7 The lone wolf

Ah, perfect timing, just the person to piss her off even more…

Esme heard the bouncers enter the room without looking up, and Paul, the bouncer who called her a dog, had already targeted her. His attitude flickered between wanting to flirt with her and despising her. It was quite a headache, but she never changed her attitude towards him; he was on the 'list' of people she didn't give two shits about hurting their feelings.

"What are you reading?"

Esme quietly closed the book and glanced at it, "It's called: None of your fucking business, Paul," she looked at the vampire and tilted her head to the side, watching as his face hardened. The other bouncers snickered at her retort and sat down across from her. Esme's eyes narrowed slightly at how close they were, but she ignored it and looked back at her book, opening it once more.

On the other hand, Paul marched towards her, "You have a real attitude problem, you know. Even a she-wolf as hot as you can be a turn-off," He snarled as he stopped in front of her. Esme sighed and removed her feet from the chair across from her, shutting her book once more and looking back at the vampire, her expression bored.

"Because my goal in life is to turn you on, leech," She snapped and stood up, walking around Paul, who instantly revealed his fangs, grabbing her by the wrist and bringing his face close to hers. Esme reached behind her, slowly unsheathing her knife.

"Enough! Breaks over! Get back to work!" Niko interrupted.

When did he get here?

Paul glared at Esme before releasing her and walking through the fire exit doors. Niko sighed and looked at the knife in her hand; he was the only one aware of the weapon because of where he stood. She pushed the knife back in its place and pursed her lips.

"Esme, try and play nice." He gave her a stern look after she opened her mouth to interrupt. "I can't keep coming back here sorting out the messes you leave."

Esme furrowed her brows and muttered under her breath, "I don't always leave a mess." She hated how that sounded; it went well with the dog insult.

Niko turned around, but she called out to him, "I only just went on my break. I still have ten minutes."

He turned to look at her, his face void of emotion. She didn't know if he was telling her to read the room and go back to work right now or not to talk to him and do what she wanted.

"If I return now, Leo and Hana will question why I'm back early.." She trailed off, watching his face.

"Hmm, be good," Niko finally said and vanished from her sight. Esme rolled her eyes but was happy the vampire didn't take her knife away. He already scolded her about it and told her to leave it at home or in the locker. But it was like her safety blanket; she never parted with it, and just like her bag, it went everywhere with her.

It was then Esme pulled her sleeve back slightly, revealing the bruises left on her wrist from the vampire's hand. She quickly covered her arm again, the discoloured skin a fraction of what she used to endure. Her mind started to wander, the tightness in her chest and the burning sensation under her collarbone returning. Esme unconsciously reached for her left wrist, feeling for the elastic band, but she stopped herself and dropped her hands with a sigh.

She shouldn't be triggered by a stupid bruise on her wrist.

How pathetic.

"Es-"

Esme growled, silencing her wolf.

The remaining ten minutes of her break was quiet and peaceful without Isana trying to console her or question her about escaping to the country. No staff members entered either, which was lucky for them, really. When she did return to the bar, she got straight back to serving; it was busier than earlier and precisely what she needed. The sounds of the bar and using her hands had a calming effect on her, letting her mind become distracted at the task at hand.

"Esme."

Esme looked up from cleaning a table. It was Hana; she was like a beam of light sometimes. Her smile brightened up any room with warm brown eyes. Even though it had only been a few weeks, Esme already found herself liking the girl.

"We are going for drinks. Want to come?" She asked, her face eager for Esme to join them. She looked over at Leo, who smiled and waved her over, and at a few other members of staff, she didn't really speak to. They also looked eager, probably because she was the new girl.

"Ah, I'm tired. I'll help Niko cash up," Hana's brows drew together at her response. Esme held her hands up, "Maybe another time.. It's fine. Go, go! I'll see you tomorrow."

Hana reluctantly went with the others. "Next time!" Leo called out to her and winked.

Esme watched them leave the now empty bar before heading in the same direction but going downstairs to the vampire bar. Unlike the bar she worked at, downstairs was still busy with vampires. It was 2am, but they didn't close until thirty minutes before sunup; she wondered if the vamps had a residence nearby for them to return so casually.

Esme pushed through the crowds of vampires and humans remaining on the dance floor. She ignored the couple in the corner of the room, a man smooching a woman's neck; no, not kissing, he was drinking from her. He was just 'concealing' it well from the humans. The act was so out in the open, but Esme was now accustomed to it. The vampires were safe to do as they pleased in ONYX, with limits, of course.

