LOGINI didnāt 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 dangerousāor was it dangerously delicious?My lungs stopped working.Cora hadnāt been exaggerating. This man was stupidly, unfairly hot.āHi,ā I said, and my voice cracked like I was thirteen. Heat flooded my face. āSo, um. Iāve never actually done this before.āHe tilted his head, āDone what, exactly?āWas that surprise I saw on his face?āFucked a stranger in a sex club.ā The words tumbled out too fast. āBut at least youāre ridiculously attractive, so⦠small mercies, right?ā I swallowed hard. āLook, I donāt 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 wasāin 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 itāsomething 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
ź§ 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 andā¦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
ź§ 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 andā¦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
Gabriel's POVI was going absolutely crazyāliterally losing my mind.My head felt like it was being split open with an axe, my neck was on fire, and every single part of my body was screaming in agony. Pain radiated through me in waves so intense I couldn't even stand upright anymore.I growled, th
Amara's POVI picked up my dirty clothes from where I'd dropped them on the bathroom floor and winced at the state they were in. The fabric was stained with sweat, dirt, and God knows what else from the attack and our frantic escape. I had absolutely nothing else to wear, and the realization made m
Amara's POVI was completely shocked by Gabriel's words, so shocked that I stumbled backward like I'd been physically struck. My legs suddenly felt weak and unsteady beneath me, unable to support my weight.Zayne caught me immediately, his strong arms wrapping around my waist to keep me from falling
My breath quickened, coming in short, panicked gasps as I staggered backward, my eyes fixed on Gabriel standing in the hallway.My mind was racing with a thousand questions all at once.What was he doing here? How the hell did he find us in this remote location that was supposed to be completely hi







