004

Rosie's POV

Weekends. Weekends are my thing. 

The only time I truly get to rest, aside from Pack training, of course. Usually, it'd be just me and Ashton, planning how we'd waste our free time doing absolutely nothing or everything at once. 

Speaking of Pack training... yeah, that's not happening today. Not because I don't want to go, but because i was fucking grounded. 

All thanks to Xylus and his overprotective, fun-killing ass. 

Xylus can be cool when he wants to be, but when it comes to parenting me? The guy is like some overbearing, grumpy old man trapped in the body of my brother. 

And after last night? Yeah. I doubt I'll be allowed to breathe without supervision. 

I still don't even know how to process it. It wasn't a dream. It happened. 

I actually kissed Dominic. No, he kissed me. 

Like, an actual, real-ass, hot as hell, toe-curling kiss. A shiver ran down my spine just thinking about it. 

Fuck.

How the hell am I supposed to look Ashton in the eye now and tell him, "Hey, so, funny story your jerk of a brother and I totally made out last night." 

Yeah. Not happening. 

And Cassie? Goddess. Just the way she looked at me that night was enough to make my skin crawl. Her glare alone could've burned a hole straight through my skull. 

I already knew I'd put myself in a tight spot. 

She's Dominic's girlfriend, and trust me, she's got her little minions scattered all around, adhering onto her every word like she's some damn Luna. 

And knowing how much of a bitch she is, I wouldn't put it past her to try to rip me apart during training. 

Not that I'm scared of her. Please. 

I just don't want more unnecessary drama in my life. 

"Don't forget you're grounded. You stay in until I'm back," Xylus' voice echoed from downstairs. 

I rolled my eyes so hard they practically touched the back of my skull. "Yeah, I 

know..." I yelled back. 

"Roll your eyes one more time, and I swear, I'm adding another forty-eight hours." He called back.

Oh, for fuck's sake. 

The dude just knows me too well. And it's annoying as hell. 

"Sorry," I muttered, even though I wasn't. 

I didn't get to hear him reply, instead I heard the front door creak open, then shut, and I let out a breath. Finally. Silence. 

Dragging my lazy ass out of bed, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. 

Yikes.

If "miserable" had a face, it would be mine. My hair was a disaster, my eyes looked like I hadn't slept in weeks, my face was kind of swollen from all the tossing and turning last night, and my lips. Fuck, they were still slightly swollen from last night. 

I groaned, stomping into the bathroom. Spending extra time soaking in the bathtub, letting the warmth wash away the exhaustion pressing down on me. 

Thirty minutes later, I was freshly showered, my face no longer looking like roadkill, and stuffing my mouth with the pancakes Xylus had left me on the counter and ate in silence. 

He's always been a better cook than me. Maybe that's the price of being forced to play the parent role at such a young age. 

Pack training lasted three hours. Which meant I still had a couple of hours to myself before the house was filled with people again. 

With nothing else to do, I flopped onto my bed, sinking into the mattress, and grabbed my book. If I was going to be stuck in here, I might as well spend the day properly with some dark romance to keep me company. 

Curled up against the pillows, I flipped open the worn-out pages, my eyes scanning the words like they were my lifeline. 

The scene was intense. 

The kind of shit that makes your breath hitch, your body heat up, your skin tingle, a tear rolling down your thighs, and your mind wander to places it probably shouldn't. 

For the Moon Goddess' sake, I shouldn't even be reading this. 

But what's the point of hiding it? It's my guilty pleasure. 

And holy fuck, was it getting to me. 

My fingers curled tighter around the book as my imagination started running wild. 

Steel-blue eyes. Smug grin. That stupid, cocky-ass smirk. Well-toned muscles, and fuck. Those abs. 

Those abs that made my fingers itch to trace every single inch. 

Dominic.

Why the hell couldn't I get him out of my head? 

The kiss. His hands. The way his tongue moved against mine slow, teasing, like he knew exactly what he was doing to me. 

My breath hitched, my thighs pressing together on instinct. 

I was so fucked. 

Goddess, help me, because all I could think about was him. 

His touch. His voice. That fucking look he gave me before everything turns out of control. 

My hand moved on its own, trailing down my stomach, hesitating at my thigh as I let out a shaky breath. 

What if it were him? 

The thought alone sent a shiver racing down my spine, heat pooling between my legs. My eyelids fluttered shut, my head tipping back against the pillows.

A throat cleared behind me. 

I froze. 

FUCK.

My eyes snapped open. My entire body went rigid. 

My mind raced. 

Heart slamming against my ribs. 

Should I hide the book? Oh ny the goddess, should I hide my hand?! 

Slowly, so painfully slowly, I turned my head. 

And there he was. My prince charming. My worst nightmare? 

Dominic. 

Leaning against my doorframe like he fucking owned the place. Arms crossed. Smug. Smirking. 

Steel blue eyes burning with amusement. 

Iam going to pass away.

"Enjoying yourself?" His voice was filled with amusement, smooth and cocky, and fuck, it only made things worse. 

Kill me. Right now. Please.

Heat exploded across my face, my stomach plummeting straight to the core of the fucking earth. 

I wanted to die. 

"Nope!"

I squeaked, slamming the book shut so hard it almost flew out of my hands. "Nope, I was no enjoying myself! At all." 

Dominic cocked an eyebrow, pushing off the doorframe as he took a slow, deliberate step forward. 

I scrambled back against the headboard, my face burning.