Chapter 4
1467 Words
Ariana
I barely slept that night.
Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw Marco's face so close to mine in the kitchen, the way his lips had hovered near mine before he pulled away.
My body still hummed from the bond, but my mind was full of shame.
What was wrong with me? I had actually stood there and waited for him to kiss me.
Worse, I had wanted him to. If he hadn't stopped himself, I don't know what I would have done.
The thought made me bury my face in the pillow, wishing I could disappear.
By morning, I knew I couldn't stay here. Not with him, Not for a whole week with my mother gone.
I pulled out my phone and searched for hotels nearby. It felt wrong to leave, but it felt more wrong to stay under the same roof as the man who was both my stepfather and my mate.
After a few clicks, I booked a room under my name. Just until my mother came back. Then, maybe I'd figure out how to tell her everything.
I packed a small bag, stuffing in clothes and toiletries quickly before I lost my nerve.
My heart pounded in my chest as I slung it over my shoulder and headed downstairs.
Of course, fate had other plans.
Marco was in the foyer, phone pressed to his ear.
His shirt was half unbuttoned, his sleeves rolled up, looking effortlessly sharp in a way that one made it harder for me to breathe.
He ended the call the second he saw me. His eyes went straight to the bag on my shoulder. “Where are you going?”
I tightened my grip on a strap, “I'm staying at a hotel for now.”
“His brows furrowed. “A hotel? Why?”
I forced myself to meet his gaze. “Because I can't stay here. Not with you.” My voice came out bold.
Why was he acting like he had no idea how dangerous we both were to each other?
His jaw tightened.. “Ariana..”
“No.” I cut him off, my voice shaking. “You know why, the bond, whatever this is between us. I can't keep pretending it doesn't exist. And I won't betray my mother. So, I'm leaving.”
For a long moment, he just stood there, his green eyes searching mine. Finally, he stepped aside, clearing the path to the door.
“If that's what you want.”
It hurt more than I thought it would, hearing him say it.
But I nodded, pushed past him, and walked out before I could change my mind. This was for my mother.
The hotel room was simple but comfortable. A queen bed, a desk, a bathroom that smelled faintly of bleach.
It wasn't home, but at least it gave me space to breathe.
For most of the day, I stayed inside. I scrolled through my phone, tried watching TV, even opened my laptops to work on assignments, but nothing held my attention.
The mate bond tugged at me relentlessly, like an invisible string tying me back to Marco.
By evening, I felt restless. I couldn't sit in the room anymore. I needed air. Maybe even a drink or two or even three.
Anything to get my mother's husband out of my mind because it was becoming a little pathetic at this point.
It wasn't my fault, the Moon goddess should be blamed for matting us together. The mate bond was fine too strong and almost impossible to resist.
The hotel bar was dimly lit, a soft hum of conversation and clinking glasses filling the space.
I slid onto a stool, ordered a glass of wine, and tried to relax.
I had just taken my first three sip when I heard a low, familiar voice beside me.
“Ariana?” My stomach dropped and I froze.
No, it couldn't be.
I turned, and there he was. Marco, sitting at the bar just a few seats away, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
Of all the places he could have been tonight, why here?”
I had specifically chosen this place because it was far from the pack.
I swallowed hard. “Yeah, I didn't expect you to be here too.”
“Business meeting” he said simply, then added, “ and now a drink”
I started to stand.. “I should go”
“Wait..” his voice was calm, but it held that quiet authority that always made me pause.
“One drink. That's all. Then you can leave”
I hesitated.
Leaving would be the smart thing. The safe thing. But something in me, loneliness, maybe, or the bond itself , made me sit back down.
“Fine..” I muttered. “One drink”
He gave a faint smile and shifted closer, his presence overwhelming even in the crowded bar, his scent?
Intoxicating as or wrapped around me like a blanket.
We talked, at first, it was stiff and awkward. He asked about school, about the city, about my plans for the future.
I kept my answers short, but slowly, the tension eased. The more we spoke, the more I realized how much we had in common.
We liked the same kind of music, and shared similar tastes in books.
He even admitted he hated formal pack dinners as much as I did.
Somewhere along the way, I laughed, really laughed, for the first time in days.
Then, after my second glass of wine, I asked the question that had been nagging me.
“Why did you marry my mom?”
He looked at me, unflinching. “Because she's kind. Because she deserves stability. And because she believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.”
Not because he loved her. That part was what hurt the most.
I nodded slowly, though my chest ached. “You know she's older than you, right?”
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
“Eight years. She told me on our second date, almost like she was daring me to walk away. I didn't”
Something about that answer made me see him differently.
Not just as my stepfather, not just as the Alpha, but as a man.
The realization scared me. I didn't like what just being around him did to me.
I stood abruptly. “I should go to bed”
He rose too, steadying me, when I nearly tripped. “You’ve had too much to drink, you can barely stand up straight,” he said softly. “Let me help you”
“I can manage,” I whispered, though I didn't pull away.
He didn't argue, instead, he guided me through the hallways, his arm firm around me.
By the time we reached my room, my head was spinning, not just from the wine, but from him.
His scent, his warmth, the way every step with him made the bond pulse stronger.
At the door, I fumbled with the key card.
He took it gently from my hand and slid it into the lock, pushing the door open.
I meant to thank him, to say goodnight. But when I turned to face him, our eyes locked, and the air between us shifted.
One second, we were standing there, the next, his mouth was on mine.
It was nothing like I had imagined, it was more.
Fierce, desperate, like all the restraints he’d shown finally snapped.
My bag slid to the floor as his hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer.
I gasped against his lips, my hands tangling in his shirt.
We stumbled inside, the door clicking shut behind us.
Clothes fell away, piece by piece, our breaths ragged, our movements frantic.
It felt good, too good to stop. My moans mixed in with his grunts and pleas.
“This… this is wrong.” I muttered but every thrust and stroke silenced me.
My body bowed to his command without question.
The intensity between us was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I never wanted it to stop, never wanted to give this feeling up.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, guilt screamed at me.
But the bond drowned it out, overwhelming every thought until there was only him.
When it was over, I lay beside him in the dim light, my body trembling, my heart racing.
What the f**k was that?
That wasn't just s*x, that was spiritual?
I had never been so thoroughly satisfied in my life.
I knew I’d cross a line I could never uncross but I didn't think about it, just let him hold me till I fell asleep.
Tomorrow, nothing would ever be the same and that scared me in ways I couldn't even express.
- Writer
