Lucien's office was peculiar.
Mason eyed the pink loveseat in distaste. It was arranged in front of a wide fireplace, currently framing a crackling flame that warmed the room. Little sparks floated around the charred wood pile, resembling fireflies.
"Don't judge my interior work Angelina. Most of this stuff was furnished by my mate." Lucien sang as he watched her take in everything with a perked brow.
"I love hot pink." She countered, examining a daring canvas painting of a hot pink zebra. Now, someone had taste. That was a piece she'd gladly hang in her room.
"Oh Goddess, not you too." Lucien groaned, taking space at the edge of his cherrywood executive desk. "I couldn't say no to Zuri. She basically took over the reins when I got this place designed. My interior designer almost strangled her but what Zuri says, I obey, if it is reasonable enough."
That explained why the space had a balance of masculine and feminine energy. In fact, the whole club carried the balance between the two. There was still the glam from the purple accents that adorned the sleek rooms, but there was also the more rugged edge from the practical leather, and thick metal work of the wide walls.
"How is she doing?" Mason asked, taking a spot in one of the plump seats facing the desk. There were two seats, in which Angelina claimed the other, noting the lack of a coffee table, or a spread of magazines to entertain guests.
"She's great. Still perfect." Lucien grinned; a dreamy look cast over his expression.
Ah, the wonders of a mate bond.
She wasn't used to the display of unconcealed adoration that drew a haze across his face. This was a man who would gladly kneel in front of his mate and offer the world if it was what his woman pleased.
Angelina ran a finger along the arm of her chair, contemplating the phenomenon of a mate bond. She had met a few mated wolves, each different of course. The way it was explained to her was still vague. All wolves could potentially mate with anyone they wanted. It was a choice. This was largely due to their human counterparts. Humans didn't necessarily mate eternally with just one human. They could move on to the next person if things didn't work out. However, for their wolves, it was different. More carnal. Their wolves searched their other half with a hunger that couldn't be satiated. It was a constant battle trying to balance the wild and tame parts. Sometimes, wolves took too long to find someone so they settled for less but not someone entirely wrong. Wolves mated for a lifetime. They craved someone to share their life with, even if they tried to deny it. One couldn't outrun fate. If two wolves gravitated to each other, the fall after would be inevitable. It was futile for any wolf to resist the Claim. The more a wolf resisted, the more difficult it was to pull away. It didn't matter how stubborn one was.
The Moon Goddess herself was an enigma to Angelina. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
The Mother of Wolves?
No one really knew much about the deity but there was a reverence when one spoke of her. She was the reason they had gifted shifters like Healers, Oracles, and wolves of the Alpha bloodline amongst them. Tales claimed that she had given drops of her blood to certain families in order to strengthen specific family lines.
Her family had been selected to carry forth one of the Alpha bloodlines that spread across the lands.
The Moon Goddess blessed mated pairs but there were some pairs she deemed Bound.
Bounded mates were when the wolf counterparts of the mated pair claimed each other so completely, they could remain in their animal forms forever if they pleased. The Claim between wolves was unbreakable, unlike other mate bonds. Bounded mates exceeded a simple mate bond. The connection was deeper, more intertwined, it elevated the couple's animalistic parts. If one wolf died, their other half would die the instant the other's heart stopped. A normal mate bond between wolves wouldn't result in two deaths if one person of the pair died.
It was why some people were apprehensive about mates that were Bound. They presented something far more united and powerful, it made people uncomfortable. However, their unity was their greatest weakness. Killing one off, meant killing both.
Angelina wanted to ask Lucien if he was Bound to his mate but that would probably make the man suspicious. If anything, she wasn't trying to step on people's toes.
"Tell her I said hi." Mason said, interrupting her line of thoughts.
"She'll want you to come see her in person. You know how Zuri is. You've been busy these several weeks. Come have dinner or something with us. Zuri's pregnancy cravings have been getting weirder by the day so I suggest you come soon if you don't want to be eating warmed bananas with soda."
"Sounds pleasant enough." Mason replied.
"Now, I want to know what you are doing here. You've never come back after I sprang that lap dance on you."
Angelina jerked back in surprise, "You gave him a lap dance?!"
