Chapter 2 Devil in Disguise

Chapter Two:

"Hey! Earth to Ame, you here?" Nikki snapped Amelia out of her thoughts with a few snaps of her fingers close to her distracted friend's ear.

"Ah! Sorry, sorry! I was... um..." Amelia was at a loss for words. Lying wasn't her specialty and it was obvious that she had been gawking at the new wolf among them. Her freckled cheeks flushed in sheer embarrassment all because Nikki was giving her a sly smirk meanwhile Trent frowned warily. It took Amelia a few seconds to realize that Trent wasn't looking at her, instead, he was staring over her shoulder. Nikki's smirk swapped into a surprised expression right as Amelia felt a presence approach behind her.

Amelia's usual instinct was to freeze and pretend she hasn't noticed anything until she was spoken to directly. If she was in her wolf form, her tail would be bristled. Amelia heard the bar stool on the other side of her make a low creak as the stool's feet grazed the wood floor and the cushioned seat became occupied.

"Hey," Comes an alluring voice.

"...Hi." Comes Amelia's nervous mumble, a shy greeting was all she could accomplish. Even looking him in his eyes was a struggle. Amelia has always been the timid type but her confidence has burned to ashes after last night. Why would someone so attractive want to talk to a bland, boring wolf like her?

"Nicole," Sebastian greeted the brunette in a friendly manner, obviously already acquainted with her since he called her by her real name.

"It's Nikki." She crosses her arms with an insulted expression. She's always hated being called by her real name. Meanwhile, Trent just pretended like he wasn't even there as he got back to work cleaning another glass.

"Who's your friend?" Sebastian ignored Nikki's sass. Her correction over her name didn't seem to matter one bit to him since his attention was focused on someone else. He could tell he wasn't going to get much of a response out of the blonde woman so he might as well ask someone who's more prideful.

"This is our long-lost friend, Amelia. She's been out of town for a while and just came back today." Nikki lands a hand on Amelia's shoulder who, once again, was hunched over while staring at her reflection in her untouched beverage.

"Out of town, huh? Why did you come back?" Sebastian's amber gaze drifted from Nikki to Amelia. His charismatic tone disguised his nosy questions. And yet Amelia still felt like she was being interrogated.

"There was nothing worth staying for back there." Trent was the one who answered with a quick response, his tone unfriendly but he still stared down at the glass he was cleaning as if there was a stubborn stain he was struggling to remove.

Sebastian finally looked Trent's way. His charming grin faded upon the slightest hint of hostility. Amelia could feel a frightening spike of aggression coming from the strange wolf but he didn't show it on his face or anywhere in his body language. The spike only lasted for a split second and then the dark-haired male smiled once again while looking at Trent. Amelia could sense that the new wolf instinctively commanded respect.

"I see. Well, you know what they say. Home is where the heart is." Sebastian looked back down at Amelia again when he spoke his last sentence. Though he stared at the fidgeting female, he still beckoned to Trent with a snap of his fingers. Without speaking he was ordering a drink. When you are in the presence of a wolf whose blood reigns supreme, you know when you're a lower rank and know when you need to obey. Trent frowned bitterly but prepared a drink for the newcomer anyways. He had half the mind of giving him the shittiest drink there is to sell but the last thing he wanted was to get his tail bit off in a fight. Instead, he decided to be spiteful in another way, choosing the highest quality drink there is, and the most pricey. Even though it was probably affordable for a man whose whole attire looks pricey enough.

Nikki watched Sebastian with a confused look in her eyes as if she was struggling to comprehend something. She had spoken about him as if she knew almost everything there is to know about him. Was he acting differently than normal? Either way, she kept silent and continued to observe his behavior.

Amelia had finally started to relax just enough for her to peek up at Sebastian's face. Through Trent's wary demeanor and Nikki's troubled thoughts, Amelia on the other hand was engrossed. Handsome with vague intentions, seemingly outgoing and friendly to the naked eye, and yet he had a motivation.

Once again, she feels that magnetic sensation that made her want to come closer to the male. To see what his skin felt like and take in his scent. It felt as if the cowardly wolf she was had finally started to crawl out of her hole and, of all places, go into the forest's darkest shadow.

And then their eyes locked once more. Her blue eyes were like calm water while his irises looked as if they burned like fire was trapped inside them. The daring look in them was enough to make you think he was the devil himself. How unlikely of a man with such an outgoing smile.

"They... say you were a lone wolf before coming here... why were you? Didn't you come from a pack?" Amelia's sudden straightforward question took both Nikki and Trent by surprise. It wasn't often their shy friend spoke so boldly, no matter how quietly.

It was a big question that played on everyone's mind. He was a wolf from a high-ranked lineage, possibly related to alphas. If that was the case, then it was very odd that someone of that status would leave his pack behind. The three of them fell dead silent as they waited for Sebastian's response. His silence was unnerving.

Then he eventually smiled again, and just for a second, Amelia could've sworn she was looking at the devil himself right before he answers her question.