Their Fated Mate

Chapter Twenty One

It had been a week since Namjoon's new rules had been put into action. I was currently sitting behind the bar as I worked on one of my online classes as I usually did. I sat on a bar stool with my laptop set on the counter behind the side of the bar as I was typing up a paper for one of my classes. 

Just as I had finished typing up a sentence a drink was set down beside me. I sighed as I looked up to see Taehyung leaning against the counter beside me. 

"Guy with the glasses bought you a drink, tried telling him you can't drink on the job but he wouldn't listen." He told me as I looked over at the drink before turning around on my bar stool to see the guy. He was waving at me something fierce and I just looked back over at Taehyung. 

"You couldn't just compel him not to or something?" I asked him in a low tone and he laughed before shaking his head. 

"It would be heavily frowned upon if I compelled every guy that bought you a drink, not supposed to be compelling that many humans." He told me as I just got up from the bar stool and made my way over to where the man was standing. 

"Thank you for the drink, but as the bartender told you I can't drink on the job." I told him as I sent him a friendly smile. 

"How about a dance? Can you dance while on the job?" He asked me and I shook my head. 

"I'm happily taken sir, and I don't dance. So enjoy your night." I told him before walking back over to the bar stool and getting back to work on my paper. 

I could hear Taehyung laugh a bit more before someone else was asking him for a drink. Just as I was about to finish my next paragraph this feeling of fear came over me and I immediately looked up only to see Zane coming this way. I quickly slipped off the bar stool and sat on the floor. 

I closed my eyes as I tried to keep control over my breathing, but it was hard. It wasn't even like he could use his gift on me or compel me or legit anything, but my body was terrified of him. 

"What can I get you Zane?" I heard Jungkook ask as he had stepped up closer to where I was sitting now. 

"I heard you guys had a very sweet, purple drink on the menu now and thought I'd come down to try it." He said in an amused tone and a touch of disgust went through my stomach. I could read between the lines, my hair was still a light lilac color. I was the drink he was talking about. 

"Sorry but you must have heard wrong, no purple drinks on the menu. Anything else I can get you?" Jungkook asked him and I heard more footsteps come closer to the bar. 

"Actually yes, I need to speak with an Adeline Ward. I think she's behind that counter, hiding from me." He said and I took in a deep breath. Tara give me whatever strength you have, I pleaded. 

I took one of my earrings off and stood up as I began putting it back in my ear. "Found it." I said as I just acted like I had found my earring after dropping it. "You said you needed to talk with me? What about?" I asked him as Jungkook just moved over slightly, and I looked behind Zane to see Hoseok and Namjoon standing behind him. 

"Your parents." He told me and as I looked into his eyes I could see the devious thoughts he was thinking reflected in his eyes. 

"My parents? I haven't spoken to them in months, I moved out cause of college. Haven't heard from them since, are they alright?" I asked him as I leaned against the counter, trying to act as if I wasn't so close to collapsing from the fear alone. In truth, my knees felt like they could go out anytime and I leaned on the counter for support. 

"Your parents aren't doing well, apparently they owed some pretty sketchy people some money and when the people came to collect they found nothing. So they hurt your parents instead." He told me trying to bait me, even if he had hurt my parents it wouldn't do anything for him. I wasn't going to trade my life for theirs. 

"That's terrible to hear, I hope they're okay now. I'll have to call and check in with them later to see how they're doing." I said as I took out my phone before turning back to him. "Thank you for telling me, are you like a detective or something? Cause if you aren't it seems very suspicious that you would have information about something terrible that happened like this." I told him as my tone had gone from worried to grateful to hard in the matter of moments. 

The vampire in front of me just stared back at me as I stared back. "You seem to read between the lines quite well, and here after our last little chat I thought you were dumb." He told me as I just bit back a retort. 

"Well thank you for telling me that you hurt my parents, but I'm not going to trade my life for theirs. My life is worth a lot more than theirs, so you hurting them won't do anything to me. But just keep hurting them if you want, karma will catch up to you at some point." I told him as I just looked back at Hoseok and Namjoon who looked impressed with me. 

"I'm sorry for your parents to have been given such an ungrateful child." Zane said and I just sighed as I looked back up at him. 

"Think whatever you want about me. I know the truth, you don't. Now you've talked to me, if that's all you wanted you can leave." I told him and he glared down at me before turning and making his way out of the club. 

Once he was through the door my legs gave out  and my chest hurt so much. I think I had forgotten to breath. Immediately Jimin used his ability to calm me down as I began to breath regularly as I just shut my eyes. 

"Thank you." I said a bit breathless as I could hardly hear my own words. Jungkook was crouched beside me as I opened my eyes once again, and he reached out before taking my hand in his. The pain in my chest leaving me immediately as I tried to stand back up. 

Jungkook supported me as I went and sat back down on my bar stool. I sent a silent prayer to Tara for lending me her strength temporarily. I'd probably see her in my dreams later like the cryptic dead person she was. 

"Are you okay Addie?" Namjoon asked me as he had now made his way behind the bar as I just nodded my head, not trusting my voice enough right now. 

"You're not okay, you're pale." Jin said as he was making his way towards all of us. 

"That's probably because of his purple drink comment, sometimes I wish I couldn't read between the lines." I said in a shaky tone as I closed my eyes once again, laying my head on the back of the bar stool as I was sitting side ways in it. 

"We should go home for the night, you don't look too good." Hoseok said as I just shook my head a bit. 

"I'll be fine in a bit, my body just hasn't fully recognized that he's gone. Whatever fricking blessing I have thanks to Tara she could have made it anything besides crippling fear." I told them as I shivered slightly and sat back up. 

"When were you able to sense him?" Namjoon asked me as Taehyung wrapped an arm around me tightly. 

"As soon as he stepped inside the club, I felt the fear immediately even though I didn't know he was in the club until I looked up saw him, and then I dropped behind the counter." I told him as he nodded and he looked around at the others. 

"We'll give it thirty minutes and if you're not feeling any better we're closing shop for the night and you're not gonna argue with us." Jin said in an ordering tone and I didn't have the energy to fight right now. 

I swiveled the bar stool around so that I was facing Taehyung before hugging myself to him and he wrapped his arms back around me. I smiled softly as he rubbed my back softly, I felt so content in his arms, but then I remembered what Zane had said. 

"Wait, did he actually hurt my parents though?" I asked them and I pulled away from Taehyung slightly to look at the others. 

"I'll send some of our men to check, but he might have and he also might have not. But you can't go against what you just said, you will not trade yourself for them. No sacrificing yourself for anyone." Namjoon told me in a hard tone as I just nodded my head as I hugged myself to Taehyung once again. Hugs from them always helped me feel a lot better. 

"Alright let's get back to work then everyone, we'll check on her in about thirty minutes." Hoseok told everyone and besides Jungkook and Taehyung everyone left the bar, but I was still in Taehyung's arms. I wouldn't let them call off work early for me, but I did hope the rest of the night went by quickly and with no other incidents.