn’t interested in telling me about himself. Usually, clients love to brag and flaunt their wealth and business. This guy doesn’t want to say anything about himself.
When we get to his place, we go straight to his bedroom. By the time we reached the house, his scent had intoxicated my senses and his eyes and sexy smirk, and those lips, teasing my eyes at the threat of their touch on mine. By the time we reached the front door, I couldn’t stand for his hands to NOT be on me and his lips on my body. Inside his house, I was lost to the wind.
His touch was like heaven and magical. Every stroke with his fingers sent tingles over my skin and straight to my core. I was already a soaked mess and I’m sure he could smell my heavy and deep arousal for him.
“Goddess, you’re so responsive…mmm, I can’t wait to taste you!” He growl-moans into my mouth as our kissing lands us in the middle of his bed.
Somewhere between here and the front door of his house we lost our clothes and all I could do was keep kissing him and giggling like a schoolgirl. I had forgotten myself at this moment, just like he asked. He must be some kind of sorcerer!
‘No…just our mate!’ Bree corrects me.
‘The bond doesn’t make us lose all sense, Bree.’
‘Yes, it does. Well, your physical desire and hormones your wolves are pushing out of you now that we have found our mates are overriding all logic in your mind so you both are acting are your instinctual urges.’ Damn! When did Bree become all scientific and smart? She’s really starting to show me up to myself! That hussy!
‘Okay, you hussy - thanks for the extra hormones! Good to know.’ I growl at her in my mind. I can’t control my body and what I’m doing with him. Everything feels so amazing and when he entered me, I thought I was hallucinating fireworks all around me. My mind was officially BLOWN. This experience was like a high or drug that put me into a haze that I’ve never felt before, it was euphoric and surreal.
Every position he put me into made me cum harder than I had ever cum before. I have no idea how long we were at it, but by the time we were through, I couldn’t move any part of my body. He was a modern-day sex god with the manhood of a giant to back him up! The moon goddess sure does have a sick sense of humor, mating me with this sexy beast of a wolf.
Mate…my mate…fuck!
Morning came sooner than I would have liked. When I woke up, I realized what happened the night before and died a little inside; ashamed at what I’d done. I’d cheapened myself by this act. I’d slumped to a new low that I didn’t want to admit to myself. When I try to get up, I realize he has a tight grip on me and isn’t releasing me. I need to pee and I am scared to move. Suddenly, he starts to move around like he’s waking up when I hear someone knock on the bedroom door, “Alpha, you have an urgent matter that cannot wait,” comes from the other side of the door.I immediately close my eyes and try to pretend I’m still asleep when he lifts himself up and out of the bed, being as smooth and gentle as he can to not wake me. I hear the door open.“What is it, Jackson?” Dante groans. I can tell he’s exhausted.“An Alpha is on the line. He insists he speak with you. He says he’s almost to our territory lines.” The man, Jackson apparently, that was knocking declared very matter-of-factly. “
“What…mean…how…she be here?” I couldn’t catch all of Dante’s question to Callen. “SHE TOLD ME SHE WANTED TO GO TO UT FOR COLLEGE!” FUCK! I forgot I told Callen my college plans. He will be looking for me everywhere around here now.“Well, maybe she hasn’t made it here yet. Maybe you got here faster than she could?” Dante must be closer to the door now because I can hear him trying to reason with Callen. “I’m staying here until we find her!” Callen declares with a growl.That didn’t settle well for Dante because he immediately let out a loud growl, “THIS IS MY TERRITORY! You are a GUEST HERE, need I remind you! You are welcome to stay a night or two, but beyond that, you will have to trust my security detail and wolves to do a deeper search of the pack territory. IF YOUR Luna is here, she WILL turn up Callen! I will GLADLY hand over your Luna IF she ever turns up in MY territory!” I can’t listen to this any further. I HAVE to get out of here. I feel my grip starting to slip and I k
I am jolted awake as I feel my body shift back to my human form.‘Bree what’s happening?!’‘I can sense him! He’s near!’ And with that, she disappears deep into my subconscious. SHIT! I scramble to my feet off the cot, grab the thin blanket, and wrap it around me. With Callen near, I can’t risk my scent getting out in the woods. Just as I come to my senses, I hear noise around the shack and start to freak out. The door to the shack flings open and Charley runs in and shuts the door.“They’re coming for your Celeste! Shh!” Charley whispers as he moves to a giant old and dingy rug I barely noticed covering the ground. I watch him as he pulls the rug up and lifts a door with a latch.He motions for me to come over to him and points to the dark hole in the ground. He wants me to climb into this dark hole in the ground that I didn’t even know existed. I’m so panicked I don’t even hesitate and start climbing the creaky wooden stairs down into the cellar-type hole. It’s dark, dusty and I d
