Of Love and Lycans

Chapter 4

    Nevaeh slid one of the golden charmed rings on her middle finger as she walked back toward the mansion. Before entering, she convinced Ben to keep himself posted at the outside of the house which he did with grating reluctance. Since he wasn’t cloaked, she didn't want any more trouble while they were inside, and since Ofa wanted to stay and play around a bit, the exact time of their departure wasn’t completely set, so there was plenty of time for trouble to find them if any of the Lycans still sensed their presence.

    Before she stepped inside, she tried to peek at the Lycans out by the pool again, trying to gauge the likelihood of getting caught up in a brawl. Interestingly, the few she remembered as having the eye-shine of a wolf were completely emerged in drinking, dancing, or trying to fish their companion out of the pool. Perhaps they didn’t see her as much or a threat as Barbie did, or maybe Barbie was just that girl whose Chihuahua yap attack overcompensated for her lack in racial tolerance. 

    The sad thing was, Gamma Rhys was putting off the same vibes that Lycans didn’t like werewolves that much and he returned the disgust with as much fervor. Is that how it was for all of them? Lycans thought they were superior?  Sure, they were the primordial ancestors of the werewolf, but seriously? Did that give them a gold star to put on their forehead or something?

    As she walked inside, Nevaeh wondered if her cousins had any run-ins with the Lycans yet and what their experiences were, or if she was just the lucky one. From what she could sense, the place was mostly packed with humans, which was interesting. Why did this pack of Lycans have so many human friends?

    After finding Levi still scouting out the kitchen, nursing liquor out of a plastic cup, with a few girls flirting at his sides, she strode over to him. Nevaeh smirked at the girls and raised an eyebrow at her cousin. With a shrug, he took another draw from his drink. Females were not his type, yet he didn't dissuade their company either. He knew being an Alpha werewolf, he was a verified chick magnet.  Yet, he was also a gentlemen and didn't turn away from a flirtatious chat if women wanted to talk to him. But, it never went further than talking for him. 

    "There you are, sweetheart," Nevaeh swooped in to save him from having to turn down these girls, whose eyes sparkled with the hope of hooking up with him. She wiggled her way to Levi's side and looped her arm in his. He smirked at Nevaeh, though was quick to shift his expression into that of a doting boyfriend. 

    "Hello, my love," he played along. "I was just getting a drink and got carried away talking to these lovely ladies here. Patricia and Maddie," he smiled at the girls who returned it, though shot daggers into Nevaeh. He shifted another loving smile toward her, "Did you want one?" 

    Neveah simpered, "In a minute, yes." Her eyes flicked to both girls who seemed to get the hint behind her glare. They bid a quick goodbye to Levi, making sure to snub Nevaeh as they left with their tails between their legs. She giggled as she unlaced her arm from his. "You're breaking girls' hearts by giving them the time of day, Levi. You know that?"

    "It makes them feel good about themselves when a guy talks to them," he shrugged.

    "You know they want more of you than your lip service."

    Nevaeh presented him with the ring and filled him in on her meeting with Gamma Rhys. He seemed just as shocked that there were Lycans here at the mansion; his eyes instantly scouted the kitchen but everyone present smelled human. He too wondered if they should leave, even with the ring. The last thing they wanted to do was stir up trouble, especially when they wanted to keep themselves as much under the radar as possible being what their current mission entailed. 

    Even with the ring on, some Lycans had witnessed the scuffle between Nevaeh and the Lyla, so they knew werewolves were here.  Was wearing the ring a moot point now? Yet with the ring, it stifled their wolfie smell, and perhaps the Lycans would just lose their minds within the swills of alcohol and loud music, forgetting all about Nevaeh.

    Before moving into the hub of the party to find Ofa, Nevaeh grabbed a cup off the large granite kitchen island and scoured over the various containers of alcohol. If Ofa was going to make her stay here a bit longer, she needed to drown some of the irritation that jabbed at her nerves. While she recognized a lot of the liquor labels, some were names she had never heard of before and were in colors she wasn’t familiar with. 

