Chapter 3

Rosemary

Nathaniel and I chatted as we nursed our drinks, one after the other. I’ve always had a good tolerance, and Nathaniel liked to joke that I drank booze like fish drink water. His words made me smirk, though my mind drifted back to the stranger who’d been watching me earlier. His intense gaze had stuck with me, sending a shiver down my spine that I couldn’t shake.

Just as Nathaniel leaned in to ask me how I’d done on our last test, a scream pierced through the loud music, making both of us freeze. The club seemed to fall into an uneasy silence for a split second before the noise returned, and everyone ran. I glanced toward the entrance, and my heart dropped when I saw the stranger approaching, his face tight with urgency.

“Nate, did you see something?” he demanded, his voice sharp as his eyes flicked from Nathaniel to me.

Nathaniel sighed, rolling his eyes. “Ethan, how many times have I told you not to call me Nate? You know I hate that.”

“That’s highly irrelevant right now!” Ethan snapped, barely sparing Nathaniel a glance before grabbing my arm. His grip was firm, and before I could protest, he started pulling me toward the staircase.

“Hey! Let go of me!” I shouted, trying to pull my arm free. Panic flared in my chest as I glanced back at Nathaniel, who was following us without hesitation. “Who the hell are you?” I yelled at Ethan, struggling to keep up as he led me down a dark corridor on the second floor.

Ethan didn’t answer, his pace relentless as he dragged me to an office at the end of the hallway. My breath came in shallow gasps, fear swirling in my stomach. He shoved me inside, and Nathaniel quickly followed, closing the door behind us.

“Nate, go sweep the club. Clear everyone outside,” Ethan barked at Nathaniel, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, sir!” Nathaniel replied without missing a beat, turning on his heel and rushing out of the room.

I stood there, staring at Ethan, trying to make sense of what was happening. He calmly walked to the door and locked it with a soft click, and my heart raced.

“Why are you locking the door? Who the fuck are you?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

Ethan turned toward me, his expression softening slightly. “Calm down,” he said, his voice smooth and steady. “My name is Ethan. Nice to meet you.” He stepped closer and reached for my hand, bringing it to his lips in a brief, polite kiss.

I yanked my hand away, glaring at him. “Enough with the formalities. Just tell me what the hell is going on,” I said, my voice quieter now, exhaustion creeping in.

Ethan sighed and glanced at his phone. “We’ll wait for Nathaniel to get back, and then I’ll explain everything,” he said, his eyes shifting to the door.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I studied him, my mind racing as I tried to piece together what was happening. Ethan was tall, around 6’3”, his dark raven hair slightly tousled, framing a chiseled face that could’ve been straight out of a magazine. His eyes were a deep, almost unnerving shade of blue, and the way his shirt stretched over his broad shoulders made it clear he wasn’t just a pretty face. Under different circumstances, I might have admired him, but I was too freaked out to care right now.

Minutes felt like hours as I sat there in silence, my mind whirling with questions. What did they want with me? And why did Nathaniel seem so different?

Finally, there was a knock at the door. Ethan walked over and cracked it open slightly before letting Nathaniel back inside.

“Did you find anything?” Ethan asked, his tone all business.

Nathaniel shook his head, looking frustrated. “No. Nothing. I couldn’t find her, but I smelled one of her minions nearby.”

Her? Who were they talking about?

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Then it’s time. We need to take her to the pack.”

Nathaniel’s face faltered. “She’s not ready yet.”

I stood frozen, trying to make sense of their conversation. Pack? Minions? None of this made any sense. I opened my mouth to ask what they were talking about, but Nathaniel turned to me, his expression serious, eyes pleading.

“Mer, I know you’re freaking out right now,” he said softly, taking a step toward me. “But I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?”

I hesitated, my heart pounding in my ears. The Nathaniel I knew, the one who’d been my friend for four years, who’d seen me through all my worst days, had never given me a reason to doubt him. But this? This was different.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.

He took another step forward, his voice low. “You’re going to have to trust me on this one.”

After a long pause, I nodded. Whatever was going on, I had no choice but to follow him now. He never betrayed me before.

Nathaniel gently took my hand and led me out of the office. This time, we walked in silence, the tension thick between us. Outside, a black SUV waited. It wasn’t Nathaniel’s usual car, but he opened the back door for me as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I climbed inside, and Ethan slid in next to me, his presence looming in the small space.

Nathaniel got behind the wheel and pulled away from the curb. The city lights blurred past as we drove through the quiet streets.

I glanced at my phone - 2 a.m.

The night stretched on as I tried to keep my eyes open, but exhaustion finally took over. I leaned my head back against the seat, and before I knew it, the steady hum of the road lulled me into a restless sleep.