Third-person POV


    M woke up and all she saw was the tidