The door slammed open so hard the frame shook.
I jerked upright, heart slamming against my ribs.
Katherine stood in the doorway gripping a baseball bat, eyes wide and scanning the room like she was ready to swing. The sharp scent of her adrenaline hit me immediately—metallic, aggressive, and protective.
"What happened!?" she demanded. "Is someone here? Do I need to kill someone? Are you hurt?"
I couldn’t answer right away. My skin felt too tight. Heat flooded my face so fast it almost hurt. My wolf was restless under my skin, still reacting to the memory of Lucas’s scent and the things he had done to me. The images kept flashing—his mouth, his hands, the way he had looked at me when I begged him not to stop.
I pressed both hands to my face.
Katherine stepped closer, bat still raised. "Maya. Talk. Now. Was it Kate? Did she come here again?"
"I remember," I forced out. My voice came out thin and shaky. "Last night. I remember everything."
She lowered the bat slightly, frowning. "Okay... and?"
I let out a broken sound and dropped backward onto the bed, covering my face with both hands. The mortification was so strong it made my stomach twist. My pulse was racing so hard I could feel it in my throat.
"I need you to kill me," I muttered into my palms. "Right now. Please. Just end it."
There was a pause.
Then Katherine made a sharp noise of realization.
"No. Wait." Her voice rose. "Don’t tell me you actually... Maya, did you sleep with someone last night? Is that why you look like this?"
I kept my face buried. My ears were burning. My wolf was pacing inside me, agitated, still reacting to the memory of Lucas’s touch like it had been burned into her.
Katherine kept talking, half to herself. "No, that can’t be right. You’re not the type to just—"
She stopped.
Silence stretched.
I slowly lowered my hands and looked at her.
My face was so hot it felt feverish. I could barely meet her eyes.
Katherine’s expression changed. A slow, almost delighted horror spread across her face.
"Maya..." Her voice dropped. "Oh my God. You did."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed it over my face, groaning into it. "I was drunk. I thought it was a dream. We didn’t go all the way."
Katherine started pacing at the foot of the bed, hands moving restlessly. "You actually—okay, wait. How far did things go?"
I kept the pillow over my face. If she was already this worked up over half the truth, I had no idea how she was going to react when she found out who it was.
"Maya," she pressed, voice firm. "Stop hiding and just say it. I’m not leaving until I hear the full story."
I mumbled into the pillow, the words almost too muffled to hear. "He went down on me."
Katherine froze.
Then she made a sound that was half gasp, half shocked laugh. "Wait. Did you actually lose it? Like... completely?"
I sat up and threw the pillow at her face.
She ducked, still grinning. "What? I need to know if my best friend finally got to experience something that good."
"This is not the time," I hissed. My voice came out higher than usual. My hands were shaking in my lap.
"Okay, okay." She raised both hands, though the grin stayed. "But did you?"
I stared at the ceiling, face burning. The words felt like they were being dragged out of me. "Yes. More than once."
Katherine let out a high-pitched sound of pure delight. "Your first time feeling that and it was that intense? Maya, I’m almost proud of you."
"You’re insane."
I dropped my head into my hands again. The full weight of the morning pressed down on me all at once. "I was so angry this morning. I accused him of taking advantage of me. When I was the one who threw myself at him. I begged him. I—" My voice cracked. "I can’t even look at myself."
Katherine sat down on the edge of the bed, trying (and failing) to look serious. "Honestly? This is messy. Extremely messy. And I am living for it."
"Katherine, stop. You’re making it worse."
"Fine." She rolled her eyes, but the amusement stayed. "It’s not the end of the world. People do stupid things when they’re drunk and heartbroken. It’s just a one-night stand."
"It’s not just that," I said quickly, sitting up. My voice was tight. "I’m humiliated. I was a complete mess. And now he probably thinks I’m some desperate, pathetic girl who climbs into beds and begs. He didn’t even look angry. He just looked... closed off. And then he told me to stay away from him. Like I was something contagious."
Katherine’s smile faded for just a second. Her hand stilled on my back.
"Maya. Look at me."
I turned my head.
"I’ve never seen you like this. Not over Caleb. Not over anyone." She studied me carefully. "Are you sure it’s just embarrassment you’re feeling?"
I opened my mouth to answer. Nothing came out.
Her mouth twitched. "Contagious in a ’please infect me next’ kind of way, or the regular kind?"
I glared at her.
She raised both hands, still fighting a smile. "Okay, okay. Breathe. Who is this person? Just give me a name."
I swallowed. My throat felt tight.
"His name?"
She nodded.
I closed my eyes. The words felt heavy. "L-Lucas Grey."
Katherine blinked. She stared at the ceiling for a second, processing.
Then her head snapped toward me so fast I almost flinched.
"Wait. Grey? Lucas? As in Caleb’s twin brother?"
I nodded weakly.
"The same Lucas? The one who’s always cold and distant? The one you grew up with? The one you keep saying you can’t figure out?"
"Yes," I cut in, voice flat. "That Lucas. You don’t need to list every detail. I know who he is." I covered my face with both hands. "How am I supposed to look him in the eye after this?"
Katherine was quiet for two full seconds.
Then the horror on her face slowly melted into pure, unfiltered excitement.
"Oh my God. This just became so much more interesting."
I fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. My voice came out small. "My first real orgasm... and it came from the one person I never expected. I’m never drinking again."
Katherine leaned against the headboard, arms crossed, looking far too satisfied. "Well, look on the bright side. At least he’s hot. He’s a freaking billionaire. He’s not some random stranger. You’ve known him your entire life. And he’s... not exactly hard to look at." She tilted her head. "Also, from the way you’re describing him this morning... that doesn’t sound like hatred. That sounds like something else."
I barely heard her.
My wolf stirred under my skin, restless and unsettled. She wasn’t disgusted by what had happened. She was... hungry. And that terrified me more than anything else. Every moment from the night before kept replaying in my mind—the weight of his hands, the heat of his mouth, the warmth of his tongue on mine and the intoxicating taste of him that drove me insane, the way his voice had dropped when he told me there was no going back.
I had thrown myself at Lucas Grey. I had begged him. And this morning I had the nerve to act like the victim.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" I whispered.
Katherine placed a careful hand on my back. "It’s not the end of the world—"
"It feels like it is."
She just looked at me, completely unbothered, clearly enjoying every second of my misery.
"Stay at my place for a few days," she said eventually. "Until your head clears and you’re ready to face him. My guest room is free. And I have better snacks than whatever they keep in that mansion."
I stared at her for a long moment. Then I closed my eyes and whispered to the ceiling.
"My life is officially over."
Katherine only laughed.
I closed my eyes again, but sleep didn’t come. Because every time I closed them, I saw him. His hazel eyes. His hands. The way he had looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered—and then walked away.
I didn’t know what was worse.
The shame.
Or the fact that I wanted him to come back.