Evaline:
If I thought the car ride back would be peaceful, I was VERY, VERY wrong.
The moment the doors shut and the engine hummed to life, I was expecting River to lean back, close his eyes, and drift off into a blissful, drunken sleep. That’s what normal drunk people did, right?
But River Thorne was anything but normal.
Instead of passing out, the Rogue Alpha King became... animated.
"Evaalineeee," he slurred, stretching out my name like it was the most fascinating sound in the universe. "Why are you so far? C’mere. Sit closer."
I didn’t move an inch.
He tried again, leaning across the seat and pointing a clumsy finger at me. "You look like an angel tonight. All glowing and shiny. You are not gonna sprout wings and fly away, are you?"
I was staring at him with my mouth hanging open in pure shock. "Stars... You are drunk."
"I might be," he said proudly while slumping back but only for a second. "But not drunk enough to miss how pretty you looked in that black dress."
I inhaled sharply, recalling the intensity I noticed in his eyes when he saw me in that dress.
"That wasn’t even the dress I wore tonight," I said after a moment, trying to pull myself together.
"And that’s for best," he said in a low voice. "You looked... like temptation in it. You know what temptation does to men, Evaline Greystone?"
I tried not to react.
Tried.
But it was impossible. Seeing him like this... this version of the great River Thorne... was like watching a completely different man. Gone was the cold, calculating Alpha King with his thousand-yard stare and unreadable expressions. This man was unfiltered, dramatic, and - stars help me - ridiculously charming in the worst, most chaotic way.
He tried to open the small minibar hidden beside the seat but fumbled with the latch. "What’s the point of being filthy rich if the car bar won’t open?" he grumbled.
"River, don’t you think you have had enough?"
"I haven’t had enough," he replied far too quickly, then snorted like he had just made the cleverest joke in the world.
I threw my head back against the seat and let out a groan. "Stars, you are worse drunk than sober."
"You say that like it’s a bad thing," he said with mock offense.
The driver, bless his soul, kept silent until I finally leaned forward and said, "Please drop me off at the Academy."
There was a pause.
Then he hesitated before saying, "Miss Evaline... I think it would be best if we dropped Alpha Thorne at the hotel first."
I frowned. "The hotel? Why not the mansion?"
The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, choosing his words carefully. "He doesn’t go to the mansion when he’s like this. It... doesn’t happen often, but when it does, he always books the penthouse. Says he doesn’t want anyone from the estate seeing him in such a state, especially... the other Alphas."
Something twisted in my chest.
For all his power, his wealth, and his reputation, River had his own walls. Walls even his brothers weren’t allowed to see through.
I glanced at him again. He was now lying flat on the seat, with one leg propped up like he owned the whole damn car. And he was actually mumbling a song under his breath. The Rogue Alpha King. He was a drunk mess.
"Alright," I sighed. "Hotel it is. But I need to be back at the Academy. It’s nearly midnight."
"Ah, don’t worry about not making it by the curfew time. Since you are out because of work, Alpha Thorne will take care of any such issues with the faculty," the driver informed me and I nodded my head in understanding.
At least, now I didn’t have to worry about getting late.
When we finally reached the hotel ten minutes later, I helped the driver get River out of the car. That part was harder than expected since he wasn’t exactly cooperating.
"Why are we here?" he whined. "Where’s Evaline? I’m not going in unless she comes too."
I let out a frustrated sigh and looped his arm around my shoulders. "You are such a handful."
"But a handsome handful," he said with a lopsided grin.
"You really want to be knocked out cold, don’t you?"
He only chuckled in response.
The hotel staff, used to this kind of late-night drama from the rich and powerful, barely batted an eye as we made our way to the elevator. The driver used a special keycard to access the top floor, and the penthouse opened into an elegant, sprawling suite.
The plan was simple - drag River to bed, let him pass out, and leave.
Simple in theory. But not so much in practice.
I helped the driver get him to the bed and then straightened, brushing my hair back from my face. "Okay. He’s settled. Let’s get going."
Except he wasn’t settled.
The moment I turned toward the door, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. "Don’t go," he mumbled.
"River-"
With surprising strength for someone as drunk as he was, he pulled me down... and I fell straight onto the bed, landing hard against his chest. A startled gasp left my lips as he rolled, trapping me beneath him.
"River!" I snapped. "Get off me!"
His eyes were half-lidded but still sharp as they met mine. "Warm..." he murmured. "You are warm."
I struggled, pushing at his chest, but he caught my hands with a firm grip. "Let go-"
"Ahem."
I turned my head sharply and saw the driver standing by the door, looking anywhere but at us.
"I’ll... wait outside in the hallway," he said awkwardly, then backed out of the room like the place was on fire.
The door shut with a soft click.
And I was left alone.
Under River Thorne.
His weight wasn’t heavy, but his presence was. His scent wrapped around me like a second skin. My breath caught, and I hated myself for the way my body was starting to betray me, reacting to the feel of him, the warmth, the tension of his hold.
"River..." I said, quieter now. "Please. Let go."
He looked down at me and something strange flickered in those dark emerald eyes of his.
And then-