Arianna nudged her way through a hallway full of wolves. Of course, they were all in their human form. Some eyed her spitefully. While others—mostly the males—looked on in lust. Not much time had passed since the law had been enacted permitting all Caedmon whether human, half-bred, or full-bred to unite with the pack. Some still held on to the old customs, thus were less than thrilled about the current leader’s visions.

If her father knew that she was in the Caedmon village now, he’d likely have a fit. But she didn’t care one way or the other. This was her life, not his.

As she exited the ballroom where the bulk of the crowd was dancing, the blasting music followed her. Only moments before, she had been on the dance floor moving to the beat of the eclectic mix of rock, heavy metal, rap, and hip-hop music. One thing she could count on was that the Caedmon parties were always the best.

The walls were lined with couples as they whispered to each other and necked, oblivious and uncaring about indecent PDA. The clusterfuck of bodies made it harder for her to quickly find a bathroom.

A tall guy stepped out in from of her, halting her in the middle of the hallway. “You’re lost.”

“And you’re in my way.” She looked up at him, praying silently that he’d move without giving her any trouble.

Instead, he grinned and cocked one eyebrow. “You’re unaccompanied, human.”

“I didn’t know I needed someone to accompany me to the bathroom,” she said.

“I can, if you want.”

“No, thank you, wolf.”

The feral look in his translucent gaze gave him away. She had to admit; this one was cute. Cocky, but cute. Still, she wasn’t interested. She’d come here to defy her father’s orders, but only to a certain extent. Luring one of the Caedmon wolves would definitely land her into deeper trouble. It was a sure way to make her father mad. Would she even dare…?

“I don’t need an escort. Just show me where the bathroom is around here, will you?”

He stepped out of her path. “At the very end of the hall. Right door or left door. I can’t remember.”

“Thanks.” Arianna excused herself and once again made her way through the frenzy of sex crazed bodies.

She understood the Caedmon hormones. The need to mate. And procreate. Heck, she had the same genes in her blood. But she wished the wolves would be a little more discreet about it. If she passed by another couple fondling each other’s genitals in broad fob lights without regard to anyone around them, she would puke.

As she neared the end of the hall, the feeling of being boxed in faded. Sure enough, as the wolf had advised her there were two doors on either side of the end of the hallway.

She choose the door on the right, knocking first to see if anyone occupied the toilet. When no one answered, she turned the knob and went in.

“Shit!” It wasn’t the bathroom. It was another room. Damn, she needed to go. Maybe she should have left the pineapple daiquiris alone. Before she backed away, a noise caught her attention.

There was a tall shelf near the door obstructing the view, but as she peeked between the trinkets that lined the wooden surfaces, her eyes widened at the image before her.

Three women knelt before a man as he sat in a chair in the center of the room. Arianna immediately realized that it was the groaning sounds that caught her attention.

At first thought, it seemed the women’s heads were resting on his lap. Closer inspection revealed that they were pleasuring him and taking turns sucking him off.

Arianna swallowed, and her head reeled back in shock, but she failed to tear her gaze away from the show. She couldn’t see the man’s face, as it was raised toward the ceiling, and his eyes appeared to be closed.

She focused on the object of interest—his dick. It was standing vertical and at fierce attention. It was big enough and long enough, that all three women pleased him at the same time. One sucking the swollen head. Another dragging her lips along the rigid column. The other teasing his testicles with her tongue.

The man gripped the edge of his seat and the veins in his neck seemed to pulse with the force of his emotions. He moaned once again, and Arianna’s breathing quickened. Her body grew heated and a wicked sensation awakened between her legs.

She could tell he was on the verge of orgasm by the way he thrust his pelvis upward.

“Damn it,” he growled.

Arianna gasped. The sound of his voice stirred something carnal inside of her.

Her hand accidentally hit an object in an attempt to cover her mouth. She caught the trinket just in time, and leveled it before it crashed to the floor.

When she looked up again, her eyes locked with the heated stare of the man.

Jayson.

She knew him. Those smoldering gray eyes were something that she’d never been able to forget. There was a hint of blue around the irises. It reminded her of the sky right before a thunderstorm.

He squinted and focused on her. A wide grin spread across his face.

Her mouth fell open as her heart beat wildly against her chest. Her nipples tightened against her top. The dampness between her legs embarrassed her. Yet, his hypnotic gaze kept her rooted to the floor.

Arianna shook her head and forced herself to back away slowly, but by that time, she knew it was too late. She’d been discovered.

Suddenly, he bit his bottom lip but his intense gaze still bore into her. Her attention dropped to the three women. One of them was now sucking him ferociously. Her pretty blonde curls fell against his thighs like a curtain as she took him deep into the back of her throat while the other two licked his taut sac.

