Ryker's POV

The music was thudding and sending vibrations down the sidewalk-and I was a block down from the club. Even though the sun was just touching past the horizon of water, the cement path was packed with people swarming for the doors. My truck was parked in the only available spot a block down.

Joining Viper, Wolf, and Crow in the front of the line, I had to weave and duck around loose elbows. The final rays of the sun would start to fade by now, and then the doors would open. It was a club open from 7:00 to 1:00 in the morning.

Viper waved me over as I ducked under. No eyes were watching. Not even the security guard. Wolf and Vipe looked hyped to be here. Crow just squinted against a stray beam of light reflected off the body of a care. Vipe’s green eyes were laced with excitement. Wolf leaned against the building. Music vibrated the glass windows.

“Glad you could make it!” The silver eyes of the boy glittered. They shone a silver blue like that of the moon. Crow ducked out of the way as a couple started to passionately make out behind us.

“Yeah, sorry I’m a little late.” I apologized while glancing at my watch. Crow shrugged and averted his eyes as the couple kept inching closer to him.

“Why did you drag me here again?” He groaned. Vipe cracked a crooked smile at his comment. Nothing could bring her down when she was around the Chaos Club. The crowd cheered as the doors opened and the music that was getting everyone pumped up was let loose of the confined building. Three security guards stood at the door to check ID. I flashed mine as the older man with white tufts of hair let out a satisfied grunt.

“Because it’s fun!” Vipe answered as we entered the large dance room. It was mostly dark, with the illuminated area at the far back. Anything that glowed was a neon light. Flashing strobes spotlighted dancers for barely a blink of an eye before fading. The DJ was on a balcony about the floor and was already jamming out to blaring Knife Party songs. A group of men, all about thirty years old brushed past Viper, her green eyes venomous. Wolf stepped right in front of her, taking her thin fingers in his. I watched from the sidelines near Crow.

“Wolf’s a snake charmer!” Crow whispered to me with a laugh. I couldn’t help myself and chuckled with him. The man had to basically scream to get anything across to me. We both witnessed as Wolf took Viper out to the floor and disappeared in the mess of limbs.

“How long have they been together?” I pondered loudly. The doors have been open barely ten minutes and some drunk people were already stumbling past us. One pointed to Korvin O’Lear and asked if they could talk to George Washington. The tattoo master ignored them.

“According to Wolf, they’re not ‘an item’. He’s very defensive about it.” Crow responded as we went to the bar. The man behind the counter, surrounded in a halo of glow bracelets, passed us some beers to start us off. Crow gulped his down and set the glass on the black counter.

“I mean, Wolf’s twenty one and Vipe’s thirty. That would make a little bit of an age gap.” I sighed. It was quieter over in this corner. Only slightly quieter. Crow shook his head at my statement.

“Wolfram is twenty six.” He corrected. Wait, what? Our little Wolfram “Wolf” was older?!

“I thought he was twenty one!” I exclaimed. Well this was news to me! The heat was beginning to turn up as people jumped and danced around me. A pair of silver eyes appeared from the darkness at my side. I could barely make out the person except for the stunning silver eyes.

Hex.

No, it wasn’t. It was just wolf boy. Green snake eyes hid behind him. A hand grasped my wrist and I was yanked out of the stool. Crow watched with amused eyes behind me. Before I could react, I was dragged into the swarm of bodies that jostled us. Wolf, Viper, and I got to the small pocket of dancers that weren’t giving each other bloody noses. Viper, in all her energy, grasped our hands and forced us to get into the music. The lyrical tattoos on my arm seemed to burn with the passion. When the dance music stopped, the DJ took the mic.

“DJ Discord here for the Listless Lawlessness song of the hour! As always, let’s slow it down. Tonight’s song is I Swear This Time I Mean It by Mayday Parade.” DJ Discord announced. As Vipe dropped my hand, I slowly backed away from Wolf and Viper. The last thing I saw between the throngs of couples starting to sway to the music was Wolf offering the girl his hand. Even in the dim light, I could see the pinks of her cheeks flare up.

I was never more jealous of anyone at that moment.

I could almost imagine switching places, with me and Rae instead. It was so clear in my head, with the longing pain twisting my stomach into knots. Pushing my way through the hips that swayed, the couples that kissed, and the general love in the air, I made my way back to Crow at the bar.

“These couples make me sick.” I growled. Crow smirked.

“These couples make me want another beer.” He joked as the song started to close. I was a little surprised that Mayday Parade would be played at a club, but apparently everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Three hours of dancing, two elbows to the ribs, and three slow songs later, our small group was ready to head out. The other slow songs were Therapy by All Time Low, Snuff by Slipknot, and Remembering Sunday also by ATL. I was equally surprised that the club would play any of the songs. Wolf and Viper had disappeared into the crowd for each one.

Viper and Crow walked the other way. Well, Crow was stumbling but Viper helped him. Wolf and I walked towards where our own vehicles were parked. Wolf smiled the entire time through our silence until I finally had to speak up.

“Wolf, stopping grinning like a fool!” I elbowed him. He rubbed his shoulder and attempted to not smirk. Staring at him, I noticed a smudge of red. I could run with this…

“So you and Viper like to go here often?” I pondered through the dark streets. Only tall lights bravely endured the void of black pierced by the occasional headlight.

“Usually on Saturdays like this.” Wolf grinned at the old memories.

“So you must be together!” I teased. The boy scowled and shook his head furiously. We leaned against his truck once we got to it. My own car was parked a few spots down. The red smudge glowed dully under the lights.

“Oh, be quiet! You know Vipes and I aren’t going out!” He scowled. I poked him in the cheek and started to walk away.

“That’s not what the red smudge of lipstick says!” I laughed. His cheeks flushed as red as the make up on his face as he scrubbed it away and looked at his hand. Walking off to my own car, I watched him back out. His window rolled down and yelled back at me.

“That doesn’t mean we’re together!” He screamed back. I chuckled and drove in my car. Oh, love. I seemed to screw up my own love life each time it was forced in my face. At least Wolf had someone.

Notes