RAFE'S LAIR (7 page)

                                    CHAPTER 12     

      They reached the stairs without incident thank the Fates. He figured that was because he was being led by the beta, the second in command. Werewolves were all about dominance, like all the friggin time. That shit got old real quick. You had the alpha, the one in charge of everything, literally
everything.
If someone didn't agree with him on any little thing, he had every right to rip his throat out. Hell, he could rip anyone in his pack to shreds because he didn't like the way you said hello to him. Can you say barbaric much?

The beta was the second to only the alpha. When alpha wasn't ar
ound, what he said was law. He too was all about the “I am wolf hear me growl bull shit”. Rafe just didn't have the time to care about that crap. Guess that's why he wouldn't make a good werewolf, and wasn't that just a bummer. Ummm not. Rafe really didn't care about the pecking order after that. Hell, he didn't care about the pecking order period, but when in Rome.

At the top of the stairs, it opened up to a big open loft. There was another bar, but it was tucked in the corner up here. This level resembled
more of a sports bar. There were pool tables and flat screen TV’s mounted on the walls. The whole club had a sound system that about blew your ear drums out. How the wolves could stand the ear splitting noise was beyond Rafe. His head hurt from the short amount of time he'd been here, course that probably had to do with the company he was having to be in too.

There were quite a few dancers up here working the gullible losers too. Rafe figured this was more of a VIP lounge cause they weren't dancing on stag
es. Nope they were dancing on laps; one was even sprawled out on one of the pool tables. And none of them were adhering to the no touching rule, not the nymphs and sure as hell not the guys paying for the nymphs. And oh lookie there, they had private rooms for private “dances". There were several halls full of them Rafe guessed.

They had another guard dog by the stairs that you had to get through once you reached the top. You could come see the action, but unless you had the funds to pay for it, than you wer
e just shit outta luck. Rafe was sure it would cost you a whole lot to have fun up here. Especially since the dancers were way more touchy feely than down on the main level.

Sloan nodded his head at the wolf stationed there. The guy gave Rafe the once over
and growled low as he passed. Rafe couldn't help the laugh that came out in reaction to that. Well yeah, he could, but he didn't care enough to. Plus he knew that'd piss beef cake off more. Rafe had to get his jollies somehow, might as well make it at meat heads expense. He thought tough guy would do something there for a second, but the wolf thought better of it at the last possible moment. Probably cause Sloan turned around and growled back.

    "Well aren't you my mighty protector.
” Rafe said to Sloan.

    "Can it Casper. I'm bored as hell around here and as much fun as it would be to watch you take a bite outta Dog, I sure as hell ain't letting you have any fun when I'm not. Not to mention Dom gets pissed when we break shit in front of the patrons." Sl
oan finished that last part with a laugh.

Yeah it sounded wrong to him to apparently. Hmm Dog wasn't that just a fitting name for a werewolf. Rafe couldn't have made that shit up if he tried. He was sooo going to have to tell Ethan bout that one. Ethan woul
d never be able to stop laughing about it too so he better do it right before the sun came up. That way it wouldn't interfere with Ethan's work.

    "You know Sloan you keep name calling, and I might just have to have my feelings hurt. I don't thin
k we could be bff's anymore if that happens."

    "How will I ever live with myself knowing I hurt you so." Sloan responded grabbing his heart as they came to a door that Rafe assumed was Dominic's office.

They had walked through the VIP section to one of the halls leading off it. Sloan stopped, grinned at Rafe before he knocked. The door opened immediately. Dominic was sitting behind a desk working on something Rafe guessed. Kinda hard to do with a naked nymph lying on it in front of him with her legs opened on either side of his chair. The desk was one of those big mahogany antique looking ones so her head barely hung off the edge. There were three other wolves Rafe didn't know lounging on the sofas arranged around the room facing the desk. Couple of them had nymphs on their laps as well. You might as well enjoy your merchandise while you had to be there.

As they walked in Sloan walked over to where there was a big lounge chair almost next to the desk with a nymph sitting in it. She got up immediately and h
e sat down pulling her into his lap. Guess she was keeping it warm for him. Sloan looked at Rafe and winked as he spread her legs open and started playing with her pussy. Yep you just had to enjoy your merchandise since it was free when you owned the place. Rafe stepped in a little more and the wolf that had been standing behind the door closed it. Was that supposed to scare him? See? All about the dominance shit get over it already. Rafe sure the hell was.

Rafe walked up to Dom's desk; which took him a sec
ond cause the room was surprisingly large. Dom's office didn't look like one you'd find in a strip club either. It had floor to ceiling shelves mostly full of books and sculptures. There was an area rug in the middle where the desk sat. The couches arranged around it were all dark leather, not the cheap bachelor pad kind, but the expensive kind you'd find in a high end cigar lounge. There was a window behind Dom that looked down into the club below. The room looked like it belonged to the president of a billion dollar company. Business must be damn good for Dom.

Go figure! He was working after all. He had spreadsheets in front of him on the desk and propped up against the nymph's legs. Again not blocking his view of her crotch. Well duh, they were still in a
n all nude strip club even though it didn't feel like it in here. Dom looked up at him then and smiled a big wolfish grin that was all teeth.

   
“Rafe, old friend, I wasn't expecting you. Had I been, I would have made sure you were greeted with more respect. Please except my apologies on behalf of my ignorant pack member. And be assured he will be dealt with appropriately." Dom said getting up and coming around the desk to embrace Rafe.

    "Dom, no apologies necessary. In fact, I apologize to you for my u
nexpected visit. I wouldn't have come into your territory unannounced, but I need your help on a very important matter." Rafe said embracing him back.

