BLOODHOUNDS #5: THE MONSTER

Chapter 4 - BACKGROUND CHECK

Asher Serano

When my friends told me it would be a good idea to go to The Blue Ribbon charity ball, I almost wanted to kill them. I always hated to mingle. That's why I always sent Ares and Mason. They're good at talking, and I'm not.

My plan for tonight was to show up and go home.

I've been working overtime for the past week, and the last thing I needed was to go to a fucking charity ball.

I was about to leave when a beautiful, long, brunette-haired girl walked into the ballroom. She stood in the middle of the entrance door, looking at people. She was observing them, and her hands looked like they were itching to do something.

Interesting.

Not to mention that she looked familiar somehow.

Ares was waving at her, and she turned to him. Ares gestured for her to join us, but she ignored him and walked away.

"Anastasia Creed," Ares stated after she walked away. "Grace and Louis adopted her. People said that they adopted them because of her looks. She's beautiful, and she adapted fast to her new life."

"How old is she?" I asked.

"Seventeen. She'll be eighteen soon, and she goes to Elle Royal High School." I gave Ares my glass of wine and decided to follow her. She might be five years younger than me, but something tells me she's something else.

I saw her looking around like she was looking for someone. Two things that stood out to me were the way she walks and the way she's looking for someone.

She's not an ordinary girl.

She maneuvered through the crowd like a snake. She's aware of everyone and everything around her. She calculated every turn and every decision that she made.

Not only that but how she looked at people made me want to know more about her. She looked like she was on a hunt for prey. She locked her eyes on her target like a hungry black panther.

She stood on the sidelines looking at the dance floor.

"Anastasia Creed," I called her. I knew she heard me, but she chose not to turn around. I looked at the dance floor.

"Did your adopted parents know about your background?" She turned to me instantly, and bingo. She looked at me with a questioning look.

"What background?"

"Dance with me." I turned to her and put my hand in front of her. She looked at me skeptically, but she took it. I wrapped my hand around hers, and we both felt an undenying tension after our skin touched.

I led her to the dance floor, where people were talking. Girls threw themselves at me, but I found all of them uninteresting. They're too predictable and too fucking clingy for their good.

I'm also not the type to talk to women and ask them to dance. This is my first time doing so because I can't resist Anastasia. She's something else.

I put my free hand on her waist, holding her tightly. I could see her cheeks turning red, and we locked our eyes together. Instantly, I knew Ana was the type to dominate people. She doesn't let anyone step on her.

Then, I found something interesting when the lights were shining straight at us from above. I could see a slight change in both of her eyes.

She has two different colored eyes.

Fucking fascinating.

"You're very beautiful," I said as I spun her around and pulled her back to me. Her back met my front, and her vanilla rose scent started invading my nose. I could feel her body shaking a little.

"Tell me what you know." I turned her body and brought her body to mine. I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"You have two different colored eyes. Why are you hiding those beautiful eyes, Ana?" She pushed me away, slapped me, and stomped my foot with her pointy high heels. She ran away, and I turned to see my friends looking at me with questioning eyes.

I followed her and found her looking at herself in the mirror. I can't help but chuckle, seeing her panicking. I put both hands into my pockets and stood a few feet behind her, and she saw me through the reflection.

Her eyes were burning with hatred instantly. She never wanted anyone to know that she had a heterochromia. No one will fucking notice it because she hid it so well. I guess this is the first time that someone caught her secret.

I was amused, and she got me hooked right off the bat.

She turned her body around, and I stepped closer to her. I smirked, and she looked like she was going to kill me. For the first time in my life, I believe she can do that. I know she has many more secrets, and I want to dig into them individually.

"What do you want?"

"You. I want... you." She looked at me with pure disgust. She took a step closer to me and leaned closer to my ear.

"Don't talk to me again, or I'll cut your fucking throat at night." She whispered into my ear. Her words were like a lullaby to my ears, and she pulled away. Her vanilla rose scent hypnotized me once again.

"And you think that'll stop me?" I asked, and she ignored me by walking away.

Mason and Ares walked towards me as I watched her blend into the crowd. They also looked at her, and I coughed to get their attention.

"I thought you were gay, Ash," Ares said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I glared at Ares for saying that. He knew I had girls coming inside and out of the apartment.

"So you're interested in her?" Mason asked as he gave me a glass of wine. I took a sip and tried to figure out more about her.

"She's seventeen." Ares reminded me.

"I know."

"So you like her?" Ares asked curiously, and Mason was looking at me, waiting for some answers. "I'm asking you a question, big boy." Ares stood in front of me, raising one eyebrow.

I took my phone out from my pocket and dialed Brooke's number.

"Yes, Mr.Serano."

"Anastasia Creed. Do a background check on her."