Chasing Freedom

XVI

Myles headed towards the club doors, Mira a step behind him. The alleyway past the carpark was wide, lit with burning lanterns that made a cloud of mist above their heads. There was no neon sign leading to the door. The pavement underneath them was uneven. The graffiti was a mix of new and old. No one stood at the door, but he knew the camera was currently watching them.

Mira glanced around, stepping closer to him. "Are we supposed to be here?"

"I promise it's better inside."

He and Ciaran had stumbled upon the place by fluke in the early morning of a pub crawl, back when Moonlit Magic first opened. Since then, it had become their preference for a night out. The location was unassuming, keeping away the crowds other places drew.

"I'm glad you warned me about heels," said Mira, under her breath. "I hope I'm not overdressed."

"Mira, it doesn't matter. You look amazing."

She waved off the compliment, suddenly interesting in symbols on the wall to his left.

He let the words hang between them, staring down at her. She took his breath away without even trying. It was the first time he'd seen her wearing make-up. Her lips were stained a deep red, her eyes impossibly bright behind dark lashes. Strands of hair were curled loosely around her face, the rest pulled back into a loose knot on top of her head. She wore black boots, ripped jeans, a cropped long-sleeved top that bared her shoulders—and the freckles she had there. In the chill of the night air, she shrugged a beige faux-leather jacket.

The bracelet on her wrist was her only accessory.

"You look good, too," mumbled Mira.

About to push the door open, he stopped. Then he grinned. Myles hadn't gone to near as much effort as she had, aside from shaving. A forgotten pair of white-washed jeans he found buried in his closet and an off-white button down. "Thanks. Ready?"

Mira pulled her bag higher on her should. "Sure. What's the worst that could happen?"

Nothing, not on his watch, he thought, twisting the heavy, brass handle. When he stepped through the door, he immediately noticed the pair of sentry tucked away into a booth in the corner. Both had a drink he knew was non-alcoholic. Neither would drink on the job, not at the risk of their Alpha pair's anger. After all, they'd arrived in the same car in the event that that Myles got too drunk to drive back to the pack lands and one of them had to get behind the wheel. Myles nodded in their direction, which they both returned, as he shut the door behind Mira, closing off the music to the outside once more.

"Oh. This is nicer that I thought it would be," whispered Mira, a musing to herself more than anything.

The interior was a mix of old-school tiles, exposed brick, graffiti and rustic wooden tables. The bar itself too up very little of the space, tucked away to the left. The lighting was rudimentary, not the epileptic strobes of other places they'd drunk at. Still early in the night, the crowd was thin, but he knew it would pick up in a couple of hours.

"Where are—"

"Mira!"

It took him a second to find Vara, in a backless, short red dress. She was down the rear of the club, in an area past the dance floor that was filled with tables. It was the usual spot he and Ciaran migrated to as opposed to the left side tables closer to the bar, given it was the quietest area.

Vara crossed the floor, pushing past those in her way. She pulled Mira into a quick hug when she reached them. "It's so good to see you, honey. I'm glad you came tonight. Third wheeling with their bromance is not my idea of fun. I'll take you to where we're sitting."