Page 1 of Abel

CHAPTER1

“Go get my bartender back, now.”Adam’s voice reverberated throughout the room as he spoke.

Abel avoided his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck.“I don’t see why I have to do it.Can’t Cain go?She actually likes him.”

He gave a pleading look at Cain, whose only response was a chuckle and shaking his head.“Don’t involve me in this mess.”

Adam cleared his throat.“Cain didn’t cost me the best mixologist in the Underworld, you did.Get her back, I don’t want any excuses.”

Abel rolled his eyes.“All of this over a couple of bad drinks?”

Adam moved around the room with purpose as he spoke; leaning over his old oak desk, he made sure Abel held his gaze.“All of this because I said so.She brings in clients, the regulars love her, The Chalice has a reputation to uphold, and I’m not going to lose her just because you’re bitter.Now, go get her back.”

“I don’t even know where to find her, she makes it a habit to avoid me.”Abel protested.

Cain handed Abel a slip of paper.Abel snatched it from his brother and read the words written in his father’s handwriting.His mouth fell open as he read it again.Finally, he looked up and stared back and forth between his father and brother.“You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Both of the men shook their heads.

Cain coughed.“You, um, have about thirty minutes to make it on time.Better hurry.”

Abel’s nostrils flared.“Oh, you two are a bunch of assholes.”He crumpled up the piece of paper and shoved it into his pocket before grabbing his coat and leaving, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Esme’s fingersgently cradled her chin as her gaze drifted across the room.DeLux Cafe was a whirlwind of energy on its Speed Dating night, a lively evening of singles seeking love.Amidst the sea of hearts and pink decor, her brow furrowed, her stomach twisting with an ever-tightening knot of anxiety.

“How did I let them talk me into this?”Esme shook her head, she knew better than to let Ella and Lily talk her into this.

A soft voice giggled from the next table over, “They’re just thinking of your best interest.”

Esme’s head snapped around, her eyes scanning the room.Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a vibrant burst of color.“Zap?”The petite pink haired pixie waved at her.A radiant smile stretched across Zap’s face, reaching from ear to ear.“Did Lily and Ella send you to spy on me?”

“No.”Zap’s chest rose and fell with an exaggerated huff, her arms folding defensively across her body.“Pixies are capable of finding a mate too.”

Esme held up her hands in surrender.“I’m sorry, Zap.I didn’t mean to imply—”

Zap grinned and interrupted, “And to make sure you don’t get cold feet.”

Esme let out a low growl and pinched the bridge of her nose.“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Lily and Ella are your friends, and they only want the best for you.”

“I know.”She blew out a heavy sigh.“I appreciate it, but not everyone gets a happily ever after.”

Zap’s voice took on a singsong quality, its playful cadence dancing through the air as the door’s bell jingled.“You never know what might happen.”

Esme’s eyes shot upward, and her heart leaped in her chest, a turmoil of conflicting emotions churning within her.She desperately wanted to escape, to flee from the cafe and this encounter.Every muscle tensed as she prepared to make a hasty exit.However, just as she was about to bolt Zap leaned in, her touch a soothing balm on Esme’s arm.The little pixie’s pleading eyes tugging at Esme’s sense of obligation and curiosity, chained her to her seat.“It’s okay, you’ve got this.”

“This is why they wanted me to come?It’s a setup?”

“Never.I know Lily, and she wouldn’t have had anything to do with this.”

Esme’s heart raced, a wild drumbeat in her chest, as her wolf fought for dominance within her.Every fiber of her being screamed for her mate as soon as he stepped into the room, but the painful memories of his rejection, a millennium ago, gnawed at her soul.

Her fingers twitched and curled, nails extending into sharp, dangerous claws, as they impatiently tapped against the tabletop.Panic surged through her veins like icy tendrils, and a cold sweat began to trickle down her back, prickling her skin as he drew closer, invading her personal space.

Desperation flickered in her eyes as she darted a quick, frantic glance from side to side, silently pleading for another man to take the seat in front of her.And just when it seemed like her emotions might engulf her, a horned man slid into the seat opposite her, his presence a lifeline.Relief washed over her as he extended his hand, and she took it gratefully, using it as a temporary anchor against the turbulent sea of emotions that threatened to consume her.

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