The Den was a lively pub at the entrance of Direfair. The few times we passed it, I didn't pay much attention to the red brick building with moss growing up the walls. It turned out its true character was found inside.
As our little group entered the pub, the first thing I noticed was the smell of alcohol in the air and the chit-chat of the regulars at the bar. The place had a cozy atmosphere to it, unlike the clubs and bars Madison dragged me to just so I could be her designated driver for when she got shit faced.
On the right, the bar was packed with people all nursing their drinks and laughing heartily. The rest were seated at tables and booths on the right. At the far end of the room stood two pool tables and a platform with a karaoke machine. The general decor consisted of black and white pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, rugby jerseys, and neon signs of the logos of beer they served.
"First rounds on me!" Reyna called dips and dragged Alexander to the bar with her.
Rheon led the rest of us to one of the larger booths near the pool tables. I was seated between Rheon and Craig and opposite of Seren and Victor, who were all very keen to tag along when they heard of our plans. Clemmy would have come too if she wasn't too young for places like this.
Craig immediately helped himself to the bowl of peanuts on the table while the rest of us remained silent, waiting for the newlyweds to return with the drinks.
"Hey, cheer up." Seren kicked Rheon from underneath the table upon noticing the frown on his face. He's been in a mood since Matt's unexpected visit and not even the lively atmosphere of the pub seemed to make him relax. Seren's head tilted to me. "He's your mate, do something."
"I..." What the hell was I supposed to do to improve his mood if mine's just as foul? Raking my head for answers, I said the first thing that came to mind, "When you're upset, just imagine a T-Rex trying to do push-ups."
Victor snorted as Rheon's brows furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again - he was imagining it. And it's working. A smile tugged at his lips as he ran his hands down his face.
"That's just sad, Ash," Victor chortled, "At least you made Alpha Sour Cream smile."
Rheon threw a handful of peanuts at him before reaching down to lace his fingers with mine. This random act of holding hands was starting to become a habit of his - not that I minded. I found his affection-seeking nature cute.
"Finally!" Craig exclaimed when Alexander placed a tray of shots on the table.
"Reyna thought starting with tequila would loosen everyone up," the latter explained and handed out the tiny glasses and slices of lime.
"Gimme, gimme, gimme," Seren and Craig practically chanted.
I couldn't help but feel sceptic by the yellowish liquid. It reminded me of pee and smelled even worse. "Would it be bad if I said I never did shots before?"
Craig started coughing and looked at me in disbelief. In fact, the whole pack looked as if they've seen a ghost.
"Don't worry, we'll guide you through this." Reyna waved it off and handed me a packet of salt, "First you take the salt and after that the shot and swallow them together. After that, you suckle on that slice of lime. Trust me, you'll love it."
"Alrighty, then," Craig slammed his hands on the table, "who's ready? Cheers!"
We all clinked our glasses together before starting the process. I made sure to take enough salt before downing the shot. The moment the spirits hit the back of my throat; all my senses were burning. I barely swallowed before the coughing started, tears welled up in my eyes, and I swear even my ears were on fire.
"The lime, the lime, the lime!" Someone shoved the slice into my hand, and I popped the entire thing in my mouth. "Not what I meant, but I like your energy."
Rheon was patting my back and holding back my hair until the coughing ceased. I imagined what I must look like to him; red-faced with my mascara smeared everywhere. His eyes held concern once I looked at him. "Are you alright?"
"That..." I cleared my throat, "...that was disgusting."
"You've passed initiation." Seren clapped her hands and slipped out of the booth, "Next round's my turn. Any requests?"
Most of them asked for a regular beer while I stuck to cider, which was all my mother allowed me to drink before I turned twenty-one. Once we all had a drink in hand, the group disbanded. Craig joined the chatter at the bar, Seren and Victor challenged Reyna and Alexander to a game of darts, which left me with Rheon.
My heart missed a beat when he draped his arm across the back of my seat. His cologne invaded my senses and I found myself actually scooting closer to him. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alex wrapping his arms around Reyna from behind while she aimed a dart at the board, catching her off guard. She shrieked as he attacked her neck with kisses and nibbles, hardly caring if anyone saw them.
Alex's words from yesterday repeated in my head. 'All I know is the moment I laid eyes on Reyna; I loved her. It's just how we are.'
Since then, there was a question I was burning to ask, and thanks to the tequila and the cider in my hand, I had the confidence to ask it, "Tell me about the mark. How does it work?"
Perhaps it was my imagination, but I swear I saw a pink tint on his cheeks which he quickly covered by taking a sip of beer. "It's... a long story."
"And judging by the way Craig's talking to those men at the bar, I'd say we're gonna be here a while." I knew I had won when the look of utter defeat dawned on him.
"Where to start?" he muttered and fiddled with the coaster on the table, "The mark is basically something we do to our mates to show other wolves they're taken. Usually, it's the male who marks the female, and it's done by biting their neck which leaves a mark that lasts forever."
"Like a permanent love bite?"
"Something like that. After the male has marked his mate, their bond is enhanced, and they feel more drawn to each other than ever. My mother and father, for example, can feel each other's emotions and share their thoughts with one another. And..." he cleared his throat awkwardly, "...and with the mark, it becomes nearly impossible for mates to resist each other."
My brows nearly flew through the roof as I swallowed a mouthful of cider. "You mean..."
He nodded.
Blood rushed to my cheeks at the explicit thoughts that came to mind.
