Page 22 of Bound to the One-Night Stand

We tried on dresses. We drank champagne. Basically, we did any and everything we could to take our minds off the fact that one of us was soon to be married to a stranger. Granted, those few friends ended up far happier than any of us expected.

Maybe the Governing Body knows what they’re doing after all? No. I can’t allow myself to think that. If they did, they would have paired me with Alec instead of leaving me all alone while he gallivants across Greece with a woman who probably didn’t even want to go there in the first place.

How would she even know that she would want to go there? Alec knew I wanted to go there. He probably booked the flights the moment he got the text, thinking we were going to go together. Will my new Alpha even care that I want to go somewhere? To just get away from everything so we can plan out our future? Would they even think ahead like he did?

I pick up my phone, debating whether or not to message Kessily when there’s a knock at my door. It’s certainly not masculine. Not like Alec showing up to sweep me off my feet and take me to the wedding himself.

Shaking my head, I force these thoughts out of my mind. Dwelling on him won’t do me any good. Not now. Not ever. I just have to get through these next six months whilekeeping myself at arm’s length until Alec and I can be together again.

That is, if he even still wants me.

I’m barely able to unlock the door when it bursts open, revealing Kessily. She beams at me as she barrels her way in, scooping me up into a big hug. “You got the text, right? Tell me you got the text, and you don’t think I’m just some psycho showing up like this.”

A soft chuckle vibrates in my chest as I hug her close. “I mean, I do think you’re a psycho, but not for this.”

“It’s the memes and videos I send you. Isn’t it?”

“They don’t help your case any.”

“Dammit. I knew it.”

Just having my best friend helps ease a lot of the anxiety and worry until I’m able to take in a full breath again. Thankfully, she doesn’t bring up the impending marriage or anything. She just talks as if we’re about to hang out for a girls weekend.

Just like normal. As if every fucking thing is normal. Even when it’s not.

Tears gather in my eyes as she wanders around my apartment looking at my stuff, poking and prodding things every now and then. Until that moment, I didn’t realize I’d have to merge my life with someone else. Someone new and strange.

With Alec, we were going to just move whatever fit over to his place. Now that I’m having to contemplate moving in with a stranger, I have no clue what of me will fit with them. Will they have their own dishes? Will I like them? What about clothes and furniture?

At least with Alec, I knew how big his house was. We already made plans and talked about what of mine I was keeping and what I was getting rid of. Now, I’m back atsquare one with no idea and no strategy in place. Kessily continues to talk a mile a minute while my heart starts to skip a beat every few seconds.

My limbs feel heavy and wooden as I sit down on the edge of my bed. Fuzzy lines intersperse my vision and don’t let up until I close my eyes. Though I sway back and forth, my bed seems able to anchor me. At least a little.

Kessily continues to talk. I can hear her, but now it sounds muffled. It’s as if I’m underwater and she’s screaming at me from shore. Drowning. That’s how this feels. I don’t dare open my mouth for fear of letting the water in.

Strong hands wrap around my shoulders, and for a moment, my brain conjures up the Alpha from last night. If I just keep my eyes closed, it’s as if he’s right there with me. I can almost smell his dark, masculine scent surrounding me, enveloping me.

Breathe. Just breathe.

CHAPTER 9

DEVIN

Anxiety races through my spine, twisting me about as I look at my computer screen. Though I rub my chest, it doesn’t get any better. I’m not normally prone to my heart racing. Panic is not something I’m used to feeling.

Closing my eyes, I force myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. Just breathe. After a few minutes, everything begins to calm, allowing me to concentrate on my job. I try not to work on the weekends, but a certain blonde-haired, brown-eyed omega has twisted my thoughts around until she is all I can think about.

It’s not like me to be so obsessed, especially with a perfect stranger. It’s probably my worry for her that has me so consumed. Most submissives enjoy aftercare in the dark, secluded room. But not her. She refused my offer. It stung, to be sure, but I’m not going to force it on her. If only I knew who she was and how to get a hold of her.

If she were a normal submissive I played with, I’d have no problem checking in on her, making sure she was taking it easy today. Perhaps I should have the club contact Kessily forme? No. That would make me look like some sycophant chasing after a woman who doesn’t want me.

Clearing my throat, I pull up the phone records of the guy I’m supposed to be gathering intel on. Nothing there seems amiss, but I know if I dig deeper, I’ll find a burner phone. The current records are too sporadic and don’t match with the photos sent to me by the private eye who hired me.

It’s like a puzzle, and soon, I find myself immersed in the mystery, all thoughts of a wayward submissive leaving my brain. I’m so caught up in the task that I barely hear the ding of my phone. With a loud groan, I pull myself away from the screen and stretch.

The unknown number makes me sit up as I scroll, my brain whirling a mile a minute, trying to figure out who’s messaging me. And that’s when everything stops. The number is unknown because it’s not the original number.

Government officials don’t work that way. My lips twist as I look down at the screen, studying the text message from the Governing Body. I’ve been matched. I guess it’s about time, but it certainly wasn’t expected.

---