Thirty-two.

"Okay, now it's your turn." Rebecca said, holding out the salt shaker and the tequila shot to Colt. "Stop holding out on me Miss Merrier." She laughed at her friend's resistant attitude, with a twinkle in her eye.

"No. I can't Becks, not again." Colt said, taking a sip from her beer instead. Reminiscing about the last time, Rebecca convinced her to drink tequila and how she ended up in a certain lion shifter's bed, with no recollection of how she got there.

"Yes you can! It will be fun. Please." she smiled, looking up through her eyelashes."Pretty, pretty please. You are so much fun on tequila, and I promise I will be your best friend forever..."

"Yeah, like I could get rid of you anyway." Colt laughed reaching for the shot. "But if I end up like I did last time you made me do tequila shots, it will be all your fault." she paused, before licking the salt, "And you have to hit the dance floor with me afterwards."

"Deal." Rebecca smiled widely, clapping her hands in excitement.

Colt took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the carnage to come, and licked the salt from her hand, downed the tequila, which burned all the way down, then grabbed the lime wedge. Once her mouth had recovered she took another deep breath, and drank the rest of her beer in one. Then she grabbed her friend's hand to make their way to the dance floor of the club. Colt was thoroughly enjoying the feeling from the vibrations of the speakers as the music played and thrummed around her. Together they were laughing, while swinging their hips and moving their feet to the rhythm of the music, completely lost in the moment. The alcohol in her system had numbed Colt's aches and pains enough, to allow her some freedom of movement without wincing and after about fifteen minutes both women were covered in a light sheen of sweat, due to the extra body heat from the crowd. But, Colt was simply smiling from ear to ear with her eyes closed feeling more free and alive than she had in a long time. She came to the conclusion Rebecca was right, she needed to have more girl's nights and more importantly right this second, she needed another tequila shot. She signalled to Rebecca that she wanted a drink and they both manoeuvred through the throng of people to get off the dance floor and into the bar area again.

The club was littered with both humans and shifters a like and very clearly wasn't a top caliber establishment, with sticky floors and stained upholstery. But, the two women loved the atmosphere as well as the music, and the staff were so good natured and friendly they seemed to know all their customers personally. It was always a reliable and fun night when they made it out.

When they got to the bar, Colt ordered two bottles of spring water as well as three more rounds of tequila shots. Both women were well on their way to having the hangover from hell the following day. But were decidedly in a 'go big or go home' type of mood.

"Why do you keep looking around? You look like some kind of cross between a meerkat and a pigeon." Rebecca frowned, confused by Colt's behaviour, and trying to decipher her motivations.

"I'm wondering when Elijah will show up. He's bound to anyway, and I kind of want to see him now. No, wait no I dont. My cat side wants to rub up against him now. All those muscles, and the heat that comes off him! I swear it's like drug." she pouted, sighing in frustration at his absence "But, he would most likely only talk and ruin it, or worse try to bite me. Although..."

Both ladies laughed and proceeded to down their shots. Jumping up and down on the spot in excitement when they were done.

"Seriously though, no tequila induced mate claims. You will only regret it later." Rebecca stated wagging her finger back and forth as she did.

"Yes, Mom. I know." Colt joked, while offering a mock salute. "But, I bet he would taste yummy."

Rebecca recoiled at that image, before asking, "Do you actually think he will show up? Especially after the incident at the bar? Damn girl, you were mean."

"I will bet you fifty bucks he does." she laughed, turning her head when the door opened, in hope.

It was just a small group of women entering though, causing Colt to sigh and deflate slightly in the middle.

Rebecca laughed, "You're so smitten, you know? But you're definitely on all the same. Easy win for me, he doesn't even know where you are. No texting." She pointed her finger at her friend. "That's cheating."

"What about non locational revealing sexting?" Colt said wiggling her eyebrows with a smile.

"Nope. No encouragement of any sort." Rebecca laughed. "And I don't think locational is a real word."

"You're no fun, and it totally is now. My word. I invented it" Colt nodded in an affirmative drunk kind of way. "Okay, let's hit the floor again, I need to burn off some energy, or I will turn up at Elijah's cabin, naked."

Rebecca gave a definite nod, saying "You would definitely regret that, isn't your cousin staying there as well? Awkward."

Colt laughed off her shudder, and with that the two of them skipped back across the club, to the throng of bodies and started dancing again. It was a little while later they were approached by a small group of young men. The group smelled distinctly feline in nature, but at this point both Colt and Rebecca were too drunk to care and joined their four new friends to dance willingly.

