The Apollo Bar was located on human territory, but it operated under the guise of having a VIP door list only, to mask the fact that it catered only to supernaturals and their guests. Being on a neutral territory meant that wolves from nearby packs could socialise freely, along with other shifters and species such as vampires, fae, etc. As long as everyone was getting along, nothing was off limits.
It was Arla’s first time in a nightclub and it was sensory overload. The music was loud and thumping in her sensitive ears, the lighting was dim in most areas, yet bright flashing lights assaulted her eyes from the dancefloor.
With so many people from so many species, the scents were overwhelming. From general scents to alcohol, sweat, blood, fear and arousal, Arla wished she had a way to turn her senses off for a while.
Felix has a mate! How close will Arla and the Alpha get on the dance floor?
With all the responsibilities on his shoulders that came with being Alpha, it had been so long since Lorenzo had enjoyed a night out like this. It took a little encouragement from Arla, but he soon loosened up and began to lose himself in the music and in this moment spent with her. In a few short months, she would be his mate and his Luna. She would look at him and know that he was hers and she was his. He would be able to stand proudly beside her as the pack welcomed her as their Luna, to share in his pride at how wonderful his mate was. They would no longer have to hide her glowing eyes, or downplay her true power. After the mate-bond is fully formed, he would reach his full potential as an Alpha, Arla would reach her full potential as a white wolf and witch, and the pack would reap the benefits of a powerful and united Alpha pairing.
Lorenzo was sitting at the bar nursing a drink while impatiently waiting for Arla to return. He had lost count of the number of women he’d been approached by and subsequently turned away. He had no interest in anyone other than his mate, and he wished Chloe would hurry the fuck up. “Alpha!” shouted Chloe, raising a hand to signal to him and making her way over to him, dragging a strapping young man behind her. “Alpha Lorenzo, this is my mate, Mitchell Lowe. He’s a warrior in the Pearl Lake Pack,” she said with pride. “Alpha, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Mitchell, holding out a large hand to shake. Lorenzo gave him a once over. He was an impressive size and had long, wild and unruly, curly brown hair. He looked to be a similar age to Chloe, maybe a year or two older, and the mocha coloured skin on his
Arla woke, her head pounding, feeling weak and nauseous. She gingerly touched her hand to the side of her head and flinched. The pain radiated around her skull and she could feel the dried blood matted in her hair. She tried to remember what happened, but everything felt hazy. She knew she was too weak to teleport, and trying to mind-link the Alpha exacerbated her headache, to the point she had to vomit into a bucket she’d located near the makeshift bed she was in on the hard floor. Exhausted and in pain, she lay back down and fell into slumber once again. The next time Arla woke, the thumping in her head had subsided and she could think a little clearer, however the pain was still present. Why aren’t I healing? She thought.
He turned on his heel and strode out of the room and out of the cabin altogether, leaving Arla alone. Feeling numb, she collected the clean clothes and toiletries that had been provided and made her way to the bathroom in a daze. She showered and scrubbed herself, trying to wash the dirt, dried blood and smeared make-up from her face and body. Once she finally felt clean, she slid down the shower wall in a heap and finally allowed herself to break down and weep. She lost count of how long she’d been in the bathroom, but when she exited, Sadie was waiting for her in the room. Sadie wrapped her arms around Arla in a tight embrace, tears falling freely down her face as she cried into Arla’s neck. Arla returned the hug, stroking her long, honey coloured hair, trying her best to soothe her distraught friend. “I’
Two dark witches appeared from nowhere. They seemed to be the only people that were here of their own accord. They went from person to person, undoing the gold bracelets. As Arla’s was removed, she felt the welcome thrum and buzz of magic tingle her skin. She wished with all her might that she could end Alpha Anton, but the risk was too great. Alpha Anton left and moved downstairs as another familiar face joined the witches on the balcony. Natasha. She sneered at Arla as she approached. “Just when you thought you were somebody, you’re back here being a nobody.” Natasha had been her childhood best friend, but had turned against her after Arla’s dad tried to save Natasha’s mother, and failed. They both lost a parent that day, but Natasha’s grief came in the form of nastiness. She had rejected Arla’s friendship beca
Lorenzo sat on the bench seat overlooking Arla’s garden, with his head in his hands. The once vibrant and beautiful garden was now mostly shriveled and dying. Withering in the same manner he felt inside his chest. Felix came by every few days to tend it as best he could, and the packhouse gardeners helped, but without Arla’s magic touch, it failed to flourish as it once had. He felt her loss more and more each day, and now the day he’d been waiting for, five and a half years in the making, was finally here…and he was miserable. Her eighteenth birthday. She was supposed to be here with him. He’d had it planned out in his head for years. This was the day she would finally call him mate. Instead, he was alone, not knowing where she was. He didn’t know if she was safe, or if she was even alive. He f
Arla, Sadie and Victor were enjoying their morning walk outside together. It was the only time of day the witches were allowed outdoors, other than when they were being escorted to battle, and they all tried to make the most of it. “Do you think your mate is in this pack?” asked Sadie, looking around at the guard wolves. “Ugh, I seriously hope not,” replied Arla in disgust. “After we get out of here, I never want to see this place ever again.” “What if your mate is here, though?” she pressed. “My mate could be standing right next to me and I wouldn’t have a clue until I get my wolf back. I mean, I think I’d still feel the sparks if we touched and maybe feel a pull towards them, but I don’t have wolf senses at the moment, nor do I have my wolf to confirm it’s my
Back in the cabin, Arla could barely contain her nervous energy. Lewis had just given her the first real opportunity for escape since she’d been here, and she needed to think through every possibility before making a decision. This was her only chance and she couldn’t waste it. Sadie and Victor were sitting on her bed as she explained what had happened with Lewis in a whisper, not wanting any of the other witches to know. “What are you waiting for, Arla?” asked Sadie, whisper-squealing. “I can’t just take the bracelet off and shift,” she explained. “My wolf has been suppressed for so long now, it’s going to take her a while to gain her strength back.” She moved to sit with them on the bed. “There’s always the possibility that she won’t come back,” she added sa