#Chapter 23: Know Your Place

Third Person POV The moment Xaden woke up, he found himself wrapped around Maeve’s naked, sleeping body. His first instinct was one of confusion. The memories of last night evaded him… it seemed they had done something, but no, that didn’t feel correct. He always felt weightless and euphoric after sleeping with her. This time, he felt shame. Slowly prying away from her body, he sat up with a hushed groan and rubbed his face. He took a cautious look over the room, and all the details of last night came rushing back. Her dress was torn to shreds on the bedroom floor. Pillows and blankets were thrashed about as if there had been a struggle. And, gazing at Maeve’s face, he could see red, splotchy skin swollen from crying. Caused by his violent, feral actions. What have I done…? he thought to himself, horrified and sinking with self-loathing. How could he have ever done something like that to her? But then he remembered: that heat did not happen naturally. Someone else had forced tha