Chapter 7

 ~ THEO ~

Relief filled me when I pushed open the doors to the club and made my way in.

 Today was kind of a hectic day. I had to attend about two meetings within and outside the company. It would have been tolerable if the second meeting didn't have me sitting and listening to a very dull and unconvincing proposal from a so-called 'potential partner." It took all the mental strength I had not to let Jax out and compromise my status.

Sometimes, I give my dad credit for what he had to go through while running this company. May the moon goddess continue to rest his and mom's souls.

For the moment, I needed a break from the horror show I went through earlier in the day, and my taste buds craved a drink. I approached the bar where a bartender was stationed, wiping a glass. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Mr. Baxter," she said. "You're coming again? Quite a surprise."

"I agree on that." I sent a polite smile her way. "Sometimes, I surprise even myself."

"So, is there anything I can get for you?" The meaning of those words was portrayed by her next action. She leant over the counter, revealing to my eyes a pair of healthy cleavages behind her blouse, which had three buttons undone.

Admittedly, she was quite the bombshell. Blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and pouty red lips. She had the assets to match, too. If I were a regular warm-blooded human, I would have wasted no time in having her pinned under me and screaming my name to the heavens while I thrust repeatedly into her.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the one I craved. The one I craved was the one I injected yesterday and was the sole reason I was here at the moment. I couldn't forget how sexy and hot she looked when she glared at me with those grey eyes last night. It was so amusing how she thought she looked threatening. Cute too. Her image still filled my mind as I slept, and boy did I wake up with a massive hard on in the morning. Meredith, who had spotted it, had the wrong idea, going by the seductive smile on her face. I had quickly rushed out of bed and into the showers before she acted on it.

But now, I was here for my little wolf.

"I would like a shot of Bourbon, please," I said to the bartender, giving her as much of an innocent grin as I could. The sultry demeanour disappeared from her face, and she frowned, disappointed.

"Coming right up." She disappeared behind the counter and reappeared with the bottle and a shot.

"There you go." She poured a glass.

I chugged the contents swiftly and pulled out a few notes. To her surprise, I slid the bunch into her cleavage. Her face flushed red immediately.

"Keep the change." I winked at her and walked off. I heard a squeal from her behind me, and I chuckled. I'm guessing she was either excited about the money or the fact that I feigned interest. Either way, the teasing was kind of fun.

I sat on a sofa in the lounge, facing the stage. The strippers had yet to come on stage, and the seats nearby were nearly empty, with the exception of a few men lounging about.

I checked my gold Rolex watch. The time was 7:45. That had to mean I was quite early. I really had no idea how strip clubs operated, timing and all. I had been to several clubs in the past, but not a strip club. Well, except for the previous night, which was my first time.

My nose picked up a scent, and I quickly perked up. It was an undeniably family scent. It was hers. My sexy little feisty wolf from last night. She was here.

'She's here!' Jax barked in my head.

'Yes, boy, I know,' I chuckled.

'Not her!' he snapped. 'Her wolf, Celine!'

I rolled my eyes at his response. Well, good for him. At least I know I would be spared from his incessant disturbances today. He had been on edge since this morning.

The door flew open, and my little wolf emerged in a rush. Even in casual clothes, she looked breathtaking. She wore dark grey jeans and a black tank top that hugged her curves. Her ebony hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing a scarf. I raised an eyebrow at that last discovery.

Her cute nose twitched a bit as she sniffed the air discreetly. She paused, and her eyes scanned the area until they landed on me. I waved casually at her and flashed the most innocent grin ever. Her eyes blazing with intense fury, she made a beeline towards me.

"Yeah, that's my cue." I swiftly stood up and made my way towards the back door. The rapid clicking of her heels was heard in the hallway as she increased her speed behind me.

"Oh no, you don't!" she yelled. "Come back here!"

I snickered and pushed open the door that led to the exit. To my shock, I was shoved from behind and found myself with my back against the wall and her elbow against my chest. My eyes widened. How did she catch up to me so fast? She glared hard into my face and dug her elbows harder into my chest. It didn't hurt,though.

"You!" she said. "What did you do to me?"

"Whatever do you mean?" I feigned ignorance worthy of an Oscar award. "I just got here. If anything, you're the one assaulting me here."

"Don't play dumb with me!" Her nose flared as her anger increased. She tugged the scarf down to reveal the mark I made on her neck the previous night with my fangs. It was pulsing and red. So that's what the scarf was for. I inwardly beamed with pride. This was my best signature ever.

