Chapter One
Intervention
Juliet
It was 10 PM on a Friday, and after the soul-sucking work week, all Juliet wanted to do was rest and relax. Though she was positive it would turn into a bit of sulking, something she hated doing, and couldn’t understand why it still happened. Juliet hoped it wouldn’t last much longer. She wrapped herself in a warm blanket and sat on her sofa. She had just started scrolling through MovieFlex when there was a rough knock on her door. She groaned and fell to the side, hoping that her best friend, Xoana, would catch the hint and go. However, Juliet knew that was unlikely.
The six months after her messy break-up with Antonio had blurred, sewn together by hot tears. The wounds in her heart still throbbed and ached for his return. Juliet hated how her skin still yearned for his touch, how her body still longed for his embrace, and how her lips still craved his eager kisses. She sighed as a low, guttural growl echoed in her mind. Her wolf, Ome, was ecstatic that Antonio was finally out of the picture and often chastised Juliet for missing him. Ome kept her in check and consistently reminded her why.
Juliet sighed and sat, her gaze fixed on her front door as Xoana continued to pound on it. Xoana swore a girl’s night was just what she needed, and she’d be damned if Juliet refused her for the fifth time this week. Juliet mulled the idea over in her mind. Maybe Xoana was right. Perhaps it was precisely what she needed. It was time Juliet began to enjoy being single—something she hadn’t done since she was sixteen.
Juliet inhaled another breath as there was another knock. They were coming quicker and more complex than before. There was no doubt in Juliet’s mind that Xoana would stand there all night, hammering at her door if she didn’t answer it. It was the weekend, and Xoana would happily take on the challenge, even if she did have to work the next morning. Especially since her father owned the place. All she'd have to do is pout, and Mr. Riel would let her miss.
She’ll never leave if you ignore her. Besides, you gave her a key. I’m surprised she hasn’t used it yet. It’s only a matter of— Ome was cut off by the sound of Juliet’s lock unlatching. She gave a hearty laugh before retreating to the back of Juliet’s mind.
Xoana stalked inside her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her. Even when angry, the proud Brazilian woman was breathtaking. Her skin reminded Juliet of the beautiful Brown Moonstone. Smooth, soft, and not a single flaw. Juliet had no idea how Xoana had managed that after all these years. Even with all of the training her father put her through with her brothers, there was not a single scar or blemish. She was perfect in every single way—the hourglass body, the long legs, full lips, and long, beautiful curly hair. Models could only dream of looking the way she did.
Tonight, Xoana fit herself into a tight, little red dress. It accentuated every single curve perfectly. It was short enough that if she bent over, you’d be able to see what color thong she was wearing. Suppose she was wearing one at all. Juliet smiled, rolling her eyes at the thought. Xoana was taller than usual tonight. She stood, still, near the entrance, glaring at Juliet. Her red and black stiletto tapped against the laminate floor.
“Why didn’t you open the damn door, cadela (bitch)? And why the fuck aren’t you ready yet? I told you we were going out tonight,” her glare intensified.
“I told you, I don’t want to go out, Xo. I don’t think I’m ready. It’s too soon,” Juliet groaned as she stood and walked toward her bedroom. Plopping onto her bed face down. “Please don’t make me go. I don’t even know how to—” Juliet’s muffled voice paused as she thought about what she was trying to say.
“Have a good time?” Xoana replied questioningly.
“Yes,” Juliet replied.
“Come on, Jay. I know the pain is still fresh, but you gotta get back out there. Fuck that asshole, Antonio. He cheated on you multiple times. You deserve better than that—pedaço de merda (piece of shit).” Her voice was soft, but the tone behind her words was doused in venom.
Juliet sat and saw Xoana leaning against her bedroom doorway, her arms crossed and her brows furrowed. If anyone hated Antonio more than Juliet, it was Xoana.
“I know, Xo. It’s just hard. He is all I’ve known for so long. It’s like a piece of me was ripped apart, and I don’t know how to fix it, and just when I think it’s starting to heal, a jolt of pain shoots through me, reminding me that the one person I loved and trusted was the one to betray me. I don’t even know how to fucking date anymore, Xo. Shit’s changed so much since I was sixteen.” Juliet let herself fall back onto her bed.
Xoana let out a breath; there was a sudden dip at the edge of her bed where Xoana sat.
