Chapter 3

I remembered the first time I had come here. I was eighteen. Young and foolish. Happy to have been released from the orphanage. Lizbella and I had come here to celebrate. Our hands were calloused, we smelt of oil, we had begged for money so we could buy a drink.

We didn’t care that night. We just wanted to party and enjoy life.

We were eighteen meaning we could leave this pack and stopped working in the mines or as slaves. And I had met him. Alpha Slade and he had been my mate. 

My love. The moment I became Luna, Zaya tried to replace Lizbella, and I let her, now she ruined me. I was stupid. Still am it seems. 

I ordered a drink and stared into the glass, my reflection distorted in the amber liquid. Who was I now?

“Looking for company?” a deep voice asked.

I didn’t bother turning around. “Not in the mood.”

“You look like you could use someone to talk to.”

I sighed, finally glancing over my shoulder. The man standing there was tall, his dark eyes studying me with far too much interest. But it wasn’t him I was seeing. No, it was Slade’s face. His cruel words echoing in my mind.

“I’m no longer his mate,” I whispered, more to myself than to the stranger.

The man’s eyebrows furrowed, but he didn’t push. “Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be here.”

I turned back to my drink, my heart heavy. There’s nothing left for me now. I lifted the glass to my lips, the burn of whiskey sliding down my throat, numbing the ache inside. One drink turned into two, then three, until the room started to spin. The blurred conversations around me mixed with the pounding in my head.

I blinked, trying to focus on the bar counter, but my vision wavered. Everything felt far away, like I was floating. The glass slipped from my fingers, clinking softly against the wood.

A voice—his voice—cut through the haze again. "You look like you're about to fall off that stool if you aren't careful."

I tilted my head, squinting at him. His face was still there, inches away, but it was blurry, like looking at a reflection in rippling water. Dark eyes, sharp jaw, but the details slipped through my mind, too muddled to hold onto.

“I’m fine,” I slurred, though the words came out in a hiccup. “Just… need another drink.”

But my hand fumbled when I reached for the bottle, and instead, I grabbed his wrist. His skin was warm under my touch, and I let out a shaky breath. There was something about him, something familiar in the way he held my gaze, even if I couldn’t fully make out his features.

“Maybe you’ve had enough for tonight,” he murmured, leaning closer. His voice was soft, teasing, but with an edge I couldn’t quite place.

I blinked again, trying to clear the fog in my mind, but it only got worse. The room was spinning faster, and my body felt heavy, sluggish. I should’ve stopped. I should’ve pulled away. But instead, I found myself leaning into him, the warmth of his body chasing away the cold emptiness inside me.

I smirked at him, “Maybe I need you to steady me more.”

“What do you mean?”

I giggled, leaning closer, my hands sliding over his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through the fabric of his shirt. I whispered into his ear, my breath warm against his neck, "Maybe I need you to steady me... all night long."

His body tensed beneath my touch, and I could see the flicker of desire in his eyes as I pulled back slightly, letting my fingers trail down the length of his torso. My dress clung to me, the silky fabric catching the light as it shifted with each movement, showing just enough to tempt him further.

He swallowed hard, his voice low and controlled, though I could sense the restraint cracking. "You’re drunk, miss."

I leaned even closer, my lips brushing the curve of his ear, a teasing smile playing on my lips. "Drunk enough to know what I want… and I want you, Mr. Stranger.”

His hands were on my waist now, steadying me as I swayed on the stool. 

“Oh really?”

I nodded, biting my lips while my eyes trailed down to that plump lips of his. 

"Let me take you somewhere quieter then," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, a warning flickered.

 Don’t go. 

But I ignored it. What did it matter? There was nothing left to lose. Slade had taken it all.

 There was no point in fighting it, not anymore. My life was already in ruins, and tonight, for just one night, I didn’t want to feel anything but the heat of someone else’s touch.

To cleanse me off Slade. 

He helped me to my feet, his arm sliding around my waist as he guided me toward the door. The air outside was cool, but I barely registered the change in temperature. 

“You sure about this?” he asked again, his voice low and rough.

I turned to him. “I don’t care,” I murmured, my words slurred but honest. “I just… I just need this.”

