Meet Again!

Eloise stepped into the dimly lit room, her heartbeat quickening the moment the door clicked shut behind her. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with unease. She hesitated for just a moment, taking in the scene before her.

A handful of guests lounged casually on the sofas, their eyes glazed with boredom, while several escort girls flitted about, their fake smiles barely hiding the tension in the air. But it wasn’t the guests that held her attention, it was Mavis.

Mavis stood in the center of the room, her body stiff, her face twisted in quiet desperation. As soon as their eyes met, the younger girl’s lips parted, and she took a shaky step forward.

“Eloise, help me!” she cried out, her voice breaking through the thick silence of the room.

Eloise’s heart lurched at the sound of Mavis’s plea.

The moment Mavis spoke, the entire room seemed to shift. The guests she had learned to fear in silence turned their eyes toward Eloise, scrutinizing her like wolves eyeing prey. Eloise’s breath caught in her throat, her chest tightening as she realized that at that moment, she was the center of attention.

The realization hit her like a punch to the stomach.

No. Not now.

Some of these men were werewolves. She could feel it, deep in her bones. There was no mistaking it, the danger was real, and it was here.

Eloise tensed, her mind racing as she searched for a way out of this. But there was no way out. She had no choice but to play her part.

"I’m just the cleaner," she reminded herself, her voice a quiet whisper in the back of her mind.

Eloise, just do your job and get out. Don’t get involved. Okay, you can do this.

She squared her shoulders, swallowing her fear, and forced a neutral expression onto her face.

“I’m here to clean up,” she said, her voice hoarse, betraying more than she wanted. She hated the sound of it, raspy and weak, like a reminder of how small and insignificant she had become. But it was the only mask she had, the only one that might keep her alive.

Her words seemed to distract the guests for a moment. Their attention shifted away from her and back to Mavis, who was still standing in the center of the room, visibly trembling. Eloise could see the girl’s pleading eyes, but she refused to meet them.

"No, Eloise, you can’t get involved," Eloise thought, her chest tightening. She had learned long ago that survival meant keeping her head down and avoiding trouble. Getting caught up in someone else’s problem, especially someone as fragile as Mavis, could cost her everything.

Mavis was just a human, and though the wolves in the room were dangerous, they wouldn’t harm her, not unless she gave them a reason. Besides, the girl had parents. She had a life outside of this place. She had something to fight for.

Eloise, on the other hand... she had nothing.

The mop in her hand moved mechanically, swishing back and forth as she focused on the task at hand. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, anxiety, guilt and fear, but she refused to let any of it show on the surface.

The man who had been sitting on the sofa, a tall, broad-shouldered figure with sharp features, placed his wine glass down with a soft clink. He turned his gaze to Mavis and spoke, his voice smooth, almost too calm.

“Drink this glass of wine, and you can leave,” he said, the words dripping with unspoken menace.

Mavis’s face twisted into a scowl. Her body stiffened, and Eloise could see the anger flare in her eyes. For a moment, it looked like she might fight back. She opened her mouth, as if to say something defiant, but then....

“Splash!”

Eloise’s hand jerked. Her mop struck the bucket, and water splashed across Mavis’s dress, soaking it. Mavis’s eyes widened in shock, and the room fell silent. The tension in the air thickened, like a storm waiting to break.

“I’m sorry,” Eloise murmured, her voice barely audible. She lowered her gaze quickly, pretending to focus on her work again.

Mavis’s voice, however, was anything but quiet.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, her words tinged with frustration. She turned her attention back to the men.

“I’m just working part-time here for the summer. I’m not an escort, and I won’t accept your disgusting requests.”

Eloise’s stomach churned.

No, Mavis, no... The words rang in her head like a warning bell.

What was the girl doing? Did she not understand the danger she was putting herself in?

Eloise’s pulse quickened and she fought the urge to look up. She had to stay out of this. She couldn’t afford to make things worse. But it was already too late.

Mavis’s defiance had drawn more attention to her, attention that wasn’t good. The room’s atmosphere shifted again, a low hum of barely restrained menace filling the air. Eloise’s pulse spiked and she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to breathe evenly.

I just need to finish cleaning, and then I can leave.

But even as she thought it, she knew there was no escape.

The man who had first spoken, the one holding the glass of wine, set it down with a deliberate slowness and turned his attention back to Mavis.

