Mated Against My Will

Chapter Four

AVA POV

I walked into the mansion, the bass vibrating in my chest like it was trying to shake my bones loose. The lights were insane—flashes of red, blue, and purple dancing all over the room, casting these wild shadows on everyone in sight. The whole place reeked of cheap alcohol, sweat, and way too many people trying to outshine each other. And yeah, I know it’s supposed to be fun, but honestly? I already felt out of place.

I pulled my hood tighter around my face, hoping no one would notice me. I wasn’t here for the attention. I wasn’t here for the scene. I was just here to grab a drink and hopefully get out without being noticed. I weaved through the crowd, past couples grinding on each other and sweaty bodies moving like they had no control. People were trying so hard, and all I wanted was some space, so I made my way to the kitchen.

The fridge was packed, but I had one thing on my mind: alcohol. I needed something to numb the chaos. After scanning for a second, I reached for a bottle of beer, twisted the cap off, and took a long sip. It wasn’t the greatest, but it worked.

Just as I was about to step away, some guy—of course, it’s always the annoying ones—spoke up. “Hey there, Little Red, wanna ride my wood?”

My body went cold. No. I wasn’t about to deal with this. I turned around, clutching my beer like a weapon, and found Daniel standing there, wearing nothing but a pair of trunks that had “LIFEGUARD” written on them. He was so damn proud of it, too.

“F**k off,” I snapped, trying to move past him, but of course, that wasn’t good enough for him.

“Aww, come on, you didn’t dress up just to see Michelle, did you?” He leaned in way too close for comfort and reached out like he was gonna grab my—ugh, no.

“I know you want me,” he said with this cocky smirk, trying to put his hands where they definitely didn’t belong.

I didn’t even think about it. I just acted. I grabbed his wrist hard enough to make him wince and kicked his calf. He stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and crashing to the floor like the joke he was.

“Touch me again, and I’ll suffocate you with your own ego,” I hissed, rolling my eyes when he shot me an embarrassed look while everyone around us started to notice the mess he’d made of himself.

“Whatever,” I muttered, turning and pushing my way through the crowd like I hadn’t just made a scene.

I needed out. Fast. But I wasn’t about to leave yet, so I made my way to the dance floor and found a small spot tucked away from everyone else, just enough to get some space to breathe. I pulled my phone out and snapped a quick pic to send to my sister.

I wasn’t sure why I even bothered to come. Regret hit me hard right then. Honestly, seeing Daniel’s face just made me want to bail.

I leaned back against the wall, nursing the beer, and tried not to feel too out of place. As I scanned the crowd, I caught sight of Michelle, wearing some ridiculous Playboy bunny costume, grinding all over some freshman dude. I almost gagged. I quickly looked away.

That’s when the front door swung open, and a group of guys strolled in like they owned the place. Of course, all the girls stopped mid-dance, snapping their heads toward them. It was like some damn magnet. Their eyes were practically glued to them.

I couldn’t even get a good look at their faces, but it didn’t matter. You could practically hear the heartbeats of the girls around them, practically drooling. It made me sick.

I watched them push through the crowd, totally oblivious to the attention they were getting. One of them—he looked like he was about to explode from frustration—didn’t seem thrilled about the whole situation. The noise, the chaos, the stupid party. I could practically feel the disgust radiating off him, and honestly? I got it.

I didn’t care about their drama. I was just trying to get through the night.

I didn’t know what hit me at first. Like, one second I’m just chilling, trying to get my bearings, and the next, a searing heat shoots straight through my gut. It was like I was suddenly plugged into some power source I didn’t sign up for. I didn’t know what the hell it was, but it was real, and it was intense. My body freaked out, like I could feel every part of me buzzing, every muscle tight and every nerve on edge. I looked around, trying to figure out if I was about to explode or if it was some kind of prank. But no, nothing. Just… this feeling building up inside me.

Everything was shaky. My heart was pounding like I’d been running for hours, and then, out of nowhere, I saw him. The frustrated guy. His purple eyes locked onto mine, and it was like time stopped. The whole world blurred around us. It didn’t matter that I was dizzy or trying to stay upright against the wall. Everything in me just… clicked. Like something in the air charged up, waiting for something to happen.

My breath hitched. I couldn’t speak. It was like my brain and my mouth weren’t even in sync. I needed to say something. Anything. But the words just wouldn’t come. I was lost in his gaze, lost in the crackling tension that wrapped itself around us. And then it was like I couldn’t breathe anymore. I leaned back against the wall for support, feeling my body buzz with something else—like I was flying, like I was weightless, even though my head was spinning.

The guy barely moved. He just… shifted, like he was drawn to me. And before I could even process what was happening, he was right there. So close I could feel his breath on my skin, feel the heat of him. And that was it. Whatever was swirling around in the air, whatever made my stomach tighten and my heart race, it all led up to this.

He reached up, his fingers grazing my neck. And when he touched me? God, I swear my whole body went on fire. My head was a mess—thoughts everywhere, like I couldn’t even focus on what was happening anymore. His eyes didn’t look warm. Hell no, they were cold. But they weren’t empty. They were burning with something else, something hard and irritated. Like he was frustrated. But why? I didn’t even know this guy.

