Page 48 of Resisted

“In front of Chilled.” I pulled at the hem of my dress, wishing I’d gone a size up.

“I’m surprised they didn’t follow you here.” I mean, they’d tried, they really did, but I got ready at Lynette’s place. There was no way I was about to let them wait around her yard—or worse, her living room—while we got ready to go out.

The click of my heels striking the cement sounded loudly into the night, and with each step toward the club, I felt more nervous. I should have told him no, should have bought my own dress, but by the look that had been in his eyes, I knew he would show up, regardless.

“Do you think I could get Vincent to dance with me?” Lynette asked. I glanced over at her as I walked, and she wagged an eyebrow at me.

“No.” I wasn’t sure why I didn’t confess the truth to her, but a selfish part of me didn’t want it, couldn’t have her touching something that was mine. He wasn’t mine, not really, none of them were. That didn’t stop my inner voice from screaming at me that I’d known them first, I’d known them my whole life, they were my family, and therefore, mine, and I absolutely could not bring myself to share.

If any of them danced with her, her scent would be rubbed into their skin, tainting them for the rest of the evening, and the mere thought made me want to gag. Alone, none of them smelled awful. Every single one of them was appealing. Desirable. Dare I admit, delicious? But add in the lemony tang of Lynette’s scent, and it would spoil their aroma.

I was too lost in thought to even realize how close we were to the club, at least until I heard Silas’ rough tone, his voice nearly strangled as my name left this throat. “Belladonna.”

I couldn’t dwell, not when Vincent was already at my side, looking around as if a predator was after him. “You can’t wear that baby.”

I blinked because I most certainly was wearing it. “Well, you shouldn’t have bought it for me then.”

Silas’ eyes turned angry as he glared at his packmate. “You what?”

Vincent ignored Silas, his eyes solely on me. “No. I gave you money to replace the one I tore. That dress isn’t the same. That is way too…” I swear he was breathing heavily when he finally got out, “Sheer.”

“You tore her dress?” Boyce chimed in.

“She was holding a grudge from when she was a child,” Vincent said, trying to explain, but his eyes were tracing my skin and I could feel every place his gaze imprinted. “You have to change.”

“I’m not going back to change.” I nearly laughed at his insistence.

Both his hands came up to his face, rubbing at his eyes, tugging in his hair, before he dropped them. “You have to, baby.”

“He’s right—there is no fucking way you are wearing that. I can see through it. That’s not a dress,” Silas argued, backing up Vincent.

“That isn’t even a T-shirt baby,” Vincent added.

I had to roll my eyes at that. “I’m going in. You were invited because I was feeling nice, but you don’t get to control my fun, Silas.” I spared Vincent a glance. “Vincent.”

“Baby—”

“I think you look nice, Bella,” Boyce interjected, reminding me of the perfect boy next door. He was sweet and charming, and yet his eyes could melt my insides in mere seconds.

I grabbed Boyce’s arm and reached for Lynette’s hand. “I’ll see you both inside, if you decide to join us.”

“Belladonna,” Silas growled at the exact moment Vincent uttered, “Baby.”

But I ignored them both. I was an adult, at least I was the last time I checked, and they couldn’t control me any longer. This wasn’t like when I was a kid and they refused to let me go to parties because boys were there. This was my life, and I wasn’t getting any younger. I needed boys, mates, all the things a she-wolf could dream of, and I needed them before I got old and grey. Sure, I had time. There were a lot of years before old age kicked in, but I didn’t want to waste them wondering what could’ve happened if I didn’t wear this dress.

I could hear Silas breathing heavily as he walked behind me, hinting that he was a little on the unstable side. “Bella, from this side, it looks like you’re not wearing any undergarments.”

“Jesus, Silas. You sound like a bull back there.”

I stopped to take out my ID, showing it to the bouncer before I slipped by. The boys slowed as they took out their own, and I used the opportunity to snag Lynette’s hand and try to get lost in the crowd. I should have known he would be fast. I had barely made it ten feet into the crowd of people before Silas’ hand gripped my bicep.

“I need to know.”

“What?” I was confused. What did he have to know?

“Are you wearing something under that dress?” Oh. That.

“I would hate to ruin the dress with panty lines.”

---