Mariah POV
I swam away from the group. I couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t know what is going on with Nick. He never paid any mind to me growing up, even before he left for Alpha training during the summer. So why now? What changed? Ugh, I’m so frustrated. I don’t know why he makes me feel the things I do. I had to leave his touch, which almost had me moaning. I need to stay away from him.
“What’s troubling you, beautiful.” I hear Nick say, and I get startled.
“What are you doing here, Nick?” I ask.
“Just came to check on the most beautiful girl in the world,” He replies.
“I’m fine. I was just about to head inside.” I say, trying to swim past him.
He grips my arm and pushes me against the rocky wall behind the waterfall. I whimper as my back hits the wall. He has me pin again; this time, I don’t think I will get away quickly. He is looking at me with lust and hunger in his eyes. I swallow hard, feeling goosebumps all over my body. He leans in and licks my neck right where my mate mark belongs. I bite back a moan that threatens to come out.“Nick, please,” I say, but it sounds more like a moan.
“Please, what, Riah.” He replies huskily.
“This can’t happen,” I say and hitch my breath when he starts licking lower.
“Oh, goddess.” I think to myself.
He starts kissing in between my breasts. I struggle against him, hoping he will let go, but it’s worthless. He put his knee in between my legs and pinned me more to the wall. I groan in annoyance. He goes over my nipple and bites it. I feel he has traveling down my waist, and the moment it reaches my pussy, I lose it. I let go of a moan, not caring if they hear me. He puts his hand through my bikini, and he starts rubbing circles on my clit. My hands grip his shoulder tight.
“Oh Fuck.” I moan.
“Do you want me to stop?” He whispers in my ear and nibbles it.
“No,” I replied, breathless.
That’s all he needed to hear. He slammed his lips against mine. Kissing me like he is a starving man. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. He starts rubbing my pussy faster, and I can feel my release nearing. I moan, and he takes that as an opportunity to explore my mouth with his tongue. I pull away to catch my breath, and he takes his hand from my bikini. I’m about to protest, but I squeal when he picks me up so I can straddle him. His hands grip my ass under the bikini, making me whimper. I can feel his hard dick right against my pussy. I grind on it, trying to find some relief, and he lets out a sexy groan.
“If you keep doing that, and I’m going to fuck you right here and now.” He growls.
I grind faster, trying to get my release, not caring about the consequences. I feel his hand reach for my panties and move them to the side. He starts rubbing slow circles on my clit. I close my eyes and lean back, my release almost there. He covers my mouth, and I moan into it, letting my release go, my juice squirting all over his hands. I’m trying to catch my breath when I feel him poking my entrance with his dick. “Ready for it?” he says huskily. I’m about to respond when he slams his lips and rams his dick inside me at the same time. I grip his hair while he is fucking me senseless. I feel my orgasm building up, and I can tell he is near, too. He grabs my boob and starts suckling on my nipple. He must have felt my walls tightening because he sped up even more, and I let go of my release, and he filled me up with his seed. We stay there for a few minutes; he is breathing hard, and I’m in a trace when we hear Rose calling out for me. I get off him in a rush, fixing myself.
“Oh shit, I hope they don’t come in here looking for me,” I say, panicked.
“Hey, look at me, breathe; everything will be ok.” He says and cups my face.
“No, Nick, this should have never happened, and it won’t ever happen again,” I reply, pushing his hands off me.
He grabs me and pulls me towards him. “Why? I know you like me just as much as I like you.”
“Not now, Nick, I can’t do this right now; your girlfriend, my brother, and your sister are there. I don’t want to see their face if they find us together. They are going to kill us.” I groan.
“Fine, but we are putting this conversation on hold because now that I have tasted you, there’s no way I’m letting you go.” He says and gives me a tap kiss on the lips.
“Fine, we’ll talk later and wait a few minutes before u come out,” I say, take a deep breath, and dive under the waterfall.
I try to swim fast underwater so they don’t see me near the waterfall; once I think I’m far enough, I rise from the water.
“Hey, there you are. I have been calling you.’ Rose says.
“Oh, sorry, I was trying to see how long I can hold my breath underwater,” I reply nervously.
“Oh, ok, cool. Well, come in. We are trying to play beer pong, boys versus girls. Have you seen Nick?” She asks.
“Me, why would I have seen Nick,” I say, and I feel my cheeks red.
“I’m Here,” Nick says.
I turn around, and I see him walking out of the waterfall with a smirk on his face. I bite my lip, nervous. I hope she doesn’t suspect we were together.
“Want to play beer pong with us?” Rose asks as he is getting out of the pool.
“Yeah, sure, why not?” He replies.
“Mariah, are you coming?” She asks.
“Uh Huh, yeah, coming,” I reply anxiously.
Fuck I hope no one asks if we were together. Ugh, help me, goddess, I think to myself and start walking inside.
