Chapter 205

My eyebrows shot up when Thierry returned with a red solo cup of water. I had expected a proper water bottle, but he didn’t seem the least bit bothered as he handed it to me with a lazy smirk. I peered into the cup—clear liquid, no suspicious scent. Relieved, I offered him a small, grateful smile.

"Thanks," I murmured, bringing the cup to my lips. The taste was... odd. I wrinkled my nose, staring at the water before glancing back at him.

"It’s unfiltered," he explained with a shrug. "Ran out of the good stuff. Hope you don’t mind."

I nodded, though the metallic tang lingered on my tongue. Still, it was better than the beer I’d been nursing earlier. As I took another sip, I caught him watching me with an intensity that made my pulse skip.

"So," he drawled, leaning against the wall beside me. "You single?"

The question caught me off guard, though I kept my expression neutral. Not exactly the smoothest pickup line, considering we were loitering outside the bathroom while Beatrice emptied her stomach inside.

"Not really looking," I replied, though the words felt sticky in my mouth. Was I seeing Sebastian? Technically, yes. But right now, with the way things stood between us, it didn’t feel like much of anything.

Thierry chuckled. "Yeah, I get that. Been a while for me too. Frat house full of girls throwing themselves at me, but none of them..." His gaze flicked over me. "None of them were you."

I rolled my eyes, taking another sip. "Smooth. Dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" He stepped closer, his voice dropping.

"Because I bet you get whatever you want with that mouth of yours," I shot back, but my own words sounded distant, sluggish. My cheeks burned, and my grip on the cup loosened slightly. Was the hallway spinning, or was it just me?

"Maybe I do," he murmured, closing the distance between us. "Problem with that?"

I shook my head—bad idea. The motion sent the room tilting violently. My knees buckled, and I barely caught myself against the wall. "Whoa," I muttered, laughing weakly. "Okay, what the hell? Is it just me, or is it suddenly boiling in here?"

Sweat prickled at my temples, my breath coming too fast. Thierry frowned, plucking the empty cup from my limp fingers and tossing it aside. "Drink more next time," he said, but his voice sounded like it was underwater.

I tried to speak, but my tongue felt thick, useless. My limbs were leaden, my wolf writhing beneath my skin in distress. Heat—wrong, unnatural heat—flooded my veins, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

Thierry’s arms slid around me, holding me upright as my vision blurred. "Let’s get you somewhere comfortable," he murmured against my ear, lips brushing my neck.

I wanted to protest, to shove him away, but my body wasn’t mine anymore. The last thing I registered was the ground disappearing beneath me as he lifted me effortlessly, cradling me against his chest.

And then—nothing.