"No! Goddess above!" Lucien laughed, ignoring a scowling Mason. "I had one of the workers surprise him in one of our private rooms. You would've thought he was getting tortured. He practically raced out of here. The poor worker thought she smelt and my buddy Mason over here still hadn't returned after that."
"I'm surprised you're not in the Guinness World Record book for being the most irritating person alive." Mason's scowl deepened.
"No need to be a grumpy bum Masey. So, tell me. What's going on?"
"You remember Jack?"
The smile on Lucien's face immediately disintegrated, replaced with sorrow. "Yeah, I remember."
"Angelina's sister went missing with him. She's still out there and we're looking for her. We looked into the places that she visited with Jack frequently. It turns out that they came here quite a bit."
"How old is your sister exactly?" Lucien asked.
"Way too young to step foot inside a place like this. She's only sixteen."
"She look anything like you?" Lucien picked up his phone and began typing in a string of numbers.
"Same eyes. That's about it."
"I'll get my security team to check the footage we have covering the last few months. How about her hair? Height? Build?"
Angelina rattled off Evie's description in much detail as she could. A few seconds later, Lucien's call connected to who she guessed were his security team. He spoke to them quietly. She could hear the man on the other side of the line responding with rapid ease to each of Lucien's demands. When the call ended, Lucien slipped his device back into the back pocket of his starched dress pants and offered her a small but kind smile. "My men are onto it. However, security is tight here. No one under the legal age of drinking would be allowed in unless I have someone on payroll who isn't doing what they're supposed to."
"Thank you. Any help is appreciated."
"I've never seen Jack come here either. I'm not sure why he would want to. He's not the kind of person to come to a place like this."
"That's what we're trying to figure out. There are two other stops we'll investigate too. I've already sent some people to see the place already but they haven't gathered anything useful yet."
That surprised Angelina. She wondered why Mason hadn't told her.
"Do you know those men?" Mason stood, moving to the pane of glass that stretched from floor-to-ceiling, offering a birds-eye view of the lower floor of the club.
Angelina slipped to his side, honing in on the two men who still occupied the stools near the bar. They were now chatting up two server girls. The men weren't hard on the eyes but their presence stirred distrust in Angelina's chest. The server girls fluttered their lashes, stroking their arms. It was obvious they said the words the men wanted to hear because they entertained them with fluttering lashes.
"No but we've been keeping a good eye on them. No one knows who they really are but they've been coming in for a while."
Angelina glanced down at the men as the women wooed their way into their wallets. She didn't feel bad as they fished out crisp notes, dangling it between their fingers in invitation.
"Anything else I can help with?" Lucien asked.
"No, that's it for now. Let us know when you find something. We'll be back."
"Of course. I'll give you a ring."
"Thank you for the help." She offered as Lucien opened his door. "If there is anything I can do for you, you can ask me for aid."
Both Lucien and Mason looked taken aback by her offer. It wasn't as if she was suggesting that she would lay her life down for him in an act of heroism.
"Uh thanks." Lucien managed to answer after a few seconds ticked by in delayed silence.
Angelina went outside, listening as Mason and Lucien parted ways. There was soft laughter shared between the two before Mason closed the door behind him. "Let's get out of here."
They descended the stairs. She wasn't as surprised this time around when Mason spanned his hand across her bare back. She told herself that he was simply being a gentleman, making sure she wasn't going to trip over her heels and fall flat on her face but when they reached the bottom, his hand remained on her back, guiding her down the hallway to the main area where they originally started.
More people had arrived, almost filling the lower level. The lights were more dimmed, with only purple lights glowing along the edges of the ceilings and floors.
They were just about to go down another hallway when Mason cursed, digging through his pockets. "Dammit, I forgot something in Lucien's office." He turned and moved through the crowd of people with purpose. She was sure she was supposed to trail after him but she was entranced by the feline grace the woman on the centre dais. She moved around the pole in a way that hypnotised any eye in the room.
"Beautiful isn't she."
Angelina kept her expression poised as Leo appeared. She had to the give the man credit. He moved like a silent motherfucker. His friend was missing and the women he had entertained earlier were nowhere in sight. She wondered how long it took for him to find her. She should've known he would've sought her out. He looked like a man who went after women whether they were claimed or not.
