Chapter 9

Tommy had no idea how they managed to talk him into this. Isaac – with whom he was starting to become something like friends after all the talking about Mate bonds and music – and Sutan somehow persuaded him to go to Luna with them that night. It sometimes had concerts and even drag nights as well. Tommy felt a bit wrong about going to a club when the one responsible for the bombing was still at large, but they agreed that everyone needed a night off to let some steam off. So there he was, sitting in a chair while Sutan was doing his make up while Isaac was keeping them company, waiting for his wife to get ready. They told Tommy that they’d meet up with some of the others at the club where Adam was one of the performers that night. The blonde knew that their Alpha was a singer in his human life, but he didn’t remember hearing anything from him as pop wasn’t usually Tommy’s choice of music. Sutan simply said he must’ve been living in a hole as apparently Adam was getting big in the music business.

“This is just crazy,” Tommy said looking up at Sutan… or rather Raja. Clearly there was a lot he didn’t know about the first Beta yet. Starting with his female alter ego.

“I really hope you aren’t talking about me, sweetheart, because I have your pretty face between my hands at the moment. Don’t make me do something ugly…” she warned as she flipped her long dark-brown hair over her shoulder.

“Don’t get me wrong, you’re smoking hot. I just seem to get shocked a lot lately,” he huffed and Raja smiled at him.

“Oh honey, that’s alright. I know you have to get used to a lot of things.”

“Yeah. Tell me… how long have you been doing drag?” he asked curious.

“Since I was 16 or so. So for a while now,” she shrugged and took another brush to go over the foundation on Tommy’s face. “I do performances and sing a little too. Not to mention some drawing and being a make up artist.”

“Add the pack stuff to that too, Raja,” Isaac chimed in watching them amused.

“Wow, you really are a busy bee,” Tommy murmured.

“What can I say? I like anything that’s creative. I often do Adam’s make up too, by the way.”

“How long have you been friends with him?”

“Oh I don’t know, for a couple of years now? He wasn’t really an Alpha back then. I mean… he was born one, but he didn’t have a pack yet when I’d met him for the first time.”

“Can I ask you something personal?” Tommy asked, finding the touch of the different brushes on his face oddly relaxing.

“Sure honey. If I don’t like the question, I won’t give you shit,” she giggled and put some more black powder on his eyelids.

“Did you two ever…?” he left the question open, but it was clear what he was asking.

Raja’s chuckle filled the room and Isaac snickered in the back too. “As much as I appreciate a strong and handsome male like him, no, we never fucked, sweetheart. We’re just friends. Not everyone is unable to keep it in his pants, Mr. Casanova…”

Now Tommy had to grin too and he peeked up at Raja when the danger of losing an eye passed. “Oh admit it, you’d totally love it if I tried to get up into your business,” he winked teasingly, which earned a light slap on the shoulder from her.

“Dream on, baby, dream on!” she flashed a white smile at him.

“I don’t know who’d end up dead first by Adam’s jealousy – Tommy or Raja…” Isaac mused loud enough for them to hear.

“He’d totally kick my ass,” Raja shook her head and reached for the eyeliner.

“You both talk about Adam as if he was already all territorial over me,” Tommy frowned but when Raja indicated to look up so she could continue working on Tommy’s eye, he obeyed.

“Hon, news flash: he already is. You just don’t know about it,” she said and Isaac agreed.

“Yup, but he tries to keep his distance not to scare you off or some shit.”

“He lets you think about the Mate thing,” Raja offered some further explanation.

Tommy didn’t answer just focused on not blinking when some mascara was applied too.

“Speaking of which, did you decide yet?” she asked.

“About what?”

“Don’t play dumb, silly. About the Mate bond, of course. You know… I’d love to see you stop being an ass with him and the two of you being happy together. Not to mention that it’d be good for the pack too. Mate bonds are rare and unique.”

“I don’t know yet. I’m still thinking,” Tommy mumbled and forced himself not to look aside and mess up Raja’s work.

“Well, honey… take your time, it’s a decision that’ll affect the rest of your life. But don’t wait too long with the reply. Adam deserves your answer.”

“I know,” he sighed, wanting to tell her to mind her own business, but he bit his tongue. After all, it was her business too to some extent.

“Okay, baby, you’re ready to go,” she announced and let Tommy blink a few times before looking into the mirror.

“Wow. Just wow,” he whispered. He was no stranger to make up, but what Raja did to his face was simply awesome. He felt… beautiful. “Thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s go and make some boys and girls drool!” she grinned putting her brushes and powders away before they headed out.

***

“It’s surreal…” Tommy mumbled under his breath while standing at the edge of the dance floor, his eyes glued to the now familiar figure of their Alpha on stage.

