I wasn’t concerned about the men over there.
But working at the club allowed me to maintain a regular schedule. Back when I worked at the bar, I had to stay up late every night, and the pay was less than half of what I would earn at the Eagle Club.
“I don’t think I can stay at the Eagle Club. It’ll make my life worse. I don’t want to see Lucian,” I said, swallowing hard, trying to calm myself.
Evelyn opened the fridge, took out a carton of milk, poured a glass, and handed it to me. She also gave me a slice of toast.
“Cheer up. I think your low mood is because your blood sugar’s too low.”
“Thanks.”
I took a couple of bites. The buttered toast did make me feel better.
“Seraph, don’t just give up now. This job isn’t something just anyone can get. You have no idea how many girls want to work there. You should take it.”
“I don’t want to see Lucian.” It would bring me endless trouble.
“You can explain the situation to your supervisor as soon as you start. Ask them to assign you to a place where you won’t run into Lucian. Don’t worry, the Eagle Club is huge. Lucian won’t be there all the time.”
Fine.
Evelyn had convinced me. I was short on money and couldn’t afford to turn it down.
To hell with men. They weren’t going to stop me from making money!
But what about Kael? Would I run into him often?
Thinking about the pleading look in Kael’s eyes before I left that morning, it seemed like he really wanted me to be his girlfriend. But I couldn’t!
I wasn’t anyone’s toy!
If I took this part-time job at the Eagle Club, I’d inevitably run into Kael. What would I do then?
No matter what, I had to stay firm. I couldn’t give Kael any chance.
That night, though, I dreamed of Kael.
In the dream, we were in a forest.
The crescent moon above cast a dim light, filtering through layers of leaves and falling on us.
Not far away, a massive waterfall roared, the sound of rushing water filling the air.
Kael pinned me beneath him, kissing my lips, his tongue tangling with mine.
His muscles pressed against my body, hard and unyielding, making me feel like I was being crushed by a rock.
His body was burning hot. When he parted my legs and thrust into me, I couldn’t stop trembling.
But then, his eyes suddenly turned golden, and his teeth grew into wolf-like fangs. He opened his mouth and bit into my neck.
I woke up with a start.
Even though I knew it was just a dream, my neck still felt like it had been bitten, aching faintly.
But when I touched my skin, it was perfectly intact, reminding me it was all just a dream.
Yet, when I touched my underwear, it was soaked.
Had I really climaxed from a dream?
And such a terrifying one at that.
I got up and went to the living room to pour myself a glass of water. The cold liquid sliding down my throat cleared my head a little.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder-was Kael a vampire?
No, no. In the dream, he looked more like a beast.
Like a wolf!
I thought of the wolf figurine on the table in his apartment.
Suddenly, I felt goosebumps rise on my skin. Even though there was no breeze in the apartment, I felt cold.
But if he really was a monster, the whole town wouldn’t be safe, right?
So far, though, I hadn’t heard of anyone getting hurt.
Maybe I was overthinking it. I finished the glass of water, went back to bed, and pulled the blanket tightly around me.
I thought about the wolf I’d seen in the forest when I was seven. A wolf! But why did it have such expressive eyes? Could they be just highly intelligent creatures like us?
But my knowledge of zoology told me that wasn’t possible. Still, I knew human understanding of animal behavior was still limited.
As for werewolves, I thought they were too fantastical, the stuff of fairy tales and fictional love stories.
Based on what I knew, such a perfect fusion of two species was impossible.
Of course, I felt like I was going crazy just thinking about it.
I should just sleep. I had classes in the morning and had to report to the club in the afternoon.
Lost in these thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.
The next afternoon, I arrived at the club’s entrance, feeling a mix of nervousness, anxiety, and excitement.
I was wearing a light gray chiffon top, black casual pants, and carrying a white canvas bag.
Evelyn had said this would make me look more professional. Since I was applying for a logistics role, I didn’t need anything too flashy.
Last time, I’d been here with my ticket for a match. But now, things were different.
The Eagle Club looked ordinary from the outside.
A three-story building with deep red exterior decor, its sign hanging above the entrance, colorful and flashy. At night, the sign would light up.
I nervously gripped my canvas bag and walked inside.
The first floor and basement were the competition and training areas. The second floor was for offices and lounges.
Luckily, there weren’t many people around, and I didn’t run into anyone I knew. Thank goodness.
When I entered the logistics office, I handed my resume to the woman in front of me.
“Miss Vale, congratulations on passing the screening. From now on, you’re one of the Eagle Club.”
The woman had light brown curly hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses. She had a habit of pushing her glasses up while speaking, her black eyes scanning me and my resume.
She was very serious, reminding me of my head teacher from the school.
“Yes. Could you tell me what I would need to do everyday?” I asked.
“There’s no fixed work. Ensuring the quality of life for the club members is our job. Of course, since you’re new, you’ll mostly be assigned cleaning tasks.”
“For example, cleaning the venue after matches, tidying the restrooms, organizing the locker rooms, and so on.”
So that’s what the job was all about. I breathed a sigh of relief. This probably meant I’d rarely run into Kael or Lucian.
After all, I’d have to wait until they were gone before I could clean.
So, chances were, I wouldn’t see them.
After completing the onboarding process, my direct supervisor took me on a tour of the club.
Her name was Rebecca, a woman around thirty, slightly plump with a round face that made her seem very approachable.