The Dawn of Wynter Ch. 04

"So, I don't understand then, what's so horrible about him?" she asked sitting down next to her on the bed.

"Oh I don't know, the fact that he's absolutely infuriating and cryptic, and is a serial womanizer and has no regard for anyone's feelings or requests, he does what he wants when he wants it and damn the consequences!" she breathed. Somehow she was now standing and pacing exactly where her friend had stood moments earlier without quite realizing it.

"He drives me insane," she growled shaking her hands in the air, her fingers curling into fists, "him and his stupid French accent, which he thinks will make me drop to my knees and beg him to make love to me. Oh ma chérie, ma petite, je suis un grand ASS," she said in a French accent, "He's intolerable and overbearing and thinks that just because he's a man, a very, very sexy man," she added, despite herself, "he's entitled to a free direct pass to my vagina, despite the fact that I've very nearly killed him about..." she paused, counting on her fingers, "seventeen times now for just touching me, but no, it doesn't go through that thick French skull of his," she said, smacking her palm over her own head to illustrate the point, her voice having grown louder and louder every second.

"He never misses an opportunity to try and sneak in a kiss or lewd comment somewhere. I mean he just waltzed into this house all nonchalantly like 'Oh bonjour I'm Monsieur Desmarais, I'm French, I 'ave a nice ass and you will love me' and decided to attach himself to the first female he saw, yours truly," she said pointing to herself, "He is in every damn corner, everywhere I go and I can't fucking blink without running into him. He's made it his mission in life to be my shadow, and you invited him tonight!" she turned to her friend, yelling now, realizing she wouldn't be getting away from him after all.

Raine just sat there, watching her friend ranting like a mad woman in her underwear. Clearly there was chemistry between these two, they were just fighting it, she thought wryly. Her friend however wasn't done, because she came and sat back down next to her and continued.

"Raine," she whined, almost in defeat as her shoulders slumped and she tilted her head back squeezing her eyes shut, "he's a complete pain in the ass, but then there are times when I see such a different man standing in front of me. He'll let his guard down for a second and I'll catch a glimpse of him that is...amazing and terrifying all at once and I fall for it, like an idiot, and then he's back to his macho self like that," she said snapping her fingers together mere inches from her face, causing her to flinch slightly.

"He is an enigma, a complete walking contradiction, he drives me crazy, but he draws me in like a magnet. Ever since he walked through those doors, my eyes haven't left him, and I feel this --"she paused thinking of how best to explain the strange feeling that enveloped her the first night they met, "this...magic- I know how it sounds," she said seeing her friend make a face, "There's no other word, it's electric and I feel it with such force at times, it swallows me up and I can't think clearly, you know..."

"It's like underneath the mask he puts up, there is the skin of a man that is smooth, seductive, has some sort of plan that he's not telling me about. Somehow, I know that we are connected on a much larger level, in a way I don't think even he understands, and it scares me. It scares me more than not knowing how to deal with my powers, because I know there's something larger at play here" she sighed heavily. She had been holding that all in for too long and felt a little lighter at having voiced all of it to her friend.

"Jesus, Zara...this is a bit of a mess isn't it?"

Zara laughed, shaking her head and putting her face into her palms, "Augh! It's a disaster."

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

Zara looked up from her hands and gave her friend a look that said 'you're insane'.

"Sure, I'll just put myself completely out there for him to laugh in my face. No, thanks, I think I'll stick to hating his French guts. As beautiful as they are...", she said in a sigh, her head tilted to the side, her eyes looking in front of her but not seeing the room, the image of Philippe shirtless floated in front of her.

"Well, I don't see what other choice you have. It's not like you have anything to lose. You said yourself; he'll be leaving with your brother in two weeks. If it turns out there's something more serious, then maybe he can stay a bit longer, if not then you'll never have to see him again."

"Yes, but -- "

"But nothing Zara. I've never heard you speak about someone like this, or describe such things to me. Obviously there's something to be explored here and you're just too chickenshit to do anything about it."

