Everlasting

Chapter 16

Wulfric

It was several hours into our outing, and I was sure I had seen everything this town had to offer. It was a little disappointing, how quickly we were able to go through all the nightlife.

Or, I thought that until Griffin revealed that we had one more stop: a night club. I was delighted at the thought. First, because clubbers made for the easiest meals and I was getting hungry. Second, because there was something alluring about a place so different from everything I once knew. It was wholly unlike anything I ever saw during my time as a human, and I'd had few opportunities to indulge in recent years as I lived as a recluse.

The parking lot behind the club was laughably small given the size of the venue. It featured only a couple dozen parking spots, most of which were probably filled by its employees hours before the club opened for business. A few brave souls had packed their cars into the grass next to the lot, though anyone who had arrived early was no boxed in and would have to wait for latecomers to move their cars before leaving. Griffin pointed this out as we passed the club, laughing in amusement as we drove by a long row of cars lining the street.

Despite knowing he and I were both likely to walk away from a car accident scratch-free, especially in traffic moving this slowly, I clutched the sides of my seat in anxiety when he whipped his car into a space that looked impossibly small, narrowly beating another car who had been gunning for the same spot.

Griffin laughed again when he looked over at me and saw my white-knuckled grip. "Not a fan of parallel parking?" he asked.

"Not when you're the one performing it," I answered, making him snicker.

Griffin patted my arm in a poor show at comfort. "There, there. It's all over now."

Any response would just encourage his teasing, so I got out of the car and waited for him to join me on the sidewalk. I couldn't help marveling at the tiny space – mere inches – between Griffin's bumpers and the cars in front of and behind him. How had he managed to maneuver so quickly and seamlessly? And did he have a similar trick to get his car out when it was time to leave? Just how many times had he done this to be so confident?

As we headed toward the club Griffin had driven by, Griffin started to get progressively antsier. He pulled at his clothing, ruffled his hair, scratched at his arms, and appeared determined to look at anything and anyone except me.

I pulled him to a stop. This evening out may have been my idea, but I only wanted him humoring me if he wanted to. "What's the problem?"

Were his cheeks flushed? Even with my enhanced eyesight, it was hard to tell in this lighting.

"Well..." Griffin began, then bit his lip as I watched quietly. I wouldn't push him for more if he was unwilling to reveal it, but I was content to wait him out a little, in case silence coaxed out an explanation.

Griffin sighed and continued, "I might have a bit of a... reputation. In the club, I mean."

That had my brows lifting in intrigue. "Oh?"

"Yeah... well, this was always the easiest way to... you know, pick people up. I'm not sure what you might hear about me inside. I should have thought about that before," Griffin said. A familiar guilt displayed on his handsome features.

I hated the part of werewolf culture that made Griffin feel this way. There was nothing wrong with him exploring his sexuality, even with people he knew weren't his soulmate. His people's obsession with virginity was unhealthy.

Besides, it was that side of Griffin I was hoping to see a bit of tonight. And I wouldn't get to see it if he felt like he had to smother it and hide it away.