"See this." She pointed to her neck. "This is all your doing. I remember your words yesterday when you bit me. What was it again? Oh, right. A gift from you. This isn't a gift. It's a curse!"

"How so?" My eyebrows lifted in amusement.

"Do you know the hell I've been through since morning?" Her anger slowly faded, and her expression shifted to a slightly embarrassed one. "I couldn't think straight or even move without feeling..."

She paused, and her cheeks flushed pink. At that moment, I caught a scent I should have perceived earlier. It came from her. I looked down to see her thighs clenched together. I held back a laugh, realising what she meant. She looked up at the sound of the rumbling laugh caught in my throat, and her anger was back.

"Don't laugh, you sadistic asshole!" She rapidly beat my chest multiple times with her palms. "It's not funny. You have to fix this right now."

Her multiple hits on my chest would have hurt if it wasn't so comical. In my head, I pictured a cat lying on its back and tossing a yarn ball in the air with its paws. That's what I couldn't help, and I chuckled, holding her hands and pulling her towards me until our bodies clashed. She squealed in shock as my hands wrapped around her waist and held her in place. She got over the shock a few seconds later.

"Let go of me, you pervert!" She squirmed in my grip. A feeble attempt, I had to admit.

"Stop struggling, little wolf," I said.

"I have a name, you know," she responded. "Stop calling me a little wolf."

My lips pursed in a thin line, and my eyebrows furrowed. Come to think of it, I never knew her name since yesterday.

"What is it?" I asked in genuine interest.

"Elizabeth Cortex." She paused her struggling, and the anger vanished from her face again, replaced with a twinge of sadness. "But my friends call me Ellie. At least, the few I have."

Her last statement hit me in the heart. I loosened my hold on her, but not enough to let her go.

"You said you were the only one that could cure this." She pointed to her neck. "How can you do it?"

I nodded with a wry smile. "Yes, I am the only person who can cure it. But I hope you will like...no, love the process."

"What are you talking about?" She narrowed her eyes at me in suspicion.

"The only way for you to cure the heat is by getting under the sheets with me."

Her eyes grew impossibly wide. "You mean have sex?!"

"Way to be more direct." I rolled my eyes.

"You're kidding me!" she yelled. "Please tell me you're kidding."

I shook my head.

"You planned this all along, you sly beast!" She jabbed her finger against my chest.

"Well, thanks for the complement." I smirked at her attempt at a derogatory name. Beast? Really? I was a wolf. And so was she.

"This is slightly your fault, you know," I continued. "If you were more cooperative in the private booth yesterday, none of this would have happened."

"Are you seriously pinning this on me right now?" She was bewildered.

"In a way, yes." I nodded. "You and I felt a connection the first time we set eyes on each other yesterday. Our wolves did, too. All you had to do was let nature play out, but no, you just had to be stubborn."

"It's not stubbornness," she countered. "It's being logical. I can't accept being your mate. I'm an omega for crying out loud. I can't be mated to an Alpha. It doesn't make sense at all."

"Yet, the moon goddess ordained it."

"But the society-"

"To h*ll with what society thinks!" I cried, startling her. I quickly controlled my temper and took deep breaths. In a calmer and softer voice, I added, "I don't care what anyone thinks,Ellie. You were meant to be my mate, and I want you as my mate."

I released her from my hold. To my surprise and relief, she didn't attack me or run away. Her eyes stayed on the ground. Her lips formed a pout, and I had that urge to cup her chin and kiss those lips.

"That could wait," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. "What matters is what I'm going through right now."

She looked up at me. "Did you really mean what you said about the cure?"

Despite my amusement, I held her hand and put it on my chest. Her cheeks flushed as she felt my heart beat.

"You feel that?" I said. "I'm telling the truth, and that is proof."

She pulled back and huffed, pacing back and forth. "I can't believe this! Why can't I just have a normal day for once?"

Laughing loudly, I held her by the waist and pulled her towards me again. This time, her back was to me. Her backside rested on my groin, and the scent of her hair made my blood soar, and I wanted so much to tear off her clothes and ravage her. The heat emanating from her didn't help.

"Calm down, little wolf." I bit her ear, and she shivered. "You can just go with me to a hotel, and you will be cured."

She paused in my grip. I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was thinking. She slowly turned around, and with her cheeks red, she did the one thing that made Jax and I joyful.

She nodded.