Zara's head snapped up from her hands. She didn't like being called out on things, and she knew exactly what Raine was doing. She knew Zara's ego wouldn't be able to handle such an accusation; that she was too afraid to do something. Damn her, she thought.

"Oh you're good, you little minx you!"

"Well, I've only known you forever. So does this mean you'll speak to him? Or at least fuck him once, because I swear if you don't I would be more than happy to take up that horrible task."

"Augh," she groaned making a face, before plopping back on the bed, "fine. I'll talk to him."

"I'd screw his brains out and do the talking later...much, much later but hey that's me. Anyways, are we going to get ready or what, I've been dreaming about raiding your closet for too long!" she said, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.

--

Zara felt the flutter of excitement begin to build in her body. She hadn't been out among anyone else other than her family in such a long time, she found herself wondering why the hell she hadn't called up her friends sooner. She chuckled to herself as she pulled up in front of the club in her black Aston Martin One-77. She saw Raine pull up behind her in the rearview mirror. She checked herself in the mirror quickly, reapplying hot red lipstick before stepping out of the car and locking it with the click of a button. The sound of the beep seemed to draw people's attention as they waited to enter the large building, in a long line stretching half the length of the club.

She was in an emerald green peplum dress, made out of luxurious hand-dyed leather. From the front it looked classic, and a touch of sexy due to the material. The back however, had a large cutout in the shape of a triangle, the tip starting right below her neck and spreading out so the bottom corners ended at her waist near her ribcage. The skirt of the dress skimmed her skin mid thigh, leaving her long legs bare and exposed. The material fit her perfectly having been tailored to her body, accentuating her ample bosom and full derriere, and highlighting her small waist. Her hair was styled in large flowing waves that fell over one shoulder. She finished the look with a pair of sky high matte gold Louboutin sling backs.

"Half the men are panting like bitches in heat looking at you," Raine laughed shaking her head, a little awed at the reaction her friend had drawn by merely stepping out of a car. An extremely sleek, expensive car albeit. There was nothing like a sexy woman and a fast car to set men's pulses racing, she thought.

"Yeah, well you're not a complete ogre either," she joked, throwing her keys in her clutch as they made their way across the street to the main entrance. Raine looked equally stunning, having borrowed a strapless deep red dress that fit her like a second skin and black suede stilettos. Her jet back hair ran straight down her back, contrasting against the red of her dress.

"Jax," Raine called out to the large were standing in front of the door, speaking to two bouncers, "Look who I brought out to play." The man she had been addressing turned and a look of surprise crossed his face, before he boomed in laughter.

"Zara Wynters, I'll be damned," he said in a deep rumbling voice, a large smile on his face. The warmth it exuded was a stark contrast to the large, imposing were. He was six foot and a half, his body all muscle, accentuated by the fitted black dress shirt he wore. His shiny midnight black hair was pulled into a braid so long it reached the small of his back. He had feathers braided into it. Jax came from native Indian descent, and he did everything he could to make sure he remembered where he came from. His eyes were just as black as his hair; that combined with his olive skin made every girl who came across him unable to resist his natural charm. He was rare, in that he shifted into a large Bengal tiger, something attributed to distant ties in Nepal.

"Jax, it's been too long, old friend," Zara said, looking up at him with a large smile.

He pulled her into a hug suddenly, "Who you callin' old?" he said over her shoulder, the top of her head barely reaching his chin.

"Raine said you were back but I couldn't believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes. It's good to see you kiddo," he rumbled, letting her go, his large hands remaining on her shoulders, as he looked into her face.

She rolled her eyes at his nickname for her. Zara was probably the same age as him, yet he stuck to the term. She thought it had to do with how small she looked next to him.

"And you Jax." She hadn't quite realized how much she missed her old friends until this moment. Why she had kept everyone at bay seemed a mystery to her now. She felt lighter than she had in months.

"So what brings you ladies to my fine establishment?" he asked, gesturing to the building behind him. It was an old factory redesigned to house one of the cities hottest lounges and nightclub. Jax had remained true to the heritage of the building, keeping all the raw brick and original glass pane windows, but the inside had been completely repurposed. Jax had an eye for these things, as he owned several clubs and restaurants around the city.