“And that’s exactly why you need to do this, girl. It would help if you got back out there. Play the fucking field a little. Shit, have a one-night stand, or two, or three. You know I don’t fucking judge. Besides, we’re just going to the club, anyway. I’m not expecting you to meet the man of your dreams there. I want to reintroduce you to FUN, Jay. It misses you, too, you know.” Xoana laughed lightly and nudged Juliet on the rib.
As much as Juliet hated the idea, Xoana was right. If she didn’t start now, then when would be the right time? Six more months? A year? Two? No. It was now or never. If Juliet wanted to move on, she’d have to start now. She needed to rediscover who she was again without Antonio dictating her every move. Without having Antonio try to mold her into someone she wasn’t.
“Ugh. FINE. But I swear, Xoana, if you leave me there by myself, I will cut your hair while you sleep.” Juliet narrowed her eyes at her best friend, who had jumped from her bed and squealed in excitement. Juliet propped herself up onto her elbows and watched her.
“Okay. I, Xoana Amani Riel, swear that I will not leave you by your lonesome at the club. I will stick to you like a piece of chiclet (gum),” she held her right hand up as if she were swearing over a Bible like the humans did.
Juliet rolled her eyes, gave her a nod, and fell back onto her bed laughing as Xoana let out another high-pitched squeal and ran straight for the closet, digging through all of her clothes, praying she’d find something club-worthy for Juliet to wear. She rolled to her side and watched Xoana huff in frustration as she got hold of another long-sleeve dress. Antonio hated it when Juliet wore anything too revealing or tight, so she avoided anything that would set him off into a jealous rage. Juliet’s closet was filled with long, oversized sweatshirts, sweatpants, and hoodies. She watched Xoana, and as always, Juliet began to compare herself with the could-be model for the millionth time since puberty.
It was a habit she aimed to quit, but sometimes, envy would dig her claws deeper into her subconscious. Sometimes—it was something she couldn’t control. It was one of the many insecurities Antonio took notice of and used against her to manipulate her into doing what he asked. He constantly criticized Juliet’s features, her shape, and attacked her sense of fashion. Antonio loved to compare her not only to Xoana, whom he also despised, but also to other beautiful women, too. Before, Juliet brushed his comments off and told herself that he did it because he was trying to help her and wanted her to look her best. Now, Juliet understood his intentions and promised herself that she’d start working on her self-esteem.
We are beautiful, Juliet. Ome cooed.
Yes, we are, aren’t we, Ome? Juliet smiled.
Juliet stood and walked toward her mirror. She was much shorter than Xoana, but her curves were in all the right places. Her hair was wavy, but not curly, and fell to her shoulders. It was what Juliet preferred. Unlike Xoana, Juliet wasn’t one to spend so much time on her hair. It knotted easily, so shorter hair benefited her. If she were being honest, her best assets would be her lips, hips, and ass. Juliet could thank her excellent Mexican genes for her always nicely tanned skin, too.
Displayed across her body, though, were a few scars. So, it wasn’t flawless, and maybe she could take a little more interest in her nails. And maybe—No. Juliet shook her head tensely. She was doing it again, concentrating on her flaws more than her fortes. Today was the beginning of loving herself. She gave herself another look over and smiled brightly.
Fuck this, she thought. I’m pretty damn hot. Fuck apologizing for it. It’s time I start embracing myself. Flaws and all, right, Ome?
YES. Ome yipped proudly.
“Oh, my Goddess.” Xoana suddenly shrieked.
Juliet’s body stiffened, and she let out a gasp. She worried Xoana might have traveled too far back into her closet and found her collection of adult toys. Heat rose from her chest to her neck, ears, and cheeks. Juliet’s lips parted, ready to defend herself, but she closed them tightly when she saw what Xoana held out in front of her.
“THIS IS THE ONE.” Xoana continued. “This is what you’re fucking wearing tonight. It’s PERFECT.” She turned to Juliet, her pearly white teeth on full display.
Xoana was holding up a black dress with straps. It fit like a corset up top and flared from the waist down. Juliet had bought it a little over a year ago for her birthday. Antonio took one look at it and forbade her from leaving the house until she changed into something “more appropriate.” He pressed that it would draw too much attention from too many men, and he didn’t want that. Ever. Juliet’s body was for his eyes and his eyes only. Oh, how she could laugh at that statement now. Still, it filled her with anxiety at the thought of wearing it in public.
