Tamed: A Huntress Spin-off Novel (6 page)

I gave a smile, satisfied as he scowled, clearly getting annoyed.

“It’s about time you showed up. We have to decide on the movie,” Chelsea said.

“Sorry, I had an…unexpected situation that I had to take care of.” I could see the worry on his face as he said it.

“Is there something wrong?” Taylor asked, concerned for his friend.

Eli shook it off. “No; I don’t think it’s an issue, but there’s nothing like the blast from the past.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Taylor said dryly as he looked at me.

I glared at him.

The room fell silent as all eyes landed on me.

“Okay, so what are we watching?” Eli asked, purposely taking the attention away from me.

As our eyes met, he gave a smile and winked at me.

“I’m in a
Bruce Willis
type of mood. I’m thinking Hostage. One of my favorites,” Chelsea said.

“Wait a second, what was that?” Taylor asked as his curious eyes shifted from Eli to me.

“What was what?” I asked.

“Are you flirting with my sister?”

I glared at Taylor. “So what if he is. He isn’t allowed?”

Eli bowed his head, smiling. “Over-protective brother. I like her and I am interested.”

“I’m not protecting my sister; I’m protecting you from my sister.”

My stomach dropped. It hurt to know that Taylor didn’t think much of me, but I tried my best to remain impassive. Despite how I felt, he was right. If I was Taylor, I would have protected my friend as well, especially with my messed up past.

“I think I have it under control. I know you mean well, but I don’t think you actually truly understand her,” Eli said.

My brows rose as I was completely taken by surprise by his words. He understood me? “And you do?”

“Yeah, I do. Trust me; I know the type of girl you are. I saw a glimpse of it last night. I can handle you.”

I felt naked. My soul felt bare. I had laid everything out on the front line for him to see, and I was completely afraid. I didn’t want the attraction…I didn’t want him to like me. Because I knew that if I let him in, I would leave him broken just like I was.

He had no idea what I did…the hurt that I caused…the pain that tore me to pieces, reminding me of that night. I was the self-destructive, wild child with a haunted past, who ruined lives and pushed people away. I was out of control and no good for him, but he still looked at me as if I was light when all I was, was darkness.

His strange, unique orange eyes lingered on me, as if he could see deep into my soul. It was as if he could see the real me; the side that I kept locked away. There was a calmness that settled in me whenever he was near, taming the wild beast that I had become. He wanted me…Paige Jacobs…and there was no escaping him.

Taylor shook his head. “Stay away from my friend.”

I had every intention in staying away, but the thought of him demanding I did anything angered me to the core. Being told what to do had become a problem now that I was old enough to make my own decisions. I could smell defiance in the air as I felt the urge to retaliate. I wanted him angry, just like I was, and I knew exactly what I had to do to make that happen.

I smiled. “Okay.”

I stood up from the floor and pushed Eli back on the chair as I straddled him. His body tensed as he was momentarily caught off guard by my sudden actions. With my lips eager and hungry to taste his, they came crashing down on his mouth. Still recovering from shock, he didn’t kiss back right away, but when he did, he took hold of my face and slipped his tongue in my mouth as our lips tangled together. Fireworks blasted in my head as excitement rushed through my stomach.

A strong grip hooked my elbow, tearing Eli and I apart as I was pulled off his lap. I quickly recovered my balance as I pulled down my skirt.

Fire shot out of Taylor’s glaring eyes. I winked at him as a smile so smug found its way on my lips.

“Don’t worry, pumpkin; I don’t do the love thing. He’s going to be perfectly fine.”

I walked away, feeling my phone vibrate in my hand. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
I know I will.

I read the message as I walked out of my home, telling me to hurry my ass up and get outside. I walked down the driveway, smiling as Andie, in a strappy, asymmetrical, jersey white dress, jumped up and down, beaming as she waved at me. There was a tall, toned, man with honey hair and milky white skin behind her, leaning on his white,
Lexus CT Hybrid
with his arms folded. He looked bored and uninterested.

Andie wrapped her arms around me. I breathed in the smell of coconuts that lingered on her skin as I gave her a squeeze.

“I thought you would need a night out after last night.”

I swallowed and forced a smile as I tried not to let the memories of last night affect me. I wanted a night of fun, and bringing up what happened was only going to make me even more miserable.

“You have no idea.”