Forty minutes passed and they were still all laughing drunkenly together. They had been back and forth to the bar at least three times, learning that their new friends were indeed cats, a couple of cheetahs, Tobias and Charlie, then there was Alfie and Lenny the two lynx who were celebrating their second anniversary, they became a very fun group. It was around then Colt had started pouting and Rebecca called her over for a chat sensing something was wrong.

"What's up Miss M." she asked. "Why so blue?"

Colt half heartedly flapped her arms in annoyance before saying petulantly, "I want Elijah. He is taking forever to get here. I need him."

"Oh, you dunk." Rebecca calculated, dropping her 'r's. "We should fix it."

"Yes. Yes I am. Just like you." Colt smiled, prodding a giggling Rebecca lightly on the nose with her index finger, as she was shouting in triumph at what she considered an achievement at this point, before she proceeded to jump up and down singing. "It make me happy, Con tequila it feels fine, Con tequila when the doors are open, And Con tequila when they're calling time."

Rebecca who was laughing as well, joined in with a new song shouting, "TEQUILA!"

The two friends headed back over to their new friends, and ordered another round. Colt was just licking, her hand for her second shot when the drink itself was ripped from her grip as she was raising it to her mouth.

"What the hell are you playing at woman?" Bellowed Elijah, anger coursing through him as he seen the alcohol induced debilitated state of his mate.

"Elijah's here!" Colt replied, with glee throwing her arms around him and jumping into his startled embrace as her legs followed to rest on his waist. "Everybody look! Elijah's here!" She called again, before snugging into the crook of his neck and inhaling deeply.

Everyone looked stunned at the very public display of affection Colt was administering to Elijah. But, none so much as Elijah who staggered slightly under the sudden impact and extra weight of Colt's body. He quickly righted himself though, placing his hands carefully under her thighs to support her, not at all finding the entire experience unpleasant as his anger and annoyance completely melted away, under the influence of what could only be described as his mate's thumb print on his forehead.

"How much have you had to drink, Beautiful?" he asked her, as she was draped about him.

However, instead of an answer Colt decided to lick and nibble a trail from the collar of Elijah's T-shirt up to his earlobe where she proceeded to suck it into her mouth and gently nibble on it.

"Fucking hell Colt!" Elijah muttered, taken aback by the different sensations she was causing. Forcing himself to snap out of it was difficult, it felt so good and was causing his trousers to become unbearably tight. But, after a minute he managed to refocus, and shifted her weight round so he could look at her. She was smiling at him while biting her plump bottom lip and by the glazed look in her eyes, she was wasted. Maintaining as much eye contact as he could, fearful if he so much as glanced at her mouth again he would lose control and capture it with his own, he tried again, "Little Bird?"

"Hmmm?" she smiled, absolutely delighted that he was here.

"How much have you had to drink?" He asked slowly, making her frown.

"Not enough." Came the response, as she immediately sat straighter in Elijah's arms, her eyes bright as she called out over the music, "Barkeep, more of your finest Tequila please. My mate definitely needs a drink!"

"Fuck No!" Elijah groaned, as he heard Zachary and Marcus failing to contain their laughter in the background, clearly enjoying the run around drunk Colt was giving him.

"Fuck Yes!" called Rebecca and Colt in unison. Followed by more laughter as Colt started to wriggle free of his grasp, to bounce beside her friend in excitement.

"Colt, you shouldn't be drinking anything in the first place, never mind drinking more, what are you playing at?" Elijah asked concerned.

Rebecca and Colt froze mid bounce and turned around, their movements eerily synchronised with one another, like two creepy twins from a horror film.

"Excuse me?" Colt demanded, her expression gone from happy bubbly albeit drunk lady, to that of demoness refused her blood sacrifice. "What is that supposed to mean? What because I'm your mate I can't drink? Is that it Elijah? I'm not permitted to go out and enjoy myself now, because my mate says no. Is that it? What kind of fucked up society do you think we live in, where you can dictate to me where I can go, who I can see, what I can wear, what I can drink, what I can eat? Huh? Well?" She was right in his face now having stepped right into his space, and was prodding him in the chest with each statement. "No response to that one then, you dont seem to like being called on your patriarchal bullshit now do you, Mr. Alpha?"

Elijah was stunned into silence. He could see Rebecca seething at him as well with her arms folded across her chest, and Marcus and Zachary were full on belly laughing now, at Colt's treatment of him.

