Page 42 of The Red Room
There’s a lot of people here tonight.” Dimitri slows the SUV and pulls over to the curb, stopping just before the entrance of Völk. “Wouldn’t want either of you getting lost.”
He isn’t kidding. Somehow, every other time I’ve been here pales in comparison to the pandemonium I witness now. The line starting at the ropes doesn’t just wrap around the block. No, it carries straight down three congested blocks, and more than a few people have no issue standing in the middle of the crosswalks if it means getting them inside sooner. Paparazzi huddle near the front, cameras at the ready should a celebrity make an unexpected appearance. This is without a doubt the biggest night of the year for Völk, and although I should be just as excited as the people in line, for some reason, I’m not. This life, one filled with liquor, a new dance partner every night, and a hangover cured in time to do it all over again isn’t me. Nik’s life … isn’t for me.
Dimitri opens the door for us, and at once a dozen cameras focus on the passenger side of the SUV. Flashing lights not only blind the interior but the entire street. I try and shield my face from the paparazzi’s assault, though my bag does little to stop it.
“Natalie?” Courtney says behind me above the music and voices vibrating the sidewalk. “What in the hell is happening?”
I adjust the straps on my shoulders and smooth the dress down each thigh. Grabbing her hand, I say, “Just go with it. Pretend we’re famous.”
She smiles wide for the cameras, giving an elegant red-carpet pose. When they clamor for more, snapping pictures as fast as their fingers will let them, Courtney whips her hair to the side. “Oh, I’m way ahead of you.”
We strut up the carpeted steps of Völk, our arms interlocked. Two average girls given the movie star treatment. Dimitri follows close behind, never allowing more than a fewpaces between us. The other bouncers part around our grand entrance, some nodding in Dimitri’s direction. Two men open the doors for us when we approach, and the music inside is only outdone by the collective screams of the crowd. The club lights are somehow more blinding than the cameras outside, and from one corner of Völk to the next, there’s enough people to make a fire marshal nervous.
Dimitri takes a post at the door and nods us off.Guess we’re on our own.I don’t know what it is about him, but whenever he’s nearby, I feel safe. Protected. Even if there’s a werewolf ready to make me their dessert, Dimitri will be there to pull me out. Now that he's gone, and the doors swing to a close, a certain amount of unease settles in my skin. A sort of nakedness in the most crowded room I’ve ever been in.
“Do you want a drink?” Courtney yells, her voice struggling to break through the deafening club.
I shake my head and retrieve my camera, using it to silently say,I’ve got work to do. Courtney nods and maneuvers her way to the bar, leaving me to get started. The first picture I take is of the dance floor, though with how many people are on it, the floor itself is practically hidden. Then, the long stretch of the bar lined with sweaty-faced clubgoers. The bartenders struggle to keep up with the raised hands holding cash, but everyone, and I meaneveryonein Völk continues to dance to the rhythm roaring throughout the club.
Among all of the faces, I don’t recognize a single one. Nik is probably here somewhere, but I still have yet to see him or his behemoth of a brother. Both would be easy to pick out when they stand at least a foot above everyone else, and Viktor, two times as wide. I’m not here for Nik, though. This is a job, my highest paying one to date, and I am going to deliver what was agreed upon. After that? Then, maybe, I’ll sneak off to his loft and see if he still has those chains out.
I take careful steps around those dancing, adding a few more pictures for good measure. No one seems to notice, not when the flash of my camera blends in with the club lights.Just a few more of the crowd and—
I slam my back into what I can only describe to be a brick wall. It isn’t a wall. There’s an impressive figure looming over me, and the heat radiating from his chest is all too familiar.He’s here.A small breath in is all I allow, letting the fire leave his body and ignite mine.Nik.I knew he wouldn’t let me navigate this place for long without finding me. I turn, biting back the smile forming on my face.
“I was wondering where you—” The wind is punched from my lungs as I stare up at him.Viktor.Viktor fucking Vostik stands before me, his unnatural gray eyes piercing though the shadows of Völk. He grins, but there’s nothing friendly in his expression. It’s one that only spells death.
He peers at me for a moment, his gaze traveling down my neckline, and eventually, the camera in my hand.
