Chapter 1 The Night Everything Changed
Alicia's POV
The music pounded through the nightclub, but all I could focus on was him.
Ray Stone.
He stood across the crowded dance floor, his dark eyes locked on mine. The future Alpha of the rival Dark Night Pack shouldn't be here, and I definitely shouldn't be staring at him like a lovesick puppy.
"Alicia, stop drooling," my best friend Mia shouted over the music. "Your dad would kill you if he knew you were checking out a Stone."
She was right.
My father, the Beta of the Blood Moon Pack, had made it clear since I was little that the Stones were our enemies. Their pack had stolen our land fifty years ago, and the feud ran deep. But looking at Ray now, with his messy black hair and that dangerous smile, I couldn't bring myself to care about old grudges.
"I'm not checking him out," I lied, taking another sip of my drink. The alcohol burned, giving me a flash of liquid courage I didn’t deserve.
"Sure you're not." Mia rolled her eyes. "That's why you've been eye-fucking him for the past twenty minutes."
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
Was I that obvious?
I forced myself to look away, but I could still feel his gaze burning into me. My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin, drawn to him in a way that made no sense. We were supposed to hate each other.
"I need some air," I said, pushing through the crowd toward the back exit.
The cool night air hit my flushed skin, and I leaned against the brick wall, trying to calm my racing heart. This was stupid. I was acting foolish. In three months, Ray would officially become Alpha of his pack, and I would take my place as my father's successor. We were destined to fight each other, not—
The door opened behind me and I knew without turning who it was.
His scent; pine and rain wrapped around me, making my pulse stutter.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Ray said, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.
I turned to face him, lifting my chin defiantly. "I can take care of myself."
"I know you can." He stepped closer, and I had to tilt my head back to look at him. At six-foot-four, he towered over my five-foot-six frame. "That's not why I followed you."
"Then why did you?"
His eyes darkened, and he moved even closer, caging me against the wall with his arms. "Because I can't stay away from you, and that's a problem."
My breath caught. "Ray..."
"Don't." His jaw clenched. "Don't say my name like that. Not when I'm trying so hard to do the right thing."
"What's the right thing?" I whispered, my hands somehow finding their way to his chest. I could feel his heart beating as fast as mine.
"Walking away. Forgetting this attraction exists. Being the good Alpha my pack expects me to be." His hand cupped my cheek, thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "But every time I see you, all I can think about is how badly I want to taste you."
I should have pushed him away. Should have remembered who we were and why this was forbidden. Instead,I felt a pull towards him, stronger than anything I have ever felt before. "Then taste me."
He groaned, and then his mouth was on mine. The kiss was hungry, desperate, everything a first kiss shouldn't be between enemies. His tongue swept into my mouth, and I moaned, my fingers tangling in his hair. He pressed me harder against the wall, his body covering mine completely.
"Fuck," he growled against my lips. "You taste even better than I imagined."
His hands roamed my body, setting every nerve on fire. I'd been kissed before, but never like this. Never with such raw need that it made me forget everything else. His lips moved to my neck, and when he nipped at the sensitive spot where my shoulder met my throat, my future marking spot, my knees nearly buckled.
"Ray, someone could see us," I gasped, even as I tilted my head to give him better access.
"Let them." His hands gripped my hips, lifting me slightly so I had to wrap my legs around his waist. "I want everyone to know you're mine."
The possessiveness in his voice should have scared me. Instead, it made heat pool low in my belly. "I'm not yours. I can't be."
He pulled back to look at me, and the intensity in his dark eyes stole my breath. "You've been mine since the first time I saw you at that pack meeting two years ago. Fighting it doesn't change the truth."
Before I could respond, the door burst open.
We jumped apart, but it was too late. Monty, Ray's Beta and best friend, froze in the doorway with wide eyes.
"Ray, what the fuck are you doing?" Monty looked between us, his expression shifting from shock to anger. "She's Vincent Rowe's daughter. If her father finds out."
"He won't," Ray said coldly, stepping in front of me protectively. "Because you're not going to tell anyone."
Monty shook his head. "This is insane. You're risking everything for a girl from their pack? Your father will…"
"My father is dead," Ray snarled. "I'm Alpha now, or will be soon enough. I decide what's best for our pack."
"And screwing the enemy's daughter is what's best?" Monty shot back.
I pushed past Ray, glaring at Monty. "I'm standing right here, asshole. And nobody's screwing anybody."
"Yet," Ray said under his breath, earning a sharp look from me.
Monty ran his hand through his hair. "The ceremony is in three months, Ray. You need to focus. Not... whatever this is."
"Leave us," Ray commanded, his Alpha power rippling through the words.
Monty submitted instantly, bowing his head. "Don't do anything stupid." He shot me one last warning look before disappearing back inside.
Ray turned to me, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. The weight of his responsibilities warring with whatever this thing between us was.
"He's right," I said quietly. "This is stupid. We should forget this happened."
"Can you?" He stepped close again, backing me against the wall. "Can you forget how it felt when I kissed you? Because I know I'll be thinking about it every night until I see you again."
I shivered at his words. "There can't be an again. You know that."
"I know what everyone expects." His hand found mine, fingers intertwining. "But I also know that I've never wanted anything the way I want you."
"Ray."
"Meet me tomorrow night. The old cabin by Crystal Lake, midnight. It's neutral territory."
I should have said no. Should have walked away and never looked back. But looking into his eyes, I knew I was already lost.
"Okay."
His smile was devastating. He leaned down, pressing one more soft kiss to my lips. "Tomorrow, Alicia."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone with my racing heart and the knowledge that I'd just agreed to the most dangerous thing I'd ever done. If my father found out I was meeting Ray Stone in secret, he'd lock me away until I came to my senses.
But as I touched my still-tingling lips, from his kiss, I knew the truth.
I knew I'd risk everything to feel that fire again.