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Chapter Twelve

Anaki

“ Y ou aren’t supposed to worry about what’s going on with the cartel. You are supposed to keep your mate and her family safe,” Bear said as I jumped over the bar.

“Yeah, but what if my mate asks? I want to give her all the answers. I don’t want to seem less than—”

As I turned around, the deafening sound of Bear's fist slamming on the bar echoed through the dimly lit room, causing a collective flinch from the patrons.

The acrid smell of spilled drinks and stale beer wafted in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of cigarette smoke.

The sudden tension was there, but my dragon scoffed at him.

Ignoring Bear's narrowed, piercing gaze, I defiantly puffed out my chest, feeling the coolness of the body oil on my bare skin and the slickness beneath my fingertips.

I was all prepared for the excitement of Ladies’ Night, but Bear, seeing me all greased up, always made him uncomfortable.

Bear sighed and shook his head. “I’ve got nothing to tell you. Even from the inner circle, I know nothing about the cartel right now. Keep your phone on you. Once I know something, I’ll let you know.”

“What about Idris?” I leaned across the bar and grabbed his hand. “ Anything with him? Are the two connected?”

Bear growled and ran his hand through his beard. “Not a hundred percent sure. It is still too early to tell. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were. Not the way things are lining up so perfectly.” He scowled.

Bear went to turn away but stopped, half-turned. “Your packages are by the cave. Figured you would want them there instead of the cabin. Tajah even teleported your mate’s suitcase. I guess they have high hopes for you tonight.”

My smile widened drastically. Bear shook his head and stomped off, ready to open the doors to the bar. This was going to be the most memorable night of my life, and Locke’s.

Anytime there were men dancing on the bar—ladies in control—and alcohol was involved, you knew it was going to be a good time.

Tonight, my mate was going to be here and I couldn’t wait to stir some emotions out of her. She’s kept to herself, holding herself back for too long, and seeing that flash of jealousy in the cabin was enough to make my confidence soar.

Her arousal really showed that she wanted me.

I just had to fucking pay attention and not seep back into the dark recesses of my mind.

That sweet scent of sea-salted caramel called to me now that I knew her scent so well.

My dragon and I salivated for a taste. I couldn’t wait to stay buried between her thighs for hours, if she would let me.

That image alone could have made me come right behind the bar.

Would she order me to lick her pussy? Demand that I pleasure her in front of these females to stake a claim?

I could feel a shimmer of pleasure race down my spine. My tail demanded to make an appearance. I let out a groan and forced myself to hold back any sort of shift.

I was not a male who hunted as thoroughly as my brothers here in the MC. I did not have a dominant personality in the slightest. I liked to play and flirt. I did not care to pin my mate down and order her submissiveness.

I would not mind if the roles were reversed.

I trusted the goddess wholeheartedly, even though I’d been hurt in the past, because of Journey. She had told the club, countless times, that the goddess was trying to right her wrongs.

Please, Goddess, let her choose me.

Accept me.

Want me.

I surveyed the dimly lit bar, it was already filled with a lively atmosphere. The sound of laughter mixed with the rhythmic beats of the music pounded my sensitive ears. The energy in the room grew, making me feel alive and eager for Elena to arrive.

The Moonlight Outcasts opted to start out with their DJ equipment before they switched over to live music.

. They switched on the strobe lights, the music blared and thrummed through the floors.

I could feel the rhythm pumping through my body as I pulled out my phone for the last time tonight, to check for any last messages.

Beretta: Your mate’s dolled up. Don’t fuck it up.

Right, thanks.

I chuckled and threw my phone under the bar where we kept our stuff. The other two bartenders who enjoyed dancing on the bar for tips nodded to let me know they were ready. Pulling off their shirts to signal our start, I leapt onto the bar top with more confidence than I'd ever had before.

The crowd roared with excitement as the music pulsed, filling the room with energy. Women hooted and hollered, reaching out to slip dollar bills into our waistbands as we danced. The lights flashed and sparkled, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the walls and ceiling .

I moved with a fluid grace, letting my body sway and twist to the beat. The scent of alcohol and perfume mingled around me, adding to the heady atmosphere of the bar. As I scanned the crowd, my heart raced with anticipation, searching for a familiar face.

My dragon instantly felt her when she entered the building. It wasn’t through the front door, but the back. I could smell her from here, and I heard her footsteps. While the movements around me were fast, everything else was in slow motion.

Would she like my body, my movements? It was for her, not for the people here. Sweat dripped down my brow, my body contorting around the pole, and when I looked up, feeling the heat of her gaze, I nearly collapsed, seeing her staring at me with wide eyes and her lips parted.

The music reached its peak, and the women screamed when I landed with a thud on my knees. The glasses shook, and some fell over, covering the bar with liquids. I laughed, seeing Emm on the same side of the bar where Elena, her sister, sat upstairs.

How fucking ironic.

“Well, hello there, sugar. You made it.” I told her, giving her a wink.

Emm glanced away from me. Now that my dragon was strengthening and my mate was so close, I would release a massive amount of pheromones since I was dancing for her. It wouldn’t affect Emm so much because she had her own mate in the bar. It would still make her uncomfortable.

“Aw, come on, can’t handle me at my worst. You don’t deserve me at my best!” I rubbed my hand down my abs. “But, really, I think this is my best.”

Emm snorted and pushed on my bare shoulder. “Just get me my drink, you perv.”

In a few short minutes, I returned to her side of the bar and held out a Pina Colada. Emm raised her eyebrow and took the fruity drink. “I know you have more than one drink. It depends on your mood. ”

She was a whisky drinker, but tonight she needed something sweeter. Well, sweeter tasting anyway. Especially with what Locke wanted me to do for him. He’d appreciate her tasting like his personal favorite.

