Freda is already outside, waiting patiently for her best friend to get ready for their big night out.
"You look stunning, Dani."
"Thanks," she replied.
The truth is that she is nervous about tonight. She has never hung out before, only working her ass off to make ends meet for her and her family. They weren't doing so well financially because they were omega wolves, the lowest and poorest rank of werewolves.
Although, other lucky omega wolves are faring well like Freda's family. She does not have to do menial jobs like me to make money.
"What are you thinking about?" Freda asked, concerned at how absent-minded her friend was.
"Nothing, are you sure that this night will be worth it?" Danielle asked, her nervousness kicking in and taking over her.
Freda chuckled lightly, "Relax, Dani. You are going to be fine and once you taste some wine, you'll feel free."
Danielle nods and relaxes her mind, they arrived at the club few minutes later. Freda held Danielle's hand as she led her inside, the music blasts into their ears as they make their way in. Danielle is in awe at the new environment she is in, young adults are dancing to the loud music while some are making out at hidden corners.
Freda pops a bottle of wine and cheers excitedly, "Happy eighteenth birthday, Dani!"
She pours the wine in two glasses and hands Danielle one glass to take. The latter gulps it down, her face contorting in disgust when the burning taste of alcohol swirls down her throat.
" It is good, isn't it?" Freda yells.
Danielle can only nod as she takes another shot of wine, this time around she smiles in satisfaction and begins to move her body to the music. The wine made her to feel good and for once, she forgets about the miseries that are going on in her life.
"This is good, Freda. I think I will be doing this often!" she yells back.
Danielle is grateful that she has found her mate when she was sixteen, this gives her less worry about transforming into a werewolf this night. Her cellphone vibrate in her bag, she picks it immediately she sees that it's her parents.
"Mom, Dad, I can't hear you!" Danielle scream over the phone, she is holding the urge not to hang up and continue her party but the voice at the background changes her mind rapidly.
"You better come back home or your parents is as good as dead," a deep voice growls.
Danielle quickly alert Freda about this who begins to panic at what she hears.
"You need to take me, please...." Danielle pleads.
Freda agrees and they rush out of the club. Luckily for them, the car belongs to Freda she drives as roughly as she can handle to my house.
"Let me follow you inside," Freda offers but Danielle objects.
"It's not safe for both of us to go in there at once, just go home."
"Stay safe, Dani," Freda says and I wave her goodbye as she drives off.
My parents are already tied up when I enter inside, my father's face is purple and swollen and I understand instantly that he must have been beaten severely.
"Who the hell are you guys?" Danielle asks them boldly.
They laugh and approach her in a haughty manner, Danielle takes a few steps backward in fear.
"You should be asking your parents who we are, little girl. We'll be taking our leave now but have it in mind that we will return at the end of the week for our money."
Money? Danielle looks at her parents dumbly while the men leave.
"Danielle..."
"What are these men talking about, mom?"
Her mother, Ellen, is already filled with tears while her father, Anton, is struggling to get up.
"We will tell you but promise not to freak out," Ellen said.
Danielle has no other option than to accept to keep her cool.
"We didn't want to tell you because we thought that you'll be mad at us. At the time that completing your high school became difficult, your father borrowed three hundred thousand dollars from a man called Ezekiel Williams. We sorted out your school bills and used the rest to start a business but it crumbled in a flash, the money is gone with no way to pay back," Ellen explained.
Danielle slumps on the couch, she realizes that the situation is not something simple. The man wants his money back and her parents do not have it. Seeing the manner in which her father was beaten up, Danielle knew instantly that this man must be powerful but aside from that, she needed to do something about his money.
"Mom, how do I meet this man? I want to talk to him so he can give us more time to figure this out."
Ellen shakes her head, "Danielle, Ezekiel Williams is a dangerous man to deal with. You can't mess with him like that, leave the situation to us."
Danielle bursts into tears, it's obvious that this man will kill her parents by the end of the week if they don't provide his money. She has to do something about it, maybe she should try to raise half of the money as first installment.
She looks at her father, he is breathing in and out heavily with bruises all over his body. Her eyes glimmer with determination to help her parents out and save their lives.
She can do it!