I made a silent vow right then: I wasn’t leaving this club until I was safely back in my own clothes. Magnus could glare at me with those cold, terrifying eyes all he wanted, but I was already here against my will. I wasn’t going to suffer in silence for his ego.
The heavy restroom door swung open, and the echoing sound of high-pitched giggles announced a group of Omegas stepping inside. I recognized their voices instantly—they were the girls who had accompanied Magnus’s associates.
"Is she in here?" one of them asked softly.
My entire body went rigid. I was immensely grateful I had slid the stall latch shut. There were plenty of cubicles, so I doubted they would go door-to-door checking who was inside. They might not even be talking about me, but a primal, defensive instinct whispered that I was the exact subject of their interest.
"Nope, empty."
"Goodness, did you see her? I’m completely in shock!"
"I know, right?" another sighed. "She’s supposed to be sitting right across from us!"
The distinct click of a lighter cut through the quiet. Were they seriously lighting up inside a high-end restroom? Where were their minds? The smoke detectors in a place like this had to be state-of-the-art...
"I’ve never seen Magnus with a girl before. Especially someone so... plain."
"Well, not never," the second girl scoffed, followed by the soft hiss of an exhale. "He used to go everywhere with that one girl, remember?"
"Did you see the way Dean looked at this new chick, though? His face went totally twisted. I swear he was ready to strangle her on the spot."
I shuddered inwardly.
Okay, so I hadn’t imagined it. Dean’s look had been anything but friendly. I’d assumed he was just sore about me denying him my number in the cafeteria, but could there be deeper bad blood between them?
Competitive Alphas wolves rarely tolerated another predator in their space, and Dean was clearly a force of his own. Sharing territory was always a volatile match. Still, their ancient pack rivalries had nothing to do with me, and I wanted them kept far away from my life.
"I wonder if she’s a permanent thing, or if he’s still technically single?" the first girl mused, her tone suddenly taking on a wistful, dreamlike quality.
"Are you serious, Lisa?" her friend laughed dryly. "Magnus? A permanent thing? Don’t make me laugh. He’s going to use her for a bit and toss her aside like he does with everyone else. The guy doesn’t do relationships, and you know it."
"I know, I know. It’s pointless to even dream," Lisa sighed. "But Goddess Above... I’d trade a year of my life just to spend a couple of nights with him.
Or better yet, be there for his heat cycle. I knew a girl who helped him through his rut once. She became completely obsessed with him—chased him around like a pathetic dog afterward, couldn’t take the hint. CRAZY bitch. You can’t expect a real bond with him, but word on the street is he fucks like a god."
"More like a beast," the second girl corrected bluntly.
"Oh, shut up, Shen, don’t ruin it! How would you even know?"
"Firsthand experience. But yeah—zero commitment afterward. It’s a tragedy, honestly."
"Wait—you slept with him and kept it a secret?!" There was a rustle of heavy silk as Lisa evidently lunged at her friend, grabbing her arms. "You bitch! Tell me everything—is his knot massive?!"
I sat frozen on the toilet lid, a wave of deep, nauseating disgust pooling in my stomach. I knew Magnus had a past before I ever crossed his path, but hearing it tossed around so casually, so crudely, made my skin crawl.
It felt filthy—like I was eavesdropping on something intimate that I had no right to hear, yet couldn’t escape.
"Huge," Shen replied smoothly, her voice laced with detachment. "But he doesn’t do repeats, so I’m not holding my breath for round two. A shame, really."
The way Shen spoke was a jarring contrast to her appearance. Out in the lounge, all those girls looked like identical porcelain dolls—dreamy expressions, glassy eyes, perfectly docile postures. But back here, the mask slipped. Shen wasn’t a sweet ornament at all; she was oozing pure, calculating sarcasm.
"Damn it. Maybe after he dumps this new girl, he’ll agree to a night or two... I’d give anything to spend my heat cycle with him. I just know he’d take care of me."
"Magnus takes care of Magnus. Don’t delude yourself," Shen snapped dryly. "Though I am curious to see how fast he drops the plain little thing he dragged in tonight. Seriously, what does he even see in her? She’s completely unremarkable. And she looks like a regular human."
"Wait, do you think she’s just an unawakened breeder?" Lisa mused.
"Maybe. But if she is, what the hell does he want with her?"
"Fair point. You done smoking? Let’s get back before that little bitch comes back and claws her way all over him."
"You’re acting like he’s already yours," Shen scoffed. "Listen to me: neither you nor anyone else has a snow’s chance in hell with him."
"Well, obviously. The only one who ever had a real claim on him was Karina. She was his fated mate, after all."
The rest of their voices faded into an indistinct blur. It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped straight over my head.
Magnus had a fated mate?
What the hell? That’s impossible.
My hands trembled violently as I yanked the delicate black glove off my right arm, exposing the bare skin beneath. I stared down at my wrist.
The mark was right there. Etched into my flesh.
My mind spun out of control, unable to process the contradiction. My head pounded with a dull, throbbing ache, and my heart hammered so viciously against my ribs I thought it might burst right out of my chest.
How could he have a fated mate if the bond on my skin said I was his?
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