Mason hesitated, as if waiting for a reaction. When none came, he leaned in again—closer this time. Before Ava could fully process it, his lips brushed against hers, testing, tasting.

The kiss was gentle at first, careful as if he was afraid she might pull away. But when she didn’t move—when the alcohol clouded her judgment and stilled her thoughts—Mason deepened it, his lips moving hungrily against hers.

Ava’s mind spun, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what to feel. And yet, instinctively, her hands moved, winding around Mason’s neck as he pulled her closer.

Her mind screamed for her to stop but she couldn’t, as though she was under a spell she couldn’t resist.

The kiss grew hotter, more desperate, as if they were both chasing something neither could name. Mason’s hands settled at her waist, his grip firm yet careful as he held her to him. Ava let herself get lost in it, her senses drowning in the feel of his mouth, the heat of his touch—

Until suddenly, she was yanked back, the force almost knocking the air from her lungs.

Her face collided with a hard chest—one that was far too familiar, one she hadn’t expected to see. The scent hit her first: woodsy, dark, intoxicating in a way that made her stomach drop.

Orion.

His arm was locked around her waist, his grip like iron as he held her against him. Ava tilted her head up slowly, her heart sinking at the sight of his face.

He was furious.

Orion’s jaw was clenched, his dark eyes ablaze with a fury that seemed to swallow the room whole. His gaze flicked from Ava to Mason, who was already standing, his expression a mix of shock and anger.

He couldn’t hold back any longer.

—

Orion’s POV

I wasn’t surprised when the maid told me Ava wasn’t coming down for dinner. What was I expecting?

She’d been in her room for hours, and I had every intention of going up there to be with her. But my mother—she had other plans.

She’d pulled me into some long, drawn-out conversation about my childhood mischief, the kind of stories that had us all laughing, Chloe too. It should’ve been a moment of calm, a moment of family, but I couldn’t focus on anything but the empty space that Ava had left behind.

And then, in the middle of it all, I saw it. A fleeting glimpse of Ava’s car pulling away from the driveway. My stomach dropped, and all my mother’s chatter disappeared into the background.

I didn’t care anymore. I excused myself, ignoring my mother and Chloe’s calls, and rushed up to our wing. But when I got there, our room was empty.

I could feel the frustration building inside me, and I didn’t waste a second. I stormed downstairs toward the kitchen, where Maria was clearing the dinner dishes. My face must’ve been a storm cloud, because she tensed as I approached.

“Maria…” I growled.

She hesitated, fidgeting nervously, clearly not wanting to be the one to tell me what I feared. But I didn’t give her a choice. “Tell me where she is,” I demanded, my voice sharp.

Maria swallowed hard. “She… went out with Joe, sir.”

My fist slammed into the counter, causing her to jump back. “And you let her go after I warned you to report all her movements to me?” I snarled, fury igniting in my chest. “If she gets far away from me tonight and I can’t find her, you’ll have yourself to blame.”

I didn’t wait for her to answer. I turned and stormed out of the mansion, my thoughts burning with every step. I didn’t care what my mother had to say, or what anyone else thought. I needed to find her.

After a few minutes of standing by the gates, Joe’s car pulled up, and I didn’t hesitate. I yanked open the door and slid in.

“Drive,” I barked at him.

Joe looked at me like I was mad. “Where?”

I was already losing my patience. “To wherever you dropped her off.”

He hesitated, but after the kind of stare I gave him—dead serious, a threat lingering just beneath the surface—he finally stepped on the gas.

We arrived at the club in a matter of minutes, my heart racing as I scanned the entrance. I could already feel it in my bones—she was inside, and I would find her.

I pushed through the crowd, shoving my way past people and toward the back where I knew I’d find her. After a few moments of searching, I saw her.

But not alone.

Mason. He had his hands on her—on my Ava. She was in his arms, her lips locked with his.

Something inside me snapped. Blood rushed to my ears, drowning out everything except the need to kill.

I didn’t think, I just acted. I yanked Ava away from him, pulling her into my chest before I could stop myself. She stumbled a bit, dazed, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything except the bastard who thought he had the right to touch what was mine.

Mason barely had time to react before my fist collided with his mouth. The sound of it was sickening, but I didn’t care. Not when he had dared to kiss her. To taste her lips. I would ruin his mouth for even daring to touch Ava’s lips.

I hit him again, and again, until the taste of his blood mixed with the fury boiling in my veins. I wanted him to suffer for this—wanted him to understand just how badly he’d messed up.

It took two bouncers to pull me off him. I wasn’t finished. Not yet. But I saw something that stopped me in my tracks.

Ava was on the floor.

I turned back to Mason, my voice low and dangerous. “If I ever see you near her again, I’ll make sure it’s the last day you breathe.”

With one last glance at the bloodied mess that was Mason, I scooped Ava into my arms, ignoring the bouncers and the stares of the crowd. I had one thing on my mind now—getting her out of there.

I told Joe to drive us to the Miller’s Grand Hotel, and the ride there was nothing more than a blur of rage and impatience.

When we arrived, the hotel staff didn’t dare question us. They handed over Ava’s suite key like it was nothing, guiding me to the elevator. Every second that passed felt like an eternity.

Finally, we reached her suite, and I kicked the door open with barely a glance. As I laid her on the bed, I was a mess of conflicting emotions. I was furious, yes, but something else was gnawing at me. Something deeper.

I punched the wall in frustration, my fist connecting with the hard surface. I needed to release it all—this anger, this fear, this possessiveness. But the pain that followed wasn’t enough to calm me.

I stopped when I saw her stir. Ava’s eyes fluttered open, and she started to get up.

I couldn’t let her go. Not again. I grabbed her waist possessively, pulling her to me.

She flinched, looking at me like she was seeing me for the first time. Like I wasn’t the one she wanted.

I almost lost it right there. “You would let him touch what is mine,” I hissed, my voice dripping with venom. “And you flinch when I touch you?”

Ava pushed against me, her words cutting through the haze of my anger. “I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours.”

I could feel my control slipping, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I will teach your body to react only to me,” I growled, my lips brushing against her ear as I pulled her closer.