She made a turn towards the toilets and walked further down a hallway towards a private room. She had only been there once before when she couldn't locate Niko, he didn't seem pleased by her appearance at the time, but he never scolded her after she explained the vamp at the bar told her to find him there. It seemed they wanted to get her in trouble; how childish. But Esme now frequently fetched him around the same time if she stayed to help.

As she approached the door, raising her hand to knock, she stopped after picking up on the low voices on the other side of the door. Now she knew it was bad to sneak around and listen to conversations, especially considering where she was, but when she heard the mention of a werewolf, her ear went closer to the door.

"Oh miss high and mighty.. are you forgetting the amount of times we have sneaked around-"

"Shh!" Esme shushed her wolf to listen, and she held her breath.

"Why is she here?"

"Wh-what? Sire, you already agreed to employ her." She could hear Niko's voice. They were definitely talking about her.

Sire? There was only one person that went by that sort of title..

There was an exasperated sigh, "I don't remember.. the conversation," He murmured, "fine. Just make sure there are no issues. I could hear Paul moaning about her. I will not take responsibility for her if one of our own has an issue with her. It will be up to her to stay alive."

How charming. But Esme never expected anything more. At least she had a job.

"Are you forgetting a crucial detail here, Es.." Isana whispered. Esme could feel the rising anxiety in her wolf; she wanted to run. It took everything in Esme not to let her wolf take over her body and to stay calm.

Alerted by who her real employer could be and from the footsteps coming closer to the door, Esme started to back away.

"What if she killed one of us?" Niko asked, halting the other man's steps. Esme also stopped; she was curious about his response.

The other vampire chuckled darkly. "Is that possible? I thought you said she was a rogue?"

"Esme is.. she seems stronger than other rogues I have encountered," Came Niko's response.

"Esme.." She heard the other vampire say her name, and she felt a shiver run through her spine. But it wasn't from fear; in fact, she felt a pool of warmth and butterflies swirl in her stomach. His voice alone made her bite her lip, and she could only imagine how he looked.

"Eww," Isana mocked, throwing up, "He's a vampire.. How can you.. feel giddy at a man you haven't met. He isn't our mate.."

No, he certainly wasn't.

Isana gasped at what she said.

Esme's face darkened, but she shook it off, realising she needed to flee the area. The footsteps grew louder again, and the she-wolf scattered from the door, passing the bar quickly, and ignoring the vampire's staring at her as she went back up the steps to the ground floor.

Every step Esme took up the stairs, she was becoming increasingly aware of someone following closely behind her. She wanted to turn her head and look behind her, but something instinctual told her not to. The sweet fragrance that followed her made her heart flutter, and she decided to go against her instincts and look.

Stopping by the glass doors, the entrance to ONYX, Esme turned to look. Her hair flew away from her face from a small gust of wind; a slight nudge on her shoulder was the only indication that someone had been following.

Esme looked around in alarm, but the hall was empty.

The bouncers' snickering caught her attention, but before she could do anything, Niko suddenly appeared beside her. "Are you lost?" He tilted his head to the side, a smirk crawling up his lips.

Esme narrowed her eyes subtly but shrugged it off nonchalantly, "I was looking for you. We need to cash up."

"Go home. I'll do the rest," Niko replied as he reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently; his eyes were full of warmth. Something she didn't expect, especially after the conversation he just had. Niko pulled his hand away and looked at it as though he couldn't believe what he had just done.

"Okay. See you tomorrow," Esme replied casually, even though her heart felt as though it would burst from Niko's sudden contact and from working out who owned the bar.

But she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. Even as she walked out of ONYX, backpack in tow, ignoring Paul's taunting, she was deep in thought. That vampire could easily rip her to shreds for even crossing into his territory.

"Sire," Niko had called him.

That vampire.. was the king of all vampires. The most dangerous being on earth.

Esme stopped and looked back at ONYX; she had an eerie feeling that someone was watching her. But as she searched the dark night, she couldn't see anyone. She casually reached for her knife sheathed behind her and flipped it towards her wrist before hiding it up her sleeve, the whole time her gaze searching her surroundings.

Pulling her hood up over her features, she turned her back to the menacing shadows, leaving the area like the lone wolf she was.