Finding Courage

ARIA

That day finally came. It was it, the day of my bachelorette party. It was my last day of freedom. I had to lose my virginity during that party no matter what. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like I was getting any closer to my goal...

I thought that going to the Silver Mist Club would be perfect to make my plan work. The club belonged to our pack but was on the far outskirts of the pack's territory. It welcomed wolves from other packs and humans as well. Before I walked in, I was mentally prepared for a one-night stand, but my strong determination left me once I was inside, giving in to doubts and hesitation.

Now I was sitting in a throne-like chair, wearing a pink veil with a glittered pink crown, and wondering what the hell I was doing. I was drinking my fifth sweet drink with a tiny umbrella, pretending that I was having a good time and forcefully smiling at my friends. My eyes had already scanned ninety-nine percent of the male specimens within the club without finding anyone worthy of my attention. Seriously, I set my standards quite low. I simply needed to find someone from outside my pack without a huge "asshole" sign on his forehead.

I felt more hopeless and pathetic by the second. I wasn't the slutty type. I kissed a guy only once, and it was because I lost a bet. Yet I was willing to run miles out of my comfort zone just to ruin this damn engagement.

Suddenly, the lights went down, and the music changed. My grumpiness had already taken the best of me, and I paid little attention to what was happening. I was just starting to think that I might have had better luck finding someone if I had gone outside and stopped a random truck driver, but then an odd commotion began...

"Oh. My. Goddess!" Damara's scream nearly made my eardrums explode.

I grunted at her, but my voice quickly died in the screams of others. A second later, the whole ladies' part of the club was on its feet, all of them—including my friends, Damara and Nessa—gathering around the stage. Cursing under my breath, I got up from my throne and climbed on my toes to check out the cause of the commotion. I could barely see anything. I pushed through the crowd until I stood two feet from the podium. I froze.

"Oh. My. Goddess…" I repeated Damara's words, but my voice came out breathless.

The sexy brown-haired Mr. Irresistible, the exact same man I saw the previous day at the gas station, was right in front of me on the stage. He was wearing a suit resembling a club bouncer's uniform and looked breathtakingly intimidating. He oozed dominance that could easily bring every living creature in this club to its knees.

"Take your shirt off!" The agitated screams pulled me out of my bewilderment.

I blinked my eyes as my brain started to process the situation. A second later, a realization came. "That guy is a stripper..." I muttered under my breath.

A wave of heat traveled down my body. I wanted nothing more than to see him release those muscles tightly covered by his jacket and shirt, but I would rather watch it while being alone with him... and, looking at the rest of the women in the club, I wasn't the only one.

He took a step forward that stopped at the center of the stage. He wasn't dancing. The music started to play a while ago, but he was barely shifting his balance from one foot to another. Was he new to this stripping thing? Well, even if he was a beginner, he certainly wasn't shy…

He just stood there while his predatory eyes roamed through the club as if he was searching for his prey. He certainly was the most dangerous man I had ever seen, but I was willing to shut down my reasoning and get close to him. I wanted to taste him. I took a deep breath through my nostrils but scented nothing. My eyes widened in surprise, and I took a deep sniff once more. No wolf. That man was a human, and yet the imperious vibe his whole presence sent seemed greater than that of any alpha wolf I had met before.

I had known all along that Damara and Nessa had hired a stripper for the party. They were stupidly giggling all evening, claiming that they had a surprise for me, and my dear friends couldn't have come up with anything more creative than that, but the man in front of me wasn't anything I had expected.

Mr. sex-on-legs caught my gaze, and I stopped breathing. He came closer to the edge of the stage, keeping his eyes on me. Did he select me as his prey?! Goddess! If that was a part of the show, then my dearest friends would be responsible for my heart attack! My cheeks became fiery red. How could a human without a pheromone-soaked scent have this kind of effect on me?! I was never against human-wolf relationships, but come on!

He swiftly shrugged out of his jacket and another wave of screams came from the crowd. The fact that his eyes stayed on me the entire time freaked me out. My heart pounded oddly fast. My chest heaved and fell at an increased pace. I squeezed my thighs, finding it fortunate that he was a human, and he couldn't scent my arousal. I wanted him. I craved him, and I was unable to take my eyes off him.

