Chapter 22
The pain that wracked my body was unbearable. I cried out, hoping my mother would hear and come to help me, but the hallway outside my room remained quiet, with only the sounds of my agony filling the space. My wolf was also whimpering in pain, and it drowned out any coherent thoughts. I’d only felt minor pain in the past when he kissed Irene, but this was something much worse—something I couldn’t endure.
This was the pain of him sleeping with her. I could almost hear the sounds of their panting and moans, as if I were in the room with them. I could hear everything he was doing to her, and it was pure torture. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I gritted my teeth, silently praying to the Moon Goddess for the pain to subside.
What had I done to deserve this kind of cruelty?
My gaze drifted to a shirt thrown over the edge of my laundry basket. It was Gavin’s shirt—the one I hadn’t washed or returned to him. If I were being honest, I had forgotten all about it.
I briefly wondered if it still smelled like him.
Fighting back the intense pain that consumed me, I managed to stretch enough to grab the shirt and pull it toward me. The moment my fingers brushed the soft fabric, his scent enveloped me like a warm, soothing blanket. Even my wolf seemed to calm. I hugged the shirt to my chest, letting his scent fill my senses. Slowly, the pain began to ease, and I was able to block out the sounds of Ethan’s lovemaking.
I closed my eyes, holding the shirt close, and eventually, I drifted off to sleep.
The thought of Gavin lingered in my mind, and I was instantly pulled back to that night in his VIP suite. Gavin’s lips found mine, kissing me with a heated passion. My heart raced as I pressed myself closer to him, basking in his scent and warmth. His tongue playfully glided across mine, and our lips danced together in perfect harmony.
He was shirtless, and my fingers roamed across his broad chest, feeling each of his defined abs beneath my fingertips.
His hands explored my body as well, and it was only then that I realized I was completely naked. But I wasn’t shy—I didn’t need to be. Part of me knew this wasn’t real, that this was a world I had created in my mind, where I didn’t have to shy away from him.
He lifted me up, pinning me against the wall, using his body to keep me upright. I wrapped my legs around his broad waist as he brought his lips to the nape of my neck, kissing the spot where Ethan’s mark had been.
In this dream, Ethan’s mark was gone. I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that it wasn’t there.
I heard a low growl from Gavin before he whispered, “Mine…”
Suddenly, I was jolted awake. My heart was pounding, and I sat up in bed, my head spinning as sweat dripped down my face. I swallowed a few times, glancing around my room, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream.
I had just had a steamy dream about Gavin Landry.
My hands reached up to touch my face, noticing how hot it was. I took a deep, shaky breath.
I couldn’t be thinking about Gavin like that. I needed to get my head straight before I went to his house later today.
I had promised to start my tutoring job this afternoon, and I couldn’t show up with a messy head. I needed to focus.
I shook the thoughts of the dream from my mind and quickly got out of bed. Heading to the bathroom to clean up, I paused in front of the mirror.
I hardly recognized the person staring back at me. My hair was a complete mess, my face pale, and dark circles hung under my eyes. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. My mouth nearly dropped when I saw the large hickey on my neck, the mark left by Ethan.