His dark eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite read, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, teasing kiss. I gasped at the warmth, the unexpected tenderness in the way he kissed me, like he was waiting for me to say no.

But I didn’t. I couldn’t. “Make me forget.” I said against his lips.

I kissed him back, my hands reaching up to tangle in his hair as I pulled him closer. His grip tightened on me, his body pressing against mine, and for the first time in months, I felt alive.

His mouth moved against mine with increasing urgency, the heat between us building as he backed me against the wall of the alley, his hands sliding down my sides, exploring the curves of my body. I moaned into the kiss, the ache inside me growing, desperate for more.

“God, you taste so good,” he murmured against my lips, his hands gripping my hips as he ground against me, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through my body.

I gasped, arching into him, my fingers digging into his shoulders. “Don’t stop,” I whispered, the words barely audible as I lost myself in the feel of him.

He didn’t. His lips trailed down my neck, leaving a trail of heat in their wake, while his hands worked at the waistband of my jeans. I was too far gone to care, too wrapped up in the sensation of his touch, the way his hands roamed my body like he knew every inch of it already.

I pulled him closer, my body craving more of his heat, more of the pleasure that was building between us. He responded in kind, his movements becoming more urgent, more demanding as he lifted me off the ground, pressing me against the cold brick wall.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps as he kissed me again, his lips bruising mine with their intensity. The world around us disappeared, and all that mattered was the way he made me feel.

“Please,” I gasped, my hands clutching at him desperately. “I need you.”

His eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw something flicker in them, something almost predatory. But then his lips were on mine again, silencing any lingering doubts.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered against my mouth, his voice low and reassuring, but with a dark edge that made my pulse race.

I felt the rough scrape of his jeans against my thighs as he pressed into me, his body hot and insistent against mine. My head spun, and not just from the alcohol. The intensity of the moment, the raw need between us, made my heart pound in my chest.

“Tell me what you want,” he growled, his breath hot against my neck as his hand slid between us, teasing me through the fabric of my clothes.

I moaned, unable to form coherent words as my body responded to his touch, arching into him, desperate for more. “You. I want you.”

He didn’t wait any longer. With a swift, practiced movement, he tugged my jeans down, and I barely registered the cool night air against my skin before he was inside me, filling me completely.

I cried out, my hands clutching at his shoulders as he thrust into me, his movements rough and desperate. The pleasure was overwhelming, and I gave myself over to it, losing myself in the feel of him, the way he claimed me with every thrust.

“You feel incredible,” he groaned, his voice strained as he drove into me harder, faster.

I could barely breathe, the pleasure building inside me like a storm, threatening to break any second. I tightened my legs around him, pulling him deeper, chasing the release that I so desperately needed.

And then I felt it—a second pair of hands.

I stiffened for a moment, my dazed mind trying to process what was happening. The man holding me didn’t stop, his pace relentless as he kissed me again, his tongue sliding against mine with a rough urgency that sent shivers down my spine.

But then I felt those hands again, this time sliding up my back, and I realized with a start that we weren’t alone.

I pulled back from the kiss, my breath coming in short gasps as I looked over his shoulder. My vision was still blurred, the alcohol making everything hazy, but I could make out another figure behind him. Another man, watching us.

I should’ve felt scared, or at least uncomfortable. But I didn’t. Instead, I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me, like this was exactly where I was supposed to be, with them.

I leaned back against the wall, letting my eyes flutter shut as I gave in to the sensation, to the way their hands roamed my body, each touch sending sparks of pleasure shooting through me.

“I told you I wouldn’t push,” the man in front of me whispered against my ear, his breath hot and ragged. “But you seem to like the attention.”

I couldn’t even form a response, too caught up in the pleasure that was flooding my senses. I moaned softly as the second man’s hands slid down my sides, his fingers grazing my skin in a way that made me shiver.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I should care that there were two of them, that this wasn’t normal, but I didn’t. Not tonight. Tonight, I was free. Free from the pain, the betrayal, the endless cycle of disappointment.

I let go, surrendering to the heat, the pleasure, the feel of their bodies against mine. The rest of the world faded away, and all that mattered was this moment. I didn’t care who they were, didn’t care about the consequences.

For once, I just wanted to feel something other than the emptiness that had been consuming me. And in their arms, I did.