Chapter 3

The bar reeked of sweat, smoke, and above all, freedom.

It was nothing like the lustrous restaurants Marcus had taken me to, he took me to where I sat with my ankles crossed and smiled just right. This place thumped with loud music and laughter, a natural and chaotic atmosphere, filled with activity. Bodies mashed close on the dance floor, drinks spilled without apology, and no one here cared who I was.

That, more than the alcohol in my veins, made my head spin.

Lily dragged me toward the bar counter, her grin wild, defiant.

“See? This is life, Elena. Not that cage Marcus shut you in."

I almost argued with her. I nearly said I was not the kind of girl who belonged here. But the thought of Marcus's voice, his accusations, his manipulation changed something inside me. Not tonight. Tonight, I didn't want to be the disciplined Elena, the rogue's daughter, clawing for survival. Tonight I wanted to do something more.

Lily placed an order of shots for us. I stared at the glass as the liquid burned amber in the dim light.

“To anybody but Marcus,” she declared, raising her glass to mine.

My lips curled into the faintest smile as I clinked mine against hers.

“Anybody but Marcus.”

The drink burned my throat, fire going all the way down. I coughed, stuttered, then laughed, really laughed for the first time in hours.

That was when I felt the eyes on me.

I turned and saw him.

He looked younger. From his looks, I was older, maybe by a few years. His hair was dark, untidy, like he had run his hands through it a million times. His jaw was sharp, his eyes golden under the bar's soft lights, glowing with a dangerous kind of entertainment. He leaned against the counter like he owned the space and watched me like I was the only person in the room.

My wolf awakened. It was Interested. and hungry

I looked away quickly, my heart racing. But a moment later, the handsome man was there, sliding onto the stool beside mine.

“You are new around here,” he said, his voice smooth, edged with mischief.

I bristled. “And how do you know that?”

He smirked, and I noticed his dimples.

“I know a newbie when I see one.”

The nickname made me want to roll my eyes, but instead, I laughed too loudly, too recklessly. Maybe it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the way his eyes glowed like the lights. Maybe it was the ache within me, the damage Marcus had inflicted.

I ordered another drink, and he matched me. We drank together, the conversation light, teasing, effortless. He didn't ask my name, and I didn't bother to ask his. That was the magic of it. No past. No expectations. Just the moment.

"There is something about you. I am trying to place my finger on it,” he said after our third round, leaning closer, his breath warm against my cheek.

“How do you mean?” I asked

“It is almost like you are trying to be different. More like forget someone.”

My pulse jumped. He was not wrong.

I thought of Marcus, of Gina, of the way he blamed me for his betrayal. Being here was right, I wanted to keep discipline behind and forget my pain, rejection, and betrayal. Perhaps I had grown tired of being careful, of being patient, of building my life around a man who saw me as less than enough.

For one night, I wanted to burn.

So I leaned in, close enough to smell the faint spice of his cologne.

“Maybe I am.”

His smile was slow, dangerous.

“Then let us see how far you will go.”

The music thumped louder, the crowd blurred around us, but all I felt was him, his eyes, his heat, the promise in his touch when his fingers brushed mine. I didn't pull away. I could not.

One drink oozed into another. One laugh turned into a whisper, a touch, a kiss that stole the air from my lungs. His mouth was fire, his hands strong as they found my waist, pulling me closer. My wolf howled inside me, not in warning this time, but in wild, desperate approval.

And I let go.

I was on cloud nine, and somehow, through the mist of the liquor and want, we stumbled into a room upstairs. My back hit the door, his lips still on mine, my hands intertwining in his hair. It was messy, reckless, and original. Nothing like Marcus's cold control, his sharp words. This was craving, wild and consuming.

When his teeth grazed my throat, my wolf surged forward, clawing at me from within. I did not stop her. For once, I didn't muffle her. I let her hunger be mine.

There were no words, no promises, no careful steps. Just the crash of our bodies, the burn of our touch, the sound of my own voice moaning in ways I had never permitted before.

For the first time, I didn't want to be careful. I didn't want to be patient.

I was mine. I dropped all that had happened behind to enjoy the wonders I had allowed naivety to cause me. Suppose being wild would make me feel better. Then by all means, I embraced the wildness.

The morning dawn came, and it seeped soft light through the blinds. I woke with my head pounding, my body aching in ways that I had never felt before, but it was satisfying. The white sheets smelled of sweat, smoke, and him.

I turned my head, heart faltering, only to find the space beside me empty.

Panic rose, sharp and sudden. I didn't even know his name.

The memory of last night came back, the bar, the drinks we had, the kisses we shared, the way he set me on fire. Shame and desire joined together, tangled tight in my chest.

“What have you done, Elena?” I asked myself

I sat up, hugging the sheet to my chest, gazing at the door. My wolf prowled inside me, restless but satisfied. She did not seem to regret it. Not one bit.

But me? I was in panic.