For all you brats that yelled at me for the last cliffhanger ;) ....

Ouch, I groan as Gwen yanks a brush through my hair. Try leaving some hair in my head, would you?

"It's not my fault you haven't brushed your hair since 1972," Gwen rolls her eyes, and Onyx giggles from her spot sitting on the countertop of the bathroom.

I've been a little busy with other things, I sourly reply, looking at myself in the mirror.

After spending what felt like hours arguing, Gwen finally got me to agree to let her do my makeup. Now, my eyes were framed by thick, dark eyelashes. On my eyelids, she had smeared some kind of glitter that made my eyes itch. The urge to rub my eyes was unbelievable.

Onyx and Gwen were already dressed and had their hair and makeup done. I watched in morbid fascination as they had slathered product after product on their faces, completely clueless as to what they were doing. I will admit though, they looked stunning. Onyx wore a short blue dress with silver heels, and her wild, black curly hair had pins with small jewels scattered throughout. Around her neck was a thin chain with a huge gem attached, a piece of jewelry I hadn't ever seen her wear before. Gwen wore a tight, red, low cut dress and nude heels. Her green eyes popped with the black eye makeup that surrounded them. Her red hair was slicked back into a sleek looking ponytail, not a single hair out of place.

I growled as Gwen yanked the brush through my hair once more. "Relax, I think that was the last knot." She ran the brush through my hair again, and I winced as my head jerked to the side. "Oops, my bad. That was the last knot."

She began straightening my hair as she said, "Hey, Nyx, be a dear and hand me my purse, would you?"
Onyx nodded and retrieved it, handing it to her. Gwen put down the straightener and opened her purse before grabbing what she had been looking for, which was, of course, a bottle of vodka.

She took a gulp of it before handing it to me. I took a drink, but not before griping, You couldn't have given me the alcohol before ripping half of my hair out of my head?

"Drink," Gwen ordered Onyx, handing her the bottle. Onyx looked between her and the bottle, unsure. "Come on, Onyx! We're going out, you should at least pre-game."

Onyx groaned. "For the record, I totally realize that you're peer-pressuring me into this." Gwen grinned at her as she look a swig.

Onyx's face twisted in disgust as she coughed. "That's terrible. Why would anyone voluntarily drink that?"

Gwen snorted. "You'll find out soon enough, baby. Keep drinking, I'm watching you."

After what felt like forever, Gwen finally finished my hair, and threw a piece of clothing at me. "Put this on, and if you complain, I'll make you wear something of mine." I scowled, knowing that she would intentionally choose the most revealing dress of hers she owned.

I looked at what she tossed me, and it was the black minidress from the first store in the mall. "Oh, and I laid out the rest of your outfit on the bed, make sure you put the other stuff on first."

I frowned in confusion. What does she mean the rest of my outfit?

I rolled my eyes when I saw what she had laid on the bed. It was a lacy black lingerie set that she must have gotten while we were at the mall. I put it on before my dress, and it was completely unnoticeable underneath. Cain certainly was in for a surprise when we get back.

Gwen had also laid out a pair of extremely high black heels, and when I put them on, I didn't really understand why women always complained about wearing them. They weren't that hard to walk in, especially since I don't lack coordination or balance. In fact, they actually wouldn't make that bad of weapons either, if someone really needed one.

All of the alcohol I had been drinking during Gwen's assassination of my hair was definitely having an effect on me. I smiled at my reflection as I looked in the floor length mirror, for once, not hating what I was seeing.

"Wow," Onyx breathed out from behind me, her blue eyes wide. "You look... Wow."

Thank you, I smiled.

Gwen whistled. "Damn! That's my hot-ass Luna."

I snorted. "We better get going. They've been waiting downstairs for us forever."

Gwen scoffed. "When we look this sexy," She gestured to us. "We're allowed to be as late as we want. Plus, Onyx and I need to finish the bottle." Gwen held up the remainder of the second bottle she pulled out from her bag after we finished the first.

Fine, but I'm going to see my mate, I said, slightly bold from the alcohol.

