"Ugh, this is ridiculous! This line is miles long." I groan looking at the line in front of me that zig-zagged down the street.
Lang laughs. "Let's just go wait for Ellie's shift to end, we can eat there." He suggested this not even looking up from his phone.
"All I wanted was some tacos." My tone is dejected.
Pulling out of the parking lot I turn the radio up and head downtown to Ellie's, my best friend's restaurant her mom bought for her when she graduated college. She worked part-time on weekends so we could have a little fun and let loose after a week of adulting. We pull in to our usual parking spot and find our way to our usual booth while we wait for Ellie to finish with her customer and spot us.
"Have you talked to your brother recently?" Lang's voice casual but I glare anyway.
Wagging a disapproving finger at my friend I say. " For the last time stop hitting on my brother when you get bored, he gets so uncomfortable and you know he's too nice to tell you so."
He laughs platinum silver hair falling into his coal eyes. "That is what makes it so fun, watching him squirm like a worm on a hook."
Shaking my head I chuckle. "You are awful."
Ellie finally sees us and we wave her down, she comes skipping over light brown curls bouncing as she does.
She sits herself down on my lap hugging me and sticks her tongue at Lang who just gives her the bird, eyes glued to his phone still. "I thought we were meeting up later to hang." Ellie says.
I shrug. "Taco truck was packed and I'm starving." I look up giving her puppy eyes and she laughs.
Pinching my cheeks she teases me, "You always pick the worst times to go get tacos, Izzy."
Keeping up the puppy eyes I beg her. "Food, please?"
Without looking up Lang says,"I'm surprised you don't have diabetes at this point."
Agreeing with him Ellie glares at me ."Honestly, where does it all go? You weigh nothing."
I grin widely and smugly say "That's for me to know and you to find out. Honestly I'm not sure if I should be offended or flattered by that. Could just be that I am amazing."
"Ah," Lang says sagely. "and there it is, it all goes straight to her ego."
We all laugh then Ellie takes our orders before getting back to work. All day as we waited Ellie would bring us snacks and sweets, Lang and I playing childish games with each other. We get glares from other customers when Lang starts a food fight. We chatted excitedly about our plans tonight to go see this grunge band at the local club Push n Pull, tonight was the last night I was going to be able to have fun for a while. I had been staying with Ellie since I got into a fight with my parents about my engagement. As heir to my family's title, I would need to marry to complete tradition and receive the position and title of Countess Van Byrne. I wasn't ready to get married yet, especially to a man I've never met; but then again how many one night stands have I had where I didn't even know my partner's name? Perhaps I was just being childish, and I knew I couldn't hide from it forever.
Ellie's shift doesn't end until sundown, all of us rushing to my car to make it to the club before the opening song. Once inside we are greeted with booming music and bright strobing neon lights, the smell of sweat and liquor bringing a wild grin to my face. This place was amazing, everything here invited me to let loose and be free, and boy did I oblige. I shout out to the bartender for a round of shots before we head out to the dance floor.
I let the beat carry me, twisting through the crowd as I dance, not caring with who or how. It was the fleeting feeling of freedom I got from letting all of my senses go, like falling from a great high drunk on bliss.
I chased that feeling all night, using anything to keep the feeling going: drinks, flirtatious kisses from strangers, dancing with Lang and Ellie as we laugh.
At some point during the night, I go to sit down at the bar to cool down and rehydrate laughing to myself. Catching my breath I look out to the crowd searching for my friends when I find them I let out a laugh; both of them trying to hit on the same guy, glowering at each other with the poor boy stuck in between looking like bait. I sigh heavy and loud as I look out to the sea of bobbing bodies and neon lights. Even with all the help Ellie and Lang were giving me to keep me distracted it wasn't enough for me not to slip back into brooding once I was alone again.
A smooth exotic voice comes from my side sending goosebumps up and down me. "Now what's a beautiful young lady like you doing sitting here looking sad and all alone?"
I turn in my seat with a flirtatious smile on my face that is quickly wiped away when I see the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid eyes on. She sat gracefully on the bar stool with deliciously long light honey-colored legs that I raked my eyes over, following them up past her thicc thighs and curvy hips, over ample breasts. Her lips are full and smug, but what pulls me in are those eyes; such an odd color like muddled red wine, a deep maroon.
