Lilith Pov
I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My tight ripped jeans hugged my generous curves. My navy cropped tank top showed just the right amount of cleavage and made my light blue eyes pop. I chose to go light on my makeup. I thought I looked alluring enough. Some of the men at the fight would fall for the trap. With the alcohol flowing and the fights causing blood to spill, adrenaline would be pumping. And a good-looking girl would be enticing. It was the perfect scenario for pick pocketing. I smiled at my image. Hopefully tonight will be profitable.
I made sure my locker was secure. I had one here at Rob’s Gym, keeping a small stash of things ensuring I didn’t have to go home to get things all the time. I walked to Rob’s office. He always was in there before the fights started. “You look wonderful Lilith, tonight will be good for the both of us.” Rob said. “Thanks, and I hope so, the tires on my bike are almost bald, and I need to get new ones.” Rob looked at me and said, “Lilith there are a lot more opportunities for you. They would make a significant amount of money, if you were willing to do them, you would be able to afford a car even.”
Rob always said things like this. He always wanted me to do more. I knew it would be profitable, but I didn’t want to. Some of those things were way too risky and I didn’t think the profit from them was worth it. I was happy getting what I was from Rob. I could afford what I needed, and I had his gym at my disposal, that is all I really wanted at least for now. “Did you get any dinner. You know these things last a long time and you should eat beforehand.” I shook my head. “Lilith you need to eat, here why don’t you take this and go grab some food and come back once you have eaten.” Rob handed me a fifty. “Thanks Rob.” He did stuff like this all the time. That, however, was not the reason I went to his office. “Rob, I was just wondering if you could bar Jim from coming tonight? You know stop him at the door.” I asked
My stepfather was a notorious gambler. He loved fights, he could place bets which was his favorite past time, despite the fact he was horrible at it. I knew he was going to be here if Rob didn’t bar him from the establishment. Rob responded “Lilith is there a reason for you not wanting him here? He has come in the past and you didn’t seem to have a problem with it.” I sighed and then answered, “This morning he was a creep which is no different than any other day, but I just don’t want to see his face.” Rob rubbed his clean-shaven jaw. “Fine, but only because you asked so nicely.” “Thank you, Rob, really.” “No problem now go grab some food and keep the change.” I smiled and jogged from his office planning on getting some street tacos.
I watched the first few fights, waiting for everyone to have several drinks in their systems. The place was loud and there was music playing, though it was muffled by the bodies that packed the basement of the building Rob owned. Some of the fighters were shifters I knew, but mostly it was just everyday street fighters. I began to weave through the sea of people, casually flirting with several of them. Pulling various things from them, and they had no idea. I couldn’t do it with everyone though, that was how you got caught. I would target the ones who were obviously of a higher class.
Even the wealthy liked to watch a bloody sport every now in then. I spotted a familiar face. Jacob and some of the other guys from the football team were there. I had seen them here before, I guess they liked spending their daddy’s money on gambling. In the past I avoided them, but I thought of Jacob sucking face with Polly at school earlier today. Juliet had not liked it, and in the service of a friend maybe I would pay a little retribution. I came over to him, a beer in his hand. “Hi, Jacob, I never expected to see you here.” I said with a small playful smile. I looked into his brown eyes batting my long dark lashes. I could tell his pupils were dilated. Drugs, I thought he was high. Sucker, I said to myself. High people were easier to steal from.
“Lilith? I never thought I would see you here.” the sport star said. Jacob never paid me much attention in school but seeing as I was on several sports teams as well as cheering with his girlfriend, he knew me. I looked and noticed Caleb and Joshua were with him. The trio, I liked to call them. Caleb and Joshua were Jacobs best friends and were his teammates. "Ah, you know, I am from this area of the city, so why wouldn’t I come to a local event.” He knew I was not from the upper crest like the rest of his classmen. I saw him looking right into my cleavage. Piece of cake, men where so stupid I thought.
