Page 13 of Scars of the Sun

Brody’s nudge on my shoulder snapped me back to the people that were way easier to leave. “Uh, sure.”

“Did you see that girl from the park?” I whirled around, catching that bloodsucking motherfucker giving me a tiny uptick of his lips like he was just so fucking observant.

A small amount of my old self slipped out, voice chilling. The pressure of the bodies and music around us pressed against my skin, but instead of making me tense, my body reacted in the opposite direction. To be loose, prepared to move in any direction necessary, was instinct. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Should’ve expected a vampire to face me like this and not give a shit. I supposed that having more years than most of us led to few surprises. And probably a lot of boredom. “I’m gonna go invite her,” he said to my horror and stood. I forced myself to tense, to clench my teeth hard in my mouth to keep the fangs from emerging to tear out his throat. For again approaching what was mi?—

I needed to get high. Or drunk. Or fuck someone.

Alex sent me a kind smile, and I took him in for a second. He was pretty, with long, brown hair. He was dressed down more today, with a t-shirt and jeans, but his lips were glossy, and I knew that they’d taste like cherries.

Too bad he was hung up on Tyler. We’d fucked around once or twice already, but I could tell we both had the mutual feeling that nothing would come of it.

He turned back to his conversation with Jess, and I took a sip of my beer. Where the fuck was Tyler? What was he sayingto the one that I was obsessing over sinking into? Literally and figuratively.

The second band ended their set, and the crowd met them with resounding cheers and clapping while Tyler wove his way back to us. His usually flat expression held a glint in his brown eyes, but I wasn’t gonna give him the fucking satisfaction of asking about her. There was no reason for me to putmoreroots down here. Despite what every other part of me was screaming and craving for. I’d given them enough by dangerously extending my stay here.

He bypassed us and went to the bar, just to be a fucking asshole. So, I purposely faced the stage and wasnotburning to hear her answer. No, cause it didn’t matter. As soon as we left here, I was going to findsomehole to fuck. I didn’t give a shit about gender or whether it was a mouth, pussy, or ass. The release I needed was going to happen, or I was going to inch closer and closer to seeking relief in a far stupider way. Like eviscerating my friend or finally getting a taste of the Wolf girl.

Tyler eventually made his way back after stopping to have conversations with people I knew he couldn’t stand or barely knew. Something he’d never normally do. I was straight up not looking at him when I sensed him beside me again. The leather couch we shared dipped as he sat. I waited. And waited, not hearing one note of the music that was thundering through the speakers. He slammed his glass down once more, draining another Jameson. “She said she’d think about it.”

The empty room I found was a stuffy solace between all the noise and people trying to talk to me. Normally, I would relish in it. Drink and smoke and laugh until I had a faint buzz going andlet it drive me for the night. But every time the goddamn door opened, I was looking for her. I’d walked around outside twice already, trying to convince myself that I wasnotdisappointed she’d decided not to show up.

So, I did the reasonable thing and found Alex who was also not making any headway with Tyler. My friend was on the hunt for dinner, or maybe a fuck too, and he yet again wasn’t responding to any of Alex’s advances. When I’d whispered in the nice guy’s ear, asking if he wanted to go somewhere, he’d nodded gratefully and let me lead him in here.

The kisses along my neck were soft, albeit a bit sticky from his lipgloss. My half-hard dick was slower to respond, but it was steadily hardening, especially with the way Alex was straddling me as we sat in front of the window. Our cocks were both trapped in our jeans, and the friction of his against mine made us moan and press closer together. And I steered my mind away every time I thought about his vanilla and rainy day scent filling my lungs. That it was the wrong one.

He went on to slide down my lap, kneeling between my legs, and I helped him undo my belt and fly to pull out my dick. His hand slowly jerking my shaft to full hardness brought a small groan out of me that was almost eclipsed by the noise outside. Steps moved past the door, and we both turned our heads that direction at the distinct, slight rumble of Tyler’s voice.

Alex kept jerking me. “Uh. Do you want me to talk to him for you?” Was I really offering this while the guy was about to suck my dick?

He shook himself and refocused on my cock in his hand. “No. It’s fine.” And he sucked the head into his mouth.

“Shit,” I grunted at the wet suction and closed my eyes. He was obviously distracted, not like last time we’d done this, but my hand in his hair served as a bit of a reminder to keep going, totake more. My heart beat faster, and Alex licked at the slit of my cockhead, bringing out a louder reaction.

It took me longer than it should’ve to notice the door ripping open and just as quickly slamming shut, what with Alex trying to take me to the back of his throat.

But as soon as the air settled, when I was able to take a breath as he bobbed his head up and down on my cock, I had to focus on silencing a roaring purr that’d begun churning.

It was her, the Wolf girl.

CHAPTER SEVEN

RAMONA

Istumbled down the hallway, barely tipsy, and the darkness, pounding music, and scents were assaulting my conscious thought. It was kind of bullshit that I got these downsides of shifter abilities without the actual benefit of being able to turn into something. Though I’d come to terms with it some time ago—because what else was I supposed to do?—it was still irritating. Unless I could find really strong stuff or something designed for non-humans, regular alcohol just brought on a faint buzz at most.

The smell and smoke of weed hung heavy in the air, nearly choking me, and the body odors and cheap perfumes and cologne were giving me a throbbing headache. Following half the bar to this party wasn’t my best idea, but I would never admit to my sister-in-law that I should’ve headed home with her after the show ended. Though I didn’t expect Sylvie to come with me, the way she’d been at the bar had me kind of hoping. I didn’t have kids of my own, but I could kind of understand her desire to return home to them even after only a few hours. Even when she trusted my brother wholeheartedly to take care of them. That weird envy tightened my chest, and I spotted someone with a bottle of something in their grip.

They were already stumbling, so they didn’t put up much of a fight when I snatched the alcohol from them and took a long swig. It didn’t burn, but a warmth started blooming to chase away the pang of wanting what O and Sylvie had.

When I shoved the bottle back toward the dude I’d taken it from, he snickered and eyed me up and down, like he was impressed. Now that I’d stopped, he looked like one of the members of the band—maybe the drummer? I’d only been paying attention to the jaguar shifter, to be fair.

Two things I wouldn’t admit to anyone. That he’d been the only reason I went to the show and that I’d been searching the party for him. My sense of smell was good, but it was mediocre in shifter terms. Or else I would’ve been able to find him.

But what would I even do once I did? Yeah, he was cool at the skate spot, but seeing him on that stage was a whole different experience. He’d been intense in a totally different way. Cooly charismatic, and when he’d pinned me with those black eyes, I had to catch myself from inching closer to the stage. Again—to do what?

The drummer leered at me, pushing himself off the wall opposite and opening his mouth to say something. Before he could utter a slurred word, I turned and shoved my way into the nearest room. Luckily the door wasn’t locked, and I shut it in his face.