Obviously he has to play nice and socialize—if he chose to ditch the party again, it would look incredibly suspicious.

My stomach squeezes when Aiden takes the hand of one of the females and spins her out onto the dance floor, a whole section of it clearing immediately just for him to dance privately with his date.

Ugh, I can’t do this.

I turn and march out the doors, feeling my own shame wash over me. I won’t ever be the person he’ll pull out onto the dance floor like that. I’m just a nobody with a scarlet letter branded to my forehead from the misdeeds of my father.

I gather the ends of my dress and head up the stairs to my suite. Alone time to settle my thoughts will do me some good. After all,I’ve got probably another few hours before I can sneak off to find Aiden.

Which…where am I even going to meet with him? We never did get around to discussing that.

Fuck, I’m so stupid. Why did I ever think this would work?

Stripping out of my dress the second I shut the door behind me, I sigh into the empty room. Delilah won’t be back for a few hours, so I’ve got the place to myself.

My eyes glance over at the slightly parted door to the bathroom. Actually, a bath sounds nice.

There’s a sharp knock on my door that has me spinning around and clapping a hand to my chest. Breathing out quickly, I grab a spare robe hanging just inside the bathroom door and throw it on before heading over to the door.

Did Delilah leave the party early?

Opening the door, I’m met with the last person I expect to see—giving me déjà vu all over again.

Aiden is panting as he stares at me, leaning against the doorframe. “Raine.”

He left the party?

He came after me.

He grabs me by the jaw, pushing me through the doorway and turning me in order to press me up against the wall. His lipscrash into mine, kissing me in a heated frenzy that immediately sets my body on fire and has my thighs clenching together.

There’s a soft growl that emits from his chest, a rumble that tells me his wolf is right at the surface, barely being contained while his tongue thrusts into my mouth and tastes every single inch of me.

I don’t get any time to react before he rips his mouth away from mine, a wild look in his eyes as he asks, “Have you been waiting for me?”

“Yes,” comes my instant answer.

He lifts me up off my feet the next second, bringing me over to the bed.

I’m laid out onto my mattress, the tie around my robe ripped apart and parted for him.

A soft gasp escapes me when he runs his hands along my body, touching me everywhere he can, with hunger brewing in his eyes.

“I want you,” he tells me, licking his lips. “So I’m going to have you.”

My stomach churns in a pleasant way. Being taken like this—practically like I’m owned—feels incredible. It feels right.

“Then have me.” My words come as a whisper.

Instantly, I’m flipped onto my stomach and my robe is pulled the rest of the way off me and tossed somewhere onto the floor behind me. I hear the distinct sounds of Aiden ripping his ownclothes off, his skin hot against mine when he climbs back onto the bed and mounts me.

His hands grab at my hips to pull me back and prop my ass up, holding me there while he grinds against me. His hard length rubs along my core, teasing me with each thrust and promising me the same mind-blowing pleasure we shared only a night ago.

“Please,” I beg, pressing my face down into the mattress in submission. It feels natural to be like this, my wolf crooning for her mate to take my body and do exactly as mates do.

He growls at the display, both he and his wolf clearly turned on by it. “You’ll be ready for me every time I come for you. You’ll be waiting for me naked and ready for me to claim you. Do you understand?”

I feel the head of his cock pressing up against my entrance, and then with a swift shift of his hips, he slides right into me. My wet heat is greedy as it takes him inside, squeezing him each time he pulls out and quickly shoves himself back inside—not wanting to be outside of me for long.