Andie smiled back at her guest then looked back at me. “This is Ellis. I met him a couple of days ago at a bar in the city. He wants to take us to this really cool nightclub. He is super-hot.” She mouthed the last bit.

An eerie feeling came over me as I realized that I was about to get in the car with a stranger who could very well hurt me like Preston did. I suddenly wanted to run away and drag Andie with me.

I forced myself to hold my hand out for him to shake. “Hi, I’m Paige.”

His exquisite, blue eyes looked me up and down as he swallowed and sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. There was an urge, a desire that grew in his eyes. The way he looked at me was creepy and left a chill running down my spine.

He nodded. “Nice to meet you. Okay, ladies, let’s go. I’m going to make tonight a night you will never forget.” He winked my way before getting in the car.

Andie grabbed my hand and pulled, but I pulled back, refusing to move. “He looked at me weird.”

She shrugged it off. “He looks at everyone like that. What’s the matter? You seem…tense.” She bit on her bottom lip as her brows furrowed and her grey/green eyes searched mine.

I looked at Ellis, who was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. As my eyes shifted to him, she turned her head and looked as well.

“I’m not sure about him.”

“Well, of course not. Given the events that occurred last night, it’s normal to feel uncomfortable around men you don’t know. He’s okay, I promise.”

I took in a breath, shaking away the sick feeling in my stomach as I let her pull me to the car.
Get a grip, Paige. Not every guy is bad.

I settled in the backseat of the car, trying to keep my nerves calm. I didn’t want any panic attacks ruining my fun tonight.

I gave a half-smile as Ellis turned around.

“Don’t worry, Paige. I don’t bite…that much.” He chuckled, finding humor in his own cheesy joke.

He seemed normal, but the thought of me getting in the car with a dangerous person had made the sick feeling in my stomach intensify.

Chapter Five

I trailed behind Ellis and Andie, who walked ahead as we joined in on the nightlife of the city. She had her arm wrapped around his own as she laughed at another one of his jokes. He was making her laugh and Andie loved a guy who could make her laugh. I didn’t think he was funny at all, but if she was happy then so was I. I sensed a potential boyfriend in the near future, so I had to make an effort with him. Okay, so he wasn’t that bad. He still looked at me in that weird way that made me wary of him, but after a while, I learned to ignore it. I guess it helped a little that he let me choose the music in the car, which come to find out, we liked most of the same bands. I was slowly warming up to him.

He led us to a narrow, long alley, and I was immediately suspicious of its location. A club in an alley? Even though I was hesitant to follow them, I forced myself to walk, anyway. We came up to a black arched door.

“It looks like a home,” I said.

“Well, that’s the point. This is an underground club. It’s kind of private in a way.”

I usually would be carefree about going out and partying, but last night made me rethink the situations I got myself into, especially if it involved men. Maybe it was a little too soon to come out with someone I didn’t even know.

Andie grabbed my wrist, easing my hand out of the fist I couldn’t help but to make. The tension was getting the best of me.

“Where has my party girl gone?”

I shrugged. “I think she is hiding.”

She smiled as she slipped her fingers in between mine and led the way into a dark tunnel that was lit up from the torches on the walls. We emerged on the other side in a boxed in space where yet another black door stood.

As Ellis knocked on the door, a petite woman wearing a leather bustier top, a short, flowing skirt, and knee length heeled boots opened the door. She beamed at Ellis as she placed her short, light purple hair behind her ear.

“Ellis, I haven’t seen you in a couple of days.” She averted her gaze to Andie then continued. “I see you’ve been on the prowl.”

“Yeah, I have been hanging out with Andie.”

He turned to us. “I am a regular here.”

The woman held out a pair of golden necklaces that had a Victorian style crest pendant with a ruby, red diamond in the center.

“Here, put these on and don’t take them off.”

Andie and I shared a look as we slipped the necklaces around our necks.

“Why? What is it for?” I asked.

“Oh, all of the guests who aren’t members wear them. It’s to make sure you aren’t escorted out is all.” She smiled as she waved it off, as if it was no big thing. She then looked at Ellis and nodded. “Enjoy.”

I could have sworn I saw something pass between their eyes. Andie saw it as well as she gave me a look.

The woman held the door open as we walked inside. She didn’t even card us.
What kind of club is this?

“Okay, that was weird,” Andie said.

“This whole situation is weird,” I said.

Ellis chuckled. “Ladies, relax.”