"Zara needs some fun in her life, I figured what better place?"

"I'm just finishing up out here, you ladies head in, Jen in the front will show you to a table, and anything you want tonight you have it."

"Jax -- "

"I want to hear about everything Zara, it's been too long as you said. I'll be in shortly," he said cutting her off before she could object to his generosity.

She simply smiled and leaned on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading in with Raine right behind her. They were led down a long hallway with the most expensive wall paper covering it in a gold damask pattern, before it opened up to a massive room, hundreds of people filling up the wide dance floor. On raised platform all along the boundary of the room were VIP tables. They were seated at the largest table in the centre of the room, immediately facing the hallway they had just walked through. The lighting was dim, but comfortable as crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling every few meters. Zara sat on a plush lounge chair and looked around the room, admiring what Jax had done to this old abandoned factory. It was modern but held some classic pieces here and there. He seemed to be doing well for himself, but Zara didn't expect any less from him.

Zara and Jax had gone back quite some time. She smiled as she recalled the day they had met, not long after Xander had left, he had come storming into her life and had never left since. At one point they had been lovers and while the sex was pretty great, they mutually agreed that they were better as friends. She still counted him as one of her closest friends to this day, and he as well. She was brought out of her reverie when a large group of people filtered through the main hallway and made their way over to them. She looked at Raine in surprise.

"You've been keeping a lot of people at bay, I thought they might like to see you," she explained quietly, so only she could hear.

It was true; it was a lot of people. She recognized Ben and Ada, a mated vampire couple she had met while touring Asia. They were small, but deadly. Behind them were Zarifa and Zuri, vampire sisters from Assyrian decent. They stood like the beautiful warriors they were. Zarifa and Zuri were the epitome of wild, all you had to do was look at them and you could see it. They're dark hair and features drew in a lot of male attention. She was surprised to see it didn't stop with them.

Adriano, a mage she had met through Antoinette was there as well; next to him stood his brother, Elias. That was definitely trouble, she thought with a smirk. Her history with the brothers ran deep. She had met them in Greece, and from the moment she had met them they had both become a significant contributor to the person who was standing here today. They had taught her much, but had also been the funniest and most welcoming of people she had come to know.

A few weres strolled in right behind the brothers, none of whom she recognized. She could only assume they were Raine's relatives that she had mentioned earlier that day. Jax came in behind them with Lienna, Carlo, and Angelo, weres from his pack. Garrett, Valentin, Maxim and Vera, all vampires and all drifters, rounded out the group.

"Raine, how the hell did you get everyone here on such short notice?" she asked her surprise clearly evident at her friend's skills.

"A lot of luck actually. Everyone was in the right place at the right time," she replied as the large group made their way over.

"And I couldn't be happier at being in this particular place at this very moment," Elias said loudly over the music. His deep voice carried across the distance they stood, but she heard him clearly.

She turned away from saying hello to Zarifa, her eyes landing on the tall, gorgeous mage in front of her.

"Elias," she sighed, "It's good to see you. And you Adriano," she added peeking around Elias' large frame to find Adriano at his brothers side, standing slightly behind him.

He stepped in front of Elias and scooped Zara into an unexpected hug. She gasped in surprise at the sudden show of emotion, something she rarely saw in mages. They were always so proper and standing separately from the affairs of others. Then again, these men were always so different. She chuckled lightly and returned his hug with equal vigor.

"Zara, we have missed you tremendously," he whispered in her ear before releasing her slightly and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

She was about to respond before a new wave of people entered the club and she was drowned in screams of joy and greetings and teasing admonitions for not keeping in touch. So many people were surrounding her and she found herself awed at how much love she felt at that moment. How could she have been so stupid to think herself so alone in the world? She was thankful that Raine had been able to see it, or else she would be moping in the mansion that had become the equivalent of a prison lately.

