Chapter 15: I'm not a call-girl.

Ella's POV

"No way," I heard one of his rich friends say, lounging back in his chair. His eyes slid over me slowly. "Wait, does she actually work here?"

He laughed. "Oh, this night just got interesting."

I ignored him and stepped closer to the table.

"Hey," another one snapped his fingers. "Call girl. You gonna take our order, or are you planning to keep staring at us?"

Me?! Call girl?

I placed the menus on the table and waited for each of them to order what they wanted.

"I'm not a call girl," I said evenly. "These are the menus. Place your order."

My words only made them grin. As I leaned over the table to take the tab, one of them suddenly grabbed my waist. I felt my entire body freeze.

"Mmm," he mumbled. "This uniform looks really good on you. How about you ditch it and give us a show?" He pointed lazily toward the pole by the stage. "You should entertain us."

Heat rushed through me and I felt anger, shock, and humiliation all at once. I stepped back hard and slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me," I yelled, loud enough to turn other customers' heads our way.

The table went quiet for half a second.

"Oh, come on, Rhaella. Aren't you here to satisfy men?" Another of his friends asked as he leaned forward, winking at me. "Be nice to your customers. Come sit on my lap."

I pressed my lips together so tightly that they hurt, forcing myself not to react rashly because of the manager.

I just have to survive tonight.

"I've told you already," I said, keeping my voice tight now. "I'm not a call girl. I'm a waitress."

One of them laughed like I'd just told a joke. "Please... you didn't get this job because you can carry a tray." His eyes dragged over me, slow and lustfully. "The manager hired you because you're hot. That's it. All he cares about is whether or not you could flirt with customers and make him a lot of money." He leaned forward, smirking. "And I'm willing to give you a good tip, only if you let us see what's under that uniform and... take a spin on the pole."

Everything inside of me just went numb and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Come on, baby girl," he said, crossing his arms and winking at me.

I couldn't even speak. I just stared at him in disbelief.

Then, I looked at Jason who was watching me, waiting to see what I would do. How could he just let his friends speak to me like this? At one point, he would have never allowed this. He would have punched anyone who looked at me with lust in their eyes.

Now, he was acting like he didn't care.

"I'll give you twenty thousand," one of them said suddenly. "For every twenty minutes you dance."

My mouth nearly fell open.

"What?" I whispered.

"You heard me," he answered. "Entertain us and you'll get 20 thousand dollars."

Another laughed. "Every one of us will give you that amount, just do it."

The table erupted with low chuckles, like they already knew they had won.

My gaze drifted to the pole. Then back to them, and finally to Jason. He silently lifted an eyebrow, still waiting to see what I'd decide to do.

That hurt me more than anything else. But, I'd rather do this than become his mistress. I swallowed hard, and I slowly stepped toward the stage. My hands shook as I reached up and pulled out the band from my hair, letting it fall down my back.

I hated every second of this. But money was money and they had it. And I need it to pay the debt strangling me, and to keep my mother and I afloat, to survive long enough till I find another way out. My pride can wait, but our survival can't.

As I passed a nearby table, I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a reckless gulp. The burn of it slapped my cheeks. I winced, then slammed the bottle back onto the table, and kept moving.

I was halfway up the stage when a strong hand closed around my wrist and I was yanked away before I could even react.

I heard Jason's friends booing and telling him he was a killjoy. I had no idea where Jason was taking me; he was quiet until we reached outside and then he whipped me around to glare at him.

"Accept my offer and stop this foolishness," he ordered.

"I won't be your mistress, Jason," I shot back, my head spinning from the whiskey. "Get that idea out of your head."

He scoffed. "So you'd rather act like a little slut instead?" He asked through his teeth. "You looked ridiculous in there!"

"Why do you care, huh? You have my half-sister already. This is my private life, and my private life no longer concerns you!"

"You are still mine, Ella. You will always be mine," he growled.

I wanted to laugh at his ridiculousness, but I also wanted to cry. He was so sweet at one point; I spent more than 3 years loving this man. Now as he stood before me, I realised he was a stranger.

"I am not yours," I told him, glad that my voice came out stronger than I felt.

He let out a bitter laugh.

"Fine, be a whore for all I care," he growled. "Spread your legs for money... since that's all you're good at."