We walked down a long hall where Disco LED light magic balls hung from the ceiling as its rainbow colored lights swirled all around us. Blue, green, and purple flashing laser lights danced around the room as we stepped into the first level of the busy nightclub. Light purple, flowing drapes hid booths that were occupied, leaving the one’s free, open and placed back to show submerged flowers in tall, glowing, cylinder vases in the center of the black, round tables.

I had been to nightclubs before, and not once were there booths hidden by drapes. It was odd, which struck my curiosity.

“Why are the drapes covering some of the booths?!” I yelled over the EDM music that thumped through my chest.

Ellis grinned. “Some people prefer privacy when they are here.”

“Why would they need privacy?”

He waved it off, as if the subject bored him, and shrugged. “Various things. Let’s get a drink.”

He smiled down at Andie, taking her hand and leading the way to the bar. As I held onto Andie’s hand, I squeezed past the people moving about. I noticed that a lot of them stared at me and Andie, looking us up and down with desire. Some of them even made it a point to come closer to us, as if we were a prize to be won. I thought at first that it was our very revealing attire that drew the eye, but quickly ruled that out as I realized that the women were just as interested as the men were. All of them strangely had the same unique blue eyes. What did Andie get me into?

With my body tense, I kept my head bowed, refusing to look at anyone. What strange people they all were. They made me uncomfortable. By the time I reached the bar, I was full of nerves, and I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to be here; not when most of the people here looked at me as if I was a meal to be eaten.

I grabbed hold of the bar, breathing deep through my nose as I tried to at least relax a little. This was my night away from all of the craziness at home so I wanted to enjoy tonight. I looked over to my right, relieved to find that a tan blonde that sat at the bar drinking a cosmopolitan had brown eyes and not blue. She gave a smile then turned away and drank the rest of her drink, not even the slightest interested or curious about me like the rest had been. At least there was one normal person here.

Ellis had ordered
Jagerbombs
. Ellis handed us one and I tipped my head back, letting the drink fill my mouth. It tasted like cough syrup, but it was still so good. By the time I was done with the first, Ellis shoved another in my hand, insisting that I drink more, and because I totally agreed with him, I did just that.

I let out a breath as blood rushed to my face. It was strong. After throwing back a few more shots, I was relaxed and feeling good. I suddenly didn’t care if I was in a club filled with weirdos. I only had one thing on my mind, and that was having fun. I grabbed Andie’s arm and pulled her out of the arms of Ellis as I practically dragged through the crowd, down the stairs, and onto the dance floor.

I felt so alive, so free as I danced my heart out, feeling the tension and stress lift. With my face bright with joy, I danced a circle around Andie, and my chest shook with laughter as I played around and bumped her on the side with my hip. She shook her head and laughed.

She placed her hands on my shoulders and leaned in by my ear. “You’re such a dork. About time you loosened up.”

Ellis came up behind Andie, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him as she moved her body against his. She smiled as he whispered in her ear then left a kiss on her neck.

I ran my hand through my hair, feeling my body heat up as I let loose on the dance floor. I was feeling a tad bit light headed. The alcohol must have been getting to me, but I was having too much fun to care.

Andie grinned as her eyes, light and alive, filled with so much joy, shifted behind me. She grabbed me by the arms and turned me around as a guy with lust-filled eyes and a soft complexion watched me. His eyes never left mine. He had black hair with green highlights throughout his strands. Nothing too out of the ordinary for someone in this club. Some of the partygoers here had the same crazy highlighted hair as he did, consisting of purple, pink, green, gold, and red. He wore nothing but black, which gave a darker, edgier feel to him.

“He’s been staring at you this whole time. I have to admit, though, I’ve never been into the emo boys before, but I am now. He is sex on legs. Make your move while you can; he has other admirers.”

I saw her hand go up and gesture to the right of me, to the admirers, but I couldn’t look away from him. There was something about him, something in his eyes that captivated me. He was beauty and perfection all wrapped up in one, and I was drunk in lust. I could feel his energy begin to suck me in like a magnet as my mind grew fuzzy, as if I was in a trance. His eyes stayed on me for the longest time, and as his lips slowly curved into a sexy smile, he walked toward me. My heart beat faster with every step that he took, closing the distance.

He held out his hand for me to take. “Hi, I’m Silas. Romancer, great dancer, your next boyfriend.”

He had a way with words.