His full lips formed a seductive smirk. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly. The girls around him cheered and commented on every part of his delicious body. I watched him silently. He was exposing himself methodically, as if he was trying to establish a world record for causing multiple female heart attacks in less than a minute. His shirt fell to the stage, and the high-pitched screams became unbearable. I swallowed hard. That man was a living embodiment of Michael Angelo's statue, carved to perfection. His broad shoulders were created to embrace and turn any woman's flesh into liquid. The defined muscles of his abdomen uncontrollably forced all women to stretch their arms and try to touch him. He ignored them all. His eyes stayed locked on me.

"Take your pants off!" The shouts became more aggressive and soaked in lust.

Panic grew within me. This was it. If I was going to achieve my goal, then this was my only chance to do it, and I could only do it with him. This was my party, and this man was mine. My whole body was trembling as I took a step toward the stage. I had no idea what I was doing. I only knew that I had to make him come with me. I lifted my leg high and climbed onto the podium, standing in front of him.

Damn. He felt even more intimidating as I was a few inches away from him. I trembled and was one step away from screaming in panic. He stopped moving and locked his eyes on me.

I took a deep breath and exclaimed boldly, grabbing his hand. "You're coming with m-me!"

His mouth curved into a sly grin as he took my hand and tangled our fingers together. My whole skin became feverish the second he touched me. The commotion around the stage increased. All eyes were on him and me, but I couldn't care less.

My sexy stripper leaned over me and whispered in my ear. "Lead the way, princess."

Hearing his deep velvet voice almost made me whimper. He jumped off the stage, and, after one heartbeat, his perfectly strong hands went to both sides of my waist as he helped me down the podium. He held me like that while looking into my eyes, and I became certain that I had made the right choice. Everything about it seemed astonishingly perfect.

The whole club froze in confusion, wondering what was happening. An outrage and sounds of protest came a second later. The stripper didn't care. Neither did I. His gaze lit a hellfire within my belly. I was no longer certain if I could walk, but somehow, I took his hand and led him to the VIP section and then to the suite upstairs, which I had booked before.

He tightened the grip on my hand as we were walking, his thumb stroking it gently, giving me goosebumps. I kept my eyes looking forward, resisting the urge to admire his delightful, half-naked body. My subconscious kept poking me to ask if I truly knew what I was doing. I didn't. I mean, I knew everything I had to about birds and bees, and I kept praying that my instincts would not fail me. Certainly, that didn't stop my inner hysteria from arising with every step I took. I only hoped that I would regain my courage once we were alone in the room. That didn't happen.

I had never been to a place like that, and I had to say that… it looked even more kitschy than I expected. My jaw dropped, and I became speechless. Pink fluffy carpets were lying on the floor, and there was a huge, round, pink bed filling most of the room. The glittering walls and a mirror on the ceiling completed something that could be called the worst interior design ever. I was terrified that if I uncovered the bedsheets, a unicorn would pop out...

"Goddess… What have I ever done to you?" I muttered under my breath, blushing from overwhelming embarrassment.

"So," my charming stripper purred, "you like pink?" I couldn't ignore the amusement in his voice.

I clenched my jaw as I inwardly cursed Nessa, who forced me to wear that stupid pink veil with a crown and pink fitted dress. I turned around to face him. "Actually, I don't. It's my friend's dress, it's definitely not my veil, and I had no idea this room would turn out so... pink," I said, proud of myself that I found the confidence to say something in a comprehensive language.

He smirked and stepped closer, bringing his chiseled chest right before my eyes. "Why don't you tell me what you brought me here for?"

Unfortunately, my confidence left me right after I heard his words. "Um..." I looked away and bit my lip.

"Do you want me to fuck you?" Somehow it didn't sound like he was asking.

His voice had an edge that raised the humidity between my thighs to an insane level. I looked away and bit my lip. He chuckled. A second later, his arms wrapped around my waist. I gasped as he pulled me close, pressing me against his chest.

"Show me that you want it," he commanded, his fingers roaming up and down my back.

I pulled a shaky breath into my lungs, climbed onto my toes, and briefly pressed my lips against his. It was literally the most pathetic kiss I could give him. He raised his eyebrows, a mischievous grin painting his mouth. My cheeks became even fierier than before, the embarrassment and excitement mixing within me.

He cupped my chin, forcing me to face his intense gaze. "I'll take it as a yes," he said before claiming my lips and giving me my first taste of wild passion.