Without a word, he plucks it from me and scrolls through each picture I’ve taken so far, one eyebrow raising. I can’t move. Christ, even my legs stay frozen despite the overwhelming urge to dash for the nearest exit. Then, he brings the lens to me, his finger hovering over the button.Is he? No, he’s not trying to take a picture of—A bright light flashes and small purple dots block out parts of his sinister face. I do nothing else but stare up at him, pleading Nik is somewhere nearby.
Viktor holds the camera in front of me, his eyes fixed on mine. When I take it from him, he leans in, bringing his mouth inches from my ear. Terror skitters up each of my arms, leaving long, bumpy trails of goose bumps in its place. “You should smile,” he says in a low growl. “This is a party, after all.”
The hair at the back of my neck stands straight.He knows.I have no idea how, but now I am certain. Viktor knowsI am fully aware he’s a werewolf. I can’t explain how or why, but there’s something telling in his horrible grin. It’s like he’s waiting for me to run. Waiting to unleash the animal lurking beneath, and he is more than ready to make me his prey the way a dog would chase a rabbit in a field. This man, this monster I’ve been told is the epitome of savagery, is hunting me.
Viktor lifts his hand slowly, bringing it to my horrified face. The nails on each finger grow and sharpen to a point, giving him an impressive set of claws.No. No, no, no.My breath leaves me in one uncomfortable gasp. I want to scream for help but there’s no point. Not with the ear-splitting noise of Völk. He has me cornered, and no one, not even the people dancing mere feet away even notice. My body constricts. Cramps. He’s going to kill me. Slash out my throat in front of a packed club who can’t be bothered. This is their night. Sure, there’s a girl spewing blood from her fucking neck, buthello? This is their favorite song.For fuck’s sake.If there was ever a time I thought I wouldn’t survive the night, save for my first full moon with Nik, this is it.This is how I die.
Before his nails meet my skin, Viktor’s grin deepens. “Brother,” he says loud enough to be heard and lowers his arm. He isn’t looking at me anymore, but behind me.
I can’t prepare myself for what I see when I turn toward him. His eyes don’t glow in that golden color I’ve become so fond of but are practically black and as murderous as Viktor’s.
Long tendrils of dark brown hair drape down each side of his face, giving way to the intimidating snarl wrinkling his nose and brow. Nik growls at his brother, the sound outdoing the bass of the music. And me? Well, I’m standing right fucking between them.
TWENTY-TWO
Viktor stands tall, seemingly preparing himself for an attack from Nik. “I found your pet,” he says, waving his arm to me. “You should take better care of your things.”
Rage boils in my chest. I clench my hands tight enough for my nails to bite into my palms. I try and stomp toward the behemoth but Nikolai grabs me by the wrist and forces me behind him. His skin isn’t just hot. It’s on fire, reaching a temperature I’m not so sure human flesh can handle without melting. When he lets go, there’s a large red imprint in the shape of his palm. It doesn’t hurt, but holy shit, I still feel the heat.
“Stay away from her,” Nik bellows, his voice dripping with venom. “Or your next trip to see Father will be in pieces.”
Viktor grins sadistically and glances around the club, noting the hundreds of people surrounding us. He takes a slow, lurching step forward, the heat between the two burning like an incinerator. “Even if you could shift without the moon,brother—" He pauses, and his glowing eyes darken a shade. “You’re still too weak to do it here. And her?” He nods at me. “She’s only making you weaker.”
Nik backs me away with his arm, his entire body tensing. His shoulders flex, stressing the seams of his button up from his biceps down to the rolled sleeves on his forearms. He can burst out of the shirt at any second. Maybe even burst out of his own skin and give way to the animal begging to be unleashed.
“Final warning, Viktor.” The cords of his neck thicken and bulge.
Running his tongue along his teeth, Viktor quirks a brow.Shit.This is really about to happen. They are going to rip each other to shreds right in front of the biggest crowd Völk’s ever seen. I’d run to get Dimitri if I thought he could make any difference in a Vostik royal rumble, but even though he is near their size, I doubt there is anything he can do. Not if one of them transforms.Even if you could shift without the moon, brother.It wasn’t just the accusation of Nik not being able to change, but the arrogance in his voice. Almost as though … Viktor is implyinghe can.