Before I could stop myself, my hand swung and made contact with his cheek, causing a loud slap.

He didn't flinch, but he did grow angrier as he stretched out to grab my throat. A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist and he forcefully let go of my neck.

I gasped for air, rubbing my throat, and looked up to see who it was.

It was some guy I have never seen before. And for a second, I actually felt bad for him. Like, does he know who Jason is? Grabbing an Alpha's wrist like that? In front of his friends?

This was about to get very ugly.

Jason jerked his hand free and took a step back, straightening his shirt like the stranger had somehow contaminated him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he snapped. "Putting your hands on me like that?"

The man didn't even look at him and simply turned to me instead. His gaze swept over me quickly, assessing me to make sure I wasn't hurt. When his eyes returned to mine, his voice was gentle. "Are you alright?"

My throat still burned. I couldn't trust my voice yet, so I just nodded, rubbing the sore spot on my neck.

"I asked you a question," Jason growled, stepping closer and shoving the man in the chest. His voice dropped threateningly, "You've got five seconds to explain yourself before I have you shot down!"

He still said nothing and simply tilted his head a little, like he was waiting patiently; for someone. That was when I noticed the small earpiece tucked beneath his hair. His clothes were expensive too, not flashy, but the kind that suggested he was a bodyguard to someone really powerful.

He touched the earpiece briefly and gave a small nod, like someone had just spoken to him.

Then he finally looked at Jason. "You should return to your table, sir," he said calmly. His voice wasn't fearful but it wasn't respectful either. It was just simply firm. "The lady will be leaving with me."

Jason couldn't help but burst into laughter; alongside his friends who stood behind him. He started moving towards me but the man stepped between us, blocking Jason's path. That's when Jason's attention shifted completely from me to the stranger.

"Oh..." Jason said slowly, as his eyes moved between me and the stranger; an ugly smile spread across his face. "Now I get it."

"This is one of your clients, isn't it?" he sneered. "Is that how you've been getting by lately? Sleeping with rich men?"

My face burned and I couldn't hold my anger in. "Shut your mouth, you bastard!" I yelled. "I'm nothing like you!"

Jason chuckled, clearly pleased that I was getting upset. "Ah, looks like I hit a nerve." He laughed, looking back at his friends. "Look at her, guys. To think of all that dignity she walked around with when she was my Luna, and now she's out here selling herself to just any man."

He turned his attention back to the man standing in front of me.

"So tell me," Jason said casually, folding his arms. "How much did she charge you? Was it worth it?" His smirk deepened. "I mean, she's good in bed... but not that good."

"That's enough." The bodyguard's voice cut through the laughter.

Jason stepped closer, chest out. "Or what? You gonna do something? Go ahead. I'm the Alpha of this pack," he said, arrogance lacing his every word. "You lay one hand on me and you won't leave this place alive."

I could feel the tension building. People were gathering round and starting to stare. Any second now, someone was gonna throw a punch...

"Gentlemen, please!"

The bar manager rushed over, breathless and sweating through his collar. He immediately gave Jason a quick bow, lowering his head with the respect owed to an Alpha. Then he turned to the bodyguard and offered a smaller, careful nod; just enough to show he knew exactly who the man probably worked for.

"Please, please," the manager said quickly, raising both hands as if he were trying to calm two wild animals. "Let's all take a breath here. We don't want any trouble tonight, sirs. If this gets out of hand, my bar will be in pieces before morning."

His eyes flicked to me for a split second.

The look he gave me practically screamed I knew hiring you would bring problems. I bit my lower lip in regret, wanting nothing more than to sink through the floor.

Jason straightened, his pride clearly enjoying the attention. "Then tell him to back off," he said sharply, jerking his chin toward the bodyguard. "She's leaving with me."

"She's not," the bodyguard replied calmly but with certainty.

The manager's eyes bounced between them like a man watching two ticking bombs. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, clearly panicking.

Then suddenly his expression changed; like a terrible idea had just popped into his head and he'd decided to run with it.

"Alright... alright," he said slowly. "I might have a solution."

Jason frowned. "You better make it quick."

The manager forced a nervous smile. "How about we settle this another way?"

Both men stared at him as he cleared his throat.

"An auction."

I blinked. "...What?! An auction??"

I turned to him fully, staring like he'd lost his mind.

This man had to be really insane!