    She nudged Levi, “You try any of these weird ones?” Maybe he had already played guinea pig and could steer her away from anything suspect.

    “Nope.” He shook his head before swallowing more of his drink. “Sticking with what I know. Some of them look a little cringe.” 

    “No kidding.” Nevaeh picked up a bottle that swirled a hot pink liquid. Pulling it closer to her face, she noticed little gold flecks speckling the liquor like a cyclone, spinning in mesmerizing circles. What caught her off guard was when it suddenly started spinning in the other direction. “What the hell?” she whispered.

    “You’ll love it,” a female voice cooed from her right. Nevaeh’s head shot in her direction, noticing a pretty red-headed young woman that reminded her of her sister, Yessica. Either it was the instant homesickness for her sibling or the sincere smile on the stranger’s face, but Nevaeh entertained her encouragement. “Yeah?”

    “It has a great buzz and tastes like strawberries.” Her smile was as soft as her pink lipstick. “And it puts you on Cloud Nine.”  

    Cloud Nine? Maybe this one is a big NO. She needed to keep herself grounded, especially while on the job. Still, as she tried to set the bottle back down, she was mesmerized with its liquid dance. “I’ve never seen it before. It looks like--”

    “--like it’s alive?” The girl lit up with a playful shrug. “Maybe it is? If you want to let loose tonight, have fun, then that’s the one for you,” she encouraged. 

    “Let loose? You happen to speak to a girl named Ofa?” Nevaeh’s eyebrow rose. Pfft. Did everyone think she was an uptight stick-in-the-mud? Come on, now! She knew how to party, just … not in the middle of an important mission. A mission that had actually siphoned nearly every second of her life when she wasn’t slaving behind a desk for their family’s business.

    In that fraction of a second, truth iced her skin in stark clarity. When was the last time she had actually been in a club without the badge of duty strapped to her forehead?

    Nevaeh peeked at Levi for a second and noticed the accusation swimming within his gentle brown irises.  She swallowed, not wanting to accept that label.

    The girl laughed. “No, I don’t know anyone named Ofa, but I assume she’d tell you the same thing?” She ribbed Nevaeh with her elbow. “If a stranger and your friend is telling you to lighten up, what is that saying?”

    OMG- it’s true! I’m an uptight stick-in-the-mud!

    “All business and no fun makes Nevaeh a boring girl.” Levi laughed. He didn’t understand just how much that stabbed at her just now.  “Join the party Princess, and let up a little.”

    Nevaeh rolled her eyes yet felt the drowning pressure of his words. Technically, their job was over here, and they did get the information. So, technically they were off the clock as an Arkadían and are just people at a party, right? Technically?  “Fine! Just make sure I don’t wake up in the gutter somewhere.” 

    “Deal.” He smiled, holding her cup up between them. “Pour it.” The bottle was already uncorked, so she simply tilted it and watched the pink liquid fizz as it pooled. 

    “Don’t be shy, Princess. Fill the cup!” Levi's chuffed expression goaded her on.

    “Half way is just fine,” she did have some limits even under the gauntlet of peer-pressure. “I don’t need to be lost in some sort of psychedelic nightmare.” When she lifted the cup to her mouth, the carbonation tickled at her nose as she started to dump it down her throat. It coated in a burning stream, and she found herself struggling to swallow, but the flavor was astounding, tasting of fresh strawberries like the stranger promised. 

    “Wow, that is good--” Nevaeh turned to the red head, but balked when she discovered the girl was not beside her. 

    Levi gawked in that direction too, “She must’ve dropped her ninja ball because that girl is poof--gone.” He laughed, then yanked on her arm. “Let’s go find Ofa and try out this new Nevaeh of ours?” She glared at his accusation, yet groveled in its truth.

    Not sure if it was the strange alcohol or just the state of the sound system, but the music’s base that pounded in the main foyer vibrated in her chest and minced her brain as they strode through the sweaty labyrinth of bodies. It was loud enough that she had to be extremely close to Levi just so she could hear him talk. It was irritating enough that they had to revert to mind-linking any sort of conversation, which mainly revolved around trying to spot Ofa. 