Jayson groaned, flashed fang, and pumped into the woman’s mouth. He never took his eyes from Arianna. Not even when he climaxed. It was as though he was teasing her…taunting her.

And worse of all…feeding off her blatant arousal.

Arianna finally tore her gaze away and ran out of the door. It slammed shut behind her.

Without bothering to knock on the adjacent door, she rushed inside.

Arianna was relieved to find that no one occupied the room. She bolted the locks, pressed her back against the wall, and dropped her face into her palms.

What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she contain herself? She was stronger than this.

It took a while before her breathing returned to normal, but what did not return to normal was her raging libido.

Dashing toward the sink, she turned on the cold water, and began splashing it against her face. As she stared at her bewildered expression in the mirror, specks of gold flashed around her irises. She closed her eyes, took several shallow breaths, and willed the powerful spirit coursing through her veins to settle down.

The sound of the running water aided in calming her.

She still couldn’t believe her misfortune. After all this time, she’d run into the man she’d been successful in avoiding for almost a year.

Jayson Truman.

She was over him. Well…she was supposed to be over him. So why did it feel like she wanted to be the one between his knees…pleasuring his cock and bringing him to climax as the woman back there had?

Arianna cringed. She would never give into her weaknesses again.

She turned the faucet off, and after relieving herself, she washed her hands and exited the bathroom.

Before Arianna even turned the corner, she knew Jayson waited on her. His scent had been magnified twice as much now that he’d indulged in such a carnal sex act.

He leaned up against the wall with one sole of his boot on it. She tried to fly past him, but it was no use.

Jayson caught her by the wrist, pressed her back to the wall, and molded his body to hers. He grinned, sliding his tongue across his fangs. “Arianna,” he whispered against her face.

He smelled of sandalwood and hot arousal. The combination sent her into panic mode once more. She fought to hide her lack of control over her emotions. Her body shivered as he held her tightly against him.

His six feet five inch frame towered over her.

“Let go.” She struggled against him.

“You smell good. I always preferred you like that…wet with fiery desire. If I can remember correctly, you taste of warm caramel. The kind that melts in my mouth.”

Her pussy clenched with need. “Fuck you.”

He caught her ear between his lips, and teased the earlobe with his tongue before whispering, “Bend your sexy ass over, spread those long legs, and I’ll oblige this request.”

Her face grew hot and she pushed against his chest with her fists. He was such an asshole. What did she ever see in him?

Before she had the chance to utter a string of insults, he said, “I miss you. Badly. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.”

“Sure you do,” she replied, flippantly. “I see you have no problem passing the time, either, but it’s pretty clear to me that you never learned how to keep your dick in your trousers.”

“What are you doing at a party like this?”

“I don’t answer to you.” The reason she’d come to this party was to get away from her controlling father. She didn’t need another man trying to tell her what to do.

Jayson pressed his lips along her jawline. “Should I assume you’re up to something naughty?”

“Move out of my way. I didn’t come here to be harassed.”

“Why would a little-miss-rich-riding-hood who gets fed with a silver spoon be here among us poor wolves?”

“Poor?” She gawked. “Oh, don’t act like you’re living in poverty. You go around flaunting yourself and your money, partaking in everything your greedy hands can touch.”

“Look at me, Arianna.”

She tried to avoid eye contact, but it was useless when they were literally on top of each other. Giving in, her gaze swept across his face. First, at the jet-black hair that fell over his forehead as he leaned down toward her. At his broad face and chin. She took in his dreamy blue-gray eyes. And smooth, almost flawless skin. He was too perfect…on the outside. It was easy for any women to be fooled by his exceptional good looks. But, he was just another playboy who couldn’t control his sexual appetite.

“What must I do to earn a place back in your life?” he asked.

Arianna broke the connection.

“No,” he said gently, and lifted her chin so that he could see her face. “Tell me you don’t miss me. Can’t you feel how much I want you?”

“I’m sure that you do want me, but unlike you, these empty emotions don’t control me.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Empty?”

“We’ve had this talk before, Jayson.” She pushed against his chest, and this time he stepped back. “Repeating the past is a waste of time.”

“We don’t need to repeat the past when our future waits for us.”

A future where her choice didn’t matter…

Arianna swallowed and pulled completely from Jayson’s embrace. As he used to do in the past, he did not follow her.

She made her way toward the noisy end of the hallway, this time appreciative of the thick crowd as it swallowed her up.

No matter which way she turned, something or someone tried to dictate her life.

Why should two people be fated to spend the rest of their lives together based on some stupid tradition?

Whatever happened to committing to someone for love?