"Leo, was it?" Angelina kept her tone steady as she gave him a slight smile that wasn't too friendly or too forced.
The man looked pleased as he nodded, "You remembered."
"Of course. I don't forget people easily."
The man licked his lips, distracted by the dress she wore. She hadn't missed the way his gaze dropped to her chest since he approached. She had good cleavage. Leo here didn't deserve even a little glimpse of what she was stacking.
"Where's your man?" He asked, scanning the crowd in feigned interest.
Angelina hid a scoff beneath her breath. This man couldn't be more obvious. "He'll be here in a bit."
"He shouldn't leave a woman like you standing here all alone. It makes it all the more easier for men to come prowling around."
"Men can prowl but that means nothing. I only need one man in my life." She lifted her chin defiantly, "My man satisfies me enough. He has great, deft hands if you know what I mean."
"If you must know, I've been known to have really good hands too. The talent extends to my tongue. I've also heard my beard does wonders." He flirted.
Angelina was on the verge of gagging. The only reason she hadn't spilled her guts everywhere was based off the single fact that she was beginning to like the dress. "Ah, a man of many talents you are."
"Of course. I'm only here for a few more months. Maybe we can catch up. May I have your number?"
"Sorry, I don't give my number out. However, I can take yours?" She suggested.
Leo hesitated. He didn't realise that he was giving himself away. Angelina was now sure that he had some secrets she was very keen on finding out.
"Ok, I'll give you my number. Keep it safe." He winked, taking out a crisp card from a leather wallet he kept in the inner lining of his starched blazer.
Angelina glanced at the white card. It was a simple piece of cardboard with white lettering that spelled out Leo Riccardo, Morning Star Hotels and a set of bold little digits that were printed at the lower left bottom of the card. There was a symbol of a six pointed star on the bottom right corner, where each tip was circled in thin rings. Angelina licked her lips, purposely keeping her eyelids low as she pretended to desire him.
Leo's eyes blurred with lust. His lips parted to speak but Mason was already pressing through the crowd. People practically leaped out of his way as he made a direct line towards Angelina. He didn't miss the sight of Leo loitering beside her. It might have explained the sudden dark expression he wore as he sidled to her side, wrapping his fingers intimately around the nape of her neck. She drew in a startled breath as he pulled her close, nipping her ear while keeping his dark look locked on Leo who looked ready slice his throat. "Sorry I took so long Babe." He was speaking to her but his gaze was firmly settled on Leo.
"I'm fine. Leo was keeping me company for a bit."
"Thanks man." Mason narrowed his gaze. Angelina could only hear a curse from his lips. Leo detected the veiled threat in Mason's words, accepting that as a signal to leave.
"Maybe I'll see you two around." Leo began.
"Maybe."
"Never."
They both responded at the same time.
Angelina almost laughed from the glower Mason aimed her way.
"Well, I'll be off." Leo stroked his beard and departed.
As soon as he was out of sight, Mason turned to her. His fingers tensed around her neck. She had forgotten he even grabbed her like that. It didn't make her uncomfortable or wary because his hold was loose, and thoughtful as he brushed his thumb along her fluttering pulse. "I was gone for what, two minutes?"
"Three minutes and a half." Angelina confirmed.
"Right. I was gone for a short length of time and you already have this man staring at your tits like he wants to reside his head there for eternity."
Angelina scowled deeply, stepping away from his hold. It didn't matter that his hand felt good on her, or that it warmed her. He reluctantly released her, tucking his hand into his pocket with a matching scowl of his own. "You're the one who got me this dress. Considering the lack of material covering my chest, he obviously appreciated what I had. It's no big deal anyway."
"He shouldn't have looked in the first place."
"They're boobs Mason. I'm sure you've seen a pair yourself."
Mason didn't deny or confirm this. He just simply gave her a shadowed look. She also ignored the flex of his jaw. She didn't understand why he was even making a face. It wasn't like he had the rights to allow whomever to see her boobs. They were hers.
"Now, can we leave before he comes back? That man seriously gives me the shivers in a bad way." Angelina shuddered.
Mason nodded, holding her hip as he led them outside.