"See ya in a few," Gwen said dismissively as she grinned evilly at Onyx, who was now drinking from the bottle with ease, no doubt already buzzed.

I left the bedroom, walking down the hall when I ran into a wall. Wait- not a wall, a person. Thane.

"Ah!" I gasped in surprise at the contact that left my skin tingling.

"Luna," Thane said in surprise. "Sorry, I should have been looking where I was going." His eyes widened as he looked at me. "You... You look lovely, Luna." He said, his tone formally stiff.

"Mate, are you okay? I thought I heard you-" Cain turned around the corner of the hallway. "Fuck," He hissed as his eyes roamed over my body.

Cain! I squealed through the mindlink, sounding way too excited to be sober. I threw my arms around him, and I felt him inhale my scent.

He pulled away, taking another look at me. He growled, and his eyes were the darkest shade of black.

I was saved from his wolf when Gwen and Onyx stumbled into the hallway. Gwen groaned, "Down, boy! Not until after we get back, and definitely not in the hallway!"

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

We took separate cars, Axel driving the car with Cain and I in the backseat, Gwen in the front seat. "I've got my eye on you two kids, no funny business!" She had warned at the beginning of the trip.

Axel's hands were clutching the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. I would have put more thought into it, had I not already been fairly tipsy.

Gwen and I passed a bottle back and forth as we drove to the human town, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by how much alcohol she had drank so far. She didn't even appear to be all that drunk, either, especially for someone without an Alpha-level metabolic abilities.

Even Cain had been drinking a little, which he only ever did on special occasions. Have I told you yet how surreal your beauty is? He asked through our mindlink, and I was thankful he couldn't see my blush in the dark car.

Once or twice, I teased him, and he squeezed my hand tightly, and we rode in silence for the rest of the drive, minus Gwen's terrible singing to whatever song was playing on the radio.

When we got to the club, Thane, Onyx, and Leo were already inside, sitting at the bar. Thane was drinking from a bottle of bourbon, and Onyx had a margarita. Leo watched Gwen, his eyes intently following her as she walked in.

We joined them at the bar top, and Cain ordered me a drink. Thane guided us to a private section of the club that had fluffy couches and various other seating areas. Cain pulled me on to one of the couches, sitting me in his lap. I finished my drink, and he gestured to a waitress to get me another one.

I pulled Cain in for a kiss, which he responded to aggressively, kissing me deeply. We continued drinking, watching as Thane and Onyx danced together, Onyx giggling and Thane smiling more than I had ever seen him smile.

Gwen was dancing with a few of the human boys, never having the same dancing partner twice. At some point, when I looked over at her, she was dancing very sensually with Leo.

You're very hot, I tell Cain, grabbing the collar of his black dress shirt. He rarely ever wore nice clothes, much less a shirt at all. I unbuttoned one of the buttons on his shirt, revealing some of his chest hair, and he laughed, grabbing my hands and pinning them to my side.

"And you, my sweet, beautiful little mate, are drunk off of your cute little ass," He teased me, and I giggled, not bothering to try to lie my way out of it.

I brought my face to his neck, and my canines descended against my will. Cain's breath hitched in his throat. I sank my teeth into his neck, into my mark. My mate.

His hands grabbed my waist so tightly he nearly crushed me as he groaned. I was careful not to spill a drop of blood. To any humans who may have been watching, it wouldn't have looked like anything besides a couple giving innocent hickeys.

Cain growled into my ear, "You're playing a dangerous game, pup."

I like danger, I winked.

"Don't I know it, little mate," He groaned, and we continued drinking and watching the humans and wolves around us. Suddenly, I caught a familiar scent.

Do you smell that? I asked Cain. He titled his head in confusion. My blood ran ice cold when I realized I knew where I recognized the smell from.

I followed the scent, Cain trailing close behind me. I followed it all the way outside of the club, where the owner of the smell had his back turned, like he was about to run away.

Cain stiffened as he realized who I had been pursuing, and my prey turned around, looking almost as surprised to see me as I was to see him.

Wilson, former Alpha of Red Crescent, my father, my kidnapper, killer of my pup had finally come out of hiding.

And I was going to kill him for it.