“I mean I knew you were not the richest, but I didn’t know you lived around here. So, I guess you like fights then.” I smiled again. “It is kind of an adrenaline rush don’t you think?” Caleb then spoke. “Who knew you were such a bad girl.” and laughed darkly. His voice told me he to was high. Jacob suddenly pulled me to him. “Here hang out with us. We should get to know you better.” I turned to face the fight letting him keep his hands on my waist. I watched the fight letting them think I was distracted, once they were back focusing on the men throwing punches, I would slide my hands up and turn out his pockets. All three of them were shamefully flirting. Passing my body between the three of them like I was some toy. I was snagging a few things as they continued to think they were winning me over with their charm. The biggest being a key fob from Jacob his Porsch was something he would miss. Rob would be pleased. I knew it would be a big payout for him getting a car like the one Jacob had.
The guys were all laughing, they really thought I was into them. I hoped they were not this dense, and it was just the drugs that made them this stupid. Suddenly the air felt charged. Like my body was on full alert. My wolf, Kali, was itching under my skin. I didn’t understand why she was so agitated. I had run her for several hours earlier. The basement was always hot with so many bodies packed in, but the heat I was now feeling was low in my belly. My muscles felt tense. What the hell is going on?
All humans had a mixture of smells, and I was used to that. But suddenly one smell stood out from all the rest of the people in here. It was cinnamon. Kali was freaking out. Jacob pushed his hips further into my back side. I didn’t do anything as my attention was elsewhere. I heard Caleb voice. “Lilith what do you say we get out of here. We have all lost enough money already. We can go to Joshua’s house and hang there. His parents aren’t home, and he has plenty of his dad’s whisky.” Calebs voice sounded distant with my attention being pulled. My eyes wandered into the crowd. My body wanted to locate the source of the cinnamon that was intoxicating me by the second.
“Come on Lilith.” I could feel Jacob pulling me away. Caleb moved in front of me blocking my view of the crowd. “Move Caleb” I demanded. “Don’t be like that Lilith you have been flirting with us all night. We know what you want, you made obvious rubbing against all of us.” Fucking move I wanted to scream. With Caleb closing in on my front being pushed between him and Jacob I was losing my temper. They were distracting me from what I wanted. I wanted that smell. I shoved Caleb away, trying not to use my full strength. Jousha then stepped in grabbing my wrist and Jacob moved, Caleb too.
I was now being pulled away. “Let me go,” I shouted over the crowd. “You have all but thrown yourself at us, you are coming with us.” Jacob said. I didn’t have patience anymore. I turned fast and slugged Jacob in the face. I heard his nose crack. Blood spilling out of it. Caleb shouted “Bitch.” Then suddenly I felt a more intense wave of flutters. My nose filling with Cinnamon. A deep voice said, “You do not speak to her that way.” I turned around. I had to look up at the man. His face was chiseled like he was made of stone and his stubble covered jaw could cut glass.
His eyes reminded me of a storm, his dirty blond hair was trimmed close to the sides of his head and left medium on the top. From the way his t-shirt fell I could tell he was rippling with muscles underneath. My beathing was heavy, like the air was too dense to let me breathe normally. “Nah, man we don’t want any trouble.” Caleb said. He had to be intimidated by the wall of a man I couldn’t pull my eyes from. “Fuck off.” The deep voice said, his words sank into my bones. I felt hypnotized. The whole time he spoke his eyes were locked on me like mine were on him.
I hoped the trio was leaving but didn’t really care. I wanted to know who this man is. He was the one who smelt like cinnamon that I had been seeking, my core now felt a new kind of hunger, arousal. “Can I know the name of my Mate?” I have no clue what his words meant, but I understood part of it, he wanted my name. “Lilith.” I said, still gawking up at him. “Lilith.” He repeated my name, and I love the way it sounded coming from his mouth. “I am Eric, and I have been waiting a long time for you.”