Dominic pulled back and looked at Rafe for a minute. He then said "All of you out now." without breaking
eye contact. Every one of the occupants jumped up immediately except for Sloan. He just pushed his little snuggle bunny to her feet and smacked her ass to get her moving. As everyone was filing out Dom walked over to the wet bar, he turned back to Rafe.

 
  "Can I offer you a drink old friend?"

    "Got any single malt scotch?
Thanks."

Coming back over to Rafe, drinks in hand. He gestured for Rafe to sit in one of the high backed chairs in front of his desk. He handed Rafe his glass and went to sit behind h
is desk. Dominic was very old school. Rafe actually wasn't even sure how old the wolf was exactly. Old enough to have gone through the trials just as Rafe had, but Dom was the alpha even back then. And he had been for quite some time too. Rafe knew he was a very powerful ally or an even worse foe. Rafe chose to keep him as a very close friend instead.

Dominic came from Russia originally. And from what Rafe understood, his family has always held great power in both the supernatural community, and the human w
orld. Dom definitely did not act the way a strip club owner should. He had the mannerisms of a noble man. If you were to meet him outside the club, you would never have guessed he owned one. Being a werewolf, he didn't look over is mid-thirties, even though he had to be ancient. Although Rafe would never think to ask exactly how ancient he really was.

Rumor was the Fates had originally chosen him to be the high elder to the werewolf packs and sit on the council. But he refused them and told them he would be
an enforcer or nothing to them. How the hell he did that and lived was a miracle. That's why it was only a rumor; nobody thought it could be done. If the rumor was in fact true, then Rafe was grateful that he had. Rafe much preferred to have him in the League protecting the people. Shortly after Sloan's nomination and him passing the trials, Dom appointed him as his beta. For that and more, Sloan had Rafe's respect as well. That was why Rafe didn't mind Sloan being in on this little pow wow.

Sloan got up a
nd went to fix himself a drink, returning to his chair he said. "Rafe I'm quite sure my alpha would agree with me when I say this is very intriguing the way you're coming to him like this. Do you my alpha?"

Sloan reminded you of a 1920's gangster in his three piece suit and his wing tipped loafers. He looked even more so sitting in Dom's elegant office drinking out of his crystal snifter. Oh look and he even had a cigar to complete the costume. That's exactl
y what it was a costume. If you saw him on the street, he'd look like a biker. The hair he had tied neatly at the nape of his neck now would be loose and under a bandanna in normal Sloan style. Dom must be wanting to make a more professional appearance now. So whatever. Rafe was about to call Sloan out on it too, when Dom spoke first.

    "Sloan has definitely taken the words right out of my mouth. What brings you in here so upset old friend. I can honestly say I've never seen you so on edge like this and it
worries me."

Leave it to Dom to get right to the friggin point and call him out on his body language when no one else could. Well except for Rafe's men who have worked under him for centuries. But even they didn't have the balls to call him out on it. Wel
l that and they respected him way too much to do it. For the most part, he was a very private vampire. When you've fucked up as much as he had, you tended to get that way. It was just easier in the long run. Rafe took a fortifying drink of his scotch enjoying the burn as the liquid slid down his throat. He then answered Dom's question.

    "First I'm looking for Ed and
its imperative that I find him and soon. Do either of you or any in your pack know where he is?"

Dom looked at Sloan for a moment undoubte
dly having an unspoken convo between them. They both turned back to Rafe and before Dom could say anything, Rafe cut him off.

    "I need to find that fucking meddling demon because he knows where my mate is okay." Rafe blurted out. Well wouldn't ya know t
hat stunned both of them to silence. Not the exact reaction he was hoping for, but he could work with it.

After a while, Dom spoke again. "Are you sure you've found your mate?" At Rafe's irritated expression and head bobbing to confirm he continued. "If yo
u are sure she is yours. I am assuming your mate is a she, yes?" At Rafe's look of complete shock and repulsion, he laughed. "I take that as a yes then."

    "Are you fucking kidding me right now with that question?" Rafe all but yelled back at him. "Dom I
'm in a really pissed poor mood, so I'd appreciate skipping the smart assed remarks and questions. Yes, I'm sure
she
is my mate. Now are you going to help me find that damn demon or waste more of my time when I need to be finding her right goddamned now."

Rafe was about to lose it again. He was in pain, hers and his, and he was about to do something really stupid from the stress of not knowing where she was and not having her in his arms. The longer he fucked around with dead ends meant the smaller the cha
nce he had of finding her before the sun forced him to his apartment at Lair. He couldn't go another day without her safe in his arms. Dammit
she
couldn't go another day without him holding her, keeping her warm. Now that he thought about it, he was damn cold himself.

    "Fuck!" He yelled shooting out of his chair. "Forget it, just fucking forget it. I'll find that damn goat myself." He walked to the wet bar, putting his glass down a little on the hard side, then turned and headed for the door.

    "Sit the fuck down now Rafael before I put you back in that seat myself!"

Dominic boomed back at Rafe standing up from his own chair. He looked over to his beta seeing him on his feet as well with the same shocked expression on Sloan's face as he was sure was on
his. This was not the Rafe they knew. This was not the Rafe they considered one of their closest friends. The Rafe they had served the community with for centuries. He was their fellow League and he was obviously suffering.

Rafe stopped at the door head down, but did not turn around. They could see the tired sigh that moved his entire upper body. Dom and Sloan exchanged another glance. He still had his hand on the door when he said to them.

    "Dom with all due respect old friend, but I don't have the time or the patience to deal with anyone's shit. So you either know where Ed is, or you don't. Tell me now so I can go looking elsewhere before I run out of time before the sun comes up. "

    "Rafe I said sit down now. Will you
disrespect me in my own house?"