“Where have you been?! You missed two shifts!” Mandy, the door receptionist at the club interrogates me the minute I step in the door. “I was sick and I dropped my phone and it broke. Sorry! I’m here though!”She gives me a glum and disapproving look, “Well hurry up! The club is starting to get full! Word out is a visiting alpha is in town with his men which means, eventually they will find their way here for some stress release! Be ready!”I nod and head to the back to begin getting ready for the night. Knowing some of Callen’s men might come in has me a little worried, but every girl here at one point doesn’t want someone to find them here so we have a few wigs in the dressing rooms for that exact reason. Any girl seen wearing one of these colorful wigs is a dead giveaway we are hiding from someone the night we are wearing the wig. The blue wig means we are hiding from an angry ex-boyfriend, the pink wig means we are hiding from family searching for us, purple means we are laying l
“Shh…shhh…Celeste! It’s me!” Charley says calmly as he pulls me into his embrace by the back door of the club and I exhale a huge breath. “Shhh…he thinks you’re running. He’s waiting out back by the dancer’s cars. If you would have opened that door, he would have grabbed you.” He whispers in my ear and all the tension in my body visibly relaxes.“What did you say to get him back there?” “I didn’t say anything. I saw him go back there when I was coming inside,” He smirked and I laughed. “Is the coast clear out front? Has the club closed?” I ask nervously.“It’s about to. C’mon, let’s get out of here before Alpha gives up waiting back there and comes back inside.”I nod, take his hand and follow him out front to where Frank and his truck await us. “Hey, sugar! Heard you needed an escape plan! Hop in!” Frank chuckles as he unlocks the truck doors.“Shut up Frank, just drive!” I growl as I slide into the middle seat of the single cab truck. “RO-OH-OW!” Frank squeals as he starts driv
As we walked to Charley’s truck, Dante now pushing my grocery basket, I decided to ask Dante some uncomfortable questions, “So where is your Luna?” I smirk. I know this answer, but I want to see how he responds.“I don’t have a Luna. You know this,” He glares at me acting like he’s insulted that I would ask. “How would I know that?” I asked him, confused.“You are one of my pack members. Everyone in my pack knows we don’t have a Luna and we won't ever have one, which raises the question, why do you not know this?” He stops when we get to the truck and he studies me. Shit!“Oh yeah! I forgot! Silly me!” I give him a silly yet nonreassuring laugh, hoping to play off my terrible attempt to distract him.He rolled his eyes. It worked! Phew!“So…what do you plan to do without a Luna?” This no Luna thing still has me confused. I make a mental note to ask Charley and Frank when I get home.He shrugs, “This your truck?” He is clearly deflecting. I guess you really can’t bullshit a bullshitte
Charley and Frank didn’t miss a beat on that note. Both their eyes grew big and Charley spat out the sip of beer he was beginning to drink.“Our alpha is your MATE?!” Charley exclaimed as he wiped his mouth and shirt of the sprinkles of beer he spat out on himself and around him.“How long have you known?” Frank asked more level-headedly.“Since I met him at work. He asked for a dance, requesting me by name. I don’t know how he knew my name but he did,” I explained as I poured the pasta I was cooking into bowls for each of us to eat before sitting at the table with them.“Dude…you know how pissed the Alpha is going to be when he finds out we’ve been hiding his MATE at our place?!” Charley groaned out to Frank.“He doesn’t know she’s his mate. Remember…the curse,” Frank looked at Charley while he took a big bite of the pasta.They both look
At the club, all the girls hugged me and welcomed me back with open arms. It was nice being around people that showed genuine concern for me. I don’t think my soul and heart will ever fully heal, but being around people that I knew cared about me helped soften the dull ache in the pit of my stomach and around my chest.I was doing pretty good that night between tips, dances, and stage money collections. It made me feel better about some things. I was really missing my friends from back home, but I knew I couldn’t reach out to them without being found out and now that I don’t have my own cell phone, I needed to use some of my money to buy a burner phone so I could still reach out to them and let them know I was okay. I made a mental note to pick one up tonight on my way home from work.“Celeste, some guys came in about a week or two ago looking for you…are you okay? Did they find you?” Kelsey, one of the dancers, asked me when she ca