Chapter 8

Teagan's Point of View

I could feel the banging of the bass right through the walls. A relentless meowling entwined with it. Some might call it singing, I called it harassment to my ears. 

It was somewhere in the early morning hours when the music started. People giggled and laughed along with the horrendous assault on my ears. Bottles of booze crashed to the floor, making the people pause. Right before they carried on in those loud voices.

Groaning, I turned on my stomach and plopped the pillow over my head. Pressed it hard against me but to no avail. The meowling carried right through. Pulsed at the base of my skull until I had had enough.

Flinging off the pillow, it thumped against the far wall. Slid to the floor. I could barely hear it. Could barely comprehend my own thoughts.

How could Jonah allow such loud noise in his house, much less at this time of the night?

"Can you keep it down out there! Some of us want to sleep!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

There was no sign of them stopping. Of even hearing me. 

I was already irritated as it was. Horribly so, seeing as my limited amount of time with Harland was spent explaining to Ciaran what had transpired. Then a lecture followed from Ozias about how I shouldn't give up so easily. 

I was also promised a prominent bonus the moment the papers were signed.

The latter spurred me on more than the former. A nice beach house in Caribean was next on my list of wants and a bonus could make that happen faster than saving could. So I sucked up my ego and listened intently.

Find their weaknesses. Exploit the living hell out of it. Take Jonah up on his offer to stay here for a 'vacation' and use it to my advantage. At this rate, I wasn't going to leave Desert Sun anytime soon.

But the banging on the walls and vibrations off of the floor didn't help my state of mind in the slightest.

If I found whoever was responsible for the noise, I might just slit their throats and be done with it.

With another tentative groan, I slipped out of bed. Fumbled for the little light on the bedside table and hissed when I finally clicked it on. The light might have been dim under normal circumstances but at that moment it could have been the sun.

I took another moment to gather my thoughts, or as much as I could and reached for my robe. Within another moment or so, I was flying out the door. 

The monstrous sound was coming from the room directly beside mine. Even the door seemed to be vibrating. On the inside, I could hear an army of people screaming. Laughing. More crashes of glass.

My teeth ground together as I stepped closer to the wooden door. To the party just beyond it. It was the middle of the week. Who in their right mind would have a party on a fucking Wednesday?

Did no one have jobs anymore?

My knuckles rasped against the door in three quick succession. No one answered. The music got turned up louder. A more prominent growl exited my body as I swung both fists at the door. Pounded relentlessly against the hardwood.

Finally, the handle of the door turned. A small crack opened up in the door giving the air just enough space to blast past the person and hit me in the face.

Booze. Cigarettes. All of it slammed into my nostrils and forced its way into my system.

Choking back a snarl, I scowled down at the woman in front of me. 

"Sorry, the party is already full. Come back when you are dressed better." She said a cruel and amused smile on her lips.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't give a fuck how full the party is, turn the music down or I will turn it down for you." I bit back, letting all of the venom in my body seep into my words.

The cruel smile remained in place. Irked me more and more by the second. "I'm afraid I can't do that," She glanced over her shoulder at the crowd behind her. Returned her gaze back toward me. "The owner of the house says that this is perfectly normal and that if you can't sleep go make yourself comfortable in the backyard. The night sky is beautiful this time of the year." 

She thought she was funny. Witty. But the more she spoke the more I could smell the booze on her. She was also gripping the door for dear life. Had it clutched in her hand as she steadily swayed on her feet.

Seizing the opportunity in front of me, I gripped the door as well. Pushed it open with as little power as possible. As I had thought, the girl tumbled backward. Cursed. Fell straight on her ass.

It took the rest of the room another moment to realize their friend was crying about something. Even I couldn't fully understand what she was saying and I was sober.

"Now that I have all of your attention," I gritted out when all of the eyes in the room turned toward me. "Can you please turn the fucking music down! Some of us have jobs in the morning." 

The scene in front of me was straight out of a college frat movie. Too many bodies packed into an otherwise large room. Booze. Ping pong table. Sweaty bodies grinding on each other. A fucking keg and someone still doing a handstand over it with the help of some buddies.

Someone moved out of the corner of my eye. Black hair. Neatly cut. A short beard that spread down his neck. And caramel eyes that were flecked with green.

The pull was instantly there. Rocked me to my very core. I gasped lightly and took a step back as the man approached.

His brooding eyes were hooded with his bushy brows. Pouty lips the softest shade of pink. But when he got close enough I held out a hand toward him. Palm facing him. He needed to take a step back.

Let me breathe. 

Every nasty word I had bubbled up into my mind. From whore to bitch. Attention seeker. Cunt. Dumb little girl.

Here, right in front of me, stood my mate. A handsome man that I knew well.

Bellamy Johanness. 

He took a second to make sense of it as well. Brows furrowed together. Lips parted slightly. Confusion clouded his eyes. He swallowed hard and I took another step back.

When he finally sifted through his surprise, his hand reached out to me. Touched my arm lightly. But I recoiled. Hissed at him to get him to stop. Not move another inch forward.

For a second there was anger in his eyes. Right before an aloof smile spread across his lips.

"Hello there. Funny seeing you back in Desert Sun." He mused, his aloof grin growing into a wicked smirk.

Every nerve in my body sat on the edge. Screamed at me to run into his arms. Wrap myself around him. But I was lost for words. All the thoughts my mind could conjure up vanished in the blink of an eye.

All I knew was that I needed to get away. From this man. This house. The pack. All of it. Tuck my tail between my legs and run to Harland like there was no tomorrow.

"Turn the music down," I whispered and before he could reply, I was already moving back to my room.

"Teagan! Just give me a moment-"

I was already in my room by the time he followed. Felt my heart break inside my chest. My breaths came in jagged pants. 

I was here to work. To find whatever Jonah wanted and give it to him in return for the mine. None of this mattered. My past didn't matter.

One of these days, I was going to go home and forget all of this. I didn't need another mate. I didn't need anyone but Harland. Especially not the man I was supposed to marry all of those years ago.

I just had to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe.

And lock the fucking door behind me. Because there was no way in hell that I was going to let that bastard even get a foot inside of this room.