The room was still empty, thankfully, and I could hear the faint crackle of the fire as it danced and flickered in the hearth. It was down to a few embers, and the warm glow in the room was comforting. This really was a strangeplace.
I straightened my black sweater and ran my hands along my jeans as I walked through the room towards the door that led back out to the club. But the door led to another room, and I forgot that we had gone through a series of doors to get to where weendedup.
The room was bare apart from a number of doors leading in opposite directions. They all looked the same, and I wasn’t sure which one headed back to the club. I stood there in silence a moment to try and listen to where the thumping beat of the music came from. I turned to my left and pressed my ear up against one of the large dark doors, and heard the rhythmic beat of the music and loud conversation on theotherside.
I sighed in relief as I pushed the door open to walk-through, but at the same time someone pushed the door in other direction and knocked me back. The large wooden door hit me in the head and threw me onto the ground with anungracefulthud.
“Oww, fuck,” I swore loudly as I rubbed my forehead where the door had hit me. I was sprawled on the ground, flat on my ass and my head pounded something fierce. The room was dim, and colourful lights flooded into the room as the door opened in front of me and a man came walkingthrough.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” the man said flustered as he stepped into the room and closed the doorbehindhim
I rubbed my forehead again as I pushed myself off the ground. “Watch where you’re going next time,” I muttered angrily. I then looked up at the man and gasped. I stood there shocked, my mouth hanging open like an idiot. James from the night before stood in front of me, looking just as confused asIwas.
We both stared in silence at one another for a long moment until I finally shook myself out of the daze. “What are you doing here?” I said hurriedly. I regretted snapping at him, and wondered why my first instinct was to get mad. It was obviously an accident, and no fault of his since I was clumsy enough to be standing so close tothedoor.
He reached out to my forehead and rubbed his thumb along where the door had hit me, and frowned. “That’s going to leave a mark,” he said. I smiled quietly at him as he ran his hand on my face. “Now, I could ask you the samething.”
I shrugged sheepishly at him and put my hands in my back pockets. I felt embarrassed for some reason, not that I really had any need to be. “I was in town and thought I’d come check out the bar,” I said as I looked upathim.
He smiled at me and shrugged, “And? How do you like it?” A mischievous grin spread across his face, as if he knew exactly what I had just done or why wasthere.
There was such an easy-going air about him, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, it’s alright. It’s definitely an interestingplace.”
He stepped back from me and looked me up and down and smiled. “You look great, Charlie,”hesaid.
I couldn’t help but blush as I cursed myself for feeling giddy. His beautiful, warm brown eyes were kind and gentle, and he seemed genuinely happy toseeme.
“So, what are you doing here?” I asked again. He was a shifter, and I knew exactly what he was doing here. He was probably here for the same reason I was, not that I wanted to admit that to him. He suddenly became self-conscious, as I’ve figured he’d be able to smell the sex all over me. My heightened senses from my link to Erik allowed me to recognize his scent as a shifter at the bar, and I discreetly inhaled to see if I could smell anything on him. He just smelled like the same sweet musk that I had smelled the night before. But I didn’t sense any other smells on him. For some reason I felt ashamed, but he didn’t seem to mind that I was covered in the scent of three othershifters.
I knew I didn’t owe him anything, having only met him the night before. But even after he was sweet and friendly at the bar, and I felt guilty for leaving him in the morning without saying goodbye. Now I did feel like I owed himsomething.
“My brother owns this place,” he said cheerily. “I come and visit him every now and then, although it’s really not myscene.”
I nodded at him and rubbed my hand against my neck, my fingers tracing the bite marks consciously. His eyes flicked to my neck for a moment and then back to my face as I smiled. “Oh, that’s a funny coincidence,” I laughednervously.
I stood there awkwardly in silence for a moment before he extended his elbow to me to take his arm like he had done the night before. “Can I buy you adrink?”
I smiled and stepped towards him, but I really wasn’t in the mood for another drink. “Honestly, I really just want to get home. I was about to go find the trainstation.”
“You realize it’s the middle of the night?” he said, teasingly to me. “You won’t be able to get the train back to London atthistime.”
I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t even know where to begin looking for the train station. My phone and my wallet are at home, and to be honest, I have no idea how I was gonna find my way back toCamden.”
I realized then that I’d given him more information than I intended, but I was grateful that he didn’t seem to pry. He looked at me with concern for a moment, but didn’t ask any questions. “So, can I buy you adrink?”
I sighed and nodded. “Okay, but I’m definitely gonna have to chase it with the water. After last night’s whiskeys and this morning’s hangover, I really don’t know how much more I candrink.”
He laughed at that and led me through the door towards the bar. Music was loud and I could feel it in my bones as we walked through the sweaty crowd of people dancing and grinding together. He pulled me through the dense crowd and to the bar, and ordered a whiskey and water from me, and a jim and coke forhimself.
He turned to me and smiled and waited expectantly for me to say something. I simply looked him into his eyes for a long moment as I thought of what to say. Finally, I ran my hand awkwardly through my hair and said, “I’m so sorry for leaving this morning, James. I really didn’t want you to feel any sort of obligation to me, so I thought it would be best if I justwenthome.”
He frowned and nodded but then that beautiful quick smile of his came right back to his face. “It’s okay. I completely understand. Besides, it’s not like you would’ve gone away completely. I could’ve just followed your sent home.” He winked at me, and I laughed. I wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or to feel creeped out. But I guess as a shifter, his sense of smell was better than I thought. The idea that any of these men could’ve followed me home, though, was a bitunnerving.
“So, sorry, but I have to ask. How did you end up in Oxford with no wallet orphone?”
I sighed and figured that he would eventually have to ask that question. “I came here with a friend, but left my purse and jacket at home. It’s a bit of a long story.” I to a sip of the whiskey and set it back down on the bar. I didn’t think I could drink anymore as I instead proceeded to gulp down a glass of water that the bartender had brought out as well. The water felt cool in my throat, and I drank the whole glass inonego.
“Wow, you’re thirsty,” James teased. I laughed and nodded and then asked and ordered another water from the bartender. “You look exhausted,” he said finally to me as I proceeded to gulp down the second glass of water. I looked up at him and nodded and sighed sleepily. It’d been a long day, and I really just wanted to get home to my own city apartment and my ownshadybed.
