ONYX new troublemaker

Esme held out the card machine for a girl, barely older than the legal age, to enter a club who tapped her card to pay for the five 'Jägerbombs' lined up for her friends. Esme entered the details into the till and glanced at the group of young girls after hearing them down their shots and screaming excitedly with their hands held high. The little party then went towards the other doors leading to the floor above, where the music roared into the dancing crowd's ears.

The she-wolf had been working at ONYX for two weeks now. Niko made a paperless agreement to employ her cash in hand, and she would work a minimum of five shifts a week. But Esme happily worked daily; it wasn't as if she loved the job; who did like work? But it kept her demons at bay, and she was trying to prove a point to both Niko and hopefully that ghost of a boss that she was worth the hassle.

Isana snickered, "You've probs caused them more hassle in two weeks than in a year for normal employees." Esme didn't respond, making her wolf chuckle some more because they both knew she was right.

"Sweetheart" Some fingers clicked before her face, snapping her out of her daze where she still stared where the girls went. Esme's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at who she assumed was a regular now. He was a large man in his forties and was always rude towards her and the other staff. The man acted entitled in his fancy suits and going overboard on his 'bling' hanging over his thick neck and chains clasping over his wrists restricting the blood flow.

This overly annoying man liked to perve on all the younger girls. What man wouldn't look at beautiful women? There was looking, and then there was being creepy. She even caught him checking her ass out a few times; he was lucky she worked there.

"Don't ever call me sweetheart old man," She replied icily. Oh, but he hated her the most because, unlike the others who quote on quote 'knew their place', she never took his shit. So far, she had never been penalised for her rudeness towards him. Maybe Niko also liked watching the man become embarrassed.

Mr Entitled went an odd beetroot colour rising in his neck and cheeks; it was a new shade of anger Esme had seen on him. Maybe he was extra sensitive tonight because his friend followed him to the bar this time. Mr Entitled opened his mouth as his eyes scrunched together, ready to most likely yap her ear off with complaints, but before that, Esme smiled politely as though she never said anything and smoothly asked, "What can I get for you?"

His mouth gaped open and shut again, repeatedly making him look like a fish out of water. But his friend with a moustache leaned forwards and asked nicely for two gin and tonics. Esme nodded her head once; she didn't need to ask them which gin because whether they enjoyed the taste or not, they always brought the most expensive drink, just because. As she measured the gin in the glasses, Leo made his appearance by her side, brushing his side next to her not so subtly and smirking, "Only YOU can get away with that, you know. Queen of sass!"

Esme's lips twitched in amusement as she glanced at him before throwing a cucumber slice in the finished drinks. "I prefer them a little scared of me," She mused loudly with a twinkle in her eye, watching Mr Entitled and moustache become flustered by her words as she took their cash and had no intention of giving them their change.

"Kinky," Leo purred by her ear, taking Esme by surprise, both by his words and how close he was to her. Esme's eyes widened, and she abruptly turned away from him, causing the naughtily hot bartender to burst into laughter.

"I'm going on my break!" She called over her shoulder, trying and failing to avoid eye contact with him as he kept trying to see her face. Leo grinned and waved her off, though his eyes lingered on her longer than necessary.

Esme started to push open the door, her back to the bar but paused her movements. Someone was watching her, and not because they wanted to be served. There was something dark and dangerous about the way they watched her. Her back stiffened at the feeling of someone's tense stare piercing into her; she turned her head back, searching across the bar.

Esme's heart gradually increased, perspiration forming at the back of her neck as her hand fisted by her side. That was when her eyes locked with a man's icy blue stare; everything else subsided into the background as she felt captivated by him, unwilling to move.

"Hey, trouble. I thought you were trying to escape from my charm?"

Esme blinked and looked up at Leo, who was removing a cork from a wine bottle, cheekily smiling at her. She returned her gaze back to the spot the man stood, but he was gone. She had been so entranced by him that she didn't look away from his eyes. What the hell did he look like?

"At least, we know how piercing his eyes are. That and how he stared at us," Isana murmured. She felt uncomfortable from what had just happened.

Esme ignored the unsettling feeling, twisting knots in her stomach, and she forced herself to calm down. They weren't a werewolf; otherwise, she would smell their scent. Plus, what werewolf would be in a vampire bar... So, they could be a vampire.

Placing a smirk on her face, she replied to Leo, "Pfft, Leo, your looks are so charming that it is blinding. I need to go rest my eyes before I go blind from such beauty!"

"I prefer handsome.." He grinned and started pouring red wine into a glass.

Esme rolled her eyes and pushed against the door leaving the bar behind her. She continued past the door that led to the cellar and went towards another. Esme didn't mind a little attention from Leo; a little flirting was fine, it made her feel better to some degree, but there could never be anything more. She hated anyone getting close to her, and she would inevitably be leaving them behind when time was up again.

It was always better to put a little distance between her and others. It made it easier on both parties, and it also kept them safe. She tried to be forgettable for their sakes. She already had the lives of innocent people on her conscience; she didn't want to add more to that list.

"I'm a little more worried about that man," Isana muttered.

"There's nothing we can do right now, and there's no point in worrying. Yet.." Esme replied as her gaze followed along the walls of the staff lounge.

The dark interior consisted of contemporary modern art, sleek marble floors, their own bar and coffee machine, a fridge, tables and leather settees with coffee tables, a black pool table, and flatscreen TVs. Of course, there were the standard lockers, changing rooms with showers and toilets through another door. ONYX was the most lavish bar and nightclub she had worked in so far; even this break room was finished to such high quality that she'd prefer living there than her rat invested hellhole of an apartment. But she couldn't complain; this was the life she chose for her freedom.

"What's there to complain about? The rats don't come near us. They know who's boss," Isana added while Esme went to her locker. Even in the staff lounge, security cameras and fobs were used to enter the break room, the changing rooms, and another room, but her fob did not allow her to check that room out. She liked how much security the place had; she could tell that vampire's would struggle to get through the doors. If she actually settled down, Chester would be a potential target.

"Perleeease. Settle down? Let's go abroad to a tropical island. Wouldn't that make more sense? Who would find us?" Isana began almost salivating at the idea. It had been an ongoing fantasy between them that they would just hop on a plane and escape the country, away from the eyes and ears of all werewolves. To chill on a sandy beach with a cocktail in one hand while receiving a massage by someone who looked like Leo. She guessed from his fit physique; he had a six-pack of abs at least.

"So, when are we going?" Isana continued with their little 'plan'.

Esme chuckled as she pulled out a book from her backpack before locking the locker door again and returning to the lounge area, choosing one of the black dining tables near the corner of the room. It was the perfect spot for her to keep an eye on both the fire exit door, the door leading to the changing rooms and the one back to the bar. She sat down, placing her feet on the chair across from her as she opened the novel in her hands.

"You know why we can't," Esme finally replied, putting an end to their fantasy.

"I don't think he has eyes and ears on the airports.." Isana murmured, though there was a hint of doubt in her voice. Who were they kidding? Werewolf packs were a huge community; they helped one another if they were on good terms. He would never tell them who she was explicitly for fear of humiliation, but there was no doubt that others were on the lookout for her.

"So, we just go to an airport near his rivals.." Isana continued speaking her ideas. Esme's grip on her book tightened, and she clenched her teeth together, feeling a headache forming.

"We have to go back to the opposite end of the country, past his territory.." Esme replied calmly, though her voice shook even in her mind. This was not a topic she wanted to discuss there. Her mood was gradually growing darker, and she tried to read the words before her, but she lost count repeatedly reading the same sentence and not understanding it.

Ah, perfect timing, just the person to piss her off even more…