Page 17 of Damaged Princess

My feet ache. I'm seriously regretting my decision to come out tonight. Flirting with hot guys would normally be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure my stupid impulses are still pouting that Vik abandoned me.

God, talk about pathetic.

I know I look fierce, the mirror assured me of that before I left the lodge, but my heart isn't in it.

Honestly, I kinda wish I had stayed home and maybe asked Evie to hang out.

Or Wolfe and Rafe.

No, that would have negated the whole purpose of coming out. Which, incidentally, was to make Vik jealous. That makes me seem even more ridiculous when I really think about it. I'm a little sad to realize exactly how much I've been letting Vik's loss affect me.

Chance's cock bumps my stomach, and I internally roll my eyes.

Okay, I probably do it externally, too.

He's just so… I don't know.

Not what I'm looking for.

If I was in New York he's exactly the type of guy I'd spend a night with, but something about his frat-bro vibes are not meshing with exciting my lady bits. They're apparently as depressed as the rest of me.

My mind slips to Vik. That mountain man beard of his is uncontrollable. It's huge and covers his face to the point you can barely tell what expression he's giving you. It's also strangely soft and fluffy. It tickled when it brushed my inner thigh. Or when his bushy eyebrow quirked when he wanted to make me laugh.

Chance leers down at me, and suddenly I'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Until I spot Wolfe swaggering his way across the bar. He's got on combat boots, paired with dark jeans, and a Henley. His massive six-foot-four frame saunters directly toward me.

My chest heaves.

Uh-oh. I'm not sure why I feel like I'm in trouble, but I'm very sure I am. He stops three feet behind Chance and quirks an eyebrow.

I'm not sure why I feel like the kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but I absolutely do.

My heart races.

Wolfe smiles, but it isn't a friendly sight. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's very close to triggering my fight or flight instinct. I've heard his comments about being a sadist…

I'm suddenly very sure that wasn't bullshit.

Something about the way Wolfe grins is convincing my system I'm inbigtrouble. His eyes practically twinkle with glee as he steps to the side, revealingViktor fucking Nikolov.

I freeze as my lungs literally stop working. Vik is shorter than Wolfe by an inch or two, but his frame is larger. The tight black polo shirt he wears shows off the muscles of his strong chest.

I'm horrified to realize my stomach flip-flops with a feeling I think might be joy. I immediately shut that shit down. My stupidomega impulses can suck Chance's dick. This is not a situation to be excited about.

Yes, fine. I've missed him with an intensity that scares the hell out of me, but I'm not about to fall at his feet and beg him to love me.

Fuck that bullshit.

This is one of the reasons I'd give almost anything to be a beta. They don't have that overwhelming urge to please and bond with compatible alphas. It's like my system is fine with being the woman who pines after a man who really doesn't want her.

Sure, he'll take me when it's convenient or fun. Like for heat sex. But any other time, I'm on my own. That's what he proved when he left.

Ohmigod, I'm still obsessing about Vik like he had a magic cock. But it wasn't even the sex!

It was the way he took care of me and made me feel safe.

That's why I'm so pissed.

He made me trust him and then he just vanished. I'm pretty sure I'm on the verge of having a panic attack. I don't even know why, but air doesn't seem to be saturating my lungs properly.

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