Unraveling Delilah 1

I lay beneath him, legs spread, body moving in the rhythm he set, but my mind had already drifted somewhere far above the ceiling. 

Karyk’s hips slapped against mine like he was forced to finish a chore. 

Thrust, Retreat, Thrust. 

My mate’s eyes were fixed on the headboard, never once meeting mine. His hands gripped my waist like I was a tool, not a woman. There were wandering fingers, no mouth on my neck or breasts. Just this. The same hollow act we’d repeated for years.

Come on, Delilah. Just get through it.

My focus shifted. This entire bedroom was mine. The silk sheets, the velvet throw pillows, the delicate chandelier that cast golden light across our skin. Everything was mine. He’d brought nothing to this house but his potential. I had built everything else, including the illusion that this was enough.

His breathing grew harsher. 

I felt the familiar tightening of his body, the way his fingers dug harder into my hips for those final few pumps. A low grunt escaped him as he came, spilling inside me without a single word, without a single kiss. Then he rolled off, reaching immediately for his phone on the nightstand. The sudden absence of his weight left me empty. 

Achingly, infuriatingly empty.

My core throbbed with unfinished need. My skin felt too tight. My nipples were still hard and aching for a touch that would never come. 

I pressed my thighs together, trying to soothe the frustration, but it only made it worse. A quiet, familiar grief settled over me. I had stopped expecting more years ago. 

Karyk was already scrolling, the blue light of his screen cutting through the early morning dimness. 

There was no aftercare or soft words or maybe even gentle stroking of my hair while I came down from a high I was never allowed to reach. Just silence and the faint scent of his sweat mixing with the expensive candles I’d lit the night before.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushed myself up, and slipped out of bed without a word. 

My legs felt unsteady as I walked to the bathroom, his release trickling down my inner thigh. In the shower, I let the hot water beat against my skin until it turned pink. Steam filled the glass enclosure, and for a few precious minutes, I allowed myself to exhale. The water cascaded over my breasts, my stomach, and between my legs, but it did nothing to quench the fire still simmering low in my belly. 

You are successful. You are powerful. You built an empire while he was still climbing. This is just one small part of your life.

I dressed with care, putting on a sleek black pencil skirt that hugged my curves, a deep emerald silk blouse that made my green eyes pop, and heels that clicked with authority. By the time I came downstairs, Karyk was already gone. 

No goodbye. 

No kiss. 

Nothing.

The drive to the office was quiet, the city blurring past my window. My event management company, Lumina Events, occupied the top two floors of a sleek downtown building. The moment I stepped through the glass doors, the energy shifted. This place was alive. Assistants nodded respectfully, clients smiled, and the air smelled of fresh coffee and possibility.

Maggie was waiting at my office door, tablet in hand, her fiery red hair pulled into a messy bun that somehow looked intentional. “Morning, boss lady. You look like you need caffeine and a vacation. Possibly in that order.”

I managed a small smile. “Good morning, Maggie.”

She launched into the schedule without missing a beat. “We have a problem. Two major events tonight. Both high-profile, both requiring your personal touch. Event One: engagement-slash-birthday bash at The Milky-Way Ballroom. Upscale, old money, very visible. Event Two: private celebration at The Icarus Tower. Hosted by someone big—Zedd, something. The file just says ‘The Big Circle,’ but the budget is ridiculous.”

I frowned, scanning the tablet she handed me. Two events on the same night. Both were critical for our reputation. “We’ll hit the engagement party first, stay long enough to ensure everything’s perfect, then move to the second. Car ready?”

“Always.” She grinned, but her eyes narrowed slightly, reading me the way only she could. “You okay? You’ve got that ‘I’m fine, but I’m not’ face again.”

“I’m fine,” I lied, pushing the morning’s frustration deeper down. “Let’s work.”

The Milky-Way Ballroom glittered under crystal chandeliers. Everything was flawless. The floral arrangements I’d personally approved sat perfectly; the lighting was soft and romantic; and the string quartet played beautifully. A small surge of pride warmed my chest. This was what I did best: turning visions into reality.

Then I saw her.

Layla.

My best friend stood near the center of the room in a stunning silver gown, laughing with a group of guests. My heart lifted for a split second. 

