Shocked, I stared at Amber, who was smiling devilishly, and then at Vivienna, who was still looking away. Only Kelly was giggling. Behind them, I saw Nash's guys staring over at us, but no one said anything.
Amber stepped closer and her smile intensified. “You'll never make friends in this town.”
On the verge of tears, I stormed out of the seating area and down the stairs, pushing countless people out of my way.
I had never been so humiliated in my entire life. And instead of fighting back, I felt paralyzed. As if Amber could have poured more cups over me, it would have taken me years to get out of there.
I had fallen for Vivienna and allowed her to mess me up inside. What had been her plan? Had it all been for her entertainment?
I was soaking wet, yet I couldn't make it out of the club. The queue for the toilets felt like it was miles long, and so I only had one place left: the bar.
“A Gin Tonic, please,” I called out to the bartender, and he disappeared, only to bring me the drink Amber had just ruined Mia's costume with.
I felt myself trying to downplay that moment, but the shock was still in me. Overwhelmed, I reached for the glass and emptied it to the bottom.
My phone rang at that second. I picked it up in surprise when I read the name.
“Julian, what...?”
“You took Mia to a club? What were you thinking?!”
Julian sounded upset, and then I remembered that we no longer had Vivienna's drivers to fall back on after all.
“I'll take her home.”
I would walk with her.
“Not necessary. I'm on my way. And we will talk later.”
Then he hung up.
I took a deep breath and then waved to the bartender.
“One more, please.”
“Every time I find you somewhere, you're in trouble,” someone laughed next to me.
I turned to the young man at the bar, who I recognized from the Midnights. One of the DeLoughreys.
“Miles, right?” I asked.
“At your service,” he said with a grin.
“My life is at an all-time low right now, and I don't think it can get any worse, so let me drink,” I sighed. Then I downed the second drink and groaned with narrowed eyes. I held the glass out to the bartender. “Definitely makes it better.”
“It doesn't make it better, Mady.” I looked back at Miles, who was looking around the club uneasily. I wondered if his brothers were here, too. “You just think the momentary intoxication will build you back up.”
He eyed the bar equipment as if he was considering ordering something too, but left it at that.
“What do you suggest?” I looked at him with a questioning look.
He grinned broadly. “That you dance and then go home as if nothing had ever happened. And the next time you meet these girls, you'll give them your middle finger.”
I stared at him. What didn't sound like me at all sounded like the most plausible solution.
I stared at my cell phone. I should probably call Mia and let her know Julian was on his way.
I looked at Miles again, but the bar stool next to me was empty. And I was alone. Just like I'd always been.
Chapter 64
Emely
Parties were such a waste of time. Besides, it was damn hard on the ears after a while.
I was angry with myself for promising Alarik that I would keep an eye on my brother. I could have spent my time more usefully training at home or preparing for my term paper. But since life wasn't a pipe dream, I could only dream of such an evening. I was always responsible for my brothers. Always. And now, I was chasing after one of them again.
I had just bumped into Mady, and she had seriously tried to fool me into thinking that she was here, alone in a club owned by my family, and not looking for Nash.
It wasn't a lie that she had changed Nash and that it bothered me, the way he had been acting for some time now. However, it was a lie that I didn't like her because of that. It was hard to hate an innocent human girl like her, but it was my damn duty to keep humans away from Nash and the pack, even if that meant keeping them at a distance or scaring them off. A duty in which my future alpha had failed.
Shaking my head, I stormed through the crowds and continued looking for my brother. Luckily, I quickly found him near the exit. Far enough away from Mady.
“Nash, stop!” I yelled, and he turned to face me, a guy bumping into him and immediately apologizing. Nash ignored him.
He looked far too tense to simply walk away without continuing to fight. It must have taken him a lot of self-control.
“They've been filming us, Emy,” Nash huffed in anger. “They're cornering us.”
