Chapter 1

My name was Megan Locke, and I was at the mall with my best friend, Millie Carter.

"Come on, babe, enough with the long face." Millie took my hand and dragged me toward the changing room before shoving me inside. "Here, pick out a new outfit that actually suits you. Maybe it'll bring you some better luck."

She handed me a long, red dress. Seeing as she wasn't taking no for an answer, I had no choice but to take it.

When I finally emerged, Millie clapped a hand over her mouth and exclaimed, "Wow! It's like the dress was made for you!"

It was a simple maroon knitted dress, yet the soft material hugged my body like a second skin, accentuating every curve. The low-cut neckline perfectly displayed the elegant lines of my neck and collarbone, though it stopped just shy of being indecent.

"You're definitely getting that."

With that said, Millie handed her card to the cashier before hooking her arm through mine. "Megs, that ex-boyfriend of yours must have been blind. Then again, breaking up is the best thing that could've happened to you. You deserve so much better."

Millie didn't waste any time; she dragged me straight to a private club specifically for she-wolves.

I downed a mojito, the liquid burning a trail straight down my throat. As someone who didn't drink, this was already incredibly strong to me. Nonetheless, neither the flashing lights nor the alcohol could dim the glaring light of my phone screen.

I stared down at my ex-boyfriend, Jason Moore's latest Instagram update. It was a photo of him and his new girlfriend on the beach with the caption, "New beginnings." They both wore matching, silly grins.

It was a stark contrast to his time with me. When we were dating, he was cold and indifferent—almost like a dead fish, with no passion to speak of.

"Stop looking at trash, Megs." Millie leaned over, pressing her red lips against my ear. "There are still plenty of good wolves out there. No point in being hung up and crying over that one wolf."

"See that?" my clearly drunk best friend yelled over the music, pointing at the wolves dancing on the stage. "Even here, not a single one of them is inferior to Jason!"

On the stage, the dancers were gyrating their hips, the zippers of their pants tugged low enough to reveal dark blue underwear and the massive bulges beneath. As I watched, a she-wolf shoved a stack of bills into one of the dancer's waistbands.

My mind screamed in protest, but the haze of alcohol only magnified my resentment. I had a great figure, and I was beautiful! So why was I the one who got dumped?

"Another mojito," I called out.

The pale yellow liquid slid down my throat like a warm current, and the edges of my vision began to blur.

"Megs, wait here for me, okay? I'm going to dance for a bit." Hopping off her barstool, Millie squeezed her way onto the dancefloor as the music cranked louder.

It wasn't long before a wolf took her seat. The collar of his white dress shirt was open, and he had deliberately left several buttons undone to reveal his pectorals.

"That drink won't be enough to drown your sorrows, gorgeous." He waved at the bartender. "Give the lady a whiskey."

His gaze swept across my neck and chest with a lecherous gleam. Normally, I would have detested such a look; it made me feel violated. However, Jason's hateful face abruptly popped into my mind, and a rebellious impulse surged through me, fueled by the alcohol.

To hell with propriety. To hell with restraint.

Meeting the stranger's eyes, I lifted my chin and thrust my chest forward. My tone was challenging. "Are you trying to hit on me?"

He smiled, revealing cigarette-stained teeth, and shifted closer. "No need to be so blunt. I just saw you drinking all by yourself and thought you could use some company."

Pushing the glass of amber whiskey toward me, he added, "My treat. An alluring lady like you shouldn't be bothered by worries."

After saying that, he leaned even closer, bringing the sharp angles of his face into focus. His breath puffed against my face, smelling distinctly of cigarette smoke.

That glass of whiskey seared through me like fire, and everything afterward seemed to be draped in a hazy fog.

All I remembered was the pounding music and the sting of the spirits as he held a hand out to me in an inviting gesture. "Miss, it's a beautiful night. How about you and I go have some fun together?"