    They went to where they thought she would be, right in the middle of the masses, sweltering under the spell of the DJ’s songs. To their surprise, Ofa was standing near the bottom of one of the winding staircases like some neglected wallflower.

    After Nevaeh and Levi flanked her, she sighed with a relieved smile, gaping at both of them with wide, hopeful eyes. Please tell me you found the contact. I’ve had so many hot guys ask me to dance and I’ve had to tell them so many different lies about why I can’t. Did I tell you I hate it when we need to work while at a party? This job sucks.

    Oh, you love it. Stop being a whiny b***h. She mind-linked back while smirking at Ofa. I found him and we got our info. But I’ve discovered something interesting. Her cousin flashed her baby-blues her way. There are actual Lycans at the party and some of them don’t want us to be here, like they want to ‘kick our ass’ not want us to be here.

    Oh, hell no. I’m staying. Ofa blared, without a care in the world about any danger this might entail. I can’t just dip in and out of this place without tasting! What’s their deal, anyway? They just decide to come out of hiding and then boss us around? Screw them!

    Nevaeh shrugged. I don’t know what’s up with them, and I don’t agree with their assholery either. I feel ya, Cous'. But we need to be safe, too. We haven’t ever fought one before, so we don’t know what we are up against. She grabbed Ofa’s hand and placed the ring within her palm. Our contact, Gamma Rhys, gave us these. They are obfuscate rings, made to block our werewolf aura from being sensed by unwanted pricks.

    Her face instantly lit up and she couldn’t put the ring on any faster than she did. She squealed in the mind-link, causing her and Levi to flinch. We can stay! I could just kiss that Gamma! YES!

    Nevaeh smirked as she looked toward the raucous, jumping crowd with the uncanny luck of spotting Gamma Rhys. His mention of other stuff picked at her as she scoped him out for a second while her mind shifted again from relax mode into work mode. No matter how much she tried, she seemed to always be on the clock.  Posted on the outskirts of the throng, he seemed to be casing out the crowd.

    What was the Gamma looking for?

    He was at a party, duh. Maybe he wanted a hook-up? Reason seemed to blast through her scrutiny as she shook her head. She really needed to chill out. Exhaling, she let the tingling sensation wash over her, surrendering to its will, feeling her mind reel. Was that the pink liquor working its magic?

Smirking, Nevaeh pointed. Well, if you’re really interested in kissing the Gamma, he’s standing over there. She pointed ; Ofa and Levi purred in unison at the hottie. Remember, we have a morning meeting tomorrow for the company. We’re going to bounce from this party no later than midnight. As she spoke, something feathered inside her mind, like deja vu, but not deja vu. Her chest burned with the familiarity, yet she was confused at what it wanted to tether itself to.

    Ofa groaned. s**t, Nevaeh, I’m not Cinderella and it's nearly eleven now. I say One AM! The bartering began.

    Nevaeh hummed a laugh, rolling her eyes. She nearly shot her cousin down, but the odd feeling was now budding in her chest, rationalizing with her mind on staying. Fine, One o'clock. No later. She tried to sound resolute, but her words were weightless, and her cousin had sensed it.

    Two! Please, Two! Ofa haggled.

    Her brain felt like it was swimming now and she closed her eyes to combat the vertigo that threatened to increase. Inside her personal hell, she responded. One thirty, FIRM! We’ll meet back at the car then and no later. She popped her eyes open to show Ofa that she was serious, even if her muddled expression lacked the bite to back it.

    What the hell was happening to her? What was in that drink?

    Fine!  Deal! The smile on Ofa’s face testified of her win, and Nevaeh glared at the retreating sashay of her cousin as she realized the girl would have settled for One AM.

    Levi chuckled beside her, grabbing her hand and leading her into the raving epicenter of the party. Come on, Princess. Let’s go dance and make sure Ofa doesn’t bump and grind with the wrong person.