Page 9

nine

ada

“I ’m in. It’s been way too long since I’ve let loose and had some fun,” Hannah chimes, shimmying in her seat. Hannah looks like she’s all sweet and shy, but she has a wild side.

Isla sits quietly across from me, and it’s obvious she’s trying to decide if she wants to go or head home to her daughter. I whisper to her, “Hey, don’t feel pressured to go with us. But—and this is a big but—I would love it if you came out, even just for a little bit.”

I can see her thinking through what I said, and moments later she addresses the table. “I’m in, too. Just let me text my mom to make sure she’s okay with watching Kaida longer.”

We all cheer, as she laughs, sending a quick text. Within seconds, she has her response and we’re all filing out the door. The dishes can wait until tomorrow. I’ve never had a group of girlfriends like this, and I’m so thankful to have found them. We giggle like teenagers as we walk the few short blocks to The Wolf’s Den, the pub in town.

Rue told me about The Den, as it’s called by locals, back when we were in college. It’s owned and run by the wolf shifter pack who live on the outskirts of Whispering Springs, preferring their privacy and freedom. The pub is known for its loud music and lively customers, who can be a bit rough around the edges at times.

We arrive at the pub, overflowing with humans and monsters of all kinds. A live band plays in the far corner surrounded by couples dancing along. The bar is filled with bodies, packed tight together, so we decide to sit at one of the free booths which line the side of the space. The worn leather of the booth feels smooth against my fingers as I take a seat.

Our waitress, a woman around our age, comes over to take our order. She looks familiar, but I don’t think we’ve ever met. “Hi ladies! Welcome to The Den. My name’s Clio and I’ll be taking care of you.” Her eyes land on me, and she tilts her head to the right, looking at me. “Okay, this is a long shot, but is your name Ada by any chance?”

“Yes, I’m Ada. Have we met before? You look so familiar,” I say, my brows dip.

“No, we haven’t met before, but I’ve heard about you from my aunt, Sarah. You work with her, right? She was telling me the other day about her work friend Ada, and you fit her description. Love the purple hair, by the way.”

That’s why she looks so familiar to me! She has the same curly red hair and striking golden eyes as Sarah.

“Sarah was telling me a few weeks ago how you just moved to the area recently. It’s so nice to meet you.” Turning to everyone at the table, I go around introducing Rue, Isla, and Hannah. “Wait, you’re Sarah’s niece? You couldn’t be more than a year or two younger than her.”

“Yeah, we get that a lot actually.” Clio laughs. “My mom and Sarah’s mom, my grandmother, were pregnant a year apart from each other. Sarah was the surprise ‘later in life’ baby. She and I weren’t raised together, but reconnected once I made the decision to move here. Now we’re inseparable.”

“It’s awesome to meet all of you. Everyone’s first round is on me.” Clio smiles at everyone at the table.

Clio seems like a sweetheart. I should invite her and Sarah to my place next week for a girls’ dinner. It would be good for our little group of women to grow.

“What can I get you all?” Rue, Hannah, and Isla order their usual drinks. Clio’s gaze falls on me.

“I’m feeling adventurous tonight. I’ll have whatever your favorite mocktail is on the menu.” The taste of alcohol has always been unappealing to me, so I’ve become a mocktail expert.

Clio chuckles. “Oh, I have just the thing for you. It isn’t on the menu, but I think you’ll love it. One mystery mocktail coming right up!”

Hurrying over to the bar, Clio hands our order off to the bartender, who I now notice is staring intensely at Isla. The man behind the counter is easily over six feet tall with golden skin deliciously covered in tattoos. His dark hair is beginning to gray around the temples, giving him a yummy older man vibe. His features are sharp and defined, and the five o’clock shadow is just the icing on the hunky cake.

“Rue,” I whisper to her, “who’s the bartender?”

She looks over my head and whispers back. “That’s Sebastian, he’s the alpha of the Artemis Pack. He’s got the whole sexy brooding and growling thing down. Why do you ask? I thought you only had eyes for your big green dude?"

I poke her in her side. “I’m not asking for me, I’m asking for Isla. Look, he can’t take his eyes off her. Don’t say anything though, I don't want to spook her.”

She looks over to him again and slowly slides back down in her seat. “Damn, I think I just got second hand eye-fucked.” She dramatically fans herself. We laugh and rejoin the conversation the girls are having.

Our drinks arrive, and Clio places the most elaborate mocktail I’ve ever seen in front of me. The tall chilled glass is filled with a gorgeous blue liquid with a slight shimmer to it.