Emm stared at me dumbly, and I tapped on the bar with my hand before I hopped back on it again and rubbed my body up and down the pole.

Time passed, and I got the signal to start the body shot portion of the evening.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, time for some body shots!” I called out. My voice was strong, my aura exuded across the bar. The members who knew me well enough understood that I was not a threat.

Several couples came and went. Only mated or soon-to-be mated couples were allowed.

The auction was rigged. Only the males who were destined to be mated to the woman on the bar were allowed to be up there. If we knew a woman didn’t have a mate in-house, she was refused politely, and told there was a sign-up list and would have to try another night.

But now was the best part: our president would claim his mate, then I could go claim mine.

Piece of cake.

I grabbed the tequila and took a small swig.

Not that it would help with any liquid courage since my dragon was becoming stronger by the second.

I felt the heat of Elena’s gaze on me the entire time.

I did my best to ignore her. She needed to see me in my element, lust after me like I have lusted after her.

Nadia and Delilah urged Emm to step on the stool and sit on the bar. I tilted Emm’s head back and dripped the tequila into her mouth. She giggled, some running down her mouth and neck.

Yep, Locke was going to have a field day with Emm.

The girls continued to tell Emm she had a choice to stop, but she was all for it. She was brave, just like her sister. She took it all in. That was when I had to do the next step, as requested by the president.

Man, he had some balls.

I pulled the blindfold out of my back pocket. “Let’s make it interesting,” I announced. “Let’s make her blind!”

Once the blindfold was settled, the bidding began. The money went to the bar, not to the woman on stage. Everyone was aware of that, including the women who signed up.

Technically, Emm didn’t sign up. We just threw her into it, but who cared? She was the future Luna, anyway.

I started at the normal number, twenty bucks, because we were supposed to be a low-class biker bar. For the show, members would throw out numbers, and when the supposed mate called out the agreed number, we would stop.

Before anyone could bid, Locke threw out a grand, and the room went silent.

Show off.

While I acted completely shocked by the whole act, I knew damn well where this was going. Locke was going to eat his Luna out on the bar while everyone watched. Well, if they dared to watch. I wasn’t going to, because that was my future sister-in-law, and I had a little more respect than that.

As I continued to pour the tequila slowly over Emm’s leg so it would dribble down to her toes and Locke could lick it up to her pussy, I glanced up at the second-floor balcony where Elena stood wide eyed.

Was she staring at her sister or me?

Hopefully me, because seeing your sister getting eaten out by her boyfriend would have been weird.

Elena’s face heated when I put two of my fingers into the stream of alcohol. I brought them to my lips and spread my fingers, sensually licking between them.

She bit on her bottom lip, her fingers digging into the banister. I tried to hold back a smile, trying to be sexy as hell and hold back the massive erections in my pants.

Compression shorts don’t fail me now.

A fellow bartender tapped my shoulder, handing me a lime. “Open.” I barked at Emm and she opened her mouth so I could place the lime in it for Locke to suck the juices from her lips.

My pants felt bearably tight while I waited for my president to finish their weird courting ritual.

I kept my leg up against Emm’s back while Locke put more pressure into her body and ravished her. I dared to look back up at Elena, smelling her scent above all others in the bar.

I didn’t want anyone to have smelled her, to know she was there, an unclaimed human above the bar watching the debauchery below.

My dragon’s pheromones grew without my permission, and I snarled at the men beside me.

It didn’t affect Locke, he was powerful even if he hadn’t mated Emm yet.

My dragon was on his last thread of patience to go feral for her.

Claim.

It felt like ages passed until Locke took Emm off the bar. Elena disappeared from sight, and that was when I knew I needed to leave.

I patted the bartender on the shoulder next to me. He jumped away in fear. My brow furrowed, and my dragon roared inside me.

Shit, I forgot he gets pissy.

I grabbed my phone and got out of there, ready to meet Elena at the spiral staircase. Beretta blocked her to keep her out of sight from her sister and pushed her down a hallway.

“Have fun,” Beretta smirked and walked into the bar. Elena grabbed me by the arm and pushed me against the wall.

Holy shit!

“What was that?” Fire blazed in her eyes when she looked at me.

Was she mad? She was hot when she was mad.

“I was working.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Like what I do?”

She growled at me and crossed her arms. “I don’t like you dancing in front of other girls. I don’t like you being all…” She waved her arms in front of me and grunted.

“Sweaty? Oily?” I rubbed my hands up and down my body, flexing my muscles as I did.

“You oiled?” she gasped.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, makes me shiny. It’s more appealing. The women like it.”

Elena growled again.

“Aw, are you jealous, Mama?” I cooed and stepped forward. I brushed a pretty, brown tendril of hair behind her ear.

“Er, uh, no! I’m not jealous.” She shook her head. “Why would I be jealous? I could never be—”

“Well, I smelled you,” I interrupted. “I could smell your arousal all the way down at the bar.”

Her eyes widened. “You didn’t, there is no way—”

“I did, because my body is completely in tune with yours.” I cautiously stepped forward.

As I approached, she instinctively stepped back, her shoes scraping against the cold surface.

I could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she slowly retreated.

Her scent bloomed, and my nostrils flared, taking it in.

I cupped her cheek. “I know you want me, love. Just know I want you, too.” I ran a finger down her chin, then across her lips. It still smelled of tequila and I had an urge to stick it into her mouth and ask, no, beg her to suck. But I didn’t.

Her chest heaved, her breasts rising and falling within the little black dress she wore. We stood there in silence as I waited for her to reply.

She cleared her throat. “Ah, fuck it!” She pushed her hands into my chest and took me by surprise. I grunted, hitting the other wall. She grabbed the back of my hair and pulled me into the most electrifying kiss I’d ever had.