They all sat together each catching up with the other. Some were introduced for the first time. They all danced, drank and enjoyed themselves. Zara felt free, felt like she was more herself than she had been in a long time. She relished in the feeling, laughing loudly, speaking openly, telling stories and listening intently to stories being told. She let the last few month's troubles and worries fade into the distance as she took up Jax's offer to dance, remembering how great he was on the dance floor. It had been great to catch up with everyone, especially him. There was always an ease about him, and it always seemed to meld into the people around him. He was always open and expressive of his thoughts. With Jax you knew where you stood, and it was something she always admired in him. The no bullshit attitude. She was giddy on all the excitement of the night, letting herself relax to the music, allowing Jax to lead.

"You know, we were always great together," Jax said with a grin on his face as he twirled her.

She let out a loud throaty laugh, "We were," she sighed, "I can't for the life of me think why we ended it where we did," she laughed as he dipped her. It was a conversation they always joked about. They had agreed from the beginning, it was purely physical, and with him being a were and her a vampire, both extremely sexual creatures, they were able to keep it purely physical without emotions mucking things up.

"It just wasn't in the cards for us," he sighed in her ear, before pulling her back up and holding her close to him. He was smiling down at her.

"No, it wasn't...but I thank god for the day you started that fight in Milan," she said laughing at the memory of the first time she set eyes on Jax.

"Me too," he agreed.

"I'm sure you are," she said without a hint of doubt in her voice, "I saved your ass from becoming a pile of bones, if I remember correctly."

"Hmmm...I think your memory is a little hazy. I was just fine on my own."

"Pffft, sure you were," she said sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Ok so the twenty vamps that had me surrounded may have been a bit tougher to deal with than usual, but I could have taken them on my own," he said with lightness in his tone.

"You're lucky I walked into that bar at that precise moment and that I wasn't a big fan of them and their business ventures, otherwise we wouldn't be standing here dancing."

"Yes, I was very, very lucky."

He was looking down at her, suddenly serious worry marring his beautiful face.

"Zara, I've been worried. You've never been out of touch as long as you have. The number of people here tonight is testament to that. We've all been a little worried. What's going on, kid?"

She sighed heavily, "Jax, it's been a shitty couple of months, even before I came back things weren't so great, and while I'd love nothing more than to fill you in how just how shitty it's been, tonight I just want to forget about it. Just for one night I want to not think about the shit storm that's been raining down on me."

"Say no more," he chuckled, "But you can't run away from it forever kid."

"I know...we'll talk tomorrow, I promise", she said, patting his chest reassuringly.

With that they continued dancing, Jax doing all he could to make her laugh and keep to his promise to ensure she had a good time tonight.

--

Philippe thought he might dismember the man that held Zara in his arms at that very moment. He had entered the club before she had arrived and had situated himself in a quieter area, secluded from the view of their booth. He watched as her friends surrounded her, how she enchanted them all with her stories, her smile, her laugh. He observed as she absorbed the energy of everyone around her, watched mesmerized at how she looked so completely relaxed. It was a sight he had never seen. Every time he was with her, she was like a maelstrom of emotions, with him on the receiving end. Having watched her for the better part of the night, he felt his curiosity grow even more. There was yet another side of her that he had to discover, but he knew that there was no way in hell she would let her guard down enough to let him see this part of her.

He sensed immediately that this part of her that was stripped bare, where she let go and let herself truly enjoy the company of those around her was a sight very few people were privileged to see. He knew that he usually caused the opposite reaction in her. Rather than calm, he brought out the chaos. Yes...he'd have to work hard on that part. Very, very hard. He was going to start right this minute, because he found he could not stand seeing another man's arms wrapped around Zara. The force of the jealousy he felt stunned him slightly, but he pushed it away for later examination.

He made his way over to the group; Raine seeing him approach immediately invited him to join. I like her already, he thought, smiling at Raine and accepting her invitation with a feeling of triumph. He situated himself in the centre of things and began chatting up the two exotic looking vampire sisters. All the while he watched Zara dance. It was a testament to how long he had lived on this earth that he could control his desire to rip Jax apart, limb from limb. He sat patiently, speaking with Raine and the others, being polite, charming and attentive to the ladies surrounding him, giving each his undivided attention.