“Now, it’s time for the magic to happen,” Clio announces as she pours a small glass of what appears to be lemonade into my drink. Before my eyes, my glass becomes a sparkling galaxy, as the blue liquid slowly turns purple. Wait, are those ice cubes shaped like mini spaceships?

“I like to call this drink, Sex on a Spaceship ,” Clio says proudly. “I’m a huge fan of alien romance books. It’s made with butterfly pea flower tea, lemonade, club soda, and edible glitter. It’s got this whole galaxy vibe. Have a sip and tell me what you think.”

I raise the chilled glass to my lips and take a drink. My taste buds are dancing right now. The tart lemonade perfectly balances out the bitter earthy tea.

“Holy shit, it’s incredible!” Everyone at the table laughs, and Clio joins in. “Also, the name is perfection.” Yeah, I am absolutely inviting Sarah and Clio for dinner. Clio and Hannah are going to get along very well.

Clio leaves us to tend to other tables, and before I know it, Isla and I are being dragged by Hannah and Rue over to the makeshift dance floor. The music blares through the speakers and the four of us sway to the beat, singing along off-key. This is exactly the night I needed.

The next song begins and it’s just as upbeat as the last. I’m in my own world, just feeling the music when a pair of hands grab my hips in a tight, almost painful grip.

I whirl around and see that the offending hands belong to a man who gives off negative energy, making me immediately uncomfortable. “Hey sexy, come dance with me,” he demands, a sleazy smile on his stupid face.

Pushing my hands against his chest to give me some space, my blood begins to boil. How dare this asshole try to ruin my good night. I refuse to give him a reason for not wanting to dance with him. I just give him a simple and firm, “No.”

Mr. No One Tells Me No doesn’t appear to take kindly to my rejection and attempts to paw at me again. His face shifts to one of anger, and something darker lurking just beneath the surface. “Do you know how lucky you are that I even asked you to dance, you fat slut?” he spits venom in each and every word.

“What the hell did you just call her?” a deep voice growls behind me. A second later, Ulgan is there, standing between me and the man.

“Mind your own business, you monster freak,” the man who clearly has no self-preservation skills shouts at a hulking orc.

Ulgan’s nostrils flare and lips tighten, his face fills with rage. His usually kind eyes darken as he edges closer to the source of probably everyone in this place’s frustrations.

A well-dressed man with a slender build and long platinum hair grips Ulgan by the shoulder. Wait a minute, are those pointy ears? This must be his friend Theo that he told me about. I’d only ever seen him at a distance before, so this is one hell of a way to meet.

“Ulgan, he’s not worth it. Let Sebastian and his pack handle him.” Instantly, the bartender Sebastian appears next to me, flanked by two equally muscular men.

Sebastian tips his head toward the grabby asshole and his men walk over, grip him forcefully under each of his arms, and escort him kicking and screaming from the building like an upset toddler.

“No one disrespects women at The Den. Have some fucking pride, man. Quit acting like a pup!” Sebastian’s gravely voice shouts. “Are you okay, sweetheart? My name is Sebastian, and this is my place,” he says with a hint of a southern accent, looking me over. A growl comes from behind me.

Was that Ulgan?

“Meant nothing by it, old friend,” he says, lightly smacking Ulgan on the shoulder. Did I miss something? What is he apologizing for?

The two men with Sebastian return, one of them whispering in his ear. He nods to them and they disappear through the crowd. The alpha turns toward Ulgan and me. “The situation has been taken care of. That piece of shit will never bother you again.”

“When you say ‘taken care of,’ do you mean banned from this place, or?—”

“Do you really want to know?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Nope. I’m good with not knowing.” I’ve watched enough true crime shows to know not to question a man who could potentially have a man killed just now. I’m not going to jail for being an accomplice. “Thank you, Sebastian.”

Sebastian strolls away from us and takes his place back behind the bar.

“Ada, are you alright? Did he hurt you?” Ulgan asks, giving me his own once over. His earlier fury is still smoldering.

Rue appears next to me. “Where the fuck is that prick?” she shouts. “I’m going to curse his stupid ass so his dick shrivels up and falls off!” Pure rage fills her voice.

“Damn, little witch. You’d go after his dick?” Theo smirks and gives a hearty chuckle.

“I told you, don’t call me that, or else it will be your dick I go after,” she replies, and it becomes evident that Rue realizes what she just said as her eyes widen in shock.

