Chapter 4: Room 322
1765 Words
(Aurora's pov)
The banquet hall my parents had rented for Vivienne's party was filled with music and laughter.
The speakers' bassThe banquet hall for Vivienne's party was filled with music and laughter. The speakers' bass pounded into my ribs as I stepped in.
The chandeliers cast everything in gold, and the air smelled of alcohol and perfume.
With flashing cameras and adoring classmates all around, Vivienne was the focal point of it all, looking stunning in her short silver dress.
As she welcomed guests, her voice was as sweet as honey and her smile was brilliant. She was the adored sister and the ideal rising star to everyone who watched. pounded into my ribs as I stepped in.
The chandeliers cast everything in gold, and the air smelled of alcohol and perfume. With flashing cameras and adoring classmates all around, Vivienne was the focal point of it all, looking stunning in her short silver dress.
As she welcomed guests, her voice was as sweet as honey and her smile was brilliant. She was the adored sister and the ideal rising star to everyone who watched.
But I knew better.
“Aurora, you came!” she said brightly when she spotted me, pulling me into a half-hug that looked affectionate but felt like poison.
I smiled faintly. “Of course. You said I shouldn’t miss it.”
Her eyes glittered. “Good. Enjoy yourself. Don’t be shy.”
I nodded, though inside, every nerve screamed at me to stay alert.
---
The games started an hour later. Truth or Dare.
It was silly, childish even, but under the flashing lights and giggling voices, the dares grew bolder, the drinks stronger.
“Dare!” someone shouted. “Aurora has to drink!”
Cups were shoved into my hands, liquid sloshing. I tried to refuse, but the crowd cheered, and Vivienne laughed sweetly. “Come on, sister. Just one drink. Live a little.”
I hesitated. In my past life, I hadn’t known better. This time, I was careful, sipping lightly, pretending more than I swallowed.
But the dares kept coming. By the third round, my head was spinning. Heat crawled up my neck, the room tilting slightly.
Vivienne clapped her hands suddenly. “Aurora, since you’re so brave tonight, why don’t you do this, go get us more drinks from the bar?”
Her friends laughed. “Yes, good idea!”
I pushed myself to my feet, swaying. My chest tightened. Something wasn’t right.
I turned, clutching the edge of a chair for balance, when a boy I didn’t recognize leaned close. His breath smelled faintly of smoke.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Derek asked me to give you something. He’s waiting in room 312.”
My heart skipped. Derek?
The room swirled around me. I blinked hard, trying to steady my vision. Derek wasn’t even in the hall. At least, I hadn’t seen him.
But the boy’s words echoed through my fuzzy brain. Room 312.
I nodded slowly, my voice slurred. “O-okay.”
---
The elevator ride felt endless. And I could see my reflection in the mirrored walls, my flushed cheeks, slightly closed eyes, and trembling lips. I pressed my palm to my chest, trying to calm the pounding inside.
When the doors opened, the carpeted hallway stretched before me, numbers glowing faintly above each door.
“Three… one… two,” I muttered, dragging my feet.
But the alchohol effect was spreading through me now. My throat was dry, my skin hot, every nerve hypersensitive. My body ached in ways I didn’t understand, craving something, someone.
I stopped at the door marked 322. My vision blurred. “Yeah… this one,” I mumbled.
I slid the card into the slot.
Beep. Red light. Why red light?
I tried again. Beep. Red.
“Open…” I whispered desperately, leaning harder against the door. My body felt like it was burning from the inside. My fingers shook as I shoved the card in again.
Still red.
Frustrated tears filled my eyes. My knees buckled, and I leaned fully against the door for support.
And then, it opened.
The door swung inward, and I stumbled forward, collapsing into the darkness inside.
The room was dim, lit only by the city lights slipping through the window. A man stood near it, tall, well built and his phone pressed to his ear. His back was straight, commanding, the aura around him sharp as steel.
He turned slowly, and my heart nearly stopped.
Not Derek.
Alexander Gray.
His piercing gray eyes locked on me, narrowing in confusion. “Who the hell...”
“I-I’m sorry…” My voice shook. “I thought… wrong room…”
But my knees gave way again, and I clutched the wall for balance. The heat in my body was unbearable now, my breaths coming short, ragged gasps.
His gaze sharpened instantly. “You’ve been drugged.”
My lips trembled. “I don’t… know… what’s happening to me.”
He crossed the room in long strides, his presence swallowing me whole. When he reached me, he grabbed my arm, steadying me as I nearly collapsed again.
