chapter 4
915 Words
Sunlight streamed through the large, open window, casting golden rays across the sheets tangled around my legs. My eyes fluttered open slowly, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. Then I felt it—warmth. A steady heartbeat beneath my cheek. Muscles wrapped around me like a blanket. Kaiden.
Last night, after the party. I had followed him back to his room and we had f****d like crazy. I could feel the ache in ever part my body. Both in place I knew could ache and places I knew couldn't.
His arm was places lazily over my waist, pulling me closer as I shifted, snuggling closer. I should have felt panic, maybe embarrassment. But all I felt was...peace. That dangerous kind of calm that comes right before everything crashes down. I sighed, letting myself sink deeper into his chest.
"Mmm," he murmured sleepily, his voice gravelly and thick from slumber. "You're still here."
I smiled against his skin. "I should go."
He made a low noise of protest, arms tightening around me. "Stay."
God, his voice was doing things I couldn't explain. I almost said yes. But I couldn't risk someone walking in and seeing me here—naked, tangled in the Alpha's bed. I had just arrived in the pack yesterday and I was already f*****g their Alpha.
I lifted my head and looked up into his barely open eyes. "I'll be back. Promise."
His fingers brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. "You better."
My heart fluttered.
I peeled myself away carefully, trying not to overthink it. I padded across the room, collecting my dress and shoes from where they'd been abandoned last night. The air was still heavy with the scent of s*x and something deeper—that strange, magnetic pull that hadn't left since our eyes first met.
I quickly got dressed quickly. Quietly. I opened the door just enough to slip through and slipped out of his apartment like a ghost.
The morning air hit me like a slap to the face. I inhaled deeply, trying to shake the thoughts out of my head. Trying to forget the way his hands had explored every inch of me. Trying not to think about how my wolf had practically purred in his presence.
By the time I reached Vickie's place, my hair was a mess, my heels dangled from my fingers, and my dress looked like it had been through a war.
I barely made it through the door before she appeared.
"And where the hell are you coming from?" Vickie demanded, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
I rolled my eyes and waved her off. "Relax. I just...got hooked up with some guy. No big deal."
She arched a brow. "Hooked up, huh? Since when do you sneak out and come back at sunrise with your hair looking like that?"
I tried to walk past her, desperate for a shower and maybe a few hours of pretending last night didn't happen. But before I could escape, her hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
"Wait a minute," she said, stepping closer. Then she sniffed.
I froze.
Her eyes widened like she'd just seen a ghost. "Kristina. No. Tell me you did not..."
"Did not what?" I asked, playing dumb. It was already too late.
"Why do you smell like Kaiden?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.
My stomach dropped. "Excuse me?"
She stepped back, shaking her head like she was trying to wake herself up from a bad dream. "You slept with the Alpha?"
My jaw dropped. "How do you know his scent that well?"
Vickie hesitated. That was all I needed.
"Oh my god," I whispered, everything clicking into place. "He's the new guy you've been sleeping with."
She looked away.
"Unbelievable," I muttered. "I can't believe this."
"Kristina, what the hell were you thinking?" Vickie snapped, her face red with anger. "He's dangerous! He's not some one-night-stand. You know better."
I laughed dryly. "Yeah? And you don’t? You're literally screwing the same man."
"That was different," she hissed. "You knew I liked him!"
"I didn't even know who he was until last night!" I shouted. "And guess what, Vickie? He's my mate."
Silence. Complete, heavy silence.
Vickie's mouth opened, then closed again. She blinked slowly. "What?"
I took a shaky breath. "While we were...together. It happened. Our wolves confirmed it. I felt it, Vickie. I tried to ignore it, but it’s real."
She stared at me like I’d grown two heads. "No. No. That can't be."
"It is."
Vickie shook her head, eyes filled with disbelief. Her hands trembled slightly, and for the first time, I saw the pain beneath her anger.
"I can't do this," she said, voice breaking. "I can't believe you."
"Vickie, wait—"
But she was already storming past me, slamming the door open and disappearing into the street without a second glance.
For a moment, I just stood there, breathless and stunned. The fight had happened so fast, so unexpectedly. And now she was gone. My best friend. My sister in everything but blood.
I stared at the door, guilt clawing at my chest.
How good of you, Kristina, one day in a new pack and you're already causing problems for everyone you care about. A great job!
Then I ran after her.
Because no matter how twisted this mess was, no matter how much it hurt, I couldn’t leave her alone like that. Not while her heart was breaking too.
- Writer
