Their Human Mate

Chapter Sixteen

Aalya's POV

The car ride is comfortably quiet. I sit on Axel's lap, not failing to notice his rock hard erection underneath my butt.

It takes us around twenty minutes to get to the party. Xander told me that someone booked a bar for the night, and to expect a lot of people. He followed up with a quick reassurance that he wasn't going to leave my side. He said he might have to talk with some other Alphas but that Xavier should be able to stick with me the whole time.

Xander pulls up to an inconspicuous-looking building. 

"Why is it so... blank?" I ask. The plain black exterior seems like it was made to repel attention. 

"We can't have any humans just wandering into a werewolf get-together, now can we." Axel answers, "We need to keep it looking discreet so as not to draw attention."

"They don't get curious?" I ask.

"It's rare," He replies, "But whenever it does happen, they're taken care of."

I shudder, smart enough to know that he implies something along the lines of cold-blooded murder. I remind myself to breathe, to remember that they would never hurt me. 

It's only once we've reached the front door when I realise I've started thinking of humans as 'they.'

The first thing I notice is how muscly everyone is. And tall. The men look like they could beat up a grizzly bear, and the women look like they could take on a dragon. 

I don't fit in.

Xavier holds my hand, a simple reassurance that whatever happens, he's there.

People mingling, low bass-y background music, alcohol.

Xander and Axel leave us to talk to some important-looking men in suits.

"I have some friends I want to talk to, baby. Want to come?" Xavier asks me.

"Um, I d-don't know..." I say, still feeling shy. 

"It's okay, baby. Why don't I leave you with some girls I know... I think you'd like them."

"Oh- um, okay," I say, nervous about meeting new people without him.

He walks me over to two girls leaning against the bar. A girl with mid-length wavy blonde hair stands with drink in her hand. Maybe a martini? She's wearing a soft lavender silk dress, that swishes against the floor whenever she moves. She seems to have stuck with the pale purple theme - her eyeshadow is a glittery lavender, similar to her dress. Her silver tear drop earrings each have an amethyst embedded in them, matching her necklace. 

There's no denying it. She's gorgeous.

The Asian girl next to her possesses more of a slap-to-the-face kind of beauty. Striking, I guess you could say. 

She has shoulder-length straight black hair, her catlike eyes lined with dark makeup. She blends into the shadows with her deep mauve dress and dark jewelry. Her dark eyes follow me as Xavier and I walk over together.

"Alpha Xavier," Addresses purple-girl politely.

"Ladies." He says bluntly, "This is my mate Aalya. Stay with her while I go do business." He turns to me, voice softening, "I'll be back soon, baby." He kisses me on the head, before walking away.

"Hi! Says purple-girl, "I'm Izzy. It's so good to meet you! This is my mate, Vera. She's glad to meet you too!" 

"I'm Aalya," I answer shyly.

"Another one of their whores, I s'pose?" Vera says nonchalantly.

I'm stunned into silence. What does she mean? I know a whore is someone who has sex a lot, and I know it's kind of an insult? I'm not certain, though, so I try not to act upset. "I-I don't - I-I've been told I'm their... mate?" It comes out more like a question.

Izzy elbows Vera in the ribs.

"I'm sorry, Aalya! She was kidding, I promise!"

"I-it's okay," I say. I'm used to insults like this one.

"Nice shoes." Vera says, glancing down to my pink heels.

I look back to her, "Th-thanks," I say, hesitantly. "I-I like your dress."

She looks down at herself, as if she hadn't noticed. "Huh. Well, thanks, I guess." She answers surprised to be complimented by a stranger.

"Hey, why don't we go find somewhere to sit?" Izzy says. 

I follow them over to a red-couched booth, sliding into the seat across from them. 

"I-I don't mean t-to be rude, but I-I thought that o-only Alphas and their m-mates were here," I say hesitantly, curious but not wishing to offend anyone.

"Oh, yes, but Vera's brother is the Alpha of the Eclipse Pack." Izzy answers enthusiastically. "I NEVER would have turned his offer down. I mean, who doesn't like dressing up for a party?"

"Me." Vera deadpans.

"Oh baby," Izzy pats Vera's cheek condescendingly. "I know you hate people, but it's a party! And there's alcohollll," Izzy sing-songs the last word, like it's a temptation no one could resist.

Vera ignores her mate, instead choosing to grab a tendril of Izzy's long blonde hair and tugging on it, staring at it like it's the most interesting thing she's seen in years. 

Izzy giggles at her mate, before turning her attention back to me. "So Aalya, you're mates with all three of the Dark Moon Pack Alphas?"

"Yeah, I-"

I'm interrupted by a loud shout, and a rattling sound. A couple of men are trying to open the door, but it seems to have been bolted from the outside. 

I smell a faint hint of smoke, coming from a window? A door? All around us...

Something is wrong.

Something is very wrong.