His lips parted, quick breaths escaping him. He closed the space between us, and before I even knew what was happening, his lips slammed into mine. I froze, my mind fighting against what my body wanted to do. I was supposed to push him away, right? But damn, I couldn’t. The heat building between us was too much. It felt too good.

I couldn’t even think. My hands went straight to him, grabbing for something—anything. His collar. And then everything snapped. I wasn’t just standing there anymore. I wasn’t hesitating. I pulled him closer, tugging him down to match my height. The kiss got harder, more urgent, and I could feel him pressing me against the wall, his grip tightening on me, pulling me in like he was determined to mark me in some way I couldn’t even understand.

I wasn’t just kissing him anymore. We were fighting for control, fighting to see who could dominate the moment. I tugged at him, desperate for more, desperate to get closer. And then I bit his lip, just to see what would happen. He didn’t let go, though. Hell no. He grabbed my bottom lip, sucking on it like he was trying to pull something deeper out of me.

But I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I needed air.

I shoved him back, and our lips broke apart with a gasp. I looked at him, dizzy from it all, and in that moment, I realized I had no idea who this guy was. He was a stranger. Just some guy in a crowded room. And yet, somehow, he felt too familiar.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head like it was the only thing I could do to bring me back to reality. “No.”

My heart is pounding, my body frozen, yet alive with this electric current running through me. I can feel him leaning closer, his breath hot on my face. I blink, almost as if I'm in some sort of trance, but I don't pull away. I can’t. The space between us is closing in again, and when his lips touch mine—softly, gently—my whole world shifts ones again.

He’s testing me, like he’s waiting for some sign that I’m not into it. But I can’t help myself. I meet his kiss, opening just enough for him to slide his tongue in, and everything in me responds. I feel the heat between us grow, and I don’t know what I expected, but it sure wasn’t this.

His hands are everywhere, sliding down my neck, tracing the center of my body. Each touch feels like it’s lighting me up, like fire racing through my veins. I don’t know when my fingers found his hair, but now I’m tugging at it, and when I do, I swear I feel the low, rumbling sound of him moaning into me. It’s like I can’t get enough of him, and he’s pulling me in deeper.

I can’t breathe, not like before, not like the world exists outside of this moment. A soft moan slips from my lips, and when he takes my mouth again, I can’t stop the little shiver that runs through me. It’s like he knows exactly what to do, every inch of his mouth sending waves of pleasure that leave me dizzy.

It feels like we’re caught in some sort of storm, neither of us able to get out of it. His lips trail down my neck, tasting my skin, and I can’t hold back a gasp. This? This is too much.

Everything about him is consuming, and I don’t know how to stop it, even if I wanted to. But why would I want to? It’s like I’m addicted to the way he makes me feel. The way he makes me want more.

And then there’s this… part of me that’s wondering—what is this? Why does it feel so urgent? So real? Why am I not pulling away? I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and yet, here I am, wanting him to kiss me more, deeper.

The pressure builds, and I feel like I might shatter under the weight of it all. I’m not even sure what’s happening anymore. But I know one thing for sure—I don’t want it to stop.

I could barely think straight as his lips moved against mine, sending this wild, uncontrollable spark through my whole body. My heart was racing, my mind was all over the place, and I had no idea how I got here—how he got here. I tried to pull back, but I couldn’t. My body wasn’t listening to me. His kiss was just... different. Like it was dragging me into something I didn’t want but couldn’t resist.

I felt his hands on me, his touch so soft yet so intense, and I couldn’t help the way my body responded. A part of me wanted to push him away, tell him to stop, to remember who I was, but then there was this other part of me—the one that was hungry for whatever this was. I hated how weak it made me feel.

And then it hit me—people were watching. No, no, no. I pulled away as fast as I could, but it took me a couple of pushes before he finally stepped back. My heart sank as I realized what I had done. My hood had fallen, and now everyone knew who I was. All those people, staring. Whispering. Great.

“Sh*t,” I muttered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

I felt the heat on my face as embarrassment crept up my neck. I couldn’t handle it. He wasn’t just some random guy—I didn’t even know him, but there I was, making out with him in front of a crowd like some kind of i***t.

I shoved him harder, almost regretting it the second I did. But I didn’t know what else to do. He looked as confused as I felt, but that didn’t change anything. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t be the girl everyone would talk about for weeks.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath as I looked around. People were still staring, some with smirks, others with their phones out. And there was Michelle—of course she was standing there, looking like she was having the time of her life. Her arms were crossed, that smirk of hers making it clear she was loving every second of this disaster.

I couldn’t do this anymore. I needed to get out. I needed to breathe. “I have to go,” I whispered to myself, not caring who heard me anymore.

I didn’t even wait for him to say anything. I just pushed through the crowd, ignoring the way the eyes followed me, how the whispers seemed to grow louder with every step. I kept going until I finally burst through the door, the cold air hitting my face like a slap of reality.

I took in a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but all I could think was how much of a mess I’d made of everything.