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CHAPTER 1
~Gold's POV~
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
That was the first thing out of my mouth the moment I hit play.
I was sprawled on Estrella's couch last night after I arrived in the city that morning. I didn't want to spend time with mum at her new fiancé's, so I slept over at Esty's.
She had left for school since morning, and I was alone in her apartment, still wrapped in a blanket, sipping lukewarm coffee, when the message from an unknown number came through.
There was no text or warning, just a video file with a timestamp from last night.
I should've known better and should've ignored it, but curiosity was a stupid drug when my life was already a mess and needing an escape.
I clicked it open, ignoring the nagging thought of hackers who could get a hold of my phone just from a single link and opened it.
The video opened with shaky footage of someone filming in a dimly lit room, laughing.
There was a bed and two bodies. A man with messy blonde hair and a scorpion tattoo I knew too well.
Ryan.
My boyfriend. No.
My now ex-boyfriend.
His mouth was on the neck of a sexy brunette.
And I knew once who it was from her bangs and the small cute mole on her nose when the camera guy viewed her face.
Cora Lanes, my long-time nemesis, my ex-best friend, and the girl I once punched so hard her braces came loose when she destroyed my 9th-year birthday present.
She was moaning like she was auditioning for porn while another guy chuckled behind the camera like it was his Friday night entertainment.
Anger coursed through my brain the more I watched the video, as her lame excuse of a breast failed to shake with every thrust he gave.
I didn't scream, cry or even blink.
I just watched, and after a minute, I chuckled, exited the video, opened our chat, and typed two words.
"We're done."
I hit send. Then I closed the video, stood up, and tossed the phone onto the coffee table as though it had burnt me.
I opened the fridge, wanting to get a beer to wash down the rage in my veins.
And yes, I wasn't one of those girls who'd cry a river because a guy broke up. Nope.
I made peace with myself after my last break-up. No crying for any douchebag, no matter how much I loved him.
"Seriously?"
I glanced at the empty freezer and stared at the only apple in it.
"This won't do."
I went for my phone, picked it up, and dialled Estrella immediately. She answered on the second ring, her voice loud, trying to overshadow the background noise of campus.
"Rain? What's up? I've got five minutes before class."
"I need the address to that new club," I said flatly.
There was a pause. "Uh… what?"
"The one you were talking about visiting last weekend. Umbra, right? Downtown. Text it to me."
"Wait, hold on. What happened? Why do you need a club all of a sudden? And at this time of day?"
My chest heaved as I exhaled, raking my fingers through my burgundy hair.
"I just watched Ryan fuck Cora while some idiot filmed it and sent it to me."
Estrella's voice turned sharp. "No. No, no, no. Are you serious? Oh my God. Give me your location, I'll come…"
"I don't need rescue," I cut in sharply. "I need shots, Esty. And strobe lights. And bad decisions. I am"
"Rain, you can't go out alone like this…"
"I can and I will." I was already grabbing my jacket. "I just need a few hours to pretend I don't exist."
"Rainbow—"
I groaned, hating how she used my nickname when I was being serious.
"Fine. I promise I won't kill anyone," I said, tugging on my boots. "But if I don't do something stupid tonight, I might burn the entire city down tomorrow."
She sighed into the phone, muttering curses under her breath.
I was still dressed in my mini skirt and tank top from last night. That plus my jacket and boot heels, I looked hot.
Two minutes later, the address buzzed through on my screen.
I was gone in ten.
—
The club was alive. Just what I wanted.
Pulsing lights, bodies moving like shadows and loud music it felt like it was crawling under my skin.
I walked through the crowd like I owned the place. No one stopped me. No ID check. No questions.
I made a beeline for the bar.
"Whiskey," I said. "No ice."
The bartender arched his brow before handing me the drink.
I wasted no time and tossed it into my mouth before giving it back. Then another. Then one more.
By the fourth, he was giving me that look—the one bartenders gave girls who might throw up on their shoes.
"You're done," he said.
"No, I'm not."
"You're done," he repeated, steel in his tone. "I'm not pouring another."
I scoffed at his uncalled for help. Just then someone walked up to the bar requesting a drink.
I didn't think twice. As soon as the bartender poured him a glass, I snatched it before the man had the chance to and gulped it in one go, placing the cup on the table.
The bartender scowled at me but I simply paid, rolled my eyes, swung off the stool, and turned into the crowd.
I sensed a heated gaze on me from somewhere in the corner but it was a bit crowded to start pinpointing things in my tipsy angry brain.
That's when I saw him.
Tall, broad shoulders with two glasses in hand, walking toward a booth with the kind of energy that said danger. He was hot and sharp in black.
Without thinking, I stepped into his path, plucked both drinks from his hands, and downed them one after the other.
I wiped my lips and smiled.
"Thanks," I said sweetly, tucking a crisp hundred-dollar bill into his shirt pocket. "Appreciate the generosity."
He just stared at me. No expression. No words. But something about his black eyes made my insides tingle.
I spun away before I could look too long.
And I hit the dance floor like a woman on a mission.
The bass was a heartbeat, and the crowd swallowed me whole. I moved to the beat of the music, ground, twisted my hips and threw caution to the wind. I let the alcohol take me, let the heat swallow me whole.
Until it struck a chord in my mind.
I was getting too hot. Not dancing-too-much hot or whiskey-hot.
I was burning hot and in the wrong places.
My skin tingled. My veins buzzed. My wolf, Spring—usually quiet—was growling in the back of my mind.
I shook it off and kept moving, but each dance and sway of my hips left me pressing my thighs together as my core burned.
"Okay, I need cool air."
I attempted to leave the dance floor when a hand grabbed my waist. Another crept toward my chest.
"No."
The guy laughed and ignored my protest. I looked up to see the hot stranger from before, staring down at me with lust-filled eyes as he muttered God knows what and then grabbed my ass.
I grabbed his wrist swiftly. "I said no."
He didn't let go and this time wrapped his hand around my waist and yanked my body to him.
Fuck.
Then, in a flash, someone did it for me.