Chapter Nine
There comes a time when you realize that you’re at a pivotal juncture in your life. What you choose in a given moment will determine how your future plays out. For some reason, I knew this task for The Elites tonight would set the course for both Rage and me.
It was strange riding in Cole’s car with only Rage. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how Rage had talked him into it and probably didn’t want to know. “How I wish we were heading out for a date night.”
“You know, we need to do that.” Rage glanced at me. His royal blue polo brought out the brown of his eyes. “I feel kinda like an asshole now. We’ve never gone on a date.”
“The dance counts, right?” That was the worst and best day of my life. The best because I had finally synced with my wolf and, because of that, realized I’d met my true mate. The bad was Greg. To be honest, that whole relationship was sad, but thankfully that was in the past.
“I don’t know if I want us to count that.” Rage winked at me and leaned over, putting his warm hand on my bare thigh. “You did come with another man.”
“Yes … But I left with the one that counted.” His hand on my leg did things to my body that wasn’t appropriate for the situation. I’d worn shorts since the weather in New Orleans was hot and humid. His touch always did things to my body. I cleared my throat and adjusted my white shirt, looking for some kind of distraction.
“Damn straight you did.” His growly voice only turned me on even more.
The Dave and Buster’s orange sign appeared and he slowed down at a red light. “Alright, here we are.” He glanced around to see that all the street parking was taken. “I guess it’ll be the garage.”
“Do you have any idea why we’re here?” Obviously, it had something to do with The Elites, but this was a strange place to meet.
“All ages hang out here, so there is no telling.” Rage pulled up to the ticket machine and rolled down his window, leaning out to hit the green button. He grabbed the ticket and rolled his window back up. The large lever raised, allowing us to enter the garage.
It was packed, but we were able to find a spot on the third floor. As we plodded down the stairs, Jordan appeared at the bottom.
Her hair was pulled back and her makeup downplayed. Her golden eyes popped with the earth tones she wore, and her lips were a light pink instead of the usual vibrant red. Just like me, she dressed in a pair of shorts with a tight red shirt. “You guys are right on time.”
Apparently, she didn’t think promptness was one of our key attributes. “What are we doing here?”
“The boy I told you about, he’s here.” Her eyes scanned the area, and she opened the door to go outside. “Come on out here.”
Rage sighed and placed his hand on the small of my back. “Fine, but we need more answers before going in there.”
The entrance to Dave and Busters was less than twenty feet away. A group of four people stood right in front of the door. The girls were wearing halter tops, shorts so short that only a little was left to the imagination, and makeup so dark you’d think they were part goth. One of the guys puffed on a cigarette and had his hands all over one of the girls. The other guy was absolutely gorgeous, and a sweet scent hit my nose. The other girl was trying to lay all over him, but his eyes weren’t focused on her breasts at all. Rather, his eyes connected with mine. His musky scent hit me.
He was a shifter.
“That’s him.” Jordan’s voice was barely a whisper but loud enough that both Rage and I could hear her. “He’s half wolf and half dragon.”
“Dragon?” Those were rare. From what I remembered of Professor Shaw’s class, they tended to stay around the equator, favoring hotter temperatures year-round.
“Is this some kind of joke?” Rage closed his eyes as if he was keeping his anger in check.
“Do you smell the musk and brimstone?” Jordan smiled at me like we were just having the best time. “Play along. He can’t know we’re on to him.”
Now that she mentioned it, there was an acrid egg smell to his musk. It was disgusting.
“So what do we do?” Rage opened his eyes and glanced around. “Kidnap him here while his friends watch?”
“For someone that most girls want, you’re not the smartest.” Jordan arched an eyebrow and propped her hand on her waist.
I couldn’t help but giggle. Of course, Rage wasn’t dumb, but he was being a smart ass.
“Really?” His shoulders lowered, and he shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but you did kind of deserve that.” I winked at him even though I couldn’t hide the grin. “But I love you.”
“Oh, dear god.” Jordan threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes. “Can we keep that sappy shit for when you’re alone.”
She reminded me of Cole for a moment, and I had to bite back my remark. “We’ll see if we can manage.”
“No, seriously.” Jordan flipped her hair back and giggled. “Play along. He’s eyeing you.”
“No, no, no.” Rage shook his head and grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward the garage. “My mate will not be the bait.”
“So, I guess you’d rather this guy have the same fate as the other one in the clearing.” Even though her words were rough, she was acting her part. She rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward her. “Stop acting so jealous.” Her voice got louder. “She broke up with you for a reason.”
Rage growled, and his eyes began to glow. “What the hell …”
“Hey, she’s right.” I was trying to play the part like Jordan, but I felt awkward and stiff. “It’s not like anything is going to happen.” I gave a smile that fell flat. “I can’t leave here knowing I could’ve prevented something bad from happening. He deserves a chance to live just like we do.”
“Fine, but I’m going to blend in and lurk.” Rage released his hold on me, and stress lined his face. “Give me a minute. Then you two come in.”
As he strolled off, Jordan yelled after him. “How many times does she have to say she’s not interested?”
His footing faltered for a second before he continued heading to the front door.
“Pushing him isn’t wise.” I got that Jordan wasn’t part of our normal group, but she had to know that.
“I don’t get what all the hype is for fated mates, but now we’ve got more of our target’s attention.” She licked her bottom lip and glanced his way.
Let’s see how awkward I can be, I thought. I turned, following Jordan’s gaze, and stared into yellow eyes.
“Hey, are you paying attention to me?” The girl that was doing everything possible to catch his eye pouted and glared in my direction.
Her friend realized it too and untangled herself from the guy she was with. “Come on, y’all. Let’s go play some games and get a drink.”
“That’s a great idea.” She wrapped her arm through our target’s and tugged him in the same direction Rage had just entered. “Let’s go have some fun.”