로그인I didn’t knock.I just pushed the door open and stepped inside like I had every right to be there.He was standing by the window, city lights bleeding red and gold through half-open blinds. A black silk robe hung loose on his frame, the belt knotted low on his hips, and when he turned, the lamplight caught the sharp cut of his jaw, the hollow beneath his cheekbone, the glint of pale eyes making him look so deliciously dangerous—or was it dangerously delicious?My lungs stopped working.Cora hadn’t been exaggerating. This man was stupidly, unfairly hot.“Hi,” I said, and my voice cracked like I was thirteen. Heat flooded my face. “So, um. I’ve never actually done this before.”He tilted his head, “Done what, exactly?”Was that surprise I saw on his face?“Fucked a stranger in a sex club.” The words tumbled out too fast. “But at least you’re ridiculously attractive, so… small mercies, right?” I swallowed hard. “Look, I don’t need romance or sweet talk or any of that. I just need my virg
Amara's POVI woke up the next morning wrapped in warmth and safety, my back pressed against a solid wall of muscle. It took me a moment to remember where I was—in Zayne's bed, where I'd fallen asleep in his arms after our emotional conversation last night.The memories flooded back in a rush. Gabriel forcing a kiss on me. Zayne walking in. My desperate chase down the hallway. My confession. Choosing Zayne. Officially becoming his girlfriend.A smile tugged at my lips despite how early it was.Then I felt it—something hard pressing against my lower back, unmistakable and impossible to ignore.My entire face flushed hot with embarrassment as I realized Zayne was very clearly aroused, his morning erection pressing insistently against me through the thin fabric of our clothes. His arm was draped possessively over my waist, holding me close even in sleep.I bit my lip, torn between the urge to wake him up and the equally strong urge to let him sleep while I extracted myself from this incr
꧁ LYRA'S POVMy head was pounding.I groaned, pressing my palm against my forehead as consciousness slowly returned. The sheets beneath me were impossibly soft, far nicer than anything I owned, and they smelled like cedar and winter and…Oh god.Memory crashed over me in waves. The club. The dare. The man with the gray eyes who'd kissed me like he was drowning and I was air.Asher.My eyes flew open, and I sat up too quickly, immediately regretting it as the room spun. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a penthouse suite that probably cost more per night than I made in a month.And I was alone.I looked around the empty room, my heart doing something complicated in my chest that I refused to examine too closely. The other side of the bed was cold, the indentation in the pillow the only evidence that last night hadn't been some fever dream."Get it together, Lyra," I muttered to myself. "It was a one-night stand. That's literally the point. He's not supposed
Later that night, I was sitting alone in my room waiting for Zayne, who had gone out earlier to get some firewood for the fireplace. The house was quiet, almost eerily so, and I found myself anxiously checking my phone every few minutes.When it finally buzzed with a new message, my heart jumped into my throat.It was from the same unknown number.I grabbed the phone immediately and opened the text.Unknown: Hello, Emerald Wolf.My fingers flew across the keyboard as I furiously typed back.Me: Who the hell are you?! Tell me right now!The three dots appeared, showing they were typing. I waited, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.Unknown: Like I said before, who I am is not important at the moment. But I have something critical to tell you. Something you need to know immediately.Unknown: I'm with your mother as we speak.My breath caught in my throat. I sat up straighter, my entire body going rigid with tension.Unknown: She's in very critical condition. The Hunter
Later that night, I was sitting alone in my room waiting for Zayne, who had gone out earlier to get some firewood for the fireplace. The house was quiet, almost eerily so, and I found myself anxiously checking my phone every few minutes.When it finally buzzed with a new message, my heart jumped into my throat.It was from the same unknown number.I grabbed the phone immediately and opened the text.Unknown: Hello, Emerald Wolf.My fingers flew across the keyboard as I furiously typed back.Me: Who the hell are you?! Tell me right now!The three dots appeared, showing they were typing. I waited, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.Unknown: Like I said before, who I am is not important at the moment. But I have something critical to tell you. Something you need to know immediately.Unknown: I'm with your mother as we speak.My breath caught in my throat. I sat up straighter, my entire body going rigid with tension.Unknown: She's in very critical condition. The Hunter
꧁ LYRA'S POVMy head was pounding.I groaned, pressing my palm against my forehead as consciousness slowly returned. The sheets beneath me were impossibly soft, far nicer than anything I owned, and they smelled like cedar and winter and…Oh god.Memory crashed over me in waves. The club. The dare. The man with the gray eyes who'd kissed me like he was drowning and I was air.Asher.My eyes flew open, and I sat up too quickly, immediately regretting it as the room spun. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a penthouse suite that probably cost more per night than I made in a month.And I was alone.I looked around the empty room, my heart doing something complicated in my chest that I refused to examine too closely. The other side of the bed was cold, the indentation in the pillow the only evidence that last night hadn't been some fever dream."Get it together, Lyra," I muttered to myself. "It was a one-night stand. That's literally the point. He's not supposed







