Heart of the Enemy

Elise’s POV

“Damn, sexy princess! Where are you going with that dress on?” My best friend, Sia, yelled to me over a large garden hedge.

“Shh! Are you trying to get me busted?” I slid my pointer finger over my plump red lips while giggling.

Sia smirked at me, “I won’t bust you as long as you take me with you.”

“Of course, that’s why I brought you this!” I said and held out a sleek red dress.

I was ready to sneak out to go dancing and needed my best friend with me. I’ll be eighteen in less than a month, but I looked much older, especially tonight, all dolled up.

My tall, lean body was tan with smooth skin; my silky hair was a chestnut brown, and my eyes, my best feature, were a perfect storm of blues with a hint of lavender. Not a color common among humans, and that is because I’m a werewolf. I was born an alpha female and future Queen; it was in my genes to be beautiful, but it wasn’t guaranteed I would be treated like royalty.

Tonight, I needed an escape. I put on a skimpy black dress with real diamonds swirled in the front, matched with my black heels that laced up my ankles.

Being a female alpha also gave me an aura to make any man or woman submit to me, yet I seemed to lack the power to use it most of the time. That wasn’t my goal tonight, though. Right now, I just wanted to escape this supernatural life and have some fun with my bestie. Something we rarely got to do.

Sia has been my handmaid since I was a little girl. In public, we had to act as princesses and servants, but when the public turned a blind eye, we were equaled and always thick as thieves. Sia was shorter than me, with smooth dark skin, silky long black hair, and mysterious hazel eyes.

Sia pulled on the red dress and black heels; then, I put her hair up in a fancy bun. I had just heard about a new club opening in a nearby human city and didn’t have time to give Sia any notice.

Lower wolves, like Sia, were usually servants in my pack and were not allowed to be linked to anyone but the pack’s Alpha and Beta, so I couldn’t even mind-link her.

The ways of my pack were barbaric. We were the kingdom, and standards had to be met to uphold such titles, or at least that is what my mother preached.

I threw my hair in a bun and then secured a curly red wig. I could never be too careful.

***

Werewolves liked to hang out around the human world often. Between the strict rules of pack life and the allure of the power we exerted, it made any werewolf, even the lower ranks, feel like royalty around them.

A large man with a stoic look glared at us, obviously not convinced we were old enough.

“IDs and not fake ones, little girls,” he bluntly said.

“It’s my birthday today. I’m only hours from being old enough. No fake ID needed anymore, sir,” I spoke softly, pretending to be shy but excited.

The bouncer gave us a stern look, so I flashed my gorgeous smile. He sighed in annoyance but let us in. Sia and I were ecstatic as we took the elevator to the top floor.

As soon as the doors opened, we went straight to the bar and ordered a dirty martini and shots of tequila. It took a bit more alcohol to get a werewolf drunk, and it wore off faster than humans, but with determination, we knew how to get the job done.

I was sipping my martini, deciding if there was anything more to explore. While scanning the room, my eyes caught a tall man with a black t-shirt and dark jeans on, and I just couldn’t look away. I would never cheat on my boyfriend, but there was something about this man that held my attention.

He had jet-black hair, a chiseled face, and a body made of pure muscle. I knew he had to be an Alpha just from the power seeping off him. He stood only a few feet away, chuckling with another man who looked similar, maybe a brother, but with blond hair.

“Are you listening to me, hoe?” Sia said, snapping her fingers in my face. I just swatted her hand away and continued to assault the man’s body with my eyes.

“Whoa! What is up with you....” Sia gasps before finishing. “Damn, he is fine! I totally forgive you for ignoring me for the last five minutes. Go talk to him!” Sia slapped my butt, pushing me forward.

“What? No, absolutely not. I have a boyfriend. That man is just really delicious.” I licked my lips, trying not to openly drool over him.

“I didn’t say go fuck him. I said go talk to him. You will be 18 soon, and then you will be stuck with that dipshit, Finn, forever.” Sia rolled her eyes.

I was caught off guard by what she said. “Hey! What’s with the dipshit comment? I thought you guys were friends.”

“No, I can’t stand Finn, and Kalix is a jerk, which you know is true but chose to ignore. Owen, on the other hand, we are cool. I would so fuck Owen, no questions asked. That hot Beta and best friend of yours, grrr!”

“There is something wrong with you, Sia.” I sighed, watching the gorgeous god-like creature walk away.

“I turned 18 a few years ago. Trust me, every day without a mate messes with your hormones. I hate our stupid pack laws, but it’s hard to fight when our own moon goddess built women to desire mates and babies so much that we want to fuck all day, every day, just to quiet the urges.” Sia took a deep breath from her rant, then chugged her drink and took mine to finish, too. “Time to find someone to calm the nerves.” Sia grabbed a stranger’s drink and chugged that one, too.