Daddy’s wild girl

Chapter 12

I stood in front of the mirror, the fabric of the red dress clinging to my curves like a second skin. It was shorter than anything I’d ever worn back home—definitely shorter than anything he would ever approve of. Speaking of him, my phone buzzed on the vanity.

[Alpha Daddy]: I see you've checked into your room. Don't think for a second that miles change the rules, kitten. Stay inside tonight.

I stared at the screen for a beat, my heart doing a traitorous little skip before I locked the phone and tossed it onto the bed. "Disturbing me already," I muttered, my jaw set. I hadn't been here twenty-four hours and he was already trying to pull the leash. Not tonight.

The door swung open, and Molly and Sophie marched in, looking like they were ready to burn the town down. Molly was in a leather mini-skirt that left nothing to the imagination, and Sophie looked surprisingly edgy in a sheer black top.

"You're still not dressed yet?" Molly groaned, flopping onto her bed and checking her reflection in her phone. "The party started ten minutes ago. If we aren't there soon, all the good drinks—and the good guys—will be gone."

"Almost done," I said, stepping into my heels and checking my reflection one last time. The red dress flared slightly at the hem, showing off my legs. "You both look gorgeous, by the way."

"Hurry up, it’s already late," Molly prompted, standing up and grabbing her clutch. "The Lycaon welcome party wait for no one."

I took a deep breath, smoothing the silk over my hips. I felt a bit awkward—exposed, even—but the wolf inside me was preening. She liked the attention. She liked the danger. I squared my shoulders, deciding to lead with confidence. "Okay. Let's go."

We headed out of the dorms, the cool night air hitting my bare shoulders. The academy grounds were quiet, but you could hear the distant, heavy thrum of bass coming from the Old Mill.

"Is the ride here already?" Sophie asked, glancing toward the campus gates.

"Yes, I told Cody to come pick us up. He should be idling by the curb," Molly replied, her eyes scanning the road.

Sure enough, a sleek, modified black muscle car was idling near the entrance. As we approached, the driver’s side door swung open, and a guy hopped out. He was tall, with a messy mop of dark hair and a grin that was pure trouble.

"Woah, woah! Looking hot, girls!" he yelled, leaning against the hood of the car. His eyes immediately locked onto me, tracking the way the red dress moved as I walked. "And this must be you girls' new roomie."

He stepped toward me, his scent hitting me—mountain pine and something electric. It was strong, but it didn't have that suffocating, heavy authority that Collins carried.

"I'm Bella," I said, offering him a small, confident smile.

"Nice to meet you, gorgeous. I’m Cody," he replied, his voice a smooth drawl. He reached out, his fingers grazing my arm as he moved to open the back door for us. "I heard the Red Moon Pack was sending someone special, but they didn't mention you'd be a knockout."

"Okay, okay, we can do the introductions later," Molly interrupted, sliding into the front seat. "First, let’s get to the party before I die of boredom."

Cody chuckled, giving me one last wink before hopping back into the driver's seat. I sat in the back with Sophie, my heart racing. As the car roared to life and sped toward the Mill, I felt a strange sense of freedom. Collins wasn't here. My mother wasn't here.

But as I looked out the window at the dark trees rushing by, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. My wolf was pacing, her ears tucked back. She knew what I was trying to ignore—that an Alpha like Collins doesn't just let his prize walk into a room full of hungry young wolves without a plan.

—

We arrived at the party and were immediately hit by a wall of sound and heat. The music was so loud it vibrated in my teeth, and the air was thick with the heavy, primal scents of hundreds of shifting teenagers. My eyes widened as I looked around; the atmosphere was feral. In the dark corners of the hall, people were practically chewing each other's faces off. I even saw a couple of boys using their teeth to tug at girls' pants, their wolf instincts clearly overriding any sense of "college" decorum.

Molly didn’t miss a beat. She spotted a group near the center of the room and headed straight for them, snatching a bright blue drink from a passing waiter’s tray without looking.