I smiled. “You forgot smooth talker. I’m Paige.”

“I was watching you dance. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.”

“Well, why don’t you dance with me instead of watching?”

I bit down on my bottom lip as my fingers ran down his stomach. With lust in my eyes, I looked him up and down, teasing him, drawing him in even more.

His seductive green eyes dilated as he looked down at my lips. He leaned down, his eyes still focused on my lips as his mouth brushed against mine. “You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.”

“I know exactly what I’m getting myself into.”

“We will see.”

He grabbed me, pulling me against him. With his hands pressed against the small of my back, he rolled his hips as our bodies moved against each other in perfect synchronization.

With sex in the air, the room had all of a sudden grown hotter. I couldn’t control my attraction to him. It was too intense to ignore. With his body rubbing against mine, I was feeding my need to be closer to him. Something had come over me the first time I looked into his eyes. As if a light switch had turned on, a rush of desire came swarming through me. I only just met him to get this close to him, but I couldn’t help myself. His allure was too strong to resist.

I turned around, pressing myself against him as I moved my hips. With his mouth at my ear, I heard his sharp intake of breath. I then saw Andie, frantic and crying, shove the drapes to the side and begin to run out of the booth when Ellis grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back in.

I gasped as my stomach dropped. “Andie!”

I shoved past the crowd on the dance floor, trying to get to her as fast as I could. Oh, God. Andie. He was hurting her! I knew there was something off with him. I should have went with my gut feeling and kept Andie away from him.

No screams came from behind the drapes as I neared the booth. I pulled the drapes back, and a scream soared through my windpipes as I jumped back from fear and total shock. Andie was in his arms, and his lips were enclosed around her shoulder as blood ran down her back. My head was spinning with so many thoughts. My mind couldn’t even begin to comprehend why he was biting her.

His eyes, so cold and devoid of emotion, bore into mine as he moved his mouth off her shoulder and threw her down in the booth. My mouth fell open and I took a step back, panicked and hyperventilating. He had long, pointy teeth. Fangs that were coated in Andie’s blood, and I knew I was next. I had to get Andie and get the hell out of there.

As he lunged forward, I screamed and swung my hand, slapping him in the face, but my hit did no good to fend him off. As his hand flew up to strike me, I moved out of harm’s way, ducking and running behind him, just escaping his wrath. My shaking hands grabbed the centerpiece from the table and turned around to strike him. Just as I was about to smash it over his head, his quick reflexes were way faster than my own as he grabbed the vase and with one effortless squeeze of his hand, the vase smashed into pieces. I brought my knee up, aiming for his groin, but he caught my leg. I gasped as he was suddenly knocked into me and I fell back on the table. Silas, with fury on his face, came up behind Ellis, grabbing him by the hair and throwing him back on the floor. As Ellis began to stand, Silas kicked him in the face, his head flying to the side as I heard his neck break.

My frantic heart slammed against my chest as I took in a breath, trying to calm myself when all I wanted to do was scream and cry. My brain had yet to accept what I had just been through.

As Silas began to search Ellis’ pockets, I went to Andie. She was lying face down and, as much as I was afraid to touch her, I knew I had to see if she was still alive. I didn’t want to face losing another friend. My eyes flooded with tears as I looked down at my friend, lying there unmoving and helpless. As I hesitantly reached down to feel her pulse, Silas grabbed my arm and spun me around, facing him.

“You have to leave.” His voice was urgent and demanding.

He kept his hand clasped around my arm while he pulled me out of the booth, forcing me to walk. He was taking me away from Andie. I couldn’t let him. I had to get her out of here.

“No!” I tried to pry my arm out of his hold, but his grip was too strong and secure to free myself.

He paid no attention to me while he continued to drag me through the crowded club. It wasn’t until after we were outside did he let go of me. Furious and upset that he took me away from Andie when she needed me the most, I slapped him, feeling the sting from the contact on my hand.

“That’s my best friend in there!”

I turned around to walk back inside when he gripped my arm and pushed me up against the wall, his eyes ablaze with frustration and anger as he scowled.

“Do you want to die?”

“I don’t care. I’m not leaving my best friend in there!”

“Your best friend is dead. I’m not letting you go back in there. The only reason you survived was because he claimed you.” He grabbed the necklace and held it up. “You were his property. Not to be eaten by anyone but him. You were the bait swimming in an ocean filled with sharks.”