Bloodlines

Anna

The absence of Dean's lips has me stopping.

I face him. I take his arm to steady myself. "What's wrong?"

He doesn't look at me, but at the people around us. Why isn't he looking at me? "This isn't right, Anna."

Of course it wasn't. His lips weren't on my neck anymore. The music continues to pulsate around us. A body jostles us.

"What are you talking about?"

He finally looks at me. "I'll be right back." He squeezes my hand and pushes himself through the crowd. I look after him before stumbling my way through the crowd. I stop at the bar and lean heavily on it.

Katie sits on my left. She stares at me but I pretend I don't see her. That is until I get a tap on my shoulder. "Where'd Dean go?"

I shrug. "Hell if I know." I lean over the bar and raise my finger at the bartender. I order another shot.

"Make that two," Katie says. She stands and leans against the counter with me. "How are you feeling Anna?"

I shrug again.

Two shots are set in front of me. Katie grabs one and I grab the other. We toast to the pounding silence and down them. Katie pats me on the back and leaves. I don't watch where she goes.

I turn my back to the bar and close my eyes as I let the alcohol take over my system. I learned in past experiences that I can take a lot of alcohol, but not as much as a full breed. It takes Sara twice as long as me to get drunk.

A presence to my right has me opening my eyes. Jessica. "Quite a spectacle."

"Yeah, the lights. They're flashing." I roll my eyes. I grip the bar to keep my balance.

"I meant you and Dean. I'd almost thought you two were a thing."

I shake my head and let out a laugh. "We don't need your approval, Jessica. Dean and I are mates, get over it and go back to California."

"You really have no respect for your superiors, do you?" She stands and towers over me. But for a reason that I blame on me being a half-breed, I'm not intimidated.

"I am a superior. If you forgot, the alphas mate is also an alpha. I suggest you go back to California before they get a new alpha." I match her stare.

"A mutt can't challenge an alpha, or become one." She pauses and leaves.

I order two more shots and stay by the bar. Dean shows up after a few minutes. "Do you wanna go?"

I nod. It's almost as if he could sense it on me.

I wake up with a headache. The headache isn't what woke me though, its my phone ringing. I end the call and roll on my side. But I can't fall asleep now. There's a shitty taste in my mouth, all I smell is alcohol, and my body aches. What the hell happened last night?

I stretch before sitting up and then I slide from my bed. Something hits the floor with a metallic ding. I pick it up.

It's Dean's ring.

And on the floor is Dean. Why is he on my floor? I grab a pillow and toss it at him. He jolts awake, looking confused for a second before pulling himself together. He throws the pillow back at me.

"Why are you in my room? If my aunts see..." He pushes himself off the floor.

"Relax, they've been out all night." He stretches. His shirt lifts up a little, revealing his 'Bad Wolf' tattoo. I avert my eyes.