“If you don’t drink it, I’ll have to talk to Rachael,” he said, his voice casual, but there was an undercurrent of threat in it.

Rachael!

Eloise saw the color drain from Mavis’s face. The name alone was enough to make the girl falter.

She's scared, Eloise thought, feeling a wave of sympathy for her. Racheal was the manager of the club, and if she found out about this, Mavis would be fired. The young woman would be out on the streets, with nowhere to go, nothing to fall back on.

“I’ll drink it,” Mavis said quickly, her voice shaking. She reached for the glass, her fingers trembling, but before she could take a sip, a voice interrupted her once again.

“Wait.”

The command was low, dark, and filled with an undeniable power that made Eloise’s blood run cold. She froze. Her heart skipped a beat as her body betrayed her.

No... not now.

Her throat tightened, and her breath came in shallow gasps. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She knew that voice. Knew it too well. It’s the voice that haunted her.

“Turn around.”

It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t even a question. It was an order.

Her body locked up, as if some invisible force were forcing her to obey. Every instinct screamed at her to turn and run, to get away from this nightmare. But her legs moved against her will, her feet carrying her slowly toward the dark corner of the room, toward the man whose voice had called her name.

No, no, no... her mind screamed, but her body wouldn’t listen.

When she turned, her eyes met his. Ainsley. Her stomach twisted violently at the sight of him. He was sitting in the shadows, relaxed and composed, as though nothing in the world could ruffle his feathers. His posture was almost regal; his arms draped casually over the back of the sofa, his chin resting on his hand, eyes gleaming with cold amusement behind the gold-rimmed glasses that framed his face.

He was the Alpha of the Litha Night Walker Pack. He was the one who had taken everything from her.

It'd been years, she thought, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.

Why is he here?

Ainsley’s lips curled into a thin smile.

“Eloise,” he said, his voice smooth, carrying the weight of years of power and cruelty. “It’s been a long time. "Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Her mouth went dry. She opened it, but her voice wouldn’t come. She had to force the words out.

“Alpha Williams,” she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of old memories.

Ainsley’s gaze swept over her, calculating, sharp.

“When did you come back?” he asked indifferently, his tone flat, as though they were old acquaintances catching up over tea, not enemies bound by something darker.

Eloise’s heart hammered in her chest. She didn’t want to answer. She didn’t want him to know the truth, the horrors she’d endured, the way she’d been broken. But she knew he already knew. He could read her eyes, see the traces of her suffering written in every line of her face.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze, even as her heart threatened to tear itself apart.

Ainsley tilted his head slightly, the faintest trace of amusement in his eyes as he looked at the bottle of vodka in Mavis’s trembling hands.

“How about you drink this bottle of wine, and I’ll forget all about it?” His smile widened, but there was nothing kind in it.

Eloise’s stomach churned. No... she thought, her insides turning to ice. The bottle of vodka seemed to mock her, the glass glistening in Mavis’s hand like a death sentence.

“My patience is limited,” he said, his voice low and cold, and Eloise felt a wave of dread crash over her.

“Alpha Williams, please,” she begged, her voice breaking. She dropped to her knees, not because of the wine, but because the thought of anything to avoid drinking was more than she could bear.

“Please, I’ll do anything. Just... just don’t make me drink it.”

Ainsley’s expression darkened, his smile fading into something colder.

“It’s just a bottle of wine, Eloise. Why kneel for that?” His voice was mocking now, cruel.

“Where’s your pride? Your dignity?”

Dignity?

Eloise’s heart twisted bitterly. She had given up her pride long ago, along with everything else. She had learned that dignity doesn’t help you survive.

“I’ll do anything,” she whispered, her voice hollow. “Anything... except drink.”

Ainsley raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and disdain.

“Anything?”

Eloise nodded, her hands trembling as she lowered her gaze, not daring to look him in the eye.

Ainsley’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Very well,” he said, his voice laced with mockery. With a snap of his fingers, a man stepped out from the shadows, his expression unreadable.

“Kiss him,” Ainsley ordered. “Do that and I’ll let you go.”

Eloise’s eyes went wide. She could barely breathe.

“What?” The room spun, her mind racing with disbelief and dread. She wanted to scream, to run, but there was nowhere to go.

“Kiss him,” Ainsley repeated, his voice cold and final. “Or drink the wine.”

Eloise’s pulse thudded in her ears, none of the options were an escape. Neither would save her, but anything to survive. Anything to keep her promise...