”Hey guys!” she yelled over the bass, and a chorus of voices greeted her back.

Everyone started greeting each other, a whirlwind of introductions and physical contact that made my head spin. My eyes instinctively scanned the room, landing on Ethan. He was sitting on a low leather sofa, one arm draped over the back, looking like he couldn't care less about the chaos around him. He didn't even glance at me—not that I wanted him to, I told myself—but the coldness of his posture was a sharp contrast to the way Cody had been eyeing me in the car.

”So, what are you guys doing?” Sophie asked, leaning into the circle that had formed on the floor and the surrounding couches.

”We’re playing Truth or Dare,” a guy with a buzzed cut announced, a wicked glint in his eyes.

At the mention of the game, Ethan finally shifted. He turned his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my skin prickle. I quickly looked away, focusing on a loose thread on my red dress.

”Oh, we will play too!” Molly announced. She took a long swig of her drink and dropped onto the floor, pulling Sophie down with her. They settled into the gathering, leaving me standing there like a deer in headlights.

”Are you playing too?” Ethan asked. His voice was smooth, cutting through the thumping music effortlessly. He was still looking at me, his gaze tracking the way the short hem of my dress rode up as I shifted my weight.

”Uhm, me...” I stuttered, the heat of the room suddenly feeling like it was focused entirely on my face.

Ethan chuckled, a low, dry sound. It wasn't a kind laugh; it was the sound of someone who had just spotted a weakness.

”She’s playing,” Molly said firmly, reaching up and grabbing my hand. She gave it a sharp tug, pulling me down to sit on the hardwood floor right beside her—and almost directly across from Ethan.

”Alright,” the guy with the buzzed cut said, rubbing his hands together. ”Let the game begin.”

The bottle was placed in the center, glinting under the strobe lights. My heart hammered against my ribs. I could still feel the phantom weight of Collins's text message in my clutch bag, a silent warning that I was currently ignoring.

The first spin sent the bottle whirring. It slowed down, the neck pointing toward a girl named Jax.

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" she chirped.

"I dare you to shift halfway—just the ears and the claws—and shred that sofa cushion."

The room erupted in cheers as the girl’s eyes bled into a bright yellow. Her fingernails elongated into black, curved talons, and with a savage swipe, she sent foam stuffing flying into the air like snow. It was a display of raw power that reminded me exactly where I was: a school for predators.

The bottle spun again. This time, it slowed right in front of Ethan. He didn't even blink.

"Truth," he said before anyone could ask.

"Is it true," Cody asked, leaning forward with a smirk, "that you only came to this party because you heard the Red Moon Alpha's 'little girl' was going to be here?"

Ethan’s eyes flickered to mine, a slow, predatory smile spreading across his face. "Truth," he murmured. "I wanted to see if she tasted as sweet as she smells."

The group "ooh'd," and I felt my blood run cold. He was baiting me, testing the boundaries of a claim he could clearly sense.

Then, Ethan reached out and spun the bottle. It whirled faster than the others, a blur of green glass that seemed to last forever. My breath hitched as it began to wobble, slowing down... and down... until the neck stopped, pointing straight at my chest.

"Bella," Ethan said, his voice dropping an octave, "Truth or dare?"

I looked at Molly, who was grinning, then back at Ethan. I couldn't do truth. Not with the secrets I had. "Dare," I whispered.

Ethan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his face inches from mine. The scent of him—sharp and wild—clashed with the memory of Collins.

"I dare you," Ethan said, loud enough for the whole circle to hear, "to take that phone in your bag, call the man who marked your neck, and tell him you're leaving the party right now to come to my dorm."

The silence that followed was deafening. My heart stopped.

"I... I can't do that," I said, my voice shaking.

"Then take the forfeit," Ethan challenged, his eyes glowing. "Let me put my mark over his. Right here. Right now."