He curled his fingers into fists and warred with himself about entering. He didn’t like the idea of what she did. He understood why she did it, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. The thought of other men looking at her and trying to touch her was enough to make him shift into a wolf on the spot.
None of it mattered. She wasn’t his. She didn’t belong to him. She never would.
He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slow. He looked to the right at the bar next door. It would be better if he had a drink or two to take of the edge. Then he could think clearly. Then he could decide if he wanted to go inside or not.
***
Catty sat down at her dressing table and grabbed her bottle of water. Sweat glistened on her upper lip, and her eye liner was smeared from the heat in the club. She glanced down at the black leather corset and black G-string in her hand. She tugged her thin robe tight around her body. It was still see through it, but at least it was a barrier to her skin.
She snatched a tissue off the table and began the task of wiping her eyeliner off her sweaty skin.
“I can’t believe that about Jill.”
Her hand froze and she strained to listen to the other dancers mentioning Jill’s name.
“I mean the way she died. It was so brutal,” Muffy stated.
“No, it was personal,” Meadow whispered and looked around.
“Meadow.” Catty grabbed the girl by her arm and stood up. Muffy shot her a glare before walking away.
“What?” Meadow narrowed her eyes and snatched her arm out of Catty’s hold.
“How did Jill die?”
Meadow looked around and leaned toward her. “They found her with her throat cut.”
Nausea swamped up in her throat, and she grabbed her chair to keep her upright. Her hand went to her throat and brushed against the silver necklace. The necklace Jill gave her.
“Hey, are you okay?” Meadow arched her drawn-on eyebrow and gave her a curious look. “If you’re getting sick, you should probably leave. You don’t want the rest of us catching what you’ve got. Big Mike is low on dancers.”
“Did they find out who did this?” Catty murmured. Her head swam with horrid images of Jill covered in blood as she lay gasping to breathe. As she’d drawn her last breath.
“Officially, no.” Meadow lowered her voice.
“What does that mean?” Catty frowned.
“It means if you’re smart, you’ll drop all the questions.” Meadow looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation. “Talking about this, especially here, is pretty stupid. You’re asking for trouble. And I, for one, make it a point not to go looking for trouble.” She gave her a pointed look before striding away on her black stilettos.
Catty slumped down in her chair. Meadow was insinuating that someone in the club had something to do with Jill’s death.
But it didn’t make sense. Jill had been gone from the club for almost a week. If they wanted retribution for her leaving the club, then they would have killed her the day she left. Not days later.
“Catty, you’re on in ten minutes,” Celine squawked out over the buzzing of the room.
She nodded and stood. Her legs wobbled, and she grabbed her chair to steady herself. She sucked in a deep breath.
She was leaving. On her own. Or in a pine box. Either way, she was leaving.
***
Lucien finished off his fifth beer. With his werewolf metabolism, he didn’t even have a buzz.
He glanced at the time. Almost midnight. It would be packed at the Triple X. Which meant more eyes on his Catty.
His Catty? He rubbed his hand through his hair and shook his head. He was living in a dream. They were never going to work. She deserved to be with a male who wasn’t damaged. She deserved better than him. Not to mention how she would feel about him when she found out he’d lied about not being a Guardian. She’d never forgive him.
But it sure as hell felt right when he’d been inside her body. She felt like his.
He rolled his shoulder, where he’d been stabbed. The wound had long healed, and not even a scar remained.
He shoved away from the bar and stood. He tossed a couple of twenties on the counter for the bartender and made his way through the crowd to the front door. It was busier now than when he’d first arrived, and the noise of all the humans were grating on his nerves. There would be even more people at the Triple X.
He stifled a growl thinking about all the male eyes that would be on Catty. Possessiveness swamped his body until he was humming with anger. The urge to shift had never felt so strong in his life.
He forced his way through the crowd and out into the street. It was thick with people and he’d never felt so claustrophobic in his life. All he wanted was some fresh air.