Amelia
“Damn it, Amelia! I knew this was a bad idea, going out partying,” I heard Lily’s voice beside me. She didn’t just sound annoyed, but somehow desperate too.
We were standing in front of a club in San Sebastián. The music was already vibrating out onto the street, mixed with the smell of salt air, alcohol, and sunscreen. And somewhere back there the sea was rushing.
Honestly? I couldn’t resist.
A club right on the beach, just a few steps from the restaurants? Dancing, food, and afterward a walk by the sea? Yes please. Who could say no to that?
I turned to Lily and looked at her. She was nervously tugging at her dress, as if she might turn around any second. Her light-brown hair fell softly over her shoulders, her eyes shining in the glow of the neon sign.
“Oh come on, sweetheart. You just need to go out and party for once,” I said with a cheeky grin. “Not just sit in the university library pretending you care about medieval runic script. You need to come out of your shell.”
She rolled her eyes, but I saw the corners of her mouth twitch. Hit.
I had been in San Sebastián for two weeks now. Originally, I hadn’t planned to get to know anyone, let alone make friends.
But then there was Lily.
She seemed just as out of place as I did. Kept her distance from the other female students, refused to take part in any of those annoying getting-to-know-you games. At first I couldn’t make sense of it. But something about her had made me curious right away.
She wasn’t just beautiful, she was also surprisingly quiet—too quiet. And when she got into an argument with an arrogant idiot who tried to touch her, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stepped in, hit the guy so hard he saw stars—and since then… well. Since then we had been something like friends.
Pretty unspoken. But honest.
Lily looked at me now and sighed softly.
“You’re right. I really should try to enjoy the moment for once. The way you always do,” she said then with a smile that flashed briefly and disappeared again.
Before she could change her mind, I hooked my arm through hers and pulled her with me toward the entrance.
“Don’t worry, we don’t have to stand in line,” I explained triumphantly. “I somehow made it onto the guest list.”
Lily looked at me in surprise.
“I thought this was your first time here,” she murmured, frowning.
“It is,” I said, grinning widely. “But I’m prepared. Everyone on campus talks about this club. How packed it is, how hard it is to get in. So I did some research, found someone who knows someone, and voilà—here we are.”
I winked at her as we passed the security guards and dove straight into the heart of the club. Music hammered against my chest, lights flashed like lightning in a summer night, and the whole room vibrated with energy.
“You’re impossible,” Lily shouted into my ear, laughing.
I just grinned broadly, flashing my teeth.
“I know,” I answered, while the music vibrated through the floor.
Then I pulled her toward the bar. My fingers closed around her hand tighter than necessary. It wasn’t just kindness—it was reflex. A protective instinct I could never completely switch off.
As we pushed through the crowd, I let my eyes wander. I looked relaxed, but my senses were fully alert. I drew a shallow breath and let my hearing drift across the room. Voices, heartbeats, the smallest movements. I used my wolf senses to register every presence. The smell of perfume, sweat, and alcohol mixed with the faint undertone of salt air from the sea. No foreign scent that warned me. No other pulse vibrating too deeply. Everything normal. Almost normal.
Lily leaned slightly toward me and murmured with a small smile:
“We’re the only supernatural ones here.”
I had to smirk. Of course she had sensed it too. I had long since learned to mask my perception, but she was more sensitive than she seemed.
When I had moved here, I would never have thought this city would be crawling with supernatural beings. The university was a magnet for them, like a beacon. Witches, vampires, werewolves. Everything here. And yet that hadn’t stopped me. My aunt and I had earned a fresh start. Finally.
The bracelet on my wrist was cool as always. An inconspicuous chain of silver and runes that my aunt had put on me years ago. It suppressed my scent, my presence, my power. No one here could feel who I was. If anyone ever found out, we would have to run.
We reached the bar. I rested my forearm on the counter and smiled at the bartender. He was tall, had dark hair falling into his face, and wore a black shirt that emphasized his arms. His eyes lingered on me a moment too long.
“Two shots and two vodka-orange,” I ordered, winking at him with a confidence I almost believed myself.
The bartender stared at me for a moment, as if I had thrown him off rhythm. Then he gave a cheeky smile, nodded, and started mixing.
Beside me Lily leaned closer and grumbled into my ear:
“Hey, you’re not starting anything with some guy tonight, okay?”
She poked her finger into my side while saying it, right under my ribs.
I burst out laughing and shook my head. My hair fell over my shoulder and I brushed it back with a quick movement.
“Sweetheart, I’m not here to meet guys. I’m here to dance with you. After that we’ll eat something good, and that’s it,” I said mischievously while my lips curved into a roguish grin.
The truth was that I really didn’t want to meet anyone. I wasn’t allowed to form attachments. Not allowed to let anyone get close. I should have kept my distance from Lily too, actually. But I couldn’t. Not with her.
I watched the bartender pour the shots, then mix the vodka with orange juice. The glasses clinked softly as he set them on the counter.
“You don’t need to pay, sweetheart,” he said with a wink, then turned back to the other guests.
Lily raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
“How do you always do that? Every man who looks at you forgets how to think,” she said, laughing softly.
I laughed with her. “Well,” I murmured, lifting a glass, “maybe I have magical eyes.”
We clinked glasses and downed the shots in one go. The alcohol burned warm and pleasant in my throat, making my heart beat a little faster. I grabbed our drinks, pressed one into Lily’s hand, and pulled her through the crowd onto the dance floor.
The air there was thick and warm, filled with the scent of perfume, sweat, and sea air drifting in from outside. The music pounded so loudly from the speakers that I could feel it in my ribcage. Envolver by Anitta was playing, and my heart began to race. I loved this song. It was impossible to stand still to it.
