I want only sex

NICKOLAS POV (SHADOWOOD PACK)

I pressed my palms against the warm wooden railing of the balcony, staring out at the sprawling city below. The lights from the Shadowood Pack’s territory stretched endlessly, illuminating the night like a restless beast which refused to sleep. From up here, the noise of the pack, the howling wolves, distant laughter, the hum of traffic—was nothing more than a faint murmur.

I dragged deeply on my cigarette, the smoke curling into the air. Behind me, the faint scent of sweat and perfume clung to the room, a reminder of the hours I’d just spent with Emerald.

“Hey,” she murmured, her hand sliding across my back. “Come back to bed.”

I didn’t bother turning around. “I thought you’d left,” I said.

There was a pause, just long enough for me to catch the hurt in her silence. “I thought maybe we could talk,” she finally said, trying to sound casual.

A humorless smirk tugged at my lips. Talk? What part of our arrangement made her think there was room for that?

“We had a deal, Emerald,” I said, flicking ash from my cigarette. My voice was cold, detached. “No strings. No expectations.”

Her fingers trailed lower, brushing against the waistband of my pants. She was testing me, trying to draw me back into the game we’d been playing all night. My jaw tightened as I fought the flicker of heat her touch ignited.

“And what if I’ve changed my mind?” she asked, her tone dripped with seduction.

I turned my head just enough to glance at her. “Then that’s your problem, not mine,” I said bluntly, stepping out of her reach.

Her frustration was palpable as she pulled away, grabbing her clothes from the floor with sharp, angry movements. “You’re a bastard, Nicholas,” she snapped, yanking her shirt over her head. “You can’t keep treating people like they’re disposable.”

I shrugged, as I acted unbothered. “I didn’t ask you to stay,” I replied, my voice calm, almost bored. “You knew what this was.”

Before she could respond, the door slammed open. My mother strode in, her presence was commanding as ever. Her gaze landed on Emerald; she looked at her with disdain.

“Does your father know you’re throwing yourself at my son like this?” she asked

Emerald froze. I stayed where I was, leaning against the railing, watching the scene unfold.

“Mom,” I drawled, flicking the cigarette over the edge of the balcony. “Don't you think a knock would’ve been nice?”

She ignored me, her focus entirely on Emerald. “If you think this will lead to anything, you’re mistaken,” she said. “My son has obligations. And you,” she added, her gaze raking over Emerald like she was a dirt beneath her shoe, “are not part of them.”

Emerald’s hands trembled as she fumbled with her shoes, her humiliation clear. She shot me one last look, I could feel how angrier she was, but I didn’t meet her gaze. She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

My mother finally turned to me, her expression hard and unyielding. “When you’re done playing your games, remember we’re visiting your Luna’s family tomorrow evening. Don’t embarrass me.”

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest. “Noted,” I said.

Left alone, I turned back to the city, my mother’s words echoing in my mind.

I hated the idea of a mate bond. Love was a weakness, a distraction I couldn’t afford. But even as I tried to push it aside, curiosity crept in.

Who was she? What kind of woman had the Moon Goddess chosen for me?

I smirked bitterly, taking another drag from my cigarette.