Mariah's POVThe sound of light footsteps in the hallway reached me just before the door to my room creaked open. My parents were the first to step in, their faces breaking into expressions of pure relief when they saw I was awake."Oh, sweetheart," my mom whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she hurried to my side. "You're awake." She leaned down, kissing my forehead before taking my hand in hers, her fingers warm and gentle.My dad stood behind her, his usual stoic demeanor giving way to a rare softness. He gave me a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was enough. He didn't need to say anything—his presence alone was comforting."Thank God, Mariah," he muttered, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He squeezed my hand before turning to Nick, who still sat by my side, never straying too far. "You've been through hell."Nick, who had been holding my hand ever since I woke up, gave a small nod but didn't speak. His eyes remained glued to me, like he was afrai
Josh’s POVI don’t remember walking to Julia’s guest room. One moment, I was standing outside of Mariah’s hospital room, my mind a mess, my body restless with emotions I couldn’t untangle. The next, I was here, standing at her door, my heart hammering against my ribs like a war drum.The bond is suffocating. It pulls at me, demanding I be near her, touch her, claim her. But Julia—Julia is hesitant.I swallow hard and lift my hand, knocking twice before I can second-guess myself.Silence.For a moment, I think she won’t answer. That maybe she’s ignoring me, or worse—maybe she’s inside, regretting everything.Then, the door creaks open.Julia stands there, bathed in the dim glow of her porch light, her dark eyes meeting mine with something unreadable. She’s barefoot, her hair loose and messy, and the sight of her like this—soft, unguarded—hits me like a punch to the gut.She’s beautiful.And she’s mine.The thought shakes me to my core.“What are you doing here, Josh?” Her voice is quie
Mariah's POVA breath shudders from my lips, my body aching as if I’ve been torn apart and stitched back together again. My eyelids feel impossibly heavy, my limbs sluggish, my throat raw. Every part of me protests as I force my eyes open, the dim light above me sending a dull throb through my skull.“Nick?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s enough.A choked sound breaks the silence, raw and filled with so much emotion it makes my chest tighten. I blink slowly, my vision still blurred, but I don’t need to see clearly to recognize the warmth surrounding me, the familiar scent of pine and earth that grounds me even as my body trembles.Nick.The bed shifts slightly, and then his face comes into focus. His usually sharp, confident eyes are red-rimmed, his jaw clenched so tightly I can see the strain in his expression. He looks wrecked. Like he’s been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for far too long.“You’re awake,” he breathes, his voice breaking as he grips
Nick’s POVThe moment I step into the hospital room her parents give me a sad smile, my heart clenches like a fist inside my chest.“We will go home and get some of her things.” Jennifer says and I nod. Her and her husband leave the room leaving Josh and me staring silently at Mariah. The steady beep of the heart monitor is the only sound breaking the silence, but even that doesn’t ease the fear curling in my gut.Mariah lies still, too still. Her dark lashes rest against her pale cheeks, her body fragile beneath the thin white blanket. Wires snake from her arms, monitors tracking her every breath, yet she seems so… lifeless.I stop at the foot of the bed, frozen, unable to take another step. My body screams at me to move, to touch her, to make sure she’s real, but my mind is stuck in the memories of the past few hours—the fear, the chase, the moment I thought I’d never see her again.I should have been there.The guilt crashes into me like a tidal wave, drowning out everything else
Nick’s POVThe tension in the air is thick as we make our way down the hall toward the interrogation room. My mind is still reeling from what the two women did for Mariah. They risked everything to save her, and I need to know exactly what happened—and who’s responsible.But something feels… off.Josh has been quiet. Too quiet. His footsteps are heavy beside me, but his energy is all over the place. His usual steady presence feels… unhinged. His breathing is sharp, his fists clenching and unclenching like he’s barely keeping himself from losing control.“Josh, you good?” I ask, glancing at him as we approach the door.“Yeah…” His voice is strained, but his jaw is locked so tight I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked a tooth.But the second I open the door, everything changes.The moment the scent of the two women hits the air, Josh freezes beside me like he’s been hit by a freight train.“Josh?” I say again, but he’s not listening.His entire body goes rigid, his eyes locking onto the small
Mariah’s POV (In Her Mind)Darkness. Thick and suffocating.It wraps around me like a heavy blanket, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. Days? Weeks? Time doesn’t exist in this place. It’s just me and the emptiness, stretching endlessly in every direction.“Is this what death feels like?”The thought whispers through my mind, chilling me to the core. But no… no, I can’t be dead. I refuse to believe that. There’s too much left unfinished. Too many people who need me.“Nick…”His name echoes through my mind, a lifeline in the sea of nothingness. I hold onto it tightly, letting the memory of his touch, his voice, his love, ground me. I picture his face—those intense, stormy eyes filled with worry, his jaw clenched in determination. I know he’s out there, searching for me, refusing to give up.“I’m still here,” I whisper to him, even though I know he can’t hear me. “I’m fighting. Please don’t give up on me.”But the bond between us feels…