OLIVIA
~It was taunting her.~
Oliviaâs gaze was fixed on her phone, lying motionless on her kitchen counter. It was ~taunting~ her, its silence a cruel joke. She didnât expect him to call or text. And she had no plans of doing either.
But every time her phone vibrated, her heart skipped a beat.
~Why am I reacting this way?~ He was a stranger, and he was out of her life. ~Good riddance~. Whatever he thought this was, he was mistaken.
Yet his self-assured demeanor had led her to believe she would hear from himâ¦
~No. Absolutely not.~
As her heart pounded and her stomach twisted, she knew she had to suppress the growing disappointment within her. She didnât need that arrogant alpha in her life. This was for the best.
She sighed, resting her forehead on the counter, resisting the urge to bang her head against it. Why couldnât she shake this feeling?
This inexplicable longing for a hint of his presence?
Why did she crave to be a thought in his mind? A low, whimpering groan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes.
She couldnât confide in Will. What would she say? Conceal the fact that she had met an alpha?
Hide the fact that despite all his warnings, she had not only gone with him but also kept his phone number? To say heâd be upset was an understatement.
If she was honest with herself, sheâd admit that it wasnât the only reason she had kept this whole ordeal from Will.
Alexanderâs words had found a place in her heart, sowing seeds of doubt where there was once unwavering trust. Everything she knew about werewolvesâ¦she had learned from Will. She only knew his version of the truth.
It was ridiculous: Will was her friend. He wouldnât lie to herâ¦
~Pull yourself together, Liv~. Was she going to let that jerk drive a wedge between her and her best friend? ~No. Absolutely not.~
She picked up her phone from the counter and headed back to her room. Sleep. She needed sleep. Staff shortage had forced her to work two twelve-hour shifts, and she was exhausted.
A little sleep would clear her mind.
No more thoughts of him. She tossed her phone on her blue comforter and climbed in.
An old T-shirt and a pair of red boy shorts would have to do as pajamas because she was too tired to change.
She pulled the blanket over her body and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to take over.
But sleep eluded her.
Instead, her mind was flooded with thoughts.
Thoughts of him.
Olivia turned and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling through the darkness. It wasnât the first time she had thought of him while trying to sleep. Why couldnât she get him out of her mind?
Why did her heart pound when memories of their encounter haunted her?
~No. No. He was a monster, a ruthless killer.~
She shouldnât waste another moment on him.
Yet her eyes darted to the left, where she could see the corner of her phone peeking out from under the blanket.
As she looked at the blank screen, she felt her hand move to her stomach, her palm sliding down the cotton fabric of her shirt.
~What am I doingâ¦~
Her lower lip trembled, warmth spreading across her chest as her fingertips reached the elastic band of her underwear. She closed her eyes, lines forming around them as she squeezed them shut.
Her trembling fingers struggled to slip inside, but after a few failed attempts, they finally did.
Shame welled up in her eyes, tears pooling as she took a shaky breath.
She couldnât possibly touch herself while thinking of him. His hands. His deep voice echoing in her mind. His mouth.
~No. Get out of my head.~ She curled her fingers, stopping them from venturing further down.
There was a pulsating sensation in her body, an ache, a desire sheâd never experienced before. Even during her heat, when her body craved Willâs touch, she had never felt this.
This was more like an insatiable thirst.
One she couldnât ignore, one that wouldnât subside unless she addressed itâunless he addressed it.
She bit her lip, not caring if she drew blood, losing the battle against her own damn fingers.
Just a little further and sheâd reach her destination. She held her breath, sliding one finger into her awaiting core. Her toes curled, her body pleading for the release she had been denying it.
Sheâd been on edge since their encounter many nights ago. Thoughts of him and his hands filled her mind once more.
His gaze was like a furnace each time it landed on her, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through her entire beingâ¦
Her throat tightened as she slipped in another finger.
She tensed, a moan teetering on the edge of her lips.
~Buzz.~
Was that her phone?
She dismissed it, pushing the noise to the back of her mind.
Olivia pulled her feet closer to her body, her knees lifting the blanket, her fingers quickening their rhythm. ~Oh God~.
Her free hand clung to the sheet, gathering it, pulling at it with each wave of pleasure that washed over her.
~Buzz.~
~Buzz.~
Who the hellâ
She groaned, her jaw tightening as she withdrew her fingers from her throbbing, slick center. Her hand fumbled on the blanket, blindly searching for her phone.
Once she felt it under her nail, she gripped it and brought it to her face.
The bright screen displayed ~Will Calling~. She pursed her lips, swiping the little green icon and holding the phone to her ear.
âYes?â
There was a pause.
âLiv? You okay?â
She let out a loud sigh.
Hearing Willâs voice was enough to shatter the perfect fantasy she had constructed in her mind. She wasnât sure what annoyed her more: that he had interrupted it, or that she had been fantasizing about that jerk in the first place.
âIâm fine.â
âWhy are you breathing like that?â
~For fuckâs sake.~
âWill, whatâs up?â She tried to steady her breathing, a wave of panic washing over her. Heâd heard her panting before.
What ifâwhat if he asked what she was doing? Who she was thinking about? Would he put two and two together?
After all, heâd been surprised that her brief encounter with Alexanderâjust his name was enough to ignite a flame in her chestâhadnât led to sex. Would he guess she was thinking about him? She couldnât risk asking.
âNothing. I hadnât heard from you in a few days. I wanted to make sure youâre okay.â
âIâm fine.â
âOkay, no need to be snippy.â
She scrunched up her nose, biting her tongue. âAnything else?â
âLivââ
She recognized that tone of concern and alarm bells started ringing in her head. He was going to show up here, and that was the last thing she wanted. âListen, WillâI had a rough day at workâ¦â
Lie. Liar, liar, pants on fire.
âIâm not in the mood to chat on the phone.â
She heard him sigh into the phone, conceding defeat without uttering a word. âAlright, but tomorrow, youâre coming over for dinner. Jess is baking a pie.â
âFine.â
She adored Jess. She was thrilled that Will had found someone he loved, but sometimes, being around them was too much. She hated lying. She hated keeping something this big from her.
Jess was a good person, and Olivia felt like she deserved to know the truth.
It wasnât as if she planned on stealing Will from her. Whatever had happened was driven by hormonesâhormones and desire.
It had nothing to do with love or any of that nonsense. Will belonged to Jess and Jess alone.
âGood. Iâll talk to you later.â
âSure.â
That was the last word she said before hanging up and tossing her phone back onto the bed. ~Great~.
She had snapped at her best friend because of that jerk of an alpha.
What the fuck was wrong with her? She ran her hand over her face, trying to regain her composure.
She had to stop obsessing over him; she had to stop thinking about him.
In a fit of angerâor perhaps madness was a better wordâshe grabbed her phone and opened a new text message.
Her fingers hovered over his number before she selected it.
Olivia
Get out of my head, get out of my life.
She hit the send button without a second thought. Somehow, this felt like his fault.
He was the one who had turned her life upside down, the one who had stalked her, the one who had overstepped his boundaries.
God, she needed a shower.
A cold one.