Game

Ava met up with Lily and Sarah at the garage close to midnight. Something was different. Alliances were being formed, and Ava wasn't sure yet if she was on the winning or losing side.

"Doesn't matter how much money you spend to look good, a pig will always be a pig," Sarah sneered.

"Sarah..." Lily muttered.

Ava smirked. Oh, the joys of frenemies. There was no use crying over lost friendships when they were never real to begin with.

"Shall we?" Ava slid into the car.

The club was exclusive. Only the highest-ranking pack members and their mates—or playthings—got in. Inside, "Hips Don't Lie" blasted from the speakers, the bass thrumming.

Alpha Raventhorn sat in the VIP section, scowling at life itself. He clutched a glass of bourbon in one hand and a cigar in the other, the picture of brooding dominance. His inner circle flanked him—Gamma Kade, who for once was wearing a shirt, and his Beta, whose name Ava hadn't bothered remembering.

Lily and Sarah made a beeline for the VIP area, probably hoping to drape themselves over the Alpha. Their desperation was almost admirable.

Ava? She had a different plan.

She walked in like she owned the place, confidence rolling off her in waves. Her dress hugged her curves just right, her long, dark hair cascading over one shoulder. A dangerous shade of red coated her lips, and the glitter dusting her skin caught the strobe lights, making her shimmer.

She saw him watching her. Of course, he was watching her.

Good. Let him come to her.

She drifted to the bar, her fingers trailing along the counter as she ordered a drink. The burn of alcohol chased away her nerves, replacing them with something reckless.

Then Angel's song played. And Ava forgot all about subtlety.

The beat took control. She moved to the center of the dance floor casting a spell with every step. She wasn't just dancing; she was bending the room to her will. If the Alpha was truly satisfied with his so-called concubines, he wouldn't be looking for more. She was about to become irreplaceable.

Lucas had been watching her from the moment she stepped in, his grip tightening around his glass. When every other man in the club turned toward Ava, something primal inside him roared in irritation.

What the hell was she trying to do? Did she forget she was surrounded by full-blooded wolves?

His jaw clenched. His muscles twitched. He refused to give in. He hated how she was pulling him in.

When he first saw her, she had looked weak, unworthy. Now? Now she looked like temptation itself.

Damn her.

Lily trailed her fingers down his chest. He shoved her off him like she was a mosquito. His eyes locked onto Ava. She was trouble. She was chaos. She was everything he didn't want to need.

Ava finally left the dance floor, her legs screaming for mercy. She staggered toward the bar, only to be yanked away by a firm grip.

He didn't say a word as he led her through the club and into his private suite. He slammed the door behind them, the sound vibrating in the air.

"Are you out of your mind?" he growled.

Ava flopped onto the bed like a queen dismissing a peasant. "You asked for entertainment, didn't you?"

Lucas's brow twitched. The little brat. Was she getting smart with him?

"You will speak to me with respect," he warned.

Ava struggled to sit up. "I apologize, your highness."

Was she mocking him or just naturally insufferable?

Then she did something that almost made him lose his mind. She pushed up on her toes and brushed her lips against his.

"I think you're afraid, Alpha," she whispered. "Afraid of how much you may come to need me."

Lucas saw red.

In a blink, he had her against the wall, his hand at her throat. He could feel the rapid beat of her pulse beneath his fingers. He should have been furious. He was furious.

But also…

With one claw, he ripped her dress clean down the middle. "Big talk from someone who shuddered at the sight of my cock," he taunted.

Ava managed to smirk. "It was my first time. What's your excuse?"

Lucas let out a humorless chuckle. This girl had no self-preservation skills whatsoever.

"Do you have a death wish, Ava?" He took in the sight of her, the recklessness in her smile. Three days ago, she had been a nobody. Now, she was turning his world upside down.

"Let me give you details of what you're begging for," he continued. "I don't do passion. I don't have the patience to wait for you to be wet enough or wide enough for me to fit inside you. I will fuck you in every hole and leave you for dead. Do you understand me?"

Ava's lips curled into something dangerously close to amusement. "Is that all you want, Alpha? Is that all you truly want?"

Something inside him snapped.

Before she could say another word, he crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her with the kind of force that sent a message: Don't play with me.

Ava, however, was nothing if not stubborn. Even as his nails dug into her skin, she didn't flinch. She held her ground, letting him take whatever he wanted while silently declaring, I'm not afraid of you.

Lucas abruptly pulled away, breathing hard. He looked at her, something that didn't fit into his well-ordered world.

"Find your wolf as soon as possible," he muttered. "And come to my office after training tomorrow. We need to discuss your former pack."

Ava nodded.

"Tell me you at least bought a phone during your shopping spree."

She shook her head.

He groaned. "Women."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Ava collapsed onto the bed, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

He was slipping.

She was winning.

Just a little more, Ava. Just a little more.