Chapter 5

Talon POV

Watching the skyline of the city really did wonders for Talon’s mood, shifting it from downright sour to almost tolerable the longer he watched the clouds

drift across the waning moon.

Despite having the lap of luxury sitting right at his fingertips, it had started to feel less and less like a gift and more recently like a noose had been slowly, but steadily, tightening around his neck the longer the days rolled by.

As the alpha of his pack, there came certain responsibilities that could only be pushed off for so long before consequences started to come knocking down his front door. Mostly due to the fact that his pack was eager to get the ball rolling more than most.

He’d never been one to shirk his duties in the face of change, but he’d felt the need to hold back from them lately. This was why starting the club had been the perfect distraction to throw himself into in the meantime while avoiding other … more pressing … responsibilities.

Especially when it came to his parents nagging him about finding a mate and doing the whole ‘heir’ thing.

The thought made him snort and shake his head. Mate- wise, he wasn’t exactly the shining example of a prim and proper one that most females desired as their choice. Especially with the whoring around he’d been doing since he’d hit puberty. He was sure that he’d sullied that bed a long time ago.

Talon sighed and rested the back of his head against the chair, closing his eyes. Though, even if that was something he wanted in the first place, he wouldn’t even know where to start looking for his mate, anyway. Who knew if she was even Chicago, for that matter? The only thing he wished for right now was a glass tumbler of scotch and maybe a cigar.

The door to the roof burst open, startling him off of the lounge chair and grappling for the taser he had strapped to his leg for the unrulies that liked to roam through the club looking for some kind of trouble.

Normally, he preferred to use his teeth in those instances instead of something chintzy like a stun gun, but humans always tended to scream and run at the sight of his wolf form, even without witnessing him shifting.

Which … typically spelled bad news for business.

What he didn’t expect to find when turning around, though, was a stunningly beautiful woman. Her dark hair had been pinned back away from her face, a few of the strands falling to frame her round cheeks. Her perfectly bow-curved lips were downturned in a frown while her hand closest to the door grabbed at the thin strap of her bag.

Talon worked his eyes down to her figure, taking in the button-down shirt, that had been popped open to show off her chest, tucked into the tight skirt that hugged every curve from her waist to her hips and her ass.

It made him stop dead in his tracks.

Holy shit.

She looked around frantically, her chest rising and falling rapidly from the exertion of climbing up the steep steps to come up here, eyes darting to where the door closed heavily behind her.

What the hell was she doing up here in the first place? “Shit,” he heard her mumble to herself.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. “Miss, are you lost?”

She whipped around, clutching the small bag close to her chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of him in a way that stirred something deep within him. Her eyes slowly trailed from his face, all the way down to his Cole Haan’s, and back up again.

Talon rubbed his fingers together at his sides, suppressing the itching urge they suddenly had to grab hold of something curvy and brunette.

“Uh …”

He couldn’t help himself. He took a slow step forward, mimicking it in the same way he would if he were hunting in the woods for a prized ten-pointer. Her eyes tracked him closely, rooting her to the spot even as he drew closer.

Interesting.

Maybe Leo had actually sent someone up to him after all. Figuring that he’d needed to blow off the steam regardless and had sent a stray his way as an offering. Talon felt himself lick his lips, stopping just in front of the woman to stare down at her.

She looked up at him, long lashes framing beautiful green eyes that regarded him with a certain kind of interest that made that stirring in him feel like lightning trapped inside of a bottle.

He desperately fought the urge to reach out and grab her face in his hand and run his thumb over the small mole under her right eye.

Maybe Leo was getting a raise after all for sending someone like this up for him.

“Well?” he prompted. She blinked.

“Shit. My friends.”

Talon felt his brows knit together. “What?”

Ignoring him, she popped open her small bag and rummaged through it.

“I think we got separated. I need to text them.” That had him pausing.

“Did you … not mean to come up here?”

The woman shook her head, her fingers flying over the screen.

“No, there was some weird … thing going on downstairs. So, I saw this door and came up here, but I didn’t see where my friends went.”

Talon frowned. Weird thing?

“Are you all right?”

The woman sighed down at her phone, her message having gotten no replies from whoever it was she was trying to contact.

“Yeah … I mean, I’m sure they’re fine, and I’ll see them tomorrow at school … Probably.”

He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and rolled his shoulder back, trying not to feel a creeping sense of embarrassment overtake him.

I really need to get laid if I’m having this kind of reaction over a human woman.

She looked up from her phone and shoved it back into her bag.

“How do I get out of here? Like, the actual building. Not just up here?”

Talon nodded to the door behind her. “Back down there. You’ll see a door you can go through that’s an emergency exit. Leads out to the back parking lot.”

She bit her perfectly plush lip, turning to eye the door again. Talon breathed in deeply and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, fisting them. Any longer in this woman’s presence, and he was going to end up pressing her against that door and spreading her legs for the entire Chicago skyline.

“Is there … any other way?” “No. Why?”

“I just … Uh.”

He raised a brow. “Is there a reason you're on my roof?” She blinked at him “Your roof?”

Talon turned toward the skyline that the roof overlooked, taking in the small lounge section before turning back to her.

“Last time I checked.”

Her eyes widened again. “You’re that girl’s brother. The one I met at the restaurant.”

Ah, this must be who Amy was texting me about.

He ran his eyes over her again. Though, to give his sister credit, she really did deliver on the promise this time.

“That would be me, yes.”

“Oh my god,” She slapped a hand to her forehead. “I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of … er, off your roof, Uh …”

She looked at him expectantly. “Talon.”

“Talon. Right. Of course.”

Walking backward to the door, the woman gave him a quick smile. One that looked practiced and not at all genuine. It made him curious about what kind of profession she had in order to have such a neutral smile.

It made him tilt his head, following after her. “You sure you’re all right?”

He wasn’t sure why he was exactly asking again because as soon as she stepped out of that door, she ceased being his problem to deal with, along with forgetting her altogether after this night. But there was something that nagged in him to follow after her.

To make sure she was okay.

“Yeah, no. I’m totally fine. Don’t worry about me.” “I wasn’t.” He lied.

That made her whip around in surprise, her mouth opening to retort with something else, but, by doing so, her body over-corrected itself on the thin heels she was wearing. Making her back leg kick out from under her and upend her entire body to careen toward the roof’s floor.

Talon felt himself move before he could register what was happening. Shooting out a hand to grab onto the inside of her elbow and heaving her upright and away from the concrete. She let out a gasp, surprised at the sudden contact and … presumably … at how fast he’d moved.

Her hand gripped onto his forearm, clutching it tightly on instinct. The second her hand came into contact with him, the jar of lightning inside of him exploded. He felt it race through his entire body, a white-hot fire that hurt like hell but didn’t make him want to let go.

He let out a pained grunt, drawing the woman’s attention to him. Her dark green eyes caught his, and stared into them with an immeasurable amount of emotion swimming inside of them.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

Talon let go of her immediately like he’d touched fire.

She tumbled to the ground with a yelp.

Mate.

He stumbled back from her, head swimming with a thousand voices. All were saying the same mantra over and over again. Loud enough to drown out the sounds from the bustling city below them.

Mine. Mate.

Talon put his hands to his head, pressing them over his ears in a desperate attempt to shut everything else out.

Mate.

Oh fuck.