Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Liora's POV

The hotel room door had barely closed when his lips crashed into mine. Kissing me with so much intensity, I lost my ability to process a coherent thought. He parted slightly to allow me to catch my breath while his lust-filled eyes took me in, staring like a man starved for days, and I was his meal to devour.

"Are you sure about this?" He whispered.

"Just fuck me already," I groaned desperately. A slight smirk formed on his face in approval, and his muscular hands lifted me up like I weighed nothing, then he took quick strides towards the king-sized bedroom at the center.

He dropped me gently onto the bed like I was something delicate. Breakable.

His dark and unreadable eyes pinned me in place. He stood still for a beat too long, like he was deciding whether to walk away or devour me. Then he began removing his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt without breaking eye contact.

The silence between us sizzled.

I sat up and reached for the hem of my dress, pulling it over my head in one motion. I didn't care how messy I looked. I didn't care about dignity. All I wanted was someone to burn hot enough to erase Zade's touch from my memory.

Rowan's gaze dropped, dragging over every inch of exposed skin. My breath caught.

He came toward me then, and the moment his hands touched my thighs, I shivered.

"Fuck- you are stunning," he said under his breath, making heat rush to my cheeks. My earlier confidence had disappeared now that I was half naked before him, and I started to feel nervous.

I clenched my thighs in anticipation when his hands brushed upwards past my thighs till he got to the hem of my lace panties. With two fingers, he brushed my panties aside, revealing my glistening, wet pussy, and a soft moan escaped my lips at the sensation his touch aroused inside me.

"Aahh," I gasped in shock when he bent down to kiss between my legs as his fingers began to rub my clit.

He didn't rush. He took his time, stroking me, allowing his fingers to slip inside me while I moaned helplessly. Begging for him to completely consume me. His mouth found my neck, lips brushing the mark Zade never cared to leave. His touch was heat and pressure, worship and punishment, all at once.

When he finally pressed into me, it wasn't gentle.

It was deep. Consuming.

I let out a yelp at the unfamiliar intrusion and pain as my opening stretched to accommodate his thick length.

"Shit-"Rowan groaned, his eyes widening in shock. "Are you." He trailed off.

I nodded my head, answering his unasked question. "How? You and Zade never had sex-" I cut him off with a kiss, arching into him, my nails digging into his back.

Yes, I was unmarked and a virgin, but that wasn't important, and there was no need to talk about it. Especially not when I was underneath him with my core pulsing in need for him now that the initial pain had subsided.

He swallowed my moans with his mouth, kissed me like I was something wild he couldn't tame but refused to let go. Needing no more approval, he fucked me. His dick was stroking me passionately.

By the time it was over, I was spent. Raw. Breathing hard in his arms, my body trembling with the aftershock of it all.

He lay beside me, silent, his chest rising and falling in even rhythm. He brushed a stray curl from my cheek and pulled me closer until I was lying on his chest-our naked bodies against each other.

I should have felt used. I should have felt ashamed.

But instead, I felt. wanted.

For the first time in years, I wasn't wondering if I was enough.

I just was.

***

A frown formed on my face when I woke up the next morning and noticed the unfamiliar room, a lot different from my cozy bedroom. I squinted my eyes as I scanned the room. The clothes scattered on the floor and the used condom were enough to send the memory of last night rushing back.

I had sex with Rowan! Zane's half-brother.

When I tried to roll over, a dull ache pulsed through my thighs. I hissed through my teeth, my legs sore.

"Mmh," a low groan came from beside me, and I turned toward that direction. Rowan's muscular body lay sprawled on the bed, and he shifted slightly, like the sound of my movements had disrupted his sleep.

His long lashes fluttered, clearing his daze until his eyes settled on me.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his morning voice deeper than usual and seductively husky.

"I should leave." I answered, although deep down I didn't want to leave. I wanted to enjoy the view of this drop-dead gorgeous man a little longer. Even though I acted impulsively last night, I didn't regret it.

"Why?" He deadpanned, lifting one brow questioningly.

"One-night stands are normal for adults. You don't expect me to ask you to love me, would you?" I replied. I slipped off the bed, ignoring the throbbing sensation between my legs, and reached for my clothes littered around the luxurious marble tiles of the hotel bedroom.

"Why did my brother never mark you?" Rowan asked, ignoring my earlier comment.

"I'm no longer involved with him," I said, my mood dampening at the mention of my ex-mate.

"So you came to climb into my bed?" Rowan drawled.

"Please don't make it sound so bad. This is just mutual benefit. But you do have a great body." I groaned, glancing at him once more. Alpha Rowan truly had a great body, the type you'd see on a fitness magazine cover. Not too muscular but perfectly shaped, he could turn any girl on.

His abs were neatly defined, his waist was narrow yet powerful, and his V-line was incredibly sexy. I quickly averted my gaze when his lips curled in a smirk as he noticed I was checking him out.

"See you next time," I sputtered in embarrassment when I was finished dressing, and waved awkwardly

Before I could take a step further, Rowan suddenly reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me back, causing my ass to land on the bed.

"Why are you in so much hurry?" he murmured before claiming my lips in a heated kiss. My dress was ripped open with a sharp tear, revealing my lace bra.

My eyes widened as I hadn't meant "next time" in that way! I was still sore from earlier, but that didn't stop the arousal from building when I felt Rowan's hard dick against my ass.

.

When I woke up again after one more exhausting round of hot sex, the spot next to me was empty. There was only a note left on the bedside table, written in a bold and cursive handwriting:

"I had business to attend to."

Underneath the note was a check. I didn't bother looking at the amount before ripping it into shreds in annoyance. Who did he think I was? A prostitute??

Fucker!

On the other side of the bedside table was a bag containing new clothes that Rowan must have prepared for me. My face flushed when I noticed he had also gotten me new underwear, which were my correct size!

How did he know- had he checked my previous set?

Deciding not to dwell on that, I made my way towards the en-suite bathroom. The hot water ran down my body as I scrubbed my body in a daze. My mind felt scrambled with thoughts of my breakup, as well as my mind-blowing sex with Rowan, invading my mind.

When I was done washing up and was now dressed in fresh clothes, my phone pinged with an alert from the bathroom sink where I had left it, announcing a new notification. I grabbed my phone and scanned through the multiple notifications, but only one caught my attention,

"Beautiful mating ceremony of the Alpha's stepson and the gorgeous Beta's daughter. A match made in heaven!"

The title caused my heart to drop to the pit of my stomach. Despite the pain, I clicked on the link to read the full article. My gaze started to get blurry, and tears started to gather in my eyes.

"Zade, the new stepson of Alpha Hayes, ties the knot with Selene, the beta's daughter, after three years of blissful relationship."

I stopped reading when my eyes settled on the photos released by the media of Zade and Selene looking like the perfect couple. Their smiles were like knives digging through my heart.

They had been in a relationship for three years-what about me?

How could he announce his infidelity to the whole pack like it was normal? Was this how easy it was for him to disregard me completely?

Had it all been a lie?