Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Michael POV

When I grew tired from strolling around, I entered a nightclub. The music from the club was so loud that my chest thumped. In a chaotic attack, the flashing neon lights, stench of alcohol and sweat hit me like a freight train. This was my first time in a club, and in my honest opinion, I wasn't sure what drove me in here in the first place. But after the week I just had, I had figured that maybe a change of scenery would make me forget my woes. 

I wandered aimlessly through the crowd, my head swiveling like an owl as I took in the chaos around me. There were people dancing, laughing, shouting over the music, and generally having the time of their lives. Meanwhile, I was just trying to keep myself from not getting overwhelmed.

Eventually, I found my way to the bar counter, where a bartender with sleeves of tattoos and a bored expression was wiping down glasses. He looked up as I approached, his eyebrow quirking in a way that said, 'you are definitely in the wrong place'

"What can I get you?" he asked nevertheless, his voice barely audible over the music. 

I stared at the rows of bottles behind him, my brain short-circuiting for an instant there. I had no idea what to order. I didn't even know what half those bottles were. 

"Uh..." I said, dragging out the word like it was a life raft. "I'm not sure…. just give me the strongest drink you have" 

The bartender raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? I've seen guys twice your size pass out in minutes after one of those." 

I nodded, doubt flashing my mind but I quickly withdrew the thought "Yeah, I'm sure. Hit me with it." 

He shrugged and started pouring a mix of liquids that looked like they could strip paint. "This is called the 'Elephant's Graveyard.' Word is that a bottle of this is enough to knock out an elephant for six hours." 

I blinked. "An elephant?" 

"Yep," he said, sliding the drink toward me.

That's not very safe, I thought.

Either way, I took a tentative sip, expecting it to taste like gasoline or death. Instead, it was sweet, almost like honey. "Wow, this is... actually really good." 

The bartender smirked. "That's what they all say." 

I downed the rest of the drink in one go, feeling the warmth spread through my chest. By the time I was on my third glass, the world had taken on a soft, blurry edge. The loud music now sounded a lot nicer, and the lights more accommodating. I was slumped over the counter, staring at my reflection in the polished wood and wondering how my life had turned into such a dumpster fire. 

"Sarah," I muttered to no one in particular. "Why'd you have to go and get pregnant with my brother? Couldn't you have just... I don't know, joined a cult or something?" 

I was so lost in my own misery that I didn't notice the woman sitting down next to me until she spoke. 

"Club soda, please," she said, her voice smooth and confident. 

I turned my head—slowly, so I didn't fall off the stool—and stared at her. She was beautiful, with sharp features, piercing green eyes, short but shiny black hair and a leather jacket that looked like it had been tailored just for her. Her black pants hugged her legs in a way that made my brain short-circuit in a way I have never felt before.

"Hi," the word got out before it even registered in my brain.

She glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "Hi." 

I opened my mouth to say something else, but before I could, two men appeared out of nowhere, flanking her on both sides. They were big, with broad shoulders and hands the size of watermelons. 

"Hey, gorgeous," one of them said, leaning way too close to her. "That's a nice coat you've got." 

"Thank you" the woman responded a bit coldly

"My friend here thinks you are real pretty," he pointed at his friend "I just had to bring him along, he is a bit shy…."

At that point, I trained my eyes away from them and decided minding my business was in my best interest.

"If you don't mind, I'm actually here with my boyfriend" I heard her say

My curiosity got the better of me since I also wanted to see who her boyfriend was.

"Well, I don't see him with you…" the man quipped as he looked around, his eyes not even regarding me with a glance

"Babe" the woman stood up and walked towards me, I frowned – hard.

"Him? He is your boyfriend? That has to be a joke. It's got to be a joke." the man almost screamed with a hint of condescension.

I now felt offended.

"Are you using him as a ruse to shoo us away?"

"Babe?" the woman confidently coiled her arm around mine, her voice so sheepish and convincing that I actually believed I was her boyfriend.

"Can you leave my fuckin girlfriend alone" I finally spoke up

The man looked at his fellow then they began laughing hard. They were hysterical there for quite a while but when their laughter died, one of the men turned to me "that's cute"

The other guy who was supposed to be the shy one reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip tight. "You don't have to hide behind this…dude. I promise you'll have a good time with us." 

Something snapped inside me. Maybe it was the alcohol since it was my first time drinking, or maybe it was the fact that I'd spent the last month feeling like a doormat and being regarded as an extra in my own life, but I wasn't about to sit there and watch these colossal men insult me. 

"Hey!" I said, my voice louder than I intended. "Leave her alone." 

The two men turned to look at me, their expressions a mix of surprise and amusement. 

"What's your problem, buddy?" the second guy asked, his grip still on the woman's arm. 

"I'll tell youuuu what my…my problem is" I said, swaying slightly as I stood up. I sized them up from top to bottom, then it dawned on me, they were really huge and muscular. I literally had no chance standing up against them. Physically, I was no match. But mentally, after a long dose of the Elephant's Graveyard, my newfound courage thought that they were a nuisance. "You are my problem, the both of you."

The first guy smirked as he cracked his knuckles, something that was supposed to be intimidating. "Boy, do yourself a favor and take a walk." 

"I think you should take your own advice, boy" I retorted

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was his smirk gradually fading, then knuckles.

When I came to, I was sitting back on the stool, blood dripping down my nose. The woman was dabbing it with a napkin, her expression a mix of amusement and concern. 

"You put up quite a fight," she said 

I blinked up at her, my vision still blurry. "Really?" 

She chuckled lightly, "No. The bouncers got rid of them. But you've got courage, I'll give you that. Standing up to alpha werewolves like that takes guts." 

I stared at her, my brain struggling to process what she'd just said, or why I was seeing three of her "Wait... they were werewolves? Alpha werewolves?" 

She nodded, her green eyes sparkling. "I thought you knew" 

"No," I said, my voice slurred. "I thought they were just... really big guys." 

She raised an eyebrow. "What are you? Because you are not a shifter or a vampire? I could have smelt it on you. And witches and elementals don't frequent this club" 

"I'm what they call a human." I turned my head towards the counter hoping to spot my glass, wincing as the movement made my nose throb.

"Huh" she exclaimed, then chuckled in a way that I found pleasing to my ears. I liked the sound of it. "Well, you're either very brave or very stupid." 

"Probably both," I said, grinning despite the pain in my face. 

The bartender slid another drink in front of me, and I grabbed it without thinking.

"Very stupid" she said as she eyed the contents of my drink "You might want to take it slow with that drink, its sweet but you'll feel the hangover for a week"

"I'm aware" I sighed and slurped it confidently

She frowned as she took the seat next to me. She regarded me for a short while as she sipped her club soda gently.

"Your girlfriend broke up with you?" she asked

"Close" I said with a slight smile "it was my fiancé, and I was the one who broke up with her."

"She should be the one drinking herself to death"

"Yeah, instead, she is getting knocked up by my brother, and now expecting his child." I said bitterness overwhelming me

"That's…interesting" she responded "Now I'm feeling guilty I used you to chase those men away."

"It was nothing" I smiled, faintly recalling how the man's fist rocketed towards my face "But I think my nose might be broken, I can't breathe right."

"Sorry about that." She smiled apologetically "let me settle your tab, it's the least I can do."

"Thanks, "I replied not letting gentleman chivalry take a hold of me. I was definitely fine with a woman paying my drinks.

I stood up from my seat, my knees wobbling as they strived to hold my form. I held the counter to support myself. "I should…go. It's getting late…"

"Are you in any condition to drive…or walk?"

"Definitely." I smiled confidently, then the world went dark.