"The only reason why Reyna and Alexander weren't screwing each other against every wall, was because he had marked her months before the wedding. They went on an early honeymoon to get it out of their systems for the castle's sake."
My hands covered my burning cheeks to cool them off - I will never be able to unsee what was playing off in my head. Glancing over my shoulder at the newlyweds, I searched Reyna's neck for any bite marks but found none. "But I don't see any marks on her neck."
Rheon breathed a laugh and said, "Well, we werewolves try to blend with humans as best as we could. Overly large bite marks in our women's necks tend to draw attention, so we try marking them where they can cover it."
At that moment, Reyna strutted past us with Alexander on her heels to get another drink. She paused at our table, leaning down to whisper, "Alex marked me on the inside of my thigh." With a wink, they continued their trip to the bar.
My eyes have grown twice their size at all the information they threw at me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not prudish or anything - I've watched Game of Thrones and Fifty Shades of Grey, I know what happens when a man and woman feel the need to satisfy their urges. I guess the part that made me blush was imagining Rheon doing it to me.
That is if he'll ever mark me.
And call me crazy or deranged, but something in me wanted the mark - Rheon's mark. Looking at him, imagining him marking me as his and spending the remainder of my life with him... I wanted it.
Blame it on the tequila or whatever, but I leaned into him and whispered into his ear, "Let's say you were to mark me, where would you do it?"
His awkward expression changed into a flirtatious smirk when he leaned down to whisper back, "I'll tell you on one condition; you'll have to beat me at pool first."
Stealing a glance at the pool table from the corner of my eye, I swallowed nervously. "Pool?"
He nodded smugly.
"Alright," I gave in, "you got yourself a deal. If I win, you tell me where you'd mark me, and if you win -"
"I get to kiss you." His request caught me off guard although I wasn't opposed to the idea. At last, we shook on it, and he led me to the back of the room.
While Rheon was arranging the balls into a triangular formation, I was rubbing chalk over the tip of my cue. In the time we've been preparing for the match, the others ventured over to watch it go down.
"My money's on the lass," Craig bet loud and proud and waved a hand full of cash in the air.
Rheon smirked confidently, probably imagining me missing every hole. What he didn't know, however, was that I used to sit and wait for Madison hours on end when she went clubbing. While she was dancing and getting drunk, I was playing pool until I was good enough to challenge even the toughest of clubbers.
At last, he had a cue in hand and gestured at the table. "Should I break?"
I chewed down my bottom lip and shook my head, holding up the innocent act. "No, I think I'll give it a try."
"Just relax," Victor said from the sideline, "Keep your arm steady and you can't miss."
It took every ounce of self-control not to smile as I positioned myself at the head of the table, leaning down to aim. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Rheon tilting his head, trailing his eyes over my arched back and down my butt and legs. While he was distracted, I focused my aim, brought my arm back, and delivered a firm shot on the white ball. It zoomed across the table and collided with the triangle of spheres at the end, sending them scattering in all directions.
Everyone was speechless when two balls disappeared down a hole, earning me another shot.
"What the...?" Victor blinked in astonishment.
"In that case," Seren held a bill towards Craig, "my money's on Ash."
My favorite reaction was Rheon's, who looked at me in complete and utter amazement. For good measure, I blew him a kiss before taking my second turn, sending another ball plummeting down a hole.
I was in the lead by four balls when he got his first turn, landing two in less than ten seconds. Consider me impressed, he's good. But I couldn't afford to lose, no matter if his prize was almost better than mine. Winning against him meant I could say I beat a werewolf at pool, another box I could check off on my bucket list.
Under no circumstances were Rheon allowed to win this match. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
I moved to stand opposite of him as he aimed another shot. Before he could take it, I rested my hands on the table edge, leaning down so he had a clear view down the blouse I was wearing. How glad I was to have gone with the lacy underwear that morning, as it certainly caught his attention.
My plan worked splendidly when he made the shot, but missed his ball and hit mine instead, earning me a double shot. "Fu... damn it!"
"That's too bad." I pouted, straightening up, "Better luck next time, though."
He ran his tongue across his teeth, his eyes burning into me as if saying 'I see what you did there'. Flashing him an innocent smile, I readied myself to take my shot. But the second I drew my arm back, I felt him against my ass, his hands running down my sides to my legs.
"I think we better leave them to it," Alexander muttered, grasping Reyna's hand and led her towards the bar for another round. Victor didn't need to be told twice and had to drag Seren and Craig with him, listening to them complain about wanting to watch the rest of the match.
"Don't mind me," Rheon's voice was as silky as his touch, "Focus on the shot."
Damn right I will, I thought and tried pushing the feeling of him grinding against me, aside. Drawing back, I sank another ball much to Rheon's dismay. Leaning to the side and changing my angle, I sank my last color ball.
"Before you win this match," his breath fanned against my cheek as he whispered in my ear, "think about what you're playing for."
"I have." I pressed my ass into him, hearing his breath hitch before I took my last shot.
We watched with upheld breaths as the black ball rolled down the table and, finally, drop into a hole. With a satisfied smirk, I turned to him. "So, where would you mark me, Mister Big Bad Alpha?"
Shaking his head, he breathed a laugh before cupping my face. At first, I thought he was going to kiss me, but his lips took a detour to my ear as he whispered something to me.
When he pulled back, my face was beet red and my eyes the size of UFOs. He had successfully managed to render me speechless and left me with an image that made resisting him even harder than it already was.