Verity:

Flashback continues:

The moment I reached him, I pressed my hands against his chest and wrapped my arms around him.

It all happened quickly, and he froze. He did not even move.

His scent filled my nostrils.

I had to admit, he looked like a Greek god walking through the lonely night.

I pulled back just enough to look up at him and forced a smile.

"Baby, where were you?" I asked lightly. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

I curled my fingers into the collar of his coat, holding on as if I belonged there.

Our eyes met, and just like that, I faltered.

Up close, he was so good-looking that it felt unfair.

It made no sense how the Moon Goddess could give a man like him power, wealth, and a face like that, yet still leave him rotten underneath it all.

He still had not moved.

Then again, the Moon Goddess had not blessed me any less either.

The Alpha King, who was usually attentive in situations like this, seemed mesmerized.

His eyes moved over my features, my eyes, my lips, and my hair as if there were no tomorrow.

From the corner of my eye, I glanced back.

The two men had slowed down.

They were trying to figure out what was happening.

Now they stood off to the side, pretending to talk while keeping their attention fixed on us.

I could tell they had recognized him.

They could smell what he was.

"I thought you were going to pick me up," I pouted, lightly tapping his chest.

He said nothing, but his hands came to rest on my back. I felt a slight squeeze.

"Who are you?" he asked, almost in a whisper, his attention fixed entirely on me.

He did not look at anything else.

His eyes stayed on my face, studying it with an intensity that made me uneasy.

I turned slightly, glancing toward the men.

I wanted his attention to shift to them, but he would not look away from me.

"So, are we going home now, babe?" I asked, smiling at him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two men retreat behind a wall, though they still lingered.

They were watching, trying to read the situation.

"Who are you?" Jaguar asked again, his voice much raspier this time.

I looked back at him, and for a moment, I went still.

His gaze moved over me as if committing every detail to memory.

When his eyes met mine, something shifted.

A faint smile touched his lips. Then his gaze dropped to my mouth, and I saw his throat move.

The men were still there.

I needed to take this a step further.

"Kiss me," I whispered.

Beneath my hand, I felt his heart skip a beat.

The Alpha King in front of me narrowed his eyes, studying my face.

"Kiss me," I repeated, this time with more urgency.

That was all it took.

He crashed his lips against mine, forcing me a step back from the impact.

His lips were soft, carrying a faint vanilla taste.

He caught my lower lip between his teeth as his hands moved along my back.

He pulled me tight against his chest, holding me there as the kiss deepened.

I felt the sound of a moan building in my throat, but I quieted it down.

Suddenly, I felt something hard press against my thigh.

That snapped me out of it.

I pushed lightly against his chest, breaking the kiss.

His eyes stayed on me, full of passion.

"Okay, thank you," I said, gently patting his chest as I stepped back.

The moment I tried to pull away, his hand closed around mine.

He pulled me back, hard enough that I collided with his chest.

"Who do you belong to? Who are you?" he asked, his voice low.

The space between us felt too tight.

The way he held me made it clear he wasn’t letting go.

"No one," I said.

"I’m Verity."

His eyes lit with interest.

"Do you need my help?" he asked, his tone quieter now.

"No, thank you. I’m safe now," I replied, pulling my hand free and stepping back.

Then I turned and walked away, picking up my pace.

"Verity, wait," he called after me but I didn’t stop.

"Your Highness, your car keys," someone called.

That pause was enough.

I slipped into a side street and disappeared.

"Verity, where did you go?" he called out, his voice edged with agitation.

Even as I put distance between us, I could still hear him.

Once I was far enough, I headed back home.

End Of Flashback.

"Sometimes, when I look at your lips, I still remember their taste," he uttered, his body emanating heat that was impossible to ignore.

"Thank you for saving me that night," I replied before falling silent.

I slowly opened the door.

I watched him through the mirror and noticed that he looked devastated.

He probably thought reminding me of our past, of our first encounter, would stir something inside me and make me stay, but that was not going to happen.

I was not here to play a loser’s game.

I was here to win.

So I stepped out of the car and continued home.

When I arrived home, I sat alone in the living room, sinking into the recliner.

A single tear slipped down my cheek, and I sighed.

My life was nothing anymore.

I would wake up surrounded by thoughts of the men I was supposed to hate, yet I had to act as though I was intrigued by them.

Then I would spend the rest of the day being squeezed, touched, rubbed against, and even excited by them.

By the end of the night, when I came home, I would be forced to face the truth.

I was not supposed to enjoy their touch.

I was such a hypocrite.

I fell asleep on the recliner while tears streamed down my face for I did not know how long.