Six

Katie had been waiting for Chloe that night, instantly going into motherly mode and making sure she was okay. The other girls either made sure to stay out of the way or helped with shedding the petite blonde of her dress, helping her to take off her makeup and bringing her painkillers and water when it was realised she was intoxicated. After a long shower and a change of clothes that covered her entire body, Chloe collapsed into bed, too tired to talk about what had happened or what she had witnessed when she was leaving. She assumed she would tell Katie in the morning when she was sober and hopefully feeling a little more clear headed. 

However the morning came with a flurry of activity. The surprise appearance of the Alpha’s esteemed guests had everyone in a panic. The girls found themselves being woken up early to attend their workout session earlier than normal. 

For Chloe this couldn't have been a worse time to be woken up. Her head was still pounding and after only a few minutes of being in a sitting position, she was running for the bathroom to be sick. Sadly, her pasty complexion, the shadows under eyes and other obvious signs of a hangover didn't get her out of her workout. By the end of the torture, Chloe learned two things; she was never drinking again and it really was possible to sweat as much as she did. 

Surprisingly, working out seemed to have destroyed most of her hangover and by the end of the session she was hungry. 

"Chloe!" Katie called to the small girl, her brown eyes wide with curiosity. "What happened last night? All of the men have been running around like headless chickens." 

"Remember the Alpha told us some people were visiting?" Chloe asked, carrying on when Katie nodded. "They turned up last night unannounced."

"Did you see them?" Katie asked wide eyed. 

"Yeah." Chloe nodded. "Well I saw five of them. They all looked scary and dangerous."

"I heard some of the guards talking the other day," another girl called Penny spoke up. "Apparently they have a vampire with them." 

"I didn't sense one." Chloe replied, frowning softly. "I know I was drunk but they were definitely shifters and high ranking ones as well."

"And what about you? Did the Alpha do anything to you?" Katie asked, her voice thick with worry.

Chloe's lips set in a thin line as her brow pinched in the middle as she frowned. She didn't normally talk much about anything. She was always quiet and kept her head down. For her she had already said too much. They could be punished for gossiping. She shuddered internally remembering she had only just recovered from the last punishment. She also didn't want to relive the events of the previous evening. She didn't want to go over how she had nearly been raped by their Alpha because he wanted a child. 

"Nothing really." Chloe finally answered, shifting nervously. "He got me drunk but those people turned up before he could do anything." 

Katie clearly didn't believe her but much to Chloe's relief, she didn't push it. 

"Alright girls!" Beta Kevin's voice boomed through the space. "Gather around. We have a lot to go over and a lot of work to do."

Everyone fell silent at that, eyeing the beta and several guards with him nervously. 

"Our guests have arrived early which means we will be hosting the welcome party tonight." Beta Kevin announced. "Everyone will be working. You are to do everything you can to make our guests feel welcome. If they want a lap dance you give them the best one they have ever had. You keep their drinks topped up, you laugh at their jokes and most importantly, you don't make any mistakes. You know what will happen if you do." 

The sense of disappointment and fear in the air couldn't be hidden. Normally they didn't work Sunday nights. It was their one rare night off from the lecherous stares and degrading remarks. Now it would be at least another seven nights before they got to rest their sore bodies. 

It had been made very clear to each and every girl what the consequences would be if any one of them faltered. They all silently agreed that anything was better than being sent to the ranch. While the punishments here could be painful, they didn't leave permanent marks. At the ranch there was no protecting them. They were just holes for men to fuck and nothing else. 

The whole day was spent preparing for the big party. It wasn't enough that they would be the ones performing all night, they had to get the whole club ready as well. Everything had to be cleaned and decorations had to be put up, the bar had to be stocked and everyone needed to get ready. 

Before the sun even set they were exhausted. None more so than Chloe who was still fighting off the remnants of her hangover. Her anxiety had been through the roof all day worrying about what she had seen the night before and also that the Alpha would try and finish what he started. Thankfully, by the time the party was ready to go, Chloe hadn't seen or heard a peep from Nathaniel and felt herself relaxing. 

