The morning came with clarity and brightness. Adrian woke up with a light headache and struggled to remember how he had come to his room. He opened his eyes and saw Ivy in bed next to him. Naked. He was naked as well and the room reeked of sex.
He had made a big mistake and he knew there was no way Ava could forgive him for this. He was finished. He didn’t even remember any of it. Had he taken alcohol the night before? He tried to remember but his memories eluded him.
“Ivy, wake up.”
If she had done anything to influence this situation into happening so as to separate him and Ava, he would end her life.
Ivy stirred. Seeing him awake, her lips turned up in a smile and she sat upright slowly.
“Adrian. You are up already.”
She leaned in to kiss him but he caught her arm and pulled her out of the bed as he stood up himself.
“Adrian, what’s wrong?” Her eyes were wide in innocent disbelief.
“What did you do, Ivy?”
“I didn’t…”
“I said what the fuck did you do?!”
His hand found her neck as his anger clouded his mind.
“Adrian…Adrian, please… I didn’t…”
She choked out struggling against his grip hitting his arm and his chest.
“You did something. That’s why I can’t remember anything. Tell me! I would never betray Ava like that.”
Ivy struggled against him even more now and pushed him away in a sudden burst of strength.
“Are you crazy?!” She screamed at him before coughing and gasping trying to get her breath back.
She straightened somewhat and looked at him, her breath still coming rapidly.
“How dare you, Adrian? You almost killed me! You think I am so desperate that I would drug you to sleep with you?” She came at him, vibrating with anger and shoved at him.
“Look at me,” She indicated at her naked body. “Do I look like I need to drug a man before he sleeps with me? I am beautiful and a fucking catch, Adrian.”
She looked so pissed that she looked red but Adrian was looking at her body. At the marks he had left on her, that was slowly fading away because of how heavily he had marked her.
“When you came to me yesterday reeking of alcohol, I tried to push you away. I fucking told you that it wasn’t a good idea. But did you listen to me? No. And I was so stupid that I thought that maybe just maybe you wanted to renew what we had before Ava came back.”
She rubbed her neck gasping for breath as she cried. “Fuck you, Adrian. Fuck you.”
Adrian felt hollow listening to her cry. He had been aware enough to mark her like that. He thought he was strong enough and wouldn’t take alcohol again after Ava had thrown out his stash but looking at Ivy, he knew he had fucked up royally again.
It was entirely possible that he had gone off the wagon for a night because of Ava’s absence. He made up his mind. Ava would never come to know about this. It was a mistake, a big one but a mistake nonetheless.
“Ivy.” He tried to comfort her before talking to her but she backed away from him.
“Don’t fucking touch me, Adrian.”
“I don’t want to. Everything that happened between us was a mistake. I don’t know what came over me but it won’t be happening again. And it will stay between the both of us.”
Ivy looked at him with hurt in her eyes.
“Really Adrian? Wow. You are a real piece of work, you know? First, you come on to me when you are drunk and horny then you accuse me of doing something to you and try to kill me then now you want to keep everything hush, hush from your mate? No way.”
“This is not a request, Ivy. If you thought I almost killed you a second ago then it’ll have nothing on what I will do to you if you tell Ava or anyone else about this. If you wish to keep your life then you will shut the hell up.”
Adrian felt extremely guilty about blackmailing her but even though he was almost completely sure that he had come on to her, he couldn’t discount the small possibility that she could be lying.
A tear dropped on her cheek.
“Go to hell, Adrian. What did I ever see in you?”
She picked up her dress and pulled it on before barging out of the room. The moment she was out, his legs gave out beneath him as he sat on his bed, the taste of regret bitter in his mouth.
Ivy stood outside his room and smirked as she patted her back for the Oscar-winning performance. She wouldn’t be marrying any Gamma in a month because she would be with Adrian then.
********
Rhea woke up with a headache and a sore spot on her head. It took her a moment to remember what had happened. Ivy. That bitch.
Somehow she must have realized Rhea’s plans and hijacked it for herself. She had derailed all her plans! Anger consumed her.
Her chance was gone. She couldn’t recreate the same conditions again in such a short period of time before Ava returned. So much planning and scheming only to be stopped by an airhead.
She felt all her dreams vanish in the air. All her plans to avenge her parents, of returning to her pack victorious instead of running away like a fugitive.
Ivy must think that she was so smart. That she could do whatever she wanted with zero consequences. She had taken her only chance of regaining her pack from her. She would kill her. For that transgression, she would kill her. She would strangle the life out of her.
****
“You are leaving so soon?”
Maybe it was just her imagination but Felicity sounded a little panicked.
Was she so nervous about leading the pack alone or was there something she was missing?
“I have faith in your capabilities and Goddess willing, I will send someone here to assist you.”
And check on what exactly you are up to that makes you get nervous so easily.
In the car on her way back, all she could think about was Adrian. He was probably burying himself in work to avoid missing her. He hadn’t picked up her calls the night before and that very morning. But it wasn’t a problem. She would simply surprise him.