Chapter 1 CH. 1

(GARDENIA)

“Gard…Gard!”

He tugged so hard at me and shoved the bedsheet off my body. Then I felt him pull at my hands and wake me in the roughest manner known to me.

I sat up and yearned heavily. However, I was quick to shut my mouth when I met his gaze which was riddled with disgust and hurriedly looked around the room.

‘Good lord, this is not my room!’ I muttered inwardly while jumping out of the bed on which I had nestled all night.

He stared at me with furrowed eyebrows while I scurried around the room, picking up my clothes which he shoved to the corners of the room while we were…wait, we made out last night!

I spurned him and looked him dead in the eye. I never had the intention to let him take off my clothes since we met just a week ago, but he somehow managed to lure me into his room in the Matinas cabin last night and went down on me.

"I'm sorry, Gard, but last night… it never happened." He stood up, exposing the entire length of his naked body, except for his groin, which was concealed by the drawstring pants around his inviting waist.

We did something. But now… now he simply stated that it never happened?

Was this the same man who blessed my ears with lovely words and promised me a lifetime of care in his arms?

How come he changed so quickly and denied everything right in front of me?

I was unable to utter a single word as my gaze lingered some seconds longer on his expressionless face.

I was in a hurry to get my clothes—to get dressed as best I could and make my way home before my family noticed that I was missing and came looking for me in Marlowe's country mansion, which was where we had all gathered the night before for Mariam's marking ceremony. Thus, I couldn’t afford to waste any more of my time with him.

I did my body the favor of masking it up with my pants and my gown, and then I picked up my hair ribbon from where it was lying on the floor while he picked up his shirt and his trousers and put them on.

"Would you be so kind as to assist me in girding my hair with this?" I stretched the girdle towards him, recalling how I removed the hairband when I bent to suckle his shaft. That was at the height of the business we did in his room last night, which he just denied a minute ago.

He gave a slight shake of his head, then carefully approached me and took the hairband from me. I turned around to let him assist me with putting my hair together. That was the only thing I could say I have never been very good at.

The maids at my father's house were the ones who always styled my hair but they weren’t present now. I was certain they should still be with my father and stepmother at The Marlowe's mansion. So I had to ask him to help me, and he did an excellent job.

That is precisely one of the reasons I was drawn to him. He was the kind of man that women gravitate toward. However, the fact that he said nothing happened between us the night before was a level of insanity that I simply could not comprehend.

I was aware that Gerald did not hold a significant rank in either our pack or in our country neighborhood; however, he was the kind of person that every girl fantasized about. His striking appearance and impressive physique put him in that position.

The hair of a male Korean model and the blue eyes of a Native American were both characteristics that he possessed. He was tall and slender, just like the men we look up to in movies. He was an absolutely mesmerizing creature.

His aura was the thing that drew us in the most, and his scent was so delightful that it could be smelled even from a considerable distance to the air. However, on the other hand, he did not show any interest in us, which was a drawback.

He was constantly busy serving his master, Lord Matinas, who was a member of the council, a wealthy neighbor, and a friend of the Alpha in our pack who lived in the countryside.

In addition to working as a gamma at the Matinas horse ranch and stables, Gerald lived in the Matinas cabin, which was located in close proximity to the ranch.

On the other hand, we continued to feel affection for him and longed for even the tiniest amount of attention from him. Up until the day that he came into contact with me at the riverside, where my stepsister, our companions, and I had gathered to celebrate at the riverside beach, he had never met me before.

This get-together was not your typical beach party for girls; it was something very special. It was Mariam and Ryker's engagement party, and it was a tradition in our pack for young people to attend events of this nature. Not only did we attend these events to show our support and enjoyment for the couple, but we also went to these events because it was anticipated that we would find our perfect partners during these celebrations.

“Thank you!” I said and turned away from him.

The fact that I needed his assistance with my hair made me regret having spoken to him. It would have saved me a face to simply leave his room in the cabin of the Matinas and get on with my life.

"I can give you a ride home," he said coldly. His voice lacked the vivacity that had been present at the beginning of our encounter.

The sudden shift in his demeanor made me feel despondent. He finally exposed his true nature as the scoundrel that he actually was.

This was a facet of him that I never knew existed.

"No, thank you," I responded as I made my way towards the entrance of his room. However, it came as a complete surprise to me that it was locked.

It subsequently dawned on me that he had locked it the night before, prior to our passionate exploration of each other's mouths.

I recalled how one thing led to another… how he entered me with such force that I was unable to stop crying out of agony.

"Sorry," he muttered as he opened his drawer to retrieve the key and hastily approached the door.

It amazed me how he went from being a self-assured adult to a cowardly young boy.

I was under the impression that I had found a man, but instead, I made the mistake of allowing an insufficient boy to see me in a vulnerable state and made me lose my V-card.

"Goodbye!” I uttered those words as soon as the door opened, and then I walked away without giving a second thought to whether or not he would respond to my farewell.