“You can go after my dick whenever you want, Blackwood,” Theo playfully quips. Rue, for the first time since I met her, is actually speechless.

Her eyes narrow at him, and she finally finds her voice. “You seriously never change. You’re the same ridiculous prick that you were in high school. Some of us have evolved, you know?” She holds her chin high and rolls her eyes at him.

“Ada?” Ulgan asks, sounding unsure and bringing my attention back to him.

Rue is on a warpath wanting to destroy the asshole who may or may not be in this world anymore. I just don’t have the heart to tell her that she’s a bit late to the party. Plus, Theo threw a real zinger at her, so it’s best to just keep things moving.

“I’m okay now. Thank you for stepping in when you did. When did you get here anyway?”

“I actually just walked in the door when I saw what was happening. A few friends and I decided to grab a drink.” Ulgan points to the group of males beside him. “It looks like we came just in time. But it also looks like you had it handled all on your own. You seemed ready to deck him.” He chuckles briefly, but concern is still written all over his face.

“Damn straight I would have. Nobody puts their hands on me without an invite.” My fists clench again, the anger still simmering within me.

Fuck every single man who feels that they are owed a woman’s time. Women should be able to exist and have fun without having to worry that some creep is going to touch them or force their company on them.

“An invite, huh? How does one go about securing an invitation?” He’s completely taken my mind off of the asshole, and made me laugh. I’m so thankful he’s here.

“If you play your cards right, you just might find yourself with one soon.” His eyebrows shoot up with surprise, and he lets out a roar of laughter. “Why don't you and your friends come and join mine? We have plenty of room.” I point toward our booth in the corner. In all honesty, I’m a bit shaken up and his presence makes me feel safe.

“Sounds good to me,” Theo replies, gathering two other men and following Ulgan and I over to the booth. Rue, Hannah, and Isla aren’t far behind.

We all stuff ourselves into the booth.

Ulgan and Theo introduce themselves to Hannah and Isla, and then we all get to meet their friend Declan, a charming troll who owns a construction company.

I’m so glad we ran into the guys. Ulgan has his arm wrapped protectively around my shoulders, and I can’t lie, his growly protective side earlier was sexy as hell. My panties are soaked right now.

Theo offers to go and grab another round of drinks for everyone. “Hey Ada, want to come with me?” he asks, gesturing toward the bar. I leave the booth and walk over with him to wait at the bar for our next round.

Theo isn’t at all what I expected. He always seems so put together and stoic, so to find out that he’s funny as hell is a pleasant surprise. Obviously, he has to be a good guy if Ulgan calls him his best friend, but I didn’t realize how charming he is.

Theo and Rue have had this weird tension between them for years, so I wasn’t sure what would happen when I met him. She made him sound like a pompous ass, but he couldn’t be farther from it. It didn’t escape my attention, however, that he enjoyed getting Rue riled up. Seeing the exchange in person, I think my dear best friend enjoyed it a little more than she led on. Their weird tension seems more like sexual tension. I know they grew up together in Whispering Springs, but there must be more to their backstory than I know. Guess I’ll just have to sit back and see how this plays out.

“Ada, I hope this doesn’t sound awkward, but I feel like I already know you. Don’t tell Ulgan this, but he talks about you all the time. I think he might be smitten,” Theo says, leaning up against the bar.

He talks about me? I probably should be embarrassed for how happy this makes me, but I can’t seem to give a damn.

“You think so, huh?”

“I know so.” The sincerity in his voice is evident.

Now I have some questions for this handsome elf.

“If I asked you something, would you be honest with me?”

“Of course. Ask away.” Theo replies with a kind smile.

“Is Ulgan really as wonderful as he seems? Obviously, you’re his best friend, but it’s hard for me to believe that someone like him exists.”

“I’ve known the jolly green giant for most of my life. We’ve been friends since we were kids, and I can tell you without any hesitation that he is the best man I’ve ever met,” Theo says. “What you see is what you get with him. Ulgan has always felt like he needed to prove himself, to prove his worth to those around him. Sometimes, he doesn't recognize just how much of a great guy he is. Any woman or purple-haired human would be blessed by the Goddess to get to be on the receiving end of his goodness and love.”

My heart feels like it's going to burst with relief and joy. He really is as amazing as he appears.

“I can sense that you might have another question for me. Don’t be shy, I’ll sit here all night hyping him up. Hit me with it.” He gestures with his hands for me to bring it.

