a's

ed my gown, trudging slowly

. I had nothing left. No pack, mate, no future

standing outside a high-e

ang of hesitation. I'd never set

ath, I pushed open the

ng of alcohol and something

ir faces shadowed. No one paid any attention to

ely glanced my wa

d, my voice barely a whis

slid a glass i

roat. It was awful, but it worked. The numbness I craved beg

e you could u

e with a curious expression. His golden eyes gleamed in the l

d never seen a man with hair that long before. There was a tattoo of

h?" I asked, my voice

eplied, leaning back

was no humor in it.

ed. Instead, he gestured to the bart

I started to pretes

. You'll

aking the f

, turning to face him. "Why

habit. I have a thing for helping peo

my glass. "Well,

t, the quiet hum of the bar f

on everyone's faces when I wasn't claimed. I could sti

through my thoughts. "Y

taking another drink. "

hat he wasn't boring or judging. I could just exist for a while without explaining mys

ere laughing about wha

rred words, and for a brief moment, I didn't fe

worst decision I had ever made in my life, I c

azen action. Just when I was about to pull a

on I couldn't give a name. When I moaned into his mo

o catch our breath, our

somewhere quieter." I wh

re wrapped around my waist, steadyi

I asked, my words th

sted," he replied, his voice low.

es, I wasn't thinking clearly, not with the alcohol clouding my m

he details were fuzzy, but I remembered his

, but at that moment, I didn't care. I le

kin was on fire from his touch. He teased and punished me with

more, he towered over me. His golden ey

sed. Here, I was naked be

ace in the nook of my neck he h

t my lower lip. Heat pooled in

d his fingers down to where my p

hest ecstasy anyone would ever experience. Pain riddled my body as he s

headache. My mouth felt like cotton and

ming through the window, trying to piece togeth

ranger from the bar was gone. No note, no t

my face in my hands