Amelia and Olivia arrived at the bar. Amelia looked amazing in a short black Vera Wang sheath dress with red Louis Vuitton heels. Olivia was also dressed in her finest – she was wearing a strapless Calvin Klein top with a tight pencil skirt.Amelia was a little nervous as they told the bouncer their names. It had been a long time since she’d had a girl’s night out.You’ll be fine, she said to herself. You deserve this.Lily and Laura were waiting for them inside. They waved the girls over and they all embraced, clearly excited at the prospect of a fun night ahead of them. Amelia took notice of the table. There were at least eight different drinks strewn across it. “Hope you don’t mind,” Lily winked, waving at the assortment of drinks on the table. “I wasn’t sure what you drink these days, so I ordered a few options.” “You used to like cosmos,” Laura asked. “Still do!” Amelia smiled. It was so nice being with people who enjoyed her company.She picked u
Jonathan led the girls back to their VIP seats. He kept his hand firmly on the small of Amelia’s back. It felt nice – strong and protective. And she couldn’t help notice that when they sat back down at the table, he sat right beside her.Lily was visibly upset. She reached for a drink. “I’m so sorry,” she sighed, her head low. “Rick is such an ass. He’s a beta, for crying out loud. He should behave better. He just thinks he can have whatever he wants. It’s embarrassing. For the whole pack.” Her friends were sympathetic. “It’s not your fault and it’s not your pack’s,” Amelia said. “Trust me, I speak from experience. If we judged Gabriel’s pack based on Sophia and Vivenne’s actions – well, let’s just say the pack would have the worst reputation around.” Everyone nodded, especially Olivia. She knew all too well what those two were like. Just then, Laura excused herself. “I have to go check on my band,” she explained. “I still can’
“Can I buy you a drink?” It was yet another man who had come by their table to hit on Amelia. It seemed like all the men in the bar had their eyes on her. Who could blame them? She was beautiful and talented. “No, thank you,” Amelia smiled sweetly at the latest man. He was good-looking; there was no doubt about that. But Amelia was perfectly content to hang out with her friends. They were having a great time together. She wasn’t looking for a date. “Well, mind if I sit down then?” he asked. And he was just about to slide in next to Amelia when he noticed Jonathan. Jonathan was sitting very closely to Amelia. He shot the man a look that said ‘back off’.“Oh,” was all the man said and walked away. “That’s, like, the tenth guy who’s offered to buy you a drink tonight,” Lily laughed. “Aren’t you interested in any of them?” Laura asked. Amelia shook her head. She honestly wasn’t. She had everything she needed right here at this table.
They arrived back at the hotel. Jonathan slept the whole way but when the car came to a stop, they were able to wake him. This reassured Amelia that he would be okay. They arranged for a room next to Amelia’s. He was still very drunk, but he could walk. He was quiet as they walked through the hotel. In the elevator, he wrapped his arm around Amelia and whispered:“Thank you.”“You’re welcome,” she said softly, aware that Olivia was watching her every move. Once inside the room, he made a beeline for the bed and fell asleep again. “I gotta say,” Olivia said, “that man can drink. I can’t believe he drank all that alcohol! That was an insane amount of vodka.” “I don’t know how he kept it all down,” Amelia agreed. “Especially since Rick couldn’t.” “He’s kind of a pleasant drunk, isn’t he. Most wolves I know are assholes when they drink that much.” Amelia nodded. Olivia was right; Jonathan had remained a perfect gentleman despite being really, re
Amelia arrived at the office early the next morning. She was somewhat bothered by Olivia’s comments about Rick and the wedding, but the wedding was still a few days away. Best to focus on business right now, she told herself sternly. She only had one month to prove her worth at the company and the clock was ticking. Amelia walked down the hall. She had made an effort to be early, but there were already quite a few people there. They avoided eye contact with her, averting their eyes as she walked past. But given the werewolf’s sharp hearing, she could hear them whispering about her in the office kitchen. And they were not saying nice things… I’m determined to earn your trust and respect, she said quietly to herself. She tried not to let the harsh words and rumors hurt her, but they stung a bit. I deserve to be here. You’ll see… In her office, she took out the document that Jonathan had organized for her. It was a complicated case and she had
The hotel of Brickroll Holding was impressive, to say the least, even to Amelia who was used to the lap of luxury. She and Jonathan walked through the lavish lobby, past the cascading indoor fountain, and to the front desk where a concierge greeted them enthusiastically and guided them to the grand ballroom. “This place is amazing,” Amelia whispered to Jonathan as they walked through the ballroom. “It’s all right,” he shrugged nonchalantly. She jabbed him in the ribs. “Just all right?” she laughed and he broke out into a huge grin. At the other side of the ballroom, heavy, solid wooden doors were opened and they entered a spectacular VIP room. A decadent chandelier sparkled from above and a mahogany table sat as the centre piece of the room. A man in a posh suit rose from a leather seat when he saw them. He was round in the belly (fat if Amelia were being honest) and very short. Jonathan towered over him as he approached. “Richar
You knew you’d have to see Gabriel sooner or later, Amelia reasoned with herself while they waited for the second course. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. Even though she didn’t particularly like Richard, a trip to the wine cellar would give Amelia a brief respite from the building tension at the table. It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable trying to avert Gabriel’s glances. “That’s a very nice gesture,” Amelia said to Richard. “I’d be happy to pick out a wine for my father.” “I’ll join you,” Jonathan said quickly. Too quickly, Gabriel noticed. But Ricahrd brushed Jonathan off. “Nonsense,” Richard smiled. “There’s no need for a chaperone. We’re just going to pick out a bottle of wine. Continue eating your meal. It’s not like I’m going to eat her!” Richard laughed loudly at his own joke. No one else laughed along. “You and Gabriel can discuss business,” he said to Jonathan. “It’s a good opportunity for both of you.” J
Amelia and Richard whipped their heads towards the door just as it broke down.It’s Jonathan, Amelia thought. He’s come to save me. Just like he did at the bar that night. But Amelia was shocked to see Gabriel. He stood in the doorway, breathing hard. The strong scent of wine wafted into the small room. Clearly, he’d broken a ton of wine bottles to make his way inside here, some of which were probably really expensive.Amelia gasped. Richard instantly let go of her, panic written all over his face.“How – how did you get in here?” Richard stammered. But then his fear and shock shifted to anger as he recognized Gabriel. “What are you doing?” Richard demanded. “You’re supposed to be my business partner? And you just barge in here? Breaking God knows how many bottles of wine?” Gabriel was breathing heavily. He’d seen how close Richard had been to Amelia. “Just bill Stormfang Incorporated. My company will pay for the wine.” Then he fixed his eyes on Amelia. “Come,” he said,