“He’s awesome, isn’t he?” he heard Sophie’s enthusiastic voice next to him.

Tommy just nodded dazed by Adam’s strong voice as he was singing his heart out dressed in leather and glitter. It was a strange combination, but somehow he managed to pull it off. Tommy also recognized Raja’s work on the tall man’s make up. But what really shook Tommy’s world – besides the otherworldly voice, of course – was the power and dominance that was flowing from Adam in huge waves, making the fine hairs on the back of Tommy’s neck stand on end and goose bumps appear on his tattooed arms. It was amazing and as he earlier glimpsed around, he could see that Adam managed to capture everyone’s attention, including the bartenders and waiters.

“You have to be fucking kidding me…” he snorted, his jaw dropping as after a slower song very familiar guitar riffs cut through the stuffy air of the club.

“What is it?” Isaac asked from Sophie’s other side, clearly hearing the Beta’s snort even over the music.

But Tommy just shook his head and took a long swig from his beer as Adam started singing the first lines of Enter Sandman, Tommy’s all-time favorite Metallica song. He couldn’t decide if it was deliberate or just a coincidence. Or maybe even something Adam subconsciously felt about him seeing the Metallica T-shirts he wore since they met. But as their eyes locked while Adam was singing, Tommy had the feeling that it was deliberate and the result of Adam asking around about him. Probably his dear sister gave some hints to him too. But somehow he couldn’t get mad at Lisa. Not when Adam held his eyes captured with the hot fire burning in his blue gaze and making moves that should be illegal in all the states. Hell, all around the world.

“Fuck…” Tommy repeated totally under Adam’s spell, knuckles white around his bottle. The leaking Alpha power hit him with full force and he knew his eyes flashed in the amber color of his wolf, which stretched lazily inside him, basking in all that dominance. It wasn’t trying to overwhelm Tommy, it was just naturally pouring off of Adam while singing the well-known lines. It felt like it was just for his ears and it stirred something inside him besides his wolf that felt flattered by the Alpha’s attention. ‘Bitch,’ Tommy thought for a second, but there wasn’t any heat behind it as deep down he felt the same way.

When the song ended and Adam’s attention was drawn from him, Tommy finally was able to breathe again. ‘This was fucking intense,’ he thought to himself and quickly killed the rest of his beer. The show was still on, Adam’s unique voice following him as he made his way to the bar. His head was full of thoughts and his emotions were messed up. Was Adam courting him now or what the fuck? Hopping up on a bar stool Tommy could feel Adam’s power practically burn the back of his leather jacket. He tried to ignore it, but he couldn’t. He quickly decided that he needed something stronger and asked for a double whiskey with ice.

“Impressive lungs and presence,” he suddenly heard an unknown female voice from his right side.

He swallowed the sip of whiskey in his mouth and glimpsed there carefully as the female’s Alpha power hit his senses already. She was short with brown curly hair and a curvy but strong body. Normally she’d be Tommy’s type and he would probably go for it, but she wasn’t a Beta or even a Delta, for that matter, which made him cautious. He avoided direct eye-contact, not wanting her to see it as a challenge. “Yeah,” he said a bit tense as he turned back to his whiskey.

“You belong to his pack, don’t you? I can smell the faint scent of his pack on you,” she turned away from the stage and to Tommy, watching his profile, which made his wolf stop basking in Adam’s presence and blink carefully at the she-wolf.

“I am,” he answered shortly.

“I’ve heard about him. The powerful Alpha of the quickly growing LA pack.”

Tommy didn’t answer this time since he didn’t know where she was going with all this.

“You’re careful. Loyal too, I assume. A great quality in a Beta. I like that.”

“What’s your point?” he asked making sure that his voice was neutral and calm. He wasn’t in the mood to argue or fight.

“You’re unclaimed,” she said as if that explained everything. Well, it did explain a few things at least.

“That’s correct too, but I’m not interested,” he hurried to clarify it. Time after time when he encountered Alpha’s, they expressed their interest in him. Strong Betas like him were usually claimed by someone by then.

“Are you sure? I have the impression that we’d be a great team,” she purred touching his forearm that was resting on the counter while holding his glass.

Tommy tensed and slowly pulled his hand away. He hated when Alphas came onto him strong. A few times it happened in his previous pack too. He was trying to come up with an excuse or something that’d make her stop when another wave of Adam’s alpha power hit their backs. From the way she tensed, Tommy knew she felt it too. Adam’s voice didn’t even falter, he continued singing effortlessly, but in the next moment Tommy felt a slim arm slide around his waist possessively. He could tell even without looking that it was Raja.

“I’m sorry, darling, but he’s taken,” she said and Tommy couldn’t smell lie on her words. Raja believed what she was saying.

