Meet at the bar

*CHANNING's POV *

I walked through the busy market in search of a bar that Fang had mentioned. After I was done with my lawyer, I immediately called Fang and he had already booked the seats.

"54..56...Royal Restrobar! Here it is", I entered the posh-looking place. The ambience was mild and quiet with a woody scent basking the environment. Fang had mentioned a lounge away from the normal seating area, so I followed through towards a private area and saw him seated at a corner.

Fang was already busy with a drink in his hand staring into space. Something on his mind made him smile slyly just at the thought of it.

"Fallen in love Fang?" My question disrupted his thoughts as a friendly smile replaced his previous one,

"I didn't see you enter, what will you have?" He asked me, pointing towards the menu that was lying on my side of the table. Fang never had to look at it as he always knew what he wanted even before entering a place.

My eyes skimmed through the menu and landed on my favourite, whiskey on the rock. I called the waiter and placed my order, Fang ordered another glass when the waiter turned to him, "One spicy sandstorm, extra scotch"

There he goes, this was a new drink I heard from his mouth. The last time I remember ordering the same drink as him, it was something stupid like the 'buffalos' sweat'. Both of us had tried it for the first time yet it came right back up for me into a waiting dustbin can.

I wasn't doing stunts like him anymore, he was just too good at handling his liquor and I ain't.

Fang focused back on his drink and a little smile surfaced again on his lips.

"What is it, Fang? I never saw you smile like that before", I questioned and he looked up, not bothering to correct his expressions. Yes, he had a smile on his face but his eyes looked as if he was plotting something very scheming.

The glass came to his mouth lingering there until he gulped it down in a go, his lips twisted as he put it back down, "Have you heard about soulmates?"

Why was he asking this right now? He is not the one to talk about such topics. On top of that, we were Warchilds, the concept of soulmates was out of the question for us. A stupid ritual that started during the War around a century ago, erased the concept of soulmates for us Alpha blood in the entire Adalolpha kingdom.

"Yes, what about it?" I asked further, this was getting interesting and I knew something spicy was coming up.

Fang hummed looking around the room, "How do you know someone is your soulmate?" His eyes squinted as if scanning his memory.

"Aren't you supposed to know when you meet one?" I said crossing my arms as my thoughts also started searching through my memory, "well soulmates are a match made in heaven, a blessing of goddess Luna"

"I know that stupid kindergartener theory Channing, my question is how do you know if a person is your personal blessing?" Fang nagged, he wasn't someone who liked to discuss unnecessary details.

The problem was both of us didn't have the answer to that, the elders had erased soulmates out of the equation with generations of arranged marriage. But most who suffered through this were the Alphas as they were never given a choice, and as Alphas even we won't get that privilege.

The waiter brought our drinks and poured some more whiskey on the ice ball levitating inside my drink glass. He kept a reddish yellow drink in front of Fang and asked if he wanted more ice, which Fang obviously took.

When we were alone again Fang had dropped the topic knowing there was no conclusion or answer we would reach. "Let's order something to eat", he pushed the menu card towards me yet again.

We ordered a meal for us and there was a usual silence filled in the atmosphere. My personality asked me to talk a lot but somehow today, my thoughts were getting heavy on my tongue.

I swirled my drink with the ice clinging to the glass making a noticeable sound. I didn't realise it until Fang intercepted my lost state.

"A penny for your thoughts," he took a sip from his glass.

I laughed bitterly. Today's case proved to me how naive I have been thinking kindness can change people. "It is about John, I mean he would usually defy my orders a lot but..."

My words trailed not knowing how to accept that. The fact that Fang had warned me on how authority is not gifted, made it all the more difficult to admit it in front of him.

He kept the glass down nonchalantly and crossed his legs with one hand supporting his chin. "As long as you learn from this mistake There is not a lot of them you do, just this one", Fang said, coming straight to the point.

He is one of the greatest listeners as he really avoids lengthy conversations, coming straight to the point as always. "Yup" I agreed, raising my glass not wanting to vent anything anymore.

He reciprocated the gesture and as we returned back to the silence, Fang chuckled on his own.

"What?" I was curious about his thoughts, he had been smiling weirdly since I came here. But he simply shook his head dismissing the topic by the wave of his hand. As if I would let it go just like that, "What is it?"

I needed to know what it was, he usually tells what it is, why not today. "Something cooking in your head?"

Fang stared into the distance and smirked, "There is someone just like you in your pack"

"Just like me? What like me?" Now I was more curious and I needed all the detailed answers. But he continued with his drink, "Fang! what is it?"

He sighed knowing how I won't quit now. Of course, he is older than me, so he has to fulfil my questions! Or I will throw tantrums.

"Someone who thinks kindness is the language of this world," Fang finished his drink and asked the waiter for more.

I creased my brows trying to fit the pieces together, who could that be? It is not bad to be that person but then, they will have to learn a lot of things the hard way. Just like I did, if I know them I can at least take care of them henceforth.

But there was no answer in my head, "Who are you talking about Fang? Nearly everyone from the pack warned me about John. I don't think there is anyone."

"Oh, there is!" He exclaimed, finishing his drink in one go. Totally out of the context he asked, "This drink isn't doing the trick, wanna chug bottles?"

"Yes! Bring it on baby", I grandly gestured knowing very well what would happen to me after that. How Fang would have to carry me to a hotel, like every other time I drank with him. But that is also a once-in-a-month thing, so I didn't care and neither did he.

The waiter brought in two sealed bottles of whiskey, this is the worst thing to do for your throat, but it was our bonding.

I did a count down and Fang simply waited, holding his bottle, "Okay, 1...2...3!"

We chugged the bottle as pangs of electric sting travelled through my throat, everything suddenly started getting hot and my head was already spinning halfway.

I stomped my bottle on the table as if I ended up first. But Fang was sitting there, hands folded and an empty bottle on the table. My ears suddenly went numb and I had to rub them to get them back to normal. I wondered how Fang didn't feel any of that?

One day, one day I will make him do this on his own and watch his reaction. I bet even he suffers through it.

My head was starting to go fuzzy and my vision swayed with the dancing room, "Woahhoho"

"You doing okay Channing?", Fang asked, knowing exactly what I was going through. I would either puke now or start creating a childish ruckus followed by falling somewhere unconscious. And my heavy frame wasn't that easy to carry.

"yeahhhhh...hehe...damn you, awesome bro!" I replied with my words starting to slur.

Fang scratched his forehead and immediately asked for the bill. Our food was packed as take away and Fang did the payment, "Come on Channing lets go"

"Nooo, you diz nout tell me z nameeeee!" I slurred as he picked me up, giving his shoulder as support, and simply carried the packed food in another hand. He looked slimmer than me, but his strength didn't say that.

We walked out of the bar with me nagging him again and again about who it was, I was barely registering stuff in flashes. There was no doubt about it that I won't remember anything of this later.

"Fanj! Who is it? I....there needz to fotect them!", I asked yet again with maximum efforts of sounding sane. But I knew he would understand anyway, and still not answer.

He stopped in the middle of the square and looked towards the exit of the capital city, from where the road to our village starts. I watched him and then what he was checking out, but everything was so bright that I could see nothing but light.

"What iz it?" I asked.

He turned around and we started walking again. I didn't know which question of mine did he answer as I had asked plenty till now, but he just uttered one word,

"Selene!"