Grabbing her hands before she could prod him again. He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, that were still flaming with anger and spoke softly, "That's not it at all. Colt, your Mom told Marcus about the pain killers you're on. You can't drink alcohol with them Little Bird. It's not safe. Have you had any side effects? Any shortness of breath?"

Colt paused her anger dissolving completely as she studied him, then she burst out laughing. "Elijah, your hilarious." she said reaching up and stroking his cheek softly. "You were all worried about me there." she said in a slightly mocking tone. "I'm fine, just thirsty." she winked biting her lip again.

"Colt." Elijah said warningly, yet his body betrayed him as he leant his face onto her hand, again his head filled with graphic images of the possibilities of the things she could do with her mouth.

"Well, I can clear this up right now." Colt affirmed, her excitement levels starting to rise. "I haven't used them. My silly wolf, I only accepted them so Mom, wouldn't worry about me." she shrugged. "Now, Barkeep I think my silly mate might need twice as many shots as the rest of us. He's playing catch up!" And with that she bounced back to Rebecca and rejoined their chorus calling for shots, with the group of cats they had made friends with.

Elijah looked about slightly bewildered as Zachary joined him slapping him on the back and saying "Alpha?"

"What is it?" He answered, rubbing his face as his brain caught up with the relevant information.

"May I propose a motion of 'if you can't beat them, join them'?" he laughed.

For the first time, Elijah laughed looking at his best friend. "You are just loving this aren't you?"

"Yes. I would be lying if I said the phrase karma hasn't jumped to my mind at least six times in the last fifteen minutes." He laughed, reminiscing about their youth when Elijah give him the run around in clubs just like this. When his mate was still here and he was the sensible one of the two.

"Let's get a drink then, at least she didn't shoo me away again." Elijah shuddered.

"Hey guys, if alls good here, I'm going to head back and call Marissa back." Marcus said, making his goodbyes, and leaving now there wasn't a crisis to attend to anymore.

-----

A while later, Colt had bounced up to Elijah on his stool at the bar. "Come dance with me." she asked, dreamily.

"Little Bird, for you I would lay down my life." he said making her smile, as he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "But, I don't dance."

"Elijah." Colt whinnied his name, extending the second syllable as she did. "You have to. I need you." She partly begged, partly affirmed nodding her head repeatedly as she spoke.

Elijah laughed pulling her inbetween his legs, so she was closer. "You are very sexy when you beg Colt. But the answer is still no."

"But, if you don't then I will owe Rebecca one hundred bucks." she pouted looking up at him, with her big eyes.

"What?" he laughed astonished, at this new revelation.

"Well, so, I bet her fifty bucks you would turn up tonight." Colt began to explain, happily.

"You did, did you?" Elijah wasn't sure if he was flattered or annoyed.

"Yes." she nodded.

"But, Colt I didn't even know where you were." he added, trying to understand the logic in her decision.

"Yet here you are." she beamed with pride, while wiggling her hips briefly to the music, eliciting a small groan from Elijah in response.

"Yet, here I am." he echoed smiling at her, and kissing her on the tip of her nose.

"Right, so then we agreed double or nothing that you would dance with me. See, Becks doesn't think you are the dancing in a club type, but I can't think of anything I need more right now." she bounced again, "So, please dance with me, Balto? I promise you'll enjoy it." she added seductively at the end.

Elijah laid his hands on her hips momentarily enjoying the feel as he pulled her in to whisper into her ear, "Becks, was right. The answer is still no, Little Bird."

Colt stiffened slightly, then sighed. She looked Elijah in the eye with a devious smile, remembering the kinks in his armour that he had already displayed. She started moving her hips along with the music again, feeling Elijah tighten his grip on her hips as he let out another groan. Leaning back into his ear to relay her response, she quickly licked the lobe and sucked it into her mouth again. Once she was satisfied with his reaction, going off his groans and how he was clinging to her hips, she released his ear with a pop smiling as he shifted in frustration.

Then she said, "Okay, the hard way it is. I'll be on the dancefloor when you are ready to join me." She said biting her lip at him again, as his eyes flashed, heavy with lust. With that done, she then pulled free of his grip hearing a slight whimper and made her way towards the dancefloor with Tobias and Lenny following behind her.

*Author's Note: I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It has been an absolute joy to write. It's been so much fun. What do you think of Colt let loose?Thank you for reading, and stay safe. B. x*