ISABELLA'S POV
"I'll only go if you drown me in alcohol until I forget myself," I said to Rosa on the phone.
"Girl, when have I ever disappointed you?" she replied, and we both giggled.
"I'm coming to pick you up," she added.
"That won't be necessary, I'm already outside your house," I said, then ended the call.
She peeked through her window and spotted me standing there with puffy eyes and faint smile, Rosa ran downstairs and hugged me tight and that hug somehow managed to make the problems at home disappear.
"Let's get you something to wearrrr!" she squealed.
We spent the night laughing, talking, and trying on outfits, Rosa chose a black two-piece tube top and mini skirt with a cute jacket and I went with a white, flowy dress, no sleeves.
We hailed a taxi and headed out for the club opening.
RAFAEL'S POV
It was 7PM and I closed the file in front of me, I can't lie, all day I have been distracted and swarmed with thoughts surrounding the council's delegation about my marriage, I glanced toward Niko, who had been standing quietly by the door,
"Get the cars ready," I said, he smiled, nodded and left, no questions asked.
The club opening wasn't on my list of things I cared about but Niko had managed to convince me enough to want to show up, plus the man behind it was a partner, and showing up was a courtesy, besides, a drink or five wouldn't hurt, I needed something to silence the noise.
I remained in my office clothes, black bell-bottom pants and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled and three buttons left undone
Niko waited by the car, "You sure you want to go?" he asked
"You already convinced me to, and now you want to undo it?," I replied, sliding into the back seat "we're going."
we arrived just after eight, the guards recognized us immediately, one of them nodded, speaking into his earpiece before opening the back entrance, my wolf senses tingled, scanning for threats and observing every scent, they all wreaked of HUMAN BLOOD, this place, I knew would be filled with humans and I'm not the biggest fan of humans, I don't hate them, I don't antagonize them, I'm simply just…indifferent; I observed every movement and every shift in energy; nothing felt off but I still wanted to stay alert;
we were led upstairs to the VIP section, from here, I could see everything, the crowds moving below, drinks spilling, bodies grinding, cameras flashing , it was a HUMAN fiesta, I had a humorous thought in that moment, that if I desired, I could have one of them as dinner and no one would ever know what transpired but like I said…not a fan.
The club owner approached me with a broad smile, "Rafael, you made it."
"I said I would," I replied and shook his hand while Niko did the same.
He led us to the corner booth, away from the noise, I still had an area view of the club, I knew all that was going on and I picked up every scent in that room, there was no threat.
A bottle of whiskey was already waiting on the table.
"I figured you'd prefer this," he said,
"You figured right."
I poured myself a glass and sat back, letting my eyes scan the room as he talked, he went on about numbers, turnout, investors and I vaguely listened, Niko noticed the way that my eyes scanned the environment and he bent over to me…
"You expecting trouble?" he asked under his breath,
"No," I answered, "but I'm ready if it comes."
I sipped the whiskey.
NARRATOR'S POV
Isabella's mind buzzed as she and Rosa interlocked hands and walked into the club, Rosa was practically glowing with excitement radiating off her as she scanned the crowd while Isabella on the other hand, felt like she was walking through fog but she managed to fake a smile, enough to blend in,
"Let's make tonight unforgettable, yeah?" Rosa's voice was full of life as she gave Isabella a nudge,
Isabella nodded, "Sure."
As soon as they entered, Rafael's attention snapped to the ground floor, something caught him off guard, It was the scent, a wild aroma that was intoxicating and maddening for him, he knew it wasn't human.
His heartbeat quickens but he stayed calm as his eyes darted over the crowd, he couldn't see who or where it was coming from, but whoever had this scent had his attention now.
Isabella, unaware of the effect she was having, stood off to the side with her arms crossed as she watched Rosa slip into a conversation with an old friend, Isabella felt a sting of loneliness, but it was easy to push aside, Rosa was just being herself, after all.
The waiter passed with a tray full of shots, Isabella immediately grabbed one and downed it in one go,
she barely noticed the waiter's shocked expression as she tossed the glass aside and reached for another.
"Are you sure?" the waiter asked, hesitant.
"Yeah," Isabella replied, not even looking at him. "you know what?…Just leave me the bottle."
Eight shots later, the world started to blur, there was no stopping now, she grabbed a margarita, then two more shot, she was on a mission to drown out the mess inside her head.
It didn't take long before Isabella started moving, she wasn't thinking, she climbed onto a table with her bare feet cold against the surface, and began to dance, she laughed, she sang along, her movements were completely carefree, she didn't care who was watching her, she just wanted to feel free;
Rosa saw her from across the room and giggled but she didn't intervene, she knew Isabella needed this after seeing how happy and care free she looked.
As Isabella danced, the crowd around her began to take notice of her energy, it was magnetic and before you knew it, their attention was all hers.
Up in the VIP section, Rafael noticed the uproar downstairs and when he observed, he saw the girl dancing on the table…Isabella, his gaze stuck to her.
The scent that had first drawn him in was stronger now and he knew it came from her, in that moment, he could tell that she was a wolf.
He leaned back in his chair with a small amused smile tugging at his lips as he watched her, Rafael could feel his pulse quicken, but he kept his composure,
In a low voice, he let out a soft chuckle,
"Well, well…Here comes 'trouble'."