6. The Morning After.

Rose's POV

Warmth.

That’s the first thing I feel.

Warmth spreading down my spine, my legs, curling under my skin like a secret I shouldn’t have. For a moment, I’m floating, numb, relaxed… So relaxed. The sheets beneath me are impossibly soft…like sleeping on clouds dipped in money. They smell like cedar, smoke, and something deeply masculine.

Then my eyes flutter open… and everything crashes down all at once.

This… is not my room.

I sit up instantly, panic punching the air out of my lungs. My head throbs, my body aches, and my skin tingles like something electric crawls beneath it. My fingers grip unfamiliar silk sheets. A massive chandelier hangs above. Tall glass windows open to a skyline view glittering with city lights….even though it’s early morning.

Five-star ultra-modern penthouse.

My heart sinks.

Last night…

A dinner party.

Wine.

Music vibrating in my skull.

Heat in the back of my neck.

His scent.

A flash hits me like a slap: Adrian Wolfie…, the Billionaire, doubled over in pain, shirt ripped open, breathing ragged. I reached for him. His hand found mine. Heat exploded. Then…his mouth on my lips, my body. Lips, skin, tangled sheets, breathless whispers…

My throat tightens.

“Oh no…” I whisper, horror crawling up my spine.

My legs tremble as I slide off the bed, finding my shoes scattered on the marble flooring. My dress lies ruined on the edge of the bed…soaked in alcohol, wrinkled, torn at the hem. I stare at it like it belongs to another life.

And then…

I feel it.

A dull ache between my thighs.

Heavy.

Strange!.

Tears sting my eyes before I can stop them.

My first time.

My first everything…kiss, touch… Everything!.

And it’s a blur drowned in wine and heat.

I’m about to silently scream when the sheets behind me shift…deep, masculine movement. I freeze. Slowly, I turn.

He lies there half-naked, hair mussed, sheets resting on his hips, skin bronze under the sunlight. Adrian looks effortlessly powerful even in sleep. His jaw clenches like he’s fighting something in his dream. His back muscles are sculpted, broad, and perfect. A faint scar curves along his rib… Wonder where he gets them…Dirty business, I guess?

My breath falters. I should hate him, but my body feels weirdly drawn, like a magnet.

I back away on trembling legs, planning to sneak into the bathroom, to disappear…

“Running away so early?”

His voice slices through the air…cold, deep, controlled.

I freeze.

He sits up slowly, eyes dark as midnight, hair falling into his face. His eyes lock onto mine. There’s no softness. Just intensity.

I swallow loudly. “D-Did we… do something?”

He stares. Silence stretches, tight and cutting.

“Yes,” he finally answers bluntly. “We did.”

My knees wobble. The room tilts.

“And…” I whisper, voice trembling, “You cleaned up after…because I…”

He studies me, gaze darkening.

“You were a virgin.”

The words rip me open.

I crumble.

My knees hit marble. Tears fall hot and fast. My body shakes uncontrollably as shame rushes through me. I can’t breathe. Why him? Why me? Why like that?

“It’s ruined,” I choke. “I ruined it. My first time… to a stranger who doesn’t even care.”

Adrian goes still…eyes widening barely. He looks… affected. Like something stabbed him. He shifts closer…But I jerk backward.

“Don’t,” I whisper.

“Rose…”

“No!” My voice cracks. “You kissed me… touched me… and I just—let you. What’s wrong with me?.... Wait, how do you know my name?” He ignores the question.

He looks down, jaw clenching hard. “You weren’t forced. I would never…”

“That’s worse,” I snap. “I gave myself freely like some stupid…”

My voice breaks again.

Humiliated, I scramble to my feet and rush into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. I collapse onto the shower floor and twist the knob. Water pours over me…cold needles hitting my skin. My tears mix with it.

Why do I feel so drawn?

Why did it feel familiar?

Why did it feel… right?

How does he know my name…Probably through my Company ID on the floor.

The warmth from his hands… the way his pain faded when I touched him… that invisible pull between us.

My heartbeat feels like it’s not mine.

“What is wrong with me…” I whisper, clutching my chest.

I cry, water drowning out the sound.

I’m losing it.

ADRIAN — POV

She’s a virgin!.

The words slam through my skull harder than any battlefield wound. Mates or not…first times are sacred. Wolves value them. I broke something that can’t be returned.

Damn it.

I rake a hand through my hair, pacing the room with heavy steps. My wolf snarls inside…protective, possessive, enraged at myself.

Last night…I was burning alive. My power was fading for weeks. My bones felt like they were turning to ash. I thought I would shift uncontrollably, rip this room apart.

And then she touched me.

The moment her skin met mine…fire vanished. I breathed again. My lungs opened. My wolf howled. The bond. I felt it.

But she doesn’t know.

She can’t know. I can’t fall for a human.

I hear footsteps. The penthouse door opens.

Caleb.

“Man, you look like hell,” he says, dropping into a leather chair. “Meeting in an hour. The humans won’t sign anything without you.”

He freezes suddenly…eyes narrowing at the chaotic sheets, her shoes, her scent trailing thick in the air.

“What happened here?”

I sigh, pressing fingers to my temple. “Rose was drunk at the dinner. Somehow, this floor was unlocked. She stumbled into my room. I was in pain—she touched me and it stopped. We… connected.”

Caleb’s mouth falls open. “Rose??... The same Rose??”

“You slept with her?”

I grit my teeth. “Yes.”

“But…she’s human.”

“She’s something else,” I mutter. “And she was a virgin.”

Caleb’s brows shoot up halfway up his forehead. “Oh, Lunar gods.” Looking around. “You cleaned up?... Woah…”

“Don’t,” I warn, before he says another thing to hurt my ego.

He whistles low. “Never seen the great Alpha Adrian lose control. This is history.”

I glare. He lifts both hands in surrender.

“Okay, okay. Calm down, Alpha.”

A faint sound interrupts us…the bathroom door unlocking.

Rose steps out in a plush hotel robe, hair damp, cheeks flushed from crying. She freezes seeing Caleb.

“Oh God…” she whispers. “You again?”

She squints at him. “Why do you look familiar…”

Caleb laughs awkwardly. “Coincidences happen. Nice… to see you sober this time.”

Her face goes red instantly. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he grins. “We’ve all been there.”

She glares. “I don’t remember agreeing to be here.”

I cut in…cold. “You wandered off. You came here, to me.” Caleb walks out, trying not to interfere.

Her eyes flare. Hurt flashes across her face…and I hate myself for it.

“I need to get dressed,” she says stiffly. “But my clothes are disgusting.”

I pull out a designer box, white matte with gold embossing, that I’ve prepared when she was asleep…and hand it to her.

She opens it slowly and gasps.

A fitted luxury dress. Deep emerald. Soft, expensive silk that will cling to every curve.

“I— I can’t wear this,” she stammers. “It costs more than my rent.”

“Wear it,” I order. “Your old dress is… ruined.”

She bites her lip. “Can you turn around? Please?”

I scoff. “There’s nothing to hide. I’ve already seen everything.”

She turns bright scarlet, snatches the dress, and storms back into the bathroom. I cross my arms over my chest, hiding guilt.

Minutes later, she steps out…dress hugging her perfectly. Her waist, hips, shoulders... the fabric worships her. My throat goes dry.

Caleb walking back in, shouted in awe, “Damn.”

I shoot him a side-glare. He points at his wrist, watching, gesturing to me to hurry up.

Rose tries to act unaffected. “I’ll pay you back. Somehow.”

“You won’t,” I reply sharply.

Suddenly, irrational fear claws at me: her leaving without anything tying us. Stupid.

She nods stiffly and heads toward the door when I toss a black designer bag of money I’ve prepared at her feet. It hits softly.

She pauses. “What’s this?”

“A thank you,” I answer coldly. “And a reminder to keep quiet. If you need anything to stay silent…take it.”

Her face freezes. All color drains.

Then she walks towards me and slaps me…suddenly.

Hard.

The sound cracks the air like lightning.

My jaw clenches. My wolf snarls…But I stand still, trying to understand the situation she’s in.

“How dare you?” she breathes. “I am NOT some… some cheap whore you can pay off. I gave you something precious. And I can’t ever get it back.”

Her voice shakes, eyes burning…not weak tears, but angry fire.

Good. Fire suits her.

Before she storms off, I grab her waist and pull her close. Too close. My mouth touches her neck gently. Her heartbeat drums against my chest.

Her eyes tremble. Mine don’t.

“Listen carefully,” I growl. “I’m not apologizing for taking something you offered. But I am sorry it happened without love.”

Her breath catches. I lean closer, my hands slipping down her waist, enjoying the moment, forgetting Caleb’s presence, voice dropping.

“And I enjoyed it. You did, too.”

Her leg trembles. She pushes me back with both hands, breathless and furious.

“Arrogant jerk,” she hisses.

She storms past Caleb, who jogs after her. “I’ll get her home,” he says, winking at me before he leaves the room.

The door slams.

Silence.

The scent she leaves behind clings to my lungs.

I sit heavily on the edge of the bed, fingers digging into my knee. My wolf presses against my ribs, pacing.

Mine.

Shut up, I hiss internally.

What’s this human about?.

She’s the reason my pain vanished. The reason my wolf stirs. The reason my heart hasn’t stopped racing since last night.

My Luna?...No… She’s a human.

ROSE — POV

The elevator doors close with a soft chime. I slump against the mirror, chest tight, tears burning again.

I slap my own forehead.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

He gave me money.

He called it a thank-you.

He acted like he didn’t care.

And I slapped him.

Who does that to a billionaire? My life could be over now

My lip trembles. Caleb stands beside me silently, hands tucked in his pockets.

“You okay?” he asks gently.

“No,” I whisper. “But I’ll pretend.”

He nods slowly. “Just… remember to breathe. The world doesn’t end today.”

No. But something feels like it’s beginning.

Something I’m terrified of.

When the doors open, Caleb escorts me outside. The car provided lights that blurred. Street sounds echo.

I climb in.

Home feels different now.

Like I’m missing a piece.

But why do they strangely feel familiar… Am I missing anything?.

ADRIAN — POV

As Caleb returns, he leans on the wall, folding his arms.

“She got home safely,” he says quietly.

I nod.

“You okay?” he asks.

No.

“Yes,” I lie.

He narrows his eyes. “Your pain is gone?”

“Completely.”

“Is it because of —”

“Don’t,” I cut him off.

He sighs. “Fine. But remember… great wolves fall when they deny bonds.”

He leaves me alone with my thoughts.

I look at the dent on the pillow where her head rested.

My wolf howls inside me.

This is far from over.