Yet, drifting back to the wedding, he wondered if there was more to life than just being Alpha. Zac was one of his oldest friends and also the son of the clan’s Beta, Nick Vrost. Most people had thought Zac would be Beta after his father, but the younger Vrost didn’t want any part of it, much to his father’s consternation. Of course, Lucas had already decided who he wanted as his beta—Zac’s now wife, Astrid. The half-shifter, half-witch had proven herself capable and willing to sacrifice herself for the clan. Not only that, but she also showed her mettle by not only defying him, but slowing him down when he had shifted in bloodlust when the mages tried to attack them that first time. It was at a party at Blood Moon when—
Orange blossoms and olives. Gray eyes with a tinge of azure.
The memory kept popping into his head, intruding on his thoughts. As he battled for control of his body with his wolf, he found himself grasping for that memory.
It was the only thing keeping him sane these past few weeks. His damn wolf was always sniffing the air, looking for traces of it, which is why he couldn’t simply brush it off as a dream or hallucination. It was real, he really did smell and see that. But when?
“Reyes,” he called.
“Sir?”
“Change of plans. We’re not going home.”
“Where to?”
“Blood Moon.”
If the bodyguard had any reservations, he didn’t show it. He simply mumbled something to the driver, who nodded. When they crossed over to Manhattan, the car headed toward Midtown, instead of the Upper West Side.
“Stay with the car, Reyes,” he instructed.
“Sir, I can’t—”
“This is Blood Moon. I’ll be safe in there. You know it.” Blood Moon was a club for shifters and magical people, and in fact, Fenrir Corp. partly owned it along with a few private Lycan investors. It had always been a safe place for Lycans, and since its inception over thirty years ago, it was protected with powerful spells so that humans would ignore its existence, just like The Enclave. Since the attack on the club, the magic had been reinforced by several powerful witches and warlocks.
Reyes nodded. “I’ll wait for your call when you want to leave.”
With a nod of thanks, Lucas exited and headed straight for the club. The two bouncers—Lycans—immediately recognized him and bowed their heads in respect as they opened the door to let him in.
The music was pulsing, filling the club with energy as people gyrated on the packed dance floor. It had always surprised him how full Blood Moon was, but then again, there were few places that catered exclusively to Lycans and witches and those few humans who knew about their existence. Despite the hum of the music and the mixed scents around him, in here, he felt at ease. He was just about to head to the bar for a drink when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His wolf went on alert again and he whipped around, a snarl on his lips.
“Jesus Christ, it’s just me, Lucas.”
“Bastian.” Lucas felt his body relax and his wolf back down, recognizing the other Lycan.
Bastian Creed grinned at him, his handsome face turning almost boyish. With his thick ruddy beard and tattoos that snaked past his collar and cuffs, he looked more like a biker than a self-made tech billionaire. “Remind me never to creep up on you,” he laughed. “Where’re you going?”
“I was going to get a drink.”
The other Lycan chuckled. “At the bar? Why? Come on.” He gestured at Lucas with his hand. “I have a VIP table.”
“It’s fine, I—”
“Lucas, your family owns most of this club,” Bastian pointed out. “You can enjoy some of the benefits. Besides, it’s been too long. Why don’t we catch up?”
“Fine,” he relented.
Bastian flashed him another grin, then led him across the dance floor, stopping at the largest VIP table in the cordoned off in the club. When he saw the table, he nearly turned around.
“Who are these people?” he huffed. There were more than a dozen men and women hanging around the large, semi-circular booth, drinking and chatting. There were all dressed to the nines, and as far as he could tell, all human.
“Friends of mine.” He sent a stunning redhead a dazzling smile, who returned it with a sultry gaze. “We just hopped off my plane after partying in London, so I thought I’d take them here.”
“Human friends?” he asked in a disdainful tone. “You know this is a Lycan club, right?”
“It’s not a secret or anything.” Bastian winked at him. “There are some humans in here. Those few immune to the spells.”
That was true. Magic wasn’t absolute, but it did help keep out most non-Lycans and non-magical people. The bouncers did their best to discourage humans from coming in, but business was business.
Still, he preferred that the humans stayed in their human clubs and leave Blood Moon for the Lycans. “Thanks for the offer of a drink, Bastian,” he said. “But I should go.”
Bastian’s face suddenly turned serious. “Hey, look.” He placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “We don’t have to go to my table. Let’s go somewhere more private and have a drink, okay?”
He considered saying no, but Bastian was already dragging him to a different VIP table, one that was thankfully empty. The bouncer removed the cord to let them through and they slid into the booth.
“Two whiskeys,” he said to the waitress who approached them. “Neat and make them doubles.”
“Of course, Mr. Creed,” she said, her eyes looking at him invitingly. “I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he replied and gave her a wink.
“Do you sleep with anything that moves, Creed?” he asked wryly.
Bastian shrugged. “Hey, it’s not like I promise them commitment or any of that shit. There’s so many women