Every girl was dressed in next to nothing, their hair and make up styled and applied to make them more alluring and glitter stained their skin making it shimmer under the soft lights. More flesh was on display than what was covered and even then, the pieces of fabric impersonating clothing left little to the imagination. 

Outside it was freezing cold as winter raged on but inside the club it was hot, the temperature set to encourage the clientele to drink more to remain cooler.  The only place there was any semblance of cool air was on stage and that was for a specific reason, not for practicality. 

"Oh god! They're here!" One of the girls squealed as they rushed back into the cramped dressing room, a wave of different shades of taffeta flowing behind her. "The Alpha is with them." 

"Well we best get this over with." Katie announced, the natural leader of the group. "Come on then before he sends someone to get us." 

Chloe glanced at herself in the mirror once more, her heart fluttering nervously as she thought of the mysterious man with hazel eyes. Would he recognise her at all? Would he even care? Chloe came to the decision that he wouldn't and that if he was rubbing shoulders with Alpha Nathaniel then he was probably as horrible and cruel as him.  

She made sure to stick to the middle of the pack. She had learnt from experience that being on the ends or right in the centre drew attention and Chloe just wanted to get through the night unseen. She had even kept her outfit relatively simple compared to other girls in the hopes of them stealing the show. 

"Ah! Here they are!" Alpha Nathaniel raised a hand in the direction of the group as they filed in. "My wonderful girls. They are what keeps this place running." 

All eyes landed on the guests as they looked back. There were more of them tonight but Chloe spotted the faces from the night before, her blue eyes floating over each face. Only one pair of eyes looked back at her, holding her gaze. 

The man with hazel eyes. 

"Girls, this is Lucas Wolf and his friends." Nathaniel motioned to the black haired male with features as vacant as stone but his eyes were still on Chloe, pinning her to her spot. "Please make our guests feel welcome. My friends, your wish is my girl's command!"

The music started immediately, blaring from all corners of the club as the party was in full swing. Chloe was to serve drinks and make sure that the group of muscled men didn't go wanting and she was quick to make sure she was at the bar to grab the drinks that the bartenders were preparing. Heat danced across her skin but it wasn't from the air around her. This was like fire and ice licking over the ends of her nerves making her shiver.

All around her nubile bodies moved while hungry wolves observed with a desperate want to gorge on the supple flesh on display but Chloe was immune to it all. She told herself to keep her eyes on the bar but her body betrayed her, blue orbs flickering upwards to find hazel ones watching her like a hawk. Closing a circuit with that gaze made the petite blonde's heart skip, her cheeks colouring as she felt herself being drawn to the mysterious male. 

Lucas Wolfe was like the king of hell surrounded by his court of loyal brethren. Even with him sat in one of the large leather chairs it was obvious he was tall and well built. Despite the heat inside the club, he had a leather jacket on with patches placed carefully on the front. His acid washed grey t-shirt was pulled taut over his chest like a second skin and a pack pendant hung from a short but thick chain around his neck. He was sprawled in the seat like a true Alpha, hands resting on the arms and back relaxed against the comfortable seat. He seemed comfortable and yet his eyes were sharp, seeing everything around him especially the petite blonde in the baby blue lingerie. 

Carrying the tray suddenly seemed impossible with trembling hands and yet Chloe forced herself to square her shoulders and move across the club as if she was gliding. Her eyes were glued to the mysterious male and his to her even when she was no more than a foot away from him. 

"Your drinks." Chloe managed to get out as she carefully placed glass after glass of bourbon onto the table, all eyes suddenly her as if she was a piece of meat they were starved lions. "Can I get you anything else?" 

"What's your name?" Lucas Wolfe finally spoke up, his eyes holding Chloe's gaze. 

"Chloe." She replied timidly. 

Nothing about Lucas' expression changed, his features giving away nothing about what he was thinking. 

Finally, he smirked, eyes glowing dangerously. "Thank you for the drinks, Chloe."