The dazzling woman's lips quirk into a smirk. "See something you like pet?"
I avert my gaze letting my thick auburn hair fall between us as my cheeks flame. "Sorry," I mumble.
"For what?" The woman asks reaching out and tucking my hair behind my ear, my cheeks burn brighter at her cool touch. "Mm, that's a nice color on you." She purrs leaning in closer. Her scent wafts up to me in waves, an intoxicating mix of something old and citrus, odd but all the same comforting; everything about her pulled me in. And that was dangerous.
"Why aren't you out there dancing?" Her accent is weird, nothing I've ever heard before.
I wave a hand distracted still avoiding eye contact but she wouldn't break hers, staring at me with interest. Jeez, this woman is intense. "Just taking a water break," I hold up my bottle. "How 'bout you."
Looking up was a mistake, her smile was big and wide. Her teeth blinding me even in the dark room, amusement, and something else playing behind her odd eyes making me shiver. She looked at me like I was prey, it was unnerving. "Well I'm here people watching," One long-fingered hand gestures to the crowd "And you caught my eye. Want to dance pet?"
Before I can even open my mouth to give a reply Ellie flies into me with Lang in tow both drunk messes; giggling and stumbling. "Izzy, take me home 'fore I pass out." Ellie groans alcohol thick on her breath.
Chuckling I pat her on the head "Okay, okay, you wild animals." Taking a glance back behind me to apologize to the beautiful woman but she is gone.
Biting back my disappointment I shepherd my two friends out the door and into a cab, paying for both Lang and Ellie I give the driver their addresses and watch the car drive off before I take off walking down the alleyways, knowing it was quicker than the streets and it was going to be dark soon I continued down the alley quickly. The town was quiet and dead, everyone either inside the safety of their homes or like most reason people, are afraid to be out past sunset.
Mythics, are what people tend to call them. A little on the nose for my taste but then again we humans were never very creative. Vampires, werewolves, ghouls, witches, and all the other things that go bump in the night; things several centuries ago we mortals thought were just stories. They own the city at night, doing what they please whether or not there could be repercussions. We've been at war with them for two centuries after the signing of the first peace treaty was attacked and both sides blamed each other. No solution was ever enough for them to come to some kind of peaceful ending we can all benefit from, neither side willing to fully put aside their pride and compromise for peace.
I wasn't that far from home but I slowed just at the thought of going back, ugh, I was not ready for whatever argument awaited me. Still, I couldn't stall forever so I trudge on with a grumble as it started to rain. A noise alerts me, jerking my head up I scan the alley in front of me for a threat, heart lurching forward in fear at the sight a few feet ahead. My stomach twisting when the werewolf's head raises from his victim, thick red dripping from its grimacing mouth. Its fur matted with dirt and dried blood, the smell coming from it was enough to make me gag. The body under the beast was a mess of insides and broken bones, the face unrecognizable, the body small; too small to be an adult. My stomach clenching in disgust and bile rose to my throat, it was a child.
The beast's eyes are small and dangerous as it takes a large step towards me, a guttural noise coming from its throat. I go to take a step back reaching into my bag, feeling around for my knife. I might not be able to do much damage but maybe I can do enough to escape. I keep backing up as I grow frantic. Just as my fingers close around cool metal I trip and fall backward, large black spots dance in front of me, my head exploding in pain.
"Fuck!" I cry out stumbling to my feet and yanking my knife out of my bag roughly, holding it from of me with shaking hands.
If I turn and try to run I will be dead before I can make it to the end of the alley. The look in the beast's yellow eyes was deadly and watchful, the heat of its stare was terrifying. With one gigantic paw it steps forward getting low into attacking position and I do the same trying to steel my nerves. The massive wolf lunges and I'm not quick enough to dodge it, two huge paws force me down slamming my head to the pavement. I gasp as the air leaves my lungs, my vision going black for a second.
Just before I slip into unconsciousness I see something flash in front of me, ripping the werewolf off of me. I hear its heavy body land with a yelp and concerned red eyes appear in front of me. The last thing I remember was strong arms lifting me and walking out of the alley then the world fades out.
This is the first time I will be writing a gxg book so please be gentle with the criticism....Ima sensitive lil switch 👉👈🥺