The Beta's Temptation

ESME POV

Morning turned messy when he found comfort between my legs

I knelt at Mom's grave, the early morning dew soaking my knees through my jeans. Today marked five years since her death, and the pain hit fresh every time. But it wasn't just grief twisting in my gut.

This day always dragged up memories of Cole, too. On the same afternoon we buried her, after the pack left me alone to cry, he found me in the woods behind the cemetery.

I squeezed my eyes shut, the scene replaying sharp in my mind. I'd been sobbing against the wall when he appeared, his eyes dark and intense.

"You shouldn't be out here alone Esme," he said, his voice low and rough. He pulled me into his arms without asking, his hands firm on my back. I didn't resist; I'd wanted him for years, secretly watching him, craving his touch.

His fingers slid up my shirt, cupping my breasts, squeezing them hard enough to make me gasp. "Let me make you forget for a minute," he muttered, yanking my bra down. His mouth latched onto my left nipple, sucking it deep, his tongue flicking over the hard peak. I moaned, arching into him, my hands clutching his shoulders.

He switched to the right one, biting lightly, sending jolts straight to my core. His free hand pinched the other nipple, rolling it until I was wet and aching between my legs. "You like that, don't you?" he growled against my skin. I nodded, breathless as he sucked harder, his teeth grazing me just right.

We didn't go further, voices from the pack house pulled us apart but that touch haunted me. Every anniversary, the memories—it flooded back, leaving me hot and needy.

I stood up now, wiping dirt from my pants, and glanced at the rising sun. Time to sneak back. I did this every year: slip out at dawn to visit Mom alone, then creep into bed before anyone noticed. They'd assume I overslept and mock me for it, like always.

I darted through the passage, my heart pounding, and entered the pack house through the back door. The halls were quiet; no one was up yet. I tiptoed to my room, shut the door softly, and slid under the covers fully clothed.

Exhaustion hit fast from the early rise and the emotional drain. My body still buzzed from those memories, my thighs pressing together against the lingering ache.

I closed my eyes, drifting off for sleep but in after what seemed like a few minutes, cold water splashed on my face. I jolted awake immediately, gasping as the bed sheets tangled around me.

Nolan stood with an empty glass of water, sneering.

Water dripped from my hair. I wiped my face, heat still throbbing between my thighs. "It's Mom's anniversary, I know," I muttered.

He rolled his eyes. "And you're still curled up there like a worthless pup. Get up.”

His face twisted in disgust. "Are you planning