Chapter 155: The Price of Desire
Thorne
When I woke up, the world felt wrong. My head was heavy, my mouth dry, and my limbs sluggish like I’d been drinking all night—which I had. But it wasn’t the dull ache behind my eyes that made my stomach knot. It was the warmth. The weight. The fact that someone was lying against me, their skin pressed to mine.
I blinked hard, forcing my vision to clear. And then I froze.
Josie.
Her soft hair brushed against my chest, her legs tangled with mine, her breathing steady in the early morning light that slipped through the cracks of the cottage window. For a moment, my heart stopped. My body went rigid, and I did the only thing my scrambled brain thought to do—I pushed her back, gently but with enough force to create space between us.
Her sleepy eyes fluttered open. Confusion clouded them at first, then clarity, then something sharp—hurt.
"What the hell are you doing?" she whispered, her voice raw from sleep.
I swallowed, my throat tight. "Josie..." My words failed me. I didn’t even know what to say. Why was she here? Why were we—
She sat up slowly, her hair tumbling down her shoulders, her bare skin catching the pale light. My chest constricted.
"You pushed me away," she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and pain. "After you finally got what you wanted—you push me away like I’m nothing?"
Her words sliced through me, but I barely understood them. I frowned, shaking my head. "What I wanted? Josie, I—"
"Don’t you dare," she snapped, tears threatening to spill. "You took my virginity, Thorne. And now you’re acting like you don’t even remember?"
I felt the blood drain from my face. "Virginity...?" My voice cracked.
Josie’s eyes widened at my tone, and then disbelief settled in. "You can’t be serious."
I stared at her, my mind racing. My memory was a blur—flashes of her lips, the heat of her skin, the way her body had felt beneath mine. But it was all smeared with drunken haze. I remembered the cottage, yes, but not enough detail to piece the night together clearly.
My wolf’s growl echoed inside me. You fool. You touched her. You claimed her. And now you’re making her feel cheap?
I dragged my hands over my face, horrified. "I don’t remember," I muttered.
Josie blinked at me, as if I’d slapped her. "You don’t remember?" Her voice cracked. "You’re unbelievable, Thorne. Absolutely unbelievable."
Her words twisted the knife deeper. I clenched my fists. "Josie, I was drunk, I—"
"Oh, don’t give me that." She shot to her feet, grabbing her gown from the floor and yanking it over her head with trembling hands. "Too drunk to remember, but not too drunk to take what you wanted, huh?"
My chest heaved. Shame burned through me, hot and suffocating.
"I’m telling you, I—"
"Look at yourself," she spat, pointing at me.
Confused, I glanced down. My stomach lurched. The sheet had slipped low across my hips, exposing myself. And there—red. Blood smeared faintly along my length. My face went crimson as I scrambled for the blanket, shame flooding every vein in my body.
Josie let out a bitter laugh, though her eyes shimmered with tears. "Still think you don’t remember? Or do you need me to spell it out for you again?"
"Josie, wait—" I jumped to my feet, reaching for her, but she flinched back like my touch burned her. My heart cracked in two.
"I wanted you again, Thorne," she admitted brokenly, her voice soft and trembling. "Even after everything. Even after you hurt me a thousand times. I still wanted you. But you don’t even remember. Do you know how pathetic that makes me feel?"
Her words destroyed me. "Stop—don’t say that—"
But she didn’t. She turned away, clutching her clothes tight to her chest, and stormed out of the cottage before I could stop her.
I staggered back, staring at the door she’d just slammed. Horror consumed me. My wolf howled in my head, clawing at me with rage and shame. You ruined her. You made her feel cheap. You didn’t even protect her first moment. You disgust me.
I grabbed the nearest object—a chair—and shoved it violently across the room. It crashed against the wall, splintering. My breaths came harsh and ragged, but anger wasn’t enough to drown out the self-loathing suffocating me.
Shoving a hand through my hair, I forced my legs to move. She couldn’t just leave like that. She was vulnerable, hurt, walking through unfamiliar woods in nothing but a thin gown.
