02: THE STRANGER AT THE BAR

SIENNA

Letting out a sigh, I headed to Nathan's chamber. I knocked on the door and walked in with the wine tray. I'd barely walked in when he snatched the tray out of my hands and threw it to the floor.

"Here you are," he drawled, his eyes filled with contempt.

He pulled me to himself and kissed me. I struggled against his hold, pounding my fists against his chest. He grabbed my hands, pinning them to the wall above my head.

Burying his face in the crook of my neck, he pressed his free hand to my mouth, muffling the sounds of protest leaving my lips.

"You're glad you didn't have sex with me? What?" He mocked, bursting into laughter.

"I'll show you," he growled, pushing me to the ground. While I crawled towards the door, he grabbed me by the hair and slammed me against the wall. A cry of pain tore out of my throat as pain rattled me.

Nathan cursed under his breath and grabbed the collar of my shirt, ripping it apart.

"Let go of me!" I cried, struggling to my feet. He grabbed me by the neck, his other hand slipping past the waistline of my pants.

Desperate, I bit into his arm as hard as I could. He shook me off, and I collided with his nightstand, sending the lamp crashing to the ground.

Half blind from the pain, I reached out for the fallen lamp. He climbed onto my body, trailing wet kisses along my neck.

Tears crawled down my cheeks, and I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapping my fingers around the lamp.

Not stopping to think, I slammed it onto the back of his head. He slumped against my body, unconscious.

I needed to escape. It was all I could think of. In a flurry of motions, I'd stumbled to my feet and dashed out of the room. I didn't stop running until I was past the gates. The Warriors didn't stop me this time.

Once I was a good distance away from the pack house, the tears poured down in floods. I kept walking, ignoring the aches in my body.

It was over now. It was time to start over. I would make sure of it. Somehow, I lost track of time.

I knew it wouldn't take long before I became the hunted. I had to hide.

The moment I caught sight of a good hiding place, I didn't think twice about it. The bar was bustling with activities, it wasn't hard to blend in.

I hurried into the back room, grabbed a uniform, and made a break for the bathroom. There, I cleaned myself up and pulled up my hair into a ponytail.

After deciding that I was presentable enough, I decided to step out and find myself a glass of water. For some reason, my hands wouldn't stop trembling.

The instant I stepped out, a woman grabbed my hand and thrust a wine tray into my hands. I gasped, confused. The wine tray contained a bottle of expensive-looking wine and a cocktail glass.

"Where have you been, Clara?! Go in there, he's waiting," she snapped.

My frown deepened as she led me to a dark brown door with the inscription 'VIP'.

"What are you waiting for? Go in!" the woman said, pushing the door wide open.

Once I stepped in, she shut the door behind me. There was a man waiting in the dimly lit room. He looked up, and I held my breath, startled by how good-looking he was.

His raven black hair was pulled up in a half bun, and his strong jawline was dusted with stubble. His silver eyes were piercing, his lengthy dark lashes complementing their beauty. From what I could tell, he was pretty fit. It was obvious, despite his dark clothes.

"What are you staring at?" He questioned, his deep voice resonating within the room.

Nervous, I placed the bottle of wine and cocktail glass on the table in front of him.

After I poured him a glass, I stepped aside, trying not to show how much I was on edge.

"Taste it," he suddenly ordered. I froze, fear settling on me. How was I supposed to tell him that I wasn't a waitress?

"Do I have to shove it down your throat?" He demanded, his silver eyes boring holes into my body. I shook my head, wiping my sweaty palms against my skirt.

Trembling, I made my way towards him and picked up the glass of martini, my stomach squirming. He watched intently, his face expressionless. The fact that I was standing in front of such a gorgeous being felt unreal.

I poured a very small amount of the wine into my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding almost painfully.

"What are you waiting for? Swallow it."

The sound of his deep voice sent warmth pooling low in my stomach, a shiver running down my spine.

'It's just wine. I should do this much if I want to leave this place alive," I thought. I gulped the liquid at once, the afterburn in my throat causing me to sputter and cough.

When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me with the glass of wine in his hand. I watched him drink from it, his heated gaze not leaving my face.

It happened in a blink of an eye. One moment, I was staring at him; the next, I was trapped between the wall and his body.

He towered above me, his eyes heavy-lidded. I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He was no werewolf. His aura was much stronger than that. However, he gave off an Alpha's energy.

He lowered his head a little, a lock of his wavy hair falling over his forehead.

"What..." He breathed, his lengthy eyelashes fluttering.

'He's so beautiful,' I thought, mesmerized.

He planted his free hand on the wall right beside my head, his body leaning closer to mine.

As much as I was scared out of my mind, there was a tinge of excitement rushing through my veins.

"What did you spike my drink with?" He finally asked, his eyes turning crimson and black.

At this point, I realized that my temperature was spiking up. My gaze drifted from his eyes to his soft-looking, cherry-pink lips.

'I want to kiss you,' I found myself thinking.

He growled low in his throat, bringing a hand to the side of my head.

"Answer me," he groaned.

I parted my lips, unable to think. His sandalwood-coconut scent was starting to make me feel giddy.

I found myself leaning closer to him. Then, our lips met. I felt the buzz all the way down to the tip of my toes. Despite knowing how wrong this was, I couldn't bring myself to pull away.