Tommy felt the skinny body press against his shoulder and side as she pressed against him and slid her hand up on Tommy’s back to put her arm around his shoulders. As Tommy glimpsed up, he saw that Raja wasn’t looking at him but somewhere in the direction of the she-wolf’s face. He wasn’t sure if she made eye-contact or not, but Raja’s pretty face was cheerful and serious at the same time.

“It’s a pity,” she finally said as she got off her stool and finished her Bloody Mary. She leaned a bit closer to Tommy, who was still avoiding her gaze and slid her card in his leather-jacket’s pocket. “In case you changed your mind, pretty, I have business in town for a few more days,” she said and sniffed Tommy’s neck before disappearing in the crowd.

“Thanks,” he said to Raja as she stayed pressed against his side, long fingers digging into his hair at the back in a friendly manner.

“No problem, sweetheart. I guess this wasn’t the first time when some Alpha wanted to pick you up sensing that you were unclaimed,” she said and waved for the waiter to make a Cosmo for her.

“Nope and not the worst kind either. At least there wasn’t any fight this time,” he sighed slightly melting into the touch of her fingers. It radiated warmth and safety. Pack. Adam’s power wasn’t burning his back so hard anymore either.

“See? This is another reason why you can’t delay giving him an answer soon. It was a miracle that he didn’t jump off the stage to come over himself.”

“Instead he sent you to my rescue…” he said and couldn’t decide to be flattered or offended. The old Tommy’d have thrown a fit, saying that he didn’t need such protection, that he could take care of himself, but his damn wolf disagreed. And Tommy had to admit that the new him liked it too. Damn, Adam had already changed him without Tommy even noticing it. He bit the inside of his cheek to control himself as a shiver ran down his spine from a high note their Alpha sang out on stage.

“He did, yes,” Raja agreed and let him go to elegantly sit on the stool the female Alpha left empty. “You like that, don’t you?” she asked before sipping from her drink.

“Kinda,” Tommy admitted and turned around on his stool to face the stage where Adam was slowly getting to the end of his set.

“Good,” she smiled and turned too, staying quiet until the lights went out and the clapping became deafening.

***

Tommy had no idea how he ended up sitting in the backseat of the car. Adam was on his right side and his long-time friend and a Gamma of the pack, Danielle next to him. There wasn’t much space back there and through the nice buzz in his head he felt all of his right side burning with Adam’s energies where they touched. To be honest, he always ran a bit colder than other werewolves and Adam’s body heat felt nice. The members of the pack present at Luna had a few drinks and danced after Adam’s performance, but he and Tommy could exchange only a few words about it. Namely Tommy said to Adam that he wasn’t bad on stage, but then the Alpha was dragged on the dance floor by Brooke and they could exchange only a few looks afterwards. Somehow the heat behind those looks warmed Tommy’s insides too.

He’s been thinking about the things Adam and Raja had told him and he knew they were right. He needed to make a decision. Clearly, Adam made his and would want Tommy as his Mate. Next to the gesture of the Metallica cover and fending off the pushy Alpha, he got some other hints during the night too. Like Adam making sure Tommy always had a drink in his hand or making room for him by their table each time he got back from the restroom or wherever he wandered off. To be honest, it was a bit strange for Tommy as he was used to do such gestures and not the other way round. But clearly it felt nice and new being on the receiver end of things. So when Adam absently put an arm on the back of the seat to give more room for Tommy’s shoulder, the blonde instinctively leaned against his warm side. From the corner of his eye he saw a small smile appearing on Adam’s face from that and he didn’t protest when the big hand soon landed on his left shoulder, strong fingers drawing small circles on his leather jacket while he was chatting and laughing with Dani and Isaac as Sophie was driving. He felt comfortable and warm and he nearly dozed off, his wolf feeling happy and protected.

Maybe they were right and letting Adam closer wouldn’t be such a disaster. Of course he needed some time to think things over about his father and their Alpha, but after talking with Lisa once more, he finally decided to try and let that go and become a part of the past. They had other things to focus on. Like this Mate bond, the attack and the audition with the Vampire Queen. That’d be a tricky thing. Adam wanted to ask for a meeting in two days and he told Tommy that they’d see what’d happen after that. He could live with that as he was now too comfortable to deal with any of that shit.

Sophie first dropped off Danielle and when she asked where Tommy wanted to go, he said back to Adam’s place. He didn’t miss the Alpha’s satisfied little grunt, which made Tommy lightly elbow him into the side. “Don’t get your hopes too high,” he whispered under his nose, knowing that he’d hear it. That earned a low chuckle and he didn’t notice that even if there was more room now, neither of them seemed to want to move apart. If Tommy did, he would’ve totally blamed it on the alcohol buzzing in his veins.

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