I took a sip of my drink and placed it together with Lily’s glass at the edge of a speaker so they wouldn’t get knocked over. Then I took her hand and pulled her back into the middle of the dance floor. We started dancing, hesitant at first, then wilder and wilder. Our hips moved on their own with the rhythm, letting the beats carry us. I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined us dancing on a festival beach. The crowd around us blurred, only the two of us remained.
Lily laughed, her hair flying over her shoulders as she spun. I placed my hand on my hip, threw my head back, and laughed too. Our bodies moved in sync. We swayed our hips as if we were Shakira herself. I felt my muscles grow warm and my blood run faster. The alcohol and the music were like a rush, a small moment of freedom I usually never allowed myself.
After what felt like half an hour, we were both sweating. Our skin glistened, our hair stuck lightly to our foreheads. I stopped and placed a hand on Lily’s arm to catch my breath again. We grabbed our glasses and took a sip. The vodka tasted even sweeter now, mixed with the salt on my upper lip.
“So? Are you glad you came?” I asked, smiling at her. My voice was louder than I intended, but with this music there was no other way to be heard.
Lily nodded while lifting her glass to her lips. “We should do this more often, Amelia. Well… my brother must never find out about it, or he’ll rip my head off.” She rolled her eyes playfully, but I saw a shadow flicker through her gaze.
I raised an eyebrow and laughed softly. “Your famous brother, huh?”
Lily twisted her mouth into a crooked smile. “More like the guy who sleeps with every woman in this city and thinks he’s untouchable. Trust me, Amelia, you really don’t want to meet him.”
I took another sip and set my glass back down. “Don’t worry. I have zero interest in your brother or in that whole pack business.” I grinned mischievously and bumped my hip lightly against hers, which made her laugh.
Lily laughed and lifted her glass. “We’ll drink to that later.”
I lifted my glass as well and took another sip. My gaze wandered across the dance floor, over the lights, the faces, the movements.
“Hey, I need to run to the bathroom real quick. Coming with me?” I asked, leaning closer to Lily.
She shook her head, her face slightly flushed. “I’m going to get some fresh air. It’s so damn warm in here.”
I looked at her worriedly. Her face looked exhausted, but not drunk. Not yet.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
This time she just laughed, softly and tiredly, and nodded. “See you in a minute, sweetheart.”
I nodded, hesitated for a moment, but then let her go.
On the way to the bathrooms I felt, for the first time, a strange pull in my stomach—not strong, but noticeable. I blamed the alcohol. Maybe the club too.
After I finished, I leaned over the sink, let cold water run over my hands, and took a deep breath. My golden-blond hair clung lightly to my forehead, sweaty and wild. I rummaged in my bag, pulled out a small comb and a hair tie, and quickly tied my hair into a high ponytail. One last glance in the mirror. I looked tired. Good enough.
I left the bathroom and searched for the way outside. But Lily was nowhere to be seen. I turned in a circle, looked over the crowd, stepped out into the fresh night air—but she was gone.
An uneasy feeling spread through my stomach. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, not panicked, but alert.
“Lily?” I called. No answer.
I walked around the building, my steps getting faster. And then I saw her.
Right near the entrance. She was lying on the ground. Motionless. Unconscious. And above her—a man.
My heart skipped a beat. Then it started racing like a siren in my head. I didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Damn it, Lily!” I shouted and rushed forward.
I slammed my knee with full force into his hip, gathering all my strength. The guy was thrown several meters backward and landed hard on the pavement.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” my voice thundered across the courtyard.
He groaned, pushed himself halfway up—and then I felt it. His scent. His presence.
A werewolf.
He growled, his eyes flashing. But I was faster.
In a single blink I was in front of him, drove my knee where it hurt the most, and then slammed my fist with full force against his temple.
He collapsed unconscious.
I immediately knelt beside Lily. My heart was pounding wildly. Her chest rose and fell. She was breathing. Thank God. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, as if she were sleeping. But her body was limp. I leaned over her.
My stomach twisted. I felt the panic rising inside me. Did that guy slip something into her drink?
I grabbed her small bag, pulled out her phone, and immediately dialed emergency services.
My fingers trembled slightly as I spoke to dispatch. I explained what had happened without going into too much detail, and they sent an ambulance right away. After that I hung up, let the phone sink in my hand, and stayed with her. I simply sat down beside her and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.
Suddenly the phone vibrated in my hand. I stared at the display.
A call. Caller: Nando.
I let it ring for a few seconds. My gaze moved to Lily, then back to the phone.
“Ah, screw it,” I muttered and answered.
“Damn it, Liliana! Where the hell are you?” a deep, rough voice growled through the line. Angry. Loud. And honestly… damn sexy.
I blinked. “This isn’t Lily. I’m her friend. We went out partying, but… well. Someone probably slipped something into her drink. I’m waiting with her for the ambulance right now.”
Silence. Nothing at first. Not a sound.
Then:
“What? Are you messing with me?” he snarled.
“No, stranger. I’m not messing with you. The ambulance will be here any second,” I said calmly, but my tone was unmistakable.
He cursed. Quietly, but viciously. Then only:
“We’ll see each other at the hospital.”
Before I could reply, he had hung up.
I stared at the phone and slowly shook my head. Who the hell is Nando?
And right at that moment I heard the sirens.
The ambulance turned the corner, bright lights flashing across the asphalt. Paramedics jumped out, immediately bending over Lily. I stepped back, let them do their work, then climbed into the vehicle with them. I couldn’t leave her alone now.
The doors closed. The engine roared to life. And I seriously wondered how the hell this evening had escalated like this.
What a disaster.
