Chapter 4

Declan~

The chick on top of me rode me hard, moaning like she was auditioning for a spot in the p**n industry—and I just knew I hadn’t signed up for this.

Her hands were everywhere—greedy, impatient. I liked that. But her words were filthier than necessary. Like she was desperate to fill the silence between us.

I preferred the silence.

She—Joana? Jane? I wasn't sure—leaned down, grabbed my shoulders and rolled her hips on my cock. Come on… The hard flesh pulsed with heat, but I couldn't seem to get there. 

I gripped her hips and guided her faster. “You like that?” she gasped.

I didn't answer. Somehow taking that as a yes, she cupped her tits and shoved them in my face. “And these? You like them?”

I resisted an eye roll but bit a nipple for good measure. 

“Mm-yeah!” She moaned, thrusting it harder in my mouth. Jesus, fuck. “You feel so good!” 

Right.

“I’m daddy’s little whore.” 

Ew. What the fuck? 

Like I said. Nastier than necessary.

I closed my eyes, my stomach rolling for some reason. Mentally, even my wolf had checked out—receding to the darkest corner of my mind. 

This was far from the turn-on she thought it was. 

Still, I went through the motions— kissed her neck, pulled her hair, fucked into her from below.

She got louder. A little overeager. Every sound she made screamed performance—like she was trying to impress me. 

I just wanted to be done.

Come on, baby. Come, already—I wished.

Instead, she squeezed those breasts dramatically, her blonde hair spilling everywhere.

She was beautiful, I admit. She should've done it for me, but—my mind wasn't here anymore.

It was back at the bar.

On the young as hell bride to be.

My wolf stirred, instantly restless the second she brushed my thoughts. 

Maria.

Someone downstairs had mentioned her name and it'd stuck.

Memory of the way her stormy eyes flicked to my mouth—like she couldn’t help herself—had my wolf fighting me for control. Pacing restlessly in my subconscious. But him taking control right now would NOT bode well for Jane, here—so I resisted.

Funny enough, he'd been quiet for so long before tonight—possibly numbed by ages of disappointment. But the second I'd laid eyes on Maria, he'd growled.

It'd felt... strangely like an awakening.

Her aura had enveloped me like a cloud. Like the calm before a storm. 

But to him? She'd reeked of softness. And warmth. 

Of life.

I didn't know her, but it’d felt like I did. Like she was part of me—of us.

My wolf had wanted out with a terrifying intensity, but letting him take over would've ruined everything.

Her intoxicating scent still clung to me. Feminine. Addictive. 

It was buried in my lungs—had burned its way down there through my nostrils—and I could just taste it on my tongue if I imagined it hard enough.

And now my skin itched to find her. 

My wolf agreed. 'Find her. Claim her. Ours.'

'No,' I snapped inwardly. She’s taken.

Off-limits, for crying out loud!

My wolf snarled. It didn’t care. 

And the worst part? I wasn't sure I did, either.

Goddess, if I could just get one more glimpse…

She'd looked so marvelous, the memory alone was doing it for me, until–

“Yes! Yess!” 

Fuck, no. 

“Wreck that pussy!”

Goddess, this bitch was wrecking my one moment of clarity.

“Harder!”

I gritted my teeth. That's it.

I flipped her over so she was on all fours, shoved her knees apart and thrust deep. She screamed. 

She wanted it hard? I could give hard. Question was, could she take it though?

I spanked her little-white-ass till my fingerprints were permanently imprinted there, and she was still– begging for more? Honestly, where was this bitch from? 

This kind of fucking wasn't my thing. It made me feel dirty.

And it was a struggle to lose myself in the slickness of her pussy when in my mind, Maria's grey eyes were staring back at me—a sad yet defiant look in their depths. Still, it'd been enough to make my blood hum and my instincts stand at attention more than it was doing right now, though.

But, damn—she was too young for me.

Too young and too engaged..

Fuck.

I’d seen the diamond ring on her finger, and my blood had gone cold. My wolf had only gotten more agitated. It didn’t register human boundaries, only instinct. 

'Mate', it’d growled. 'Mine.'

But she wasn't… mine.

And I had no business fantasizing about her, or getting off on thoughts of her like this. 

Just as I had no business ending up back here with a woman whose name I wasn't sure I remembered, just so I could fuck the new-found want out of my system. 

But the need… it clawed at me. And it'd only been a couple of hours already.

I was done for.

Jane clawed at my back, her moans dramatically high. I could tell she was forcing it now—overacting in hopes of grabbing my attention. 

“You like that, daddy? Gonna come for me?”

I exhaled sharply.

What I'd like… was Maria.

Here. Her cheeks flushed, just like this. Her eyes that spoke volumes, staring up at me. Doing things to me.

And her lips..

I imagined how they'd taste when I kissed her uncertainty away. How her breath would hitch and her body would respond, trembling at my touch, arching—

My cock jerked.

“Fuck,” I muttered, breathless.

I fisted the warm flesh available in front of me, but the feel of another woman's sweat was suddenly jarring to me. I wanted it off me.

I wanted out of this room, dammit. 

Jane moaned again—fake, desperate—and I flinched like she'd slapped me.

My erection deflated.

She had all the moves, but none of the spark I'd felt with Maria. 'Our mate', my wolf growled. 'Not this one. Get rid of her.' Honestly.

I forced Jane over the edge with practiced ease—felt her contract around me. Then forced hard breaths in her ear so she thought I'd finished, too.

“I love the feel of your cum inside me,” She whispered.

But I hadn't come. And I’d used a condom. She either didn’t notice—or didn’t care. But neither did I.

I slipped out and went straight to the shower. My skin itched where she’d touched me. 

I scrubbed myself raw. Scrubbed until it burned.

Needed the scent of her gone. The guilt, too.

She wasn’t even gone yet, and I already regretted everything.

Steam coiled around me as I stared at the mirror. My reflection glared back—Older. Harder. Lonelier.

I hated how I looked tonight.

Like a man who wanted something he had no right wanting.

Like the ‘engaged’ young woman from the bar who was barely past girlhood.

Fuck.

Why couldn't I get her off my mind?

She wasn’t mine. Couldn't be.

But tell that to whatever had rewired in me the moment I'd laid eyes on her.

I should've killed such thoughts the second I saw her ring. Should’ve ignored the way her voice echoed in my chest hours later. 

But I didn’t.

Maybe because she reminded me of a time before everything went to shit. 

Before Greta. 

Before Jason had stopped calling me dad.

Tomorrow was my son's wedding and I hadn’t even been invited—not properly, anyway.

Just a name on a card. 

No phone call. No father-son moment. No tie adjusting. Nothing.

Greta had made sure of that.

She’d turned him against me the second I'd walked away from her. Used our son like a pawn in a game only she was interested in playing. And for so long, I'd let her. That was the part that burned.

I’d let her.

I shut off the water and dried off, hoping Jane had taken the hint and left.

She had.

But so had my wallet and my watch.

I chuckled under my breath. Of course. Goddess forbid I got laid without losing something.

I dressed quickly—tossed on my black shirt,  dark jeans and boots before leaving the room. Then, the building—which I happened to own—moments later.

And froze.

Because there she was.

The object of my thoughts: Maria.

Standing outside my hotel like she’d just walked through hell and didn't know whether to scream or collapse. 

My heart didn’t pound. It somersaulted. 

I didn't know hearts could do that.

For a moment, all I did was stare. 

She looked... wrecked. Her makeup was smudged, her cheeks streaked with tears that made me want to rip apart whoever put it there with my bare hands—and she held a duffle bag like it was all she had left to hold on to. 

Something ugly twisted in my chest.

She looked broken.

And it broke me.

‘Mine’, my wolf growled again, fierce and sure.

I stepped forward, before even realizing it. All I knew was that she was here again. And there was no room for hesitation.

I reached for her, gently grabbing her arm before she could pass me—in case she wanted to pull away. I hoped she didn’t. 

I stared into those stormy grey eyes and hated what I saw. The hurt. Fear. Confusion.

But there was also something else there. 

Relief. 

Because of me?

Either way, I was just grateful she didn't pull back. Thank Goddess for small mercies.

Her skin was cold. My wolf let out a low rumble—he didn't like that either.

“Come with me,” I said.

It was a plea.

And when she nodded, letting me lead her despite her fear—

My heart warmed.

Maybe she felt our connection too.

Whatever it was scared the hell out of me, but if she was choosing to come with me—I wasn’t sure I could ever let her go.

And truthfully? I had no plans to.

Not tonight.

Hopefully... not ever.