What was she doing here? I started toward her, already planning to playfully smack her arm and demand why she hadn’t told me she was coming to support one of my events.

But something was wrong.

The banner behind her. The way people were gathered. The massive ring on her finger that caught the light in the room.

My steps slowed. The pieces refused to click. My brain, ever the protector, tried to shield me. She’s here for work. She’s helping. It’s a coincidence.

Then someone raised a glass. “To Layla and Karyk! Happy engagement and happy birthday to our beautiful bride-to-be!”

The room erupted in applause.

The world went silent.

I stopped breathing. Stopped moving. My body locked in place while my mind screamed. Karyk. My husband. My husband and my best friend. The man who had just fucked me this morning without care was engaged to the woman I’d trusted most in the world.

Layla’s eyes found mine across the room. A flicker crossed her eyes, guilt, maybe relief, then it was gone, hidden behind a perfect society smile. She didn’t come toward me. She didn’t even flinch.

Maggie stepped close, her hand brushing my arm. “Delilah,” she whispered.

I couldn’t speak. 

Couldn’t scream.

Couldn’t cry. 

The paralysis was deafening. My successful life, my marriage, my friendship, were all ripped away in one glittering, champagne-soaked moment.

Maggie’s phone was already out, recording discreetly. 

After what felt like hours but was probably only seconds, I found my voice. It came out small and flat. “What do we do, Maggie?”

She looked at me, fierce loyalty burning in her eyes. “Whatever you want, boss. Say the word, and I’ll cause a scene they’ll never forget.”

I swallowed hard. The fight was gone for now, buried under layers of shock. “Let’s go to the other event.”

We left without another word. Layla never followed.

The Icarus Tower was a different universe. The air itself felt charged and electric, and everywhere was darker. Werewolf elite moved through the space like predators in tailored suits, but none of that concerned me. My body moved on autopilot toward the bar.

“Delilah, no—” Maggie tried, stepping in front of me. “This is a bad idea. You’re hurt, not stupid. Let’s just—”

I sidestepped her, ordered a whiskey. Then another. And another.

The alcohol burned down my throat, muting the pain of the betrayal until I could hardly feel anything anymore. The noise of the party dulled into a distant hum. Maggie kept trying to get to me. She used logic, jokes, and gentle threats, but I was beyond it all. I drank until the room tilted.

Then I noticed him.

He stood across the room as if he owned it. This man was tall and broad-shouldered, radiating an aura that made me clench my thighs. Dark hair adorned his head. He had eyes the color of a raging sea with a sharp jaw. 

This man was an Alpha. The Alpha. Alpha Zedd. Power clung to him like a second skin.

I felt his gaze on me, and then the rest of the night fractured into pieces.

Warm hands on my waist. A low voice against my ear whispering things that made my underwear wet. My own voice, breathless and desperate, begging for more. 

The feeling of being lifted, carried. 

Strong arms holding me like I mattered. A mouth on my neck, teeth grazing skin in a way that sent lightning through my veins. The scent of dark spice, pine, and pure male dominance.

Then the cab. Or was it his car? Blurred skin against skin. My back against leather seats. His mouth between my thighs, devouring me like a starving man. My fingers in his hair, hips bucking wildly as something inside me finally, finally broke open. 

For the first time, my body sang. It burned. It lived.

I woke to an unfamiliar ceiling. Heavy silk sheets draped over my naked body. My skin tingled everywhere. 

Between my legs, I was deliciously sore, slick with evidence of multiple releases. My nipples were still sensitive, my thighs marked with faint bruises from strong hands.

I sat up slowly, heart hammering.

A large male body lay beside me, still asleep. Zedd. The Alpha.

My heart stopped for a single moment.

Before I had any time to try to piece anything together, Maggie’s panicked face appeared in the doorway, waving frantically for me to get up.

“Oh my God, Delilah,” she hissed. “We have to go. Now. Before he wakes up and before anyone sees you here.”

I stared at her, then at the man who had just given me the first real orgasm of my marriage. My body still hummed with the aftershocks.

Everything had cracked open.

And for the first time in years… I didn’t feel empty.