One

Chapter 1

Mirabel’s POV

I still cannot believe I am actually going to sleep with my boyfriend tonight.

The thought kept looping in my head as I staggered into the hotel room, champagne fizzing warmly through my bloodstream. The Moonshade Bay Full Moon Festival was raging downstairs, music and laughter bleeding through the walls, and I had definitely drunk more than I intended. I needed the courage. Tonight was supposed to matter.

The hotel was pure madness. Humans and werewolves crowded the halls together, laughing and brushing shoulders during the single night each year when the strict separation rules were lifted and curfews disappeared. I was lucky to get a room at all.

“Room 716, human section,” the exhausted receptionist had said while handing me the key card. Her eyes were glassy with stress, clearly overwhelmed by the festival chaos.

The moment I stepped inside, a strange scent filled my lungs. It was spicy and heavy, almost dizzying, and it made my head swim even more. The room itself was far nicer than I expected. Plush furniture, soft lighting, expensive sheets. I smiled to myself, assuming fate was being kind for once.

I texted James the room number and started getting ready. After two years together, I was finally prepared to take that step, especially since he was leaving Moonshade Bay tomorrow for a new job. I had planned this carefully. The lingerie, the timing, everything. Tonight was meant to be perfect.

When I was done, I stretched out on the bed to wait. The champagne buzz and that strange scent wrapped around me, making my eyelids heavy. I left the door unlocked for James.

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I felt was the mattress dipping beneath someone’s weight. The room was completely dark, the full moon casting pale light through the window.

Then hands were on me. Firm. Insistent. My body reacted instantly in a way that startled me. His skin was blazing hot against mine, nothing like James’s familiar cool touch. In my foggy state, I blamed the alcohol and the restless heat that had been simmering in me all evening.

I felt him between my thighs, hard and pulsing, and fear tangled with need in my chest. He did not hesitate. He pushed closer, removing the final barrier without a word.

In the darkness, I caught a brief glimpse of him and my breath caught at his size. Before I could process it, he thrust into me. Pain tore through me, sharp and overwhelming. I bit down hard on my lip to keep from crying out, fingers digging into his wide, powerful back as he filled me without mercy.

He moved with raw force, each deep drive stealing my breath, my body trembling between hurt and a heat I did not understand. The bed groaned beneath us, my breasts bouncing with every harsh movement, my nipples brushing his sweat slick chest. Wet sounds filled the room as my body betrayed me, growing slick despite the ache of my first time.

His rhythm quickened, muscles tightening beneath my hands like coiled steel. With one final, shuddering thrust, he spilled inside me, hot and heavy.

I gasped as my body clenched around him, a hazy rush washing through me as he collapsed forward. His weight pinned me to the bed, an arm sliding around my waist in a possessive hold.

I struggled to breathe, heart racing wildly in the darkness. The sheets were impossibly soft against my bare skin. The arm around me was warm. No, not warm. Almost burning.

I smiled faintly to myself, trying to calm my pounding heart. I had done it. I had finally given myself completely. It was far more intense than I imagined, almost savage, but maybe that was what passion really was.

“That was amazing, James,” I whispered, forcing the words past the lingering pain.

The body beside me went rigid. In a single sharp movement, he pulled away.

“Who the fuck is James?” a deep voice snapped, cold and unfamiliar.

Ice flooded my veins. That voice was not James’s.

I scrambled backward, heart slamming against my ribs as I reached blindly for the bedside lamp. My fingers hit the switch and bright light flooded the room.

Oh God.

Sitting across from me was a man I had never seen before and easily the most breathtaking man I had ever encountered. His hair was jet black, his eyes a glowing amber, his body carved like stone. A thin scar cut through his left eyebrow, and his expression hovered between confusion and fury.

“Who are you?” I screamed, clutching the sheets to my chest. “Where is James?”

His gaze hardened. “This is room 716. I followed a scent here. Your door was open.” His nostrils flared. “The real question is who are you, and why does your scent…” He stopped abruptly and shook his head as if trying to clear it.

The truth crashed down on me all at once. This was not James. I had slept with a complete stranger.

“This is my room,” I stammered, shaking uncontrollably. “Room 716. I was waiting for my boyfriend. James.”

His anger shifted into confusion. “This is room 716 on the werewolf floor.” His eyes swept over me and understanding dawned. “You are human.”

“Of course I am human,” I snapped, then froze. “Wait. Werewolf floor? They put me on the werewolf floor?”

He dragged a hand through his hair, suddenly looking disoriented despite his intimidating presence. “The full moon festival. The hotel is a disaster with the mixed accommodations.” His gaze sharpened as he studied me. “You truly had no idea who climbed into your bed, did you?”

“No,” I whispered. “I thought you were James.” My voice cracked.

His jaw clenched. “I smMirabeld you. I thought…” He shook his head again. “Forget it. The moon and the alcohol. I was not thinking straight.”

The weight of it all crushed me. I had lost my virginity to a stranger. A werewolf. On the night that was meant to define my relationship.

“Oh God,” I breathed, sliding down to the floor, clutching my clothes to my chest. “Oh God.”

Tears burned my eyes as reality closed in. How could the hotel make such a mistake? James would hate me. I would never forgive myself.

The werewolf watched me silently, amber eyes unreadable. For a brief second, something like concern flickered across his face, then vanished behind a cold mask.

“Get dressed,” he said flatly. “I will handle this.”

I could not move. I could not breathe. I curled against the wall, tears slipping free as I tried to disappear, to wake up from this nightmare.

But there was no waking up. This was real, and everything had already changed.

This is so fucked up.