The contact sent fire through my veins. I bit my lip, trying not to whimper.
His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to shove me out. But something stopped him.
“You’re burning up,” he muttered, pulling me upright. His voice was rough, restrained. “What did they give you?”
I shook my head weakly. “I don’t… know. Vivienne… the drinks…”
His eyes narrowed dangerously at the name. But he said nothing, just guided me toward the bed.
“No…” I shook my head violently. “Don’...don’t let me"
He pushed me down gently anyway, forcing me to sit.
My body betrayed me, arching toward his warmth, craving his touch. Shame and fury warred inside me. Vivienne… she planned this.
Tears spilled down my cheeks. “Why… why does my body feel like this?”
His fists clenched at his sides. His control was iron, but I could see the storm in his eyes.
My stomach dropped. My nails dug into the sheets.
I looked up at him through blurred tears. His face was cold, carved from stone, but his hand still gripping my wrist was steady, unyielding.
I clung to the support like a lifeline.
In my past life, I had not only been drunk, but I was Careless. Foolish.
But this… this was different.
Vivienne had stepped up her game.
She had slipped something into my drink. Something designed to ruin me in ways far worse than before.
And despite all my vows to be careful, I had still walked straight into her trap.
My chest heaved as the fire inside me spread, unbearable, clawing under my skin. My fingers trembled as I tugged at the collar of my blouse, desperate for relief and satisfaction.
“It’s so hot,” I gasped, yanking at the buttons. “I can’t.."
Alexander’s eyes darkened instantly. He caught my wrists before I could tear the fabric open. “Stop.”
But I couldn’t stop. The heat was suffocating, unbearable. Tears welled in my eyes as I twisted in his grip. “Please… I need....”
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he growled, his jaw tight, his voice low with restraint.
I struggled harder, my knees pressing into the bed as I leaned toward him, my body trembling violently. My lips parted, words spilling without control. “I need this… I need you…”
His grip tightened, his breath coming heavy, his eyes stormy gray, flickering with something dangerous.
“Damn it…” he hissed.
I wrenched one hand free, fumbling at my blouse until buttons popped loose, fabric slipping from my shoulders. Cool air hit my fevered skin, but it wasn’t enough. My body ached, screaming for more.
Shame and fury tore at me, but desire crushed both.
“Don’t…” His voice was hoarse now, less certain. He pushed the blouse back up, his fingers brushing over my bare skin before snatching away as if burned.
Please…” My words were broken sobs. I reached for him instead, my trembling hands sliding over his chest, fumbling at the first button of his shirt.
His body stiffened.
For one heartbeat, he didn’t move. His eyes locked on mine, his jaw clenched, his control teetering.
Then his hand seized mine, slamming it back against the bed. “Enough!”
His voice cracked like a whip, but his breathing was ragged.
I writhed under him, my whole body arching toward his, desperate for any kind of relief. “Why… why is this happening to me?”
“You’ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac,” he said flatly, though his voice shook faintly. “They wanted someone to use you.”
The words tore me apart.
If Alexander hadn’t been here… if this door had opened to someone else…
A sob ripped from my chest. My nails dug into the sheets. “I can’t… I can’t take it—”
Before I could finish, my body betrayed me again, my hips shifting against him. My thighs trembled uncontrollably, searching for friction, for touch, for anything.
His eyes widened, his control cracking for a second. His hands shot to my waist, pinning me down.
“Stop moving,” he ground out, his voice like a growl.
But the way his grip tightened, the way his gaze lingered too long on my lips, betrayed his own war inside.
I lifted my head, brushing my lips close to his ear, whispering brokenly, “Alexander… please…”
His whole body shuddered.
For a terrifying second, he didn’t pull away. His face hovered above mine, his breath mingling with mine, his eyes burning with a fire I’d never seen before.
“Damn it all…” he muttered, his self-control fraying. His grip faltered slightly, my wrists slipping free.
My hands rose on their own, clutching at his shirt, tugging him down. My lips grazed his jaw, heat flooding between us.
His breath caught. His body tensed above mine, every muscle rigid.
And then...
He leaned down, his face so close our noses brushed, his storm gray eyes locked on mine with something fierce, hungry, dangerous.
“Little rabbit…” His whisper was harsh, almost broken.
The last thing I saw before the darkness claimed me was Alexander’s lips hovering over mine too close, too tempting, too impossible, his arms tightening, strong and unyielding, as if he wasn’t going to let me slip away.
- Writer
