Chapter 17
Jade
The guys stayed away from us as we danced and ate. Tracey couldn’t go to a bar or a club without tasting the food. She also couldn’t help herself and had to order the biggest margarita they offered. The bartender was sweating bullets when he brought the drink over to her. She eyed him with suspicion. “I hope this is to your liking.”
He stood and waited for her to take a drink out of her straw. Her reputation had followed her all over this town. Knowing Tracey, it would probably follow her home if we weren’t careful. She took a long drag on the straw and her gaze became appreciative. “It’s not the best I’ve ever had,” Her eyes found Knox on the other side of the room. The Guardians and Rafe had taken up the darkest corner in the place. “But, it’s pretty damn good. The best I’ve had in the last three days.”
At those words, the bartender's shoulders relaxed. He looked like his soul was about to leave his body. “Just please give us a good review on your food blog.”
My head snapped in her direction. “Food blog?”
Tracey shrugged. “It’s new. I didn’t think it would take off so quickly. Just something little I’ve done to occupy myself since I’m no longer working on your house.”
I leaned back in my chair and smirked. Of course, she had a food blog. No wonder she had ripped all of those other restaurants to shreds. “I haven’t seen you on a phone once since I got back.”
Tracey rolled her eyes as the straw hung out of her mouth. “That’s because Rafe doesn’t like cellphone usage on Pack Lands. I use my laptop and my cellphone I use to keep in touch with you.”
“How do you talk to other friends?”
Tracey shrugged at my question. “I don’t have that many friends.”
I took a sip out of my water and watched the guys. Rafe had a stoic look on his face as a waitress went to take their order. None of the other tables got the kind of attention she was giving them. Though I didn’t blame her, none of the other tables had the hottest men sitting at them either. Archer was ogling the girl’s breasts and Mav was grinning like a hyena. I rolled my eyes. Knox looked absolutely bored as he looked around the room, which wasn’t like him at all. He was usually the life of the party.
The bartender brought me another water and I leaned forward. “Can we request songs?”
He shrugged. “I don’t usually allow it,” His eyes flicked to Tracey nervously. “But I will make an exception for tonight. What would you like to hear?”
I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. I could feel Rafe’s eyes on me as I got close to the other man. He wasn’t fond of this but he was curious. I could practically smell it in the air. The bartender scrunched his nose but walked away to the DJ’s station.
Juiceby Lizzo thumped through the speakers a few minutes later. A grin split Knox’s face. He was in the inside of the booth tucked up against the wall and practically crawled over Rafe and Gabriel to get out to the dance floor. His eyes held suspicion when they looked at us but all I could do was smile. This was hisjam.
There were no white boy moves as his hips started rolling and he started singing at the top of his lungs. His dancing encouraged others to get on the floor and pretty soon, he had an entire fleet of women surrounding him. Tracey looked at him briefly with some annoyance but she couldn’t mask her scent. She was pleased. I snorted and she rolled her eyes.
“I can appreciate a good dancer, okay?”
I couldn’t help but shake my head. Archer was the next one up dancing with him except he had all the white boy moves. There wasn’t a bit of rhythm in his bones but he danced all the same. It took no time for Mav to get up next while Gabriel and Rafe looked on with amusement.
“You know how to get a party started,” Tracey muttered as she took the last sip of her margarita. Besides Knox’s, she hadn’t finished a single one at any of the restaurants she had dragged me to.
When the song ended, girls flocked to Knox like he was a celebrity. They touched his muscles and his face. Tracey’s lips twisted in disgust before she turned back to the bar. She had turned down every single man that had approached her since we had arrived. Another candidate approached and I winced, waiting for her to rip him to shreds when she grinned.
“The margaritas are pretty good,” I heard her tell him. “Yes, I would love another!”
Rafe watched us with amusement and Knox was scowling as he marched back to the table. The music playing was still good and I expected the Guardian to stay out longer, especially with Mav and Archer getting all the girls now. He threw himself into the booth and crossed his arms over his chest like a toddler having a temper tantrum. His bottom lip even jutted out slightly. Tracey leaned forward and ran her hand down the guy’s defined bicep. He wasn’t as good-looking as the men that lived on the Pack Lands with us, but for a human…
No.Nalia said in my mind.Not a human. Recently turned Vampire.
My mouth opened to warn Tracey when Nalia snapped it closed.She knows what he is. She has better scent control than we do. She’s doing it to torment the wolf.
I wondered if she meant Knox but lately, she had hated Knox more than anything. I didn’t ask Nalia about it and she didn’t clarify, which I was fine with. It was none of my business as long as they could get along for the sake of the pack and our friendship. But, I also couldn’t lie, their animosity was rather entertaining.
Before I knew it, the vampire had his lips on Tracey’s and she was drinking him in like he was another margarita. She tore her lips away from his face long enough to speak to me over her shoulder. “Do not wait up.” They were out of the bar in seconds, their hands roving all over each other. The bartender blinked and I paid her tab.
“That’s the fastest hookup I think I have ever witnessed,” His mouth gaped open.
I shrugged. “She works fast. She’s been waiting the last three days for that.”
A murderous expression had replaced Knox’s annoyed tantrum. Rafe’s eyes were blazing and Gabriel was shaking his head at me. I frowned. I did nothing wrong. Mav and Archer were still oblivious to what had just happened at the bar and what was happening back at their booth. Maybe they were mad that Tracey had left me alone but technically she hadn’t.
