Chapter 5 - My Mate
Amaia's POV
Less than thirty minutes later, the two wolves turned off onto a dirt road, and about a mile further, the van entered a fairly large yard.
There was only one building on the property, with a couple of cars parked on the outside.
It seemed to be a factory of some sort, and it looked a bit dodgy.
Why would they bring me here?
Were they about to kidnap me? Use me? Or even worse, auction me to the highest bidder?
I pushed the thoughts to the side and quickly unbuckled my seat belt.
I wasn't sure why, but everything inside me wanted to go see what was happening inside.
I calmly watched as the two wolves got out of their vehicle and waved me in.
I slowly opened my truck door, grabbed my bag, and got out.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but some kind of excitement was bubbling inside me.
Why was I feeling like this?
Why did I want to go inside?
"Welcome to Cindy's," the first wolf chirped almost proudly as he came closer. The Beta didn't even look my way and headed toward the double doors.
What was his problem?
"Thanks?" I replied, sounding more like a question than an appreciation.
"It's our local bar," he explains. "Sally will have a warm bed for you upstairs."
A bar? Was he serious? It looked more like a slaughterhouse from the outside.
I bit my lip as I slowly nodded my head and closed my truck door.
I unwillingly shivered when the freezing wind cut through me. It was freezing outside. The rain has stopped, but the wind was still blowing.
"Let's get you inside," he said worriedly, raising a suspicious eyebrow. "Before you freeze to death."
I nodded my appreciation as my teeth started chattering. I guess he was wondering why I was this cold. Wolves, in general, did not easily become cold; our wolves would provide warmth from within.
"By the way, my name is Hugo," he continued. "I'm Alpha Roland's, Delta."
"N-n-nice to m-eet you, Delta," I stuttered uncontrollably. "I'm Amaia."
Hugo paused on the porch before opening the door. He knitted his eyebrows together, shifted his head slightly to the side, and looked me up and down. His grey eyes were curiously searching for something.
"Oh, Goddess!" I internally moaned and rolled my eyes. "He was acting just like Beta Harrison."
When Hugo was satisfied a moment later, and without a word, he pushed the door open.
I gasped, wide-eyed, as I saw the interior; it was nothing like what I had expected.
"I guess you approve?" Hugo teased and winked as he passed me by.
"It's something," I replied, following him inside. "It looks so mysterious from the outside."
Hugo laughed and said, "It looks like some haunted house. It's to keep nosy humans away..."
"I see," I replied, my gaze traveling over the sea of people. "It's actually very clever..."
"It has to be," he replied, laughing. "There are many humans who travel through a small part of our territory. We had a few issues in the past..."
I understood what he meant—a human probably saw one of them in wolf form.
My attention traveled around the bar. The dimmed lighting created a warm and somewhat relaxed atmosphere. There was a decent fireplace in the corner, keeping the inside comfortable and crisp from the chilly wind and rain.
A beautiful 360-degree bar was the center of the room. It was built out of some expensive dark wood. Five bartenders were attending to the customers, and they appeared to be busy for a midweek evening.
Not far from the bar, there were tables and chairs packed together, which faced a small stage.
The place was filled with wolves. While some wolves sat at the tables, others waited for service at the bar. There were a couple of younger wolves dancing on the small dance floor.
Yet, I couldn't help noticing the electrifying atmosphere.
Everyone seemed joyful and cheery!
"It's karaoke night," Hugo explained, heading toward the bar. "Every Wednesday night. Almost the whole pack comes out to Cindy's to relax and have a couple of drinks."
"It looks like a lot of fun!" I replied, and a smile spread across my lips. In my former life I used to take singing lessons. I did pretty well, but I got stage fright when I needed to perform.
"Do you sing?" Hugo asked curiously.
"No, no," I quickly shook my head. "I can't. I am far too shy."
Hugo gave me a knowing look before he disappeared around the bar and called a she-wolf closer.
After a quick chat with the she-wolf, he kissed her on the cheek and returned to my side.
"Come on," he said. "Let me show you your room."
Hugo quickly took me upstairs and showed me my room for the night.
The room was even better than I had expected.
"Sally will send someone with some food for you," he said. "In the meantime, go freshen up and have a warm shower. I'll be back in a few minutes to come get you."
"Get me?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah," he said. "You can't stay up here all night. You should join us for a drink."
I hesitated for a moment.
"Relax," Hugo said. "You don't have to worry about anything. I simply don't want you to stay inside while the party continues. I don't think you'll get much sleep anyways."
"What time is last call?" I asked.
"I am," he said, closing the door behind him. "But no one ever leaves before 3 am."
Typically wolves. Always wants to stay longer.
I quickly stripped myself of my clothes and went to freshen up.
Once done, I felt more refreshed and warm. I quickly got dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a white blouse, and some black combat boots.
I let my long, silky, chocolate-brown hair down, gave my full lips some red color, and did only some eyeliner and mascara. I liked my makeup done naturally.
My gaze landed on the plate of food sitting on the table, and my stomach growled.
I didn't hesitate and immediately went to remove the lid from the plate—it was a decent portion of mac and cheese.
I scooped a spoonful of pasta and popped it into my mouth and moaned in appreciation.
I was about done when a knock erupted from the door.
"Amaia," Hugo called. "Can I come in?
"It's open," I replied.
"You look stunning," he complimented. "Are you ready, my lady?"
I nodded and followed Hugo out.
We were almost at the stairs when the most beautiful voice filled my surroundings. He sounded like a nightingale.
I slowly descended the stairs, keeping my head down.
The music was affecting my body and soul—it felt as if it were luring me into deep, musky waters.
The bar abruptly quieted down as I reached the last step, and I raised my head.
Everyone was staring at me.
I turned my gaze to the stage, causing my heart to race.
It was him!
My mate!