Cara’s pov
The moment I stepped into the Den, I was completely dumbfounded. This wasn’t just some hidden hangout spot in the woods. It was a full-on club. In a rogue pack! Music boomed from hidden speakers, the bass so deep I could feel it in my bones. Neon lights flashed overhead, casting the room in an eerie glow. Rogues were dancing, drinking, laughing, like this was some normal Saturday night at a club.
But this wasn’t normal. Not even close.
I glanced at Mark, who looked way too young to even be in here, much less drinking. How the hell had he even gotten in? And why had no one, not Garreth or Debby, ever mentioned this place to me? It was right under my nose, yet I had no idea something like this existed in the rogue pack. Maybe it was meant to stay hidden. But why?
It was just a normal club, and everybody was having a good time. The only difference was that the booze here seemed more concentrated than the one in the bar, but that couldn’t be the reason why nobody ever told me about this Den.
Mark led me to a small table near the back, away from most of the chaos. He grinned as we sat down, clearly enjoying himself. Meanwhile, I was still too shocked to say anything. My mind raced with questions. How did this place exist here? Why was everyone acting like this was some kind of secret party that no one outside the pack knew about?
But as the music pounded through my body, I decided to let myself relax a bit. I hadn’t let loose in a long time, and if I was honest with myself, it felt good. The energy in the room was contagious, and before I knew it, I was tapping my foot to the beat.
Mark leaned back in his chair, glancing around like he was looking for someone. I noticed his eyes darting to a girl across the room, who was giving him shy glances.
“You gonna go talk to her?” I teased, nudging him with my elbow.
Mark blushed, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m good.”
I laughed, leaning back in my chair. “Sure you are.”
After a few minutes, Mark suddenly stood up, stretching his arms. “I’m gonna hit the bathroom,” he said, avoiding my gaze.
“Uh-huh,” I said with a grin. “Or are you going to meet up with your secret admirer?”
Mark chuckled nervously. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere.”
“As if I have anywhere to go”, I said, waving him off as he disappeared into the crowd, figuring he’d be back soon. But time passed, and Mark was not yet back from easing himself, and after what felt like thirty going to an hour , I started to get annoyed. Mark was nowhere in sight. I looked around, scanning the room for him, but all I saw were strangers.
I was beginning to feel nervous and uneasy as to why he had not come back. Did anything happen? Or did he get into a fight with someone in the bathroom?
I decided to wander around a bit, trying to find him. Maybe he’d gotten distracted or lost in the sea of people. As I moved through the Den, I realised just how much more there was to this place than I had first thought.
To my amazement, the den was divided into three floors. The last floor was the lowest and most hidden. I was on the first floor, which was the main room people entered. Standing at the second floor, big rooms opened up off to the side, where people were betting money on drink fights, gambling like their lives depended on it. In one corner, men sat at tables, stacks of cash between them, their eyes locked on the cards in their hands.
But that was not the worst of it
There were women, young women, scantily dressed, serving drinks, and cleaning tables. And the men… the men didn’t even bother to hide their intentions. Every once in a while, one of them would grab a girl as she passed, pulling her onto his lap, whispering something in her ear, or slapping her ass as she walked by. It was sickening.
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my anger in check. These girls couldn’t have been older than fifteen or seventeen. I knew too well what might force a girl like them to serve in a place like this. It was clear they weren’t here by choice, and the more I saw, the more twisted this place seemed.
Just as I was about to turn back, I noticed a commotion near one of the gambling tables. A man, short and stout, with dirty tellow teeth and clearly someone important in the Den, was arguing with one of the girls. She looked terrified, clutching a tray of drinks in her hands as the man loomed over her, demanding she give him a glass. But from what I could hear, he hadn’t paid for it.
“Give it to me, now,” the man growled, grabbing her wrist.
“I-I can’t,” the girl stammered, trying to pull away. “You didn’t…”
The man grabbed the girl’s breast, causing her to yelp up in pain, making the surrounding crowd start laughing, with fire of lust in their eyes.
Before I even realised what I was doing, I stepped forward. “Hey psycho! Leave her alone!!.”