My voice gets lower, almost to a whisper, as I say, “I’ve been burned so many times.” I stop, unable to get my actual question out.

Theo puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. His voice is filled with compassion. “He won't hurt you. I don’t think he would even be capable of hurting you without it devastating him. It’s safe to let him in.”

In one fell swoop, Theo addressed the ugly fires of doubt and fear burning within me and doused them with water, smoldering the blaze.

Ulgan is fortunate to have a friend like Theo. One day, I would like to be able to count Theo as one of my friends as well. Everyone should have someone like him in their life.

Leaning into him, I whisper a thank you and his arm is lifted off of my shoulders. “We better return you to the table before the Incredible Hulk storms over here thinking I’m trying to put the moves on his girl.” We laugh and bring the drinks back to the table.

Sitting next to Ulgan there is a noticeable shift in his mood. The moment I sit down he puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me to his side with a low growl. Is he really jealous of Theo?

Let’s fix that right now.

“You’re lucky to have a friend like Theo. He was telling me how great you are.” I take his hand from where it sits on his lap and hold it in mine. His body visibly relaxes, the tension melting off him.

“Plus, I’ve discovered I have a thing for men with tusks and tattoos.”

He moves his larger body closer to mine, and my own grows hotter, wishing that we were alone so I could finally see what those big hands would feel like on my curves. The heat in his eyes is unmistakable.

“I think I know someone who fits that description, and he’d be happy to show you more than just his tusks any time you want,” Ulgan says, inching closer to me with his gaze falling on my lips.

“Does anyone else feel like these two forgot they're at a table full of people who can hear them?”

Dammit, Rue. Well, I want to crawl under the damn table now. My hands come up to cover my face, as the table erupts into laughter. I peek through my fingers and see Ulgan shrinking in his seat, looking just as mortified.

“Leave them alone, guys,” Hannah interjects. “They can’t help it that they’re so effing cute together.”

Declan, Hannah’s new admirer, pipes in, “Yeah, leave the lad and lass alone.”

Hannah leans over and plants a kiss on his cheek, and the troll's green skin turns an even darker shade. Awe, someone’s got a big old crush on Hannah.

An hour later, we pay our bills and each head home in separate directions, Isla having to leave first to pick up Kaida. I go over to the bar to thank Sebastian again for his help, but he is nowhere to be found. How interesting.

Rue decides to spend the night at my place, not wanting to go back to her own home. Ulgan drives us back in his Jeep since he didn’t drink. He barely stops the car before Rue races out of the back seat and lets herself into my cottage to give us some privacy.

Ulgan hops out of the driver’s side and quickly makes his way to my side of the car. He opens the passenger side door and holds his hand out to help me down. I probably should let go of his hand, but I just don’t want to, so I keep hold of it as he walks me to my front door. Ulgan certainly doesn’t appear to mind, a happy grin on his face.

“Thank you again for stepping in tonight. Your friends are so much fun.”

“I’m glad you had a good time. They’re really great guys. You don’t need to thank me though, I’m just glad I could help.” We stare at each other, not wanting this moment to end.

Ulgan takes a step toward me, leans down, and presses his lips to mine. His hands gently go to my waist, while mine run through his hair at the nape of his neck. I’m lost in the kiss, wishing it wouldn’t stop. I want to stay like this forever, being held in his arms under the sparkling night sky.

Ulgan is just as breathless as I am when we stop. His eyes slowly travel over my face, as if he’s trying to memorize every single one of my features. “Goodnight, Ada.” His voice is deep and filled with need.

I stand on my tiptoes and place a gentle peck on his lips. “Goodnight, Ulgan.” I turn to open my front door as he turns to walk back down the path of my driveway.

He shouts to remind me to lock my door before he hops back into his Jeep and drives away. It’s a new feeling to have someone take care of me and worry about my safety. I’m so used to taking care of myself.

Walking into the living room, I find Rue already fast asleep on the couch, mouth open as she loudly snores. It looks like someone had a bit too much to drink tonight. After grabbing a blanket from a nearby chair and draping it over her, I head to my room to get ready for bed.

This night certainly was interesting. Ulgan was a complete surprise, and as much as I hate to admit it, his need to protect me turned me on like you wouldn’t believe. As tempting as it is to pull out my favorite vibrator to help with the ache between my thighs, there must be some unwritten girl code rule about getting off while your friend sleeps just on the other side of the door.

Guess I’m going to bed wet and achy.