“What? You don’t like it? Girl, you’re going to rock the shit out of this. You’ll have every kind of man BEGGING you to bring them home. Every dick in the club is going to want to hit this,” she waved a hand over Juliet’s body.
“I don’t know, isn’t it too revealing? Or something?” Juliet wrapped her arms around herself. The criticism from Antonio rang in her ears, and the confidence from a moment ago disappeared with it. Damn it, he did a number on her.
Xoana’s mouth fell open. She glared at Juliet again. “Is that what that fucking filho de puta (son of a bitch) told you?” Her hand propped onto her hip. “I swear to the Moon Goddess, if I could get away with ripping his ass apart, I would.” A low growl reverberated in her throat.
“Whoa, down, girl,” Juliet joked. “That is exactly why these laws are made. Can’t have people running around ripping others to shreds,” she laughed.
“Yeah, lucky him,” Xoana rolled her eyes.
They were silent for a moment. Juliet stared at the beautiful dress in Xoana’s hands, looked at herself in the mirror, and imagined herself dancing the night away with her best friend. Something she hadn’t done in years. Something she desperately missed.
“Fuck it,” she breathed. Juliet snatched the dress from Xoana’s hands and made her way to the bathroom. Xoana, for the third time within the hour, let out a high-pitched squeal, garnering a laugh from Juliet.
After her shower, Xoana helped Juliet with her hair and makeup. Her hair had never looked smoother, and her makeup was light, only highlighting her best features. Once done, Juliet was excited to ride in Xoana’s car. She drove a Honda Civic Hatchback Sport. A classic. It had a manual transmission and a four-cylinder engine, producing only 180 horsepower. It wasn’t much, but to her, this car was her baby.
It’s Xoana’s most prized possession, as she has had it since she was seventeen. It was something she had found at a junkyard, but you wouldn’t even be able to tell now by the way she kept up with it. Her father had even offered to buy her a newer, up-to-date 2233 Acura, but she refused. Fixing cars and keeping them in mint condition came easily to her, given her background as a mechanic. It wasn’t surprising. It was in her DNA, after all. Xoana, her father, and her two brothers were all mechanics and wore the title with much pride. It was a part of who they were, are, and always will be.
Coming out of her trance-like thoughts, Juliet’s gaze met the treeline whizzing by. “Hey, where exactly are we going, anyway?” She couldn’t recognize anything around them.
Xoana’s eyes flickered from Juliet to the street several times, her jaw clenched. “Okay, so… don’t freak,” she cautioned, “but I’m taking you to Club Scorpio.” Her body pressed harder against her car, scrunching her nose, expecting Juliet to yell, and she did.
“WHAT? WHY? XO, THAT CLUB HAS A LOT OF—WELL, YOU KNOW!” Juliet’s eyes went wide in panic. She frantically looked out of the window now, looking for a building she had no idea what it looked like. Sadly, all she saw were trees.
“NOT ANYMORE. It used to be exclusive to them, yes, but it’s been under new ownership for the past year. It’s all-inclusive now. Many species are welcomed there—even humans. Besides, Anthony hates the place. He never goes, so I thought it would be a great place to start, Jay. It’ll be fun! I promise,” she raised her hand in the air again, waiting for Juliet’s answer.
Juliet groaned. “Well, it’s not like I have much of a choice, do I? I’m already in the car, and I have no fucking clue where we are,” she sighed. “This is kidnapping, you know?” Juliet smirked, and Xoana burst into laughter.
“I love you, Jay, and I want you to be happy and safe. I know Asstonio was a big part of your life for a long time, but he fucked up. Not just once, but several times, and he was way too fucking controlling, babes. Not to mention the cheating…” Xoana let out a heavy breath. “What I’m trying to say is—you deserve so much more, Ja.”
“I know, Xo, but it’s like a fucking addiction. Once you’re in that mindset, once that bad habit has been created, it’s hard to fucking change it. I know he’s bad for me, and I don’t want that life anymore, but after my parents died, I didn’t think I’d ever feel loved again. It felt good knowing someone wanted me, even if it was for a little while.” Juliet lay her head against the headrest.
“And I just want to help you break away from that. Let me.” Tears pricked the corners of their eyes, and Juliet nodded slowly in agreement.
A brief moment passed when, “Did—did you just call him Asstonio?” Their laughter echoed in the night.
