Mabel’s POV
“Ugh, why is it so bright in here?”
I groaned into my pillow and yanked the blanket over my head. My skull throbbed, my stomach rolled, and my mouth tasted like old fruit. A hangover. The heavy kind.
I pulled in a breath to steady myself, but the air carried forest pine and a thick trace of dark chocolate. My eyes shot open. Zane. His scent clung to the sheets, soaked into the pillow. He had been here, recently.
My pulse spiked. I shoved myself up, blinking against the sunlight slicing through the curtains. The light stabbed behind my eyes, making me squint. My body felt like one big bruise, every muscle sore.
I glanced down. Silver top. Black leather pants. Right. Vivian’s makeover. The club. Cocktails. Too many of them. I remembered Nia’s laugh, Ronan spilling beer, Iver’s grin, Dawn’s shout, Zina pulling me to the dance floor. My legs had gone wobbly. And… oh no. Was I
Mabel’s POV"Miss Mabel, may I have a word?"I froze on the last step. Sullivan stood in the hall, tall and steady, his voice smooth but serious.My legs still throbbed from yesterday’s workout. All I wanted was to hide in the kitchen, but here was the future Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack calling me out like I mattered."You… want to talk to me?" I asked.He nodded once. "In private, please."Private? My chest tightened. My room was out of the question, and his even worse. I cleared my throat. "The garden, then.""Lead the way, Miss Mabel." He smiled faintly, like the words themselves carried weight.That “Miss” again. I didn’t know whether to blush or bolt.The morning air was cool as we stepped into the garden. My legs dragged. Sullivan noticed."Are you hurt?" he asked.I tried to stand straighter. "It’s nothing. Don’t worry."
Mabel’s POV“Ugh, why is it so bright in here?”I groaned into my pillow and yanked the blanket over my head. My skull throbbed, my stomach rolled, and my mouth tasted like old fruit. A hangover. The heavy kind.I pulled in a breath to steady myself, but the air carried forest pine and a thick trace of dark chocolate. My eyes shot open. Zane. His scent clung to the sheets, soaked into the pillow. He had been here, recently.My pulse spiked. I shoved myself up, blinking against the sunlight slicing through the curtains. The light stabbed behind my eyes, making me squint. My body felt like one big bruise, every muscle sore.I glanced down. Silver top. Black leather pants. Right. Vivian’s makeover. The club. Cocktails. Too many of them. I remembered Nia’s laugh, Ronan spilling beer, Iver’s grin, Dawn’s shout, Zina pulling me to the dance floor. My legs had gone wobbly. And… oh no. Was I
Zane’s POV“Wake up, Mabel,” I whispered, nudging her shoulder.Nothing. Not when I killed the engine. Not when I carried her in my arms up the stairs. She stayed limp against me, soft breaths brushing my collar.I should have been furious. She had drunk herself into this state. What if I hadn’t been here? Did she even realize how defenseless she looked?Yet on the third-floor landing, she stirred. She pressed her nose into my neck, gave a small moan, and sent a hot shiver racing through me. Her breath slipped under my shirt and the ache in my gut twisted lower.“Damn it,” I muttered. I was supposed to scold her, not fall apart.She had no idea how easily she ruled me.I paused in the hallway, staring at two doors. Her room. Mine. Which was safer?Taking her into my space would blur lines she wasn’t ready for. With a sigh, I turned left into her room. I set her on the b
Mabel’s POV“I swear I’m fine, Vivian! I just needed a little drink.”Three cocktails in, my words came out slurred, but my grin refused to leave. My arms shot into the air as the bass thumped through my ribs. The lights blurred, faces flashing and vanishing like pieces in a puzzle I couldn’t solve. Dawn, Zina, Finch, Iver—smiling, waving, gone again in the sea of moving bodies.My legs wobbled. Someone bumped my hip and kept me upright. I giggled louder than I should have, the sound lost in the roar of music. Vivian said dancing would lift my mood, so I had done the drinking part first. Now it was time for the second half.I let go. No Zane, no Navy, no doubts about being unwanted. Just me, the crowd, and the beat shaking my chest.I spun once, hair whipping across my cheek, and stumbled into someone’s shoulder. Strong hands caught my hips. I laughed, but the grip didn’t ease.
Mabel’s POV“Sullivan looks like trouble in the best way. I swear I could march right over and introduce myself,” Dawn said with a sigh, her gaze fixed on the shadowed booth upstairs. She leaned closer. “You think he’d notice me?”I didn’t bother answering. Dawn knew what she was fishing for.She frowned when I didn’t bite.Vivian picked up the silence for both of us. She already knew Sullivan wasn’t the type to play around. The rumors were clear enough. Midnight Guardians were different. They waited for their mates, and they didn’t waste time with meaningless flings.That only made Sullivan more dangerous. Every single woman wanted to be the one to break that streak, to claim his first time. Some of the men too. No wonder he carried a permanent scowl.Dawn groaned and leaned back, but my attention had already shifted to Vivian. Or more accurately, to the way she wa
Mabel’s POV"Are we interrupting?"The voice cut through the music. I turned with Ronan, and there stood Iver and Finch.Heat rushed to my cheeks. My hands were still on Ronan’s shoulders, and we were too close in the middle of the dance floor. I stepped back, trying to breathe, but Iver’s grin told me he had seen enough."Thought I’d steal a dance," Iver said, eyes locked on me. He ignored Ronan’s glare."Me next," Finch added with a laugh.Ronan’s jaw flexed. I couldn’t explain it, but the thought of either of them dancing with me set his whole body tense."We were just about to grab drinks," Ronan cut in, answering for me."Perfect," Iver said easily. "We’ll join you."So the four of us pushed through the crowd toward the bar. Vivian was already perched on a stool, watching everything with her usual calm.I slipped onto the seat beside her. The gu