Beta. Now. My wolf’s command burned through me.
I stormed out of the cottage, shifting halfway before reining it in. I linked with my Beta. Meet Josie in the courtyard. Don’t ask questions. Just get her home safely.
"Yes, Alpha," he answered immediately.
I lingered in the shadows, watching from afar as Josie’s figure appeared, her shoulders stiff, her walk fast and furious. She didn’t look back once. My Beta fell into step beside her, speaking softly. She didn’t acknowledge him. My chest clenched as I watched them disappear into the trees leading toward the pack house.
When they were gone, I turned back to the cottage. My hands shook as I stripped and stepped under the freezing water of the shower. I stood there forever, letting the icy sting punish me. No matter how much I scrubbed, I couldn’t wash away the blood, the shame, the image of Josie’s broken eyes.
By the time I returned to the pack house, the sun was high. My brothers were already awake, but the moment I entered, I felt the shift in the air. Cold. Distant. Kiel wouldn’t even look at me. Varen’s expression was unreadable, but his silence was heavier than any accusation.
"Morning," I muttered. No one answered.
Before I could demand an explanation, the guard announced a guest. A Beta from a neighboring pack stepped into the office, bowing respectfully.
"My Alpha wishes to extend an invitation," he began carefully. "He is proposing to build war schools across the territories. He seeks your alliance and your input. He hopes the triplets will join forces with him."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, still battling the remnants of a hangover and the memory of Josie’s voice. "War schools?"
"Yes," the Beta said. "A place to train young wolves not only for pack defense but for coordinated warfare. He believes it will strengthen ties between the packs. He asks for your decision."
We should have discussed it. But instead, silence reigned. Kiel crossed his arms and leaned back, refusing to speak. Varen’s jaw tightened. The Beta shifted uncomfortably, glancing between us.
Finally, I exhaled heavily. "We’ll consider it. You’ll have our answer soon."
The Beta bowed again and left, relief clear in his posture.
The moment the door closed, I snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you two?" My voice cracked through the office like a whip. "You’ve been ignoring me all morning. Acting like I’m the villain. What exactly do you stand to gain from this childish treatment?"
Kiel’s head snapped toward me, his eyes burning. "Childish? You want to talk about childish, Thorne? Let’s talk about last night."
My stomach dropped. "What about last night?"
"I saw you." His voice was sharp, his words a dagger. "I saw you with Josie. You were screwing her in that damn cottage."
The air froze.
My wolf growled low, my fists clenching. "That’s not true," I barked, though the image of blood on my body screamed otherwise.
Kiel’s lip curled. "Don’t lie to me. Don’t lie to us. I saw it. You can pretend all you want, but I know what I saw."
Varen’s face twisted, hurt flashing in his eyes. He didn’t say a word. He just stood abruptly and walked out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
Something in my chest fractured.
Kiel stepped forward, fury radiating off him. "You’re the worst brother I could ever ask for," he spat. "If you wanted Josie that badly, you could’ve at least had the decency to talk to us first. Instead, you take her behind our backs, like some horny bastard who can’t keep his hands to himself."
"Watch your mouth," I snarled.
"No, you watch yours!" His eyes blazed. "You always act like you can’t stand her—like she’s beneath you. But in the end, all you really wanted was to screw her and toss her aside like some doll. Don’t you dare act high and mighty with me now."
"That’s not true!" I roared, my chest heaving. "If I slept with her, I’ll take responsibility for her. I won’t run from it!"
Kiel laughed bitterly, the sound dripping with mockery. "Responsibility? That’s rich, coming from you. You can’t even admit you did it. The joke’s on you, Thorne. Because you’ll never own up to it. You’ll just keep hiding behind your damn pride."
And with that, he stormed toward the door, yanking it open so hard it slammed against the wall. He turned back just once, his voice venom.
"You disgust me."
The door slammed shut.
I stood there, fists trembling, my wolf clawing at my insides, shame and fury colliding until I thought I might explode.