Chapter 105

Chapter 105
Riley’s P.O.V
I walked into school like nothing had happened.
Hair brushed. Uniform perfect. Books clutched tight to my chest like they were shields against the weight of memory. My boots clicked across the marble hallway, every step calculated, calm, in control. The same Riley everyone knew. The one who followed the rules. The one who got good grades. The one with two Alpha parents and enough expectations on her shoulders to crush a weaker girl.
No one would’ve guessed that only hours ago, I’d been pressed up against the wall of a nightclub by a stranger whose name I didn’t know—whose hands had left invisible fingerprints along my skin. No one would’ve guessed how alive I’d felt when his mouth was on mine. Or how empty I’d felt when he disappeared.
No one, except maybe Zoey.
She appeared by my locker like smoke, grinning as she tossed her dark curls over her shoulder and nudged me with her elbow. “Hey, partner in crime. You survived the wrath of the Alphas?”
I groaned, pulling out my history book.“Barely. Grounded. Two weeks. No going out. No fun. Possibly ever again.”
Zoey rolled her eyes. “Lame. But understandable. Your dad is literally the definition of ‘protective’ Still… it was worth it, right?”
I hesitated, clutching my book a little tighter. “Yeah. I guess.”
“You guess?” she snorted. “Riley, you were on fire last night. I haven’t seen you smile like that in ages.”
“I did smile a lot,” I admitted softly, my lips twitching.
“Then come out with me again. Friday night. I know a new spot. Even better than the last one.”
I hesitated. The memory of Dad’s voice echoed in my head, low and rough. If you ever disappear like that again, I’ll have you escorted to class by a damn security wolf…
“I can’t,” I said finally. “I promised. And I meant it.”
Zoey pouted dramatically, but nodded. “Fine. One boring Friday for the sake of family honor.”
“Exactly.” I tried to smile.
We started walking toward class, the hallway buzzing with chatter. Then Zoey leaned in again, lowering her voice.
“Hey… have you heard about the new guy?”
“What new guy?” I asked, confused.
Her eyes gleamed like she’d just discovered treasure. “There’s a new student. Super hot. Tall. Dangerous looking. Like the kind of guy who only shows up in bad decisions and fan fiction.”
I raised a brow. “Nope. Haven’t heard anything.”
Zoey grabbed my arm and stopped me in the middle of the hall. “Okay, well… prepare yourself. Because he’s right behind us.”
My stomach flipped.
No. No way. It couldn’t be—
I turned.
And there he was.
The stranger.
The one who kissed me like he already owned a piece of me.
He stood at the far end of the hallway, leaning casually against a locker, dark hair slightly tousled like he’d just rolled out of someone else’s bed. His uniform clung perfectly to his tall, broad frame, and his eyes—
Those eyes.
They were the same as last night. Sharp. Hungry. Like they saw straight through me.
I froze. Everything in me clenched at once—my throat, my chest, my legs. I couldn’t breathe.
Zoey noticed instantly. “Riley? You good?”
I blinked hard. “Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”
She tilted her head. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Just… didn’t sleep much.” I forced a weak smile and turned away before she could pry deeper.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn’t focus in class. My thoughts kept drifting, rewinding to the club, to his mouth on mine, to the heat of his hands exploring my body like he had every right. My body remembered him in a way my brain was desperate to forget.
I told myself he wouldn’t recognize me. The club had been dark. I’d had different makeup on. It was just one night.
But every time I looked up, I caught him watching me.
Once, during lunch, our eyes met from across the courtyard. My breath caught in my throat. He didn’t smile. Didn’t look away. He just held my gaze like he was trying to drag me back into that moment.
By the end of the day, I couldn’t take it anymore.
The bell rang, and I practically sprinted out of my last class, ignoring Zoey’s calls behind me. My head was a storm of shame and heat and confusion. I just wanted to get in the car, get home, and pretend none of it had ever happened.
But fate had other plans.
He was waiting by the front gates, standing with his hands in his pockets like he belonged there. Like he’d always been part of this world. As I neared, he stepped forward—just one step, enough to block my path.
“Hi, Riley,” he said.
His voice. Deep. Cool. Effortless. It slithered down my spine and left goosebumps in its wake.
I stared at him, heart pounding.
“Forget what happened last night,”I snapped. “It never happened.”
He raised a brow, clearly amused. “That’s not what your body said.”
“Go to hell,” I whispered, pushing past him.
Dad’s car was waiting. My guards stood by the door. I climbed inside without looking back.
But the whole ride home, I couldn’t stop shaking.
Why had he come here? Why now? And how did he know my name?
Forget what happened. I’d said it like I meant it. But I hadn’t.
I couldn’t.
That kiss… it lived in my skin now.
The car pulled into the North Tower driveway, and I jumped out, eager to escape the storm inside me. But as I climbed the stairs, another sound stopped me cold.
A moan.
From Kyle’s room.
Another one. Higher. Softer.
I rolled my eyes.
Of course.
It was nothing new. My brother had always been like this. Charismatic. Shameless. Girls fell at his feet like leaves in the wind. A new one every week—sometimes every day. I didn’t know how he kept track.
I slammed my bedroom door and flopped onto my bed.
But the moans followed me—haunting, echoing off the walls of my own thoughts.
What was it like? Sex?
Was it really that good? That addictive?
Last night had been wild, but we hadn’t gone all the way. Still, I’d felt things I couldn’t explain. Pleasure. Power. Hunger.
Was that what people chased? That heat? That loss of control?
I pressed my pillow over my face and groaned.
I wasn’t supposed to think about this. I was supposed to be the good girl. The strong one. The legacy.
But all I could think about was the stranger’s mouth, and the way I hadn’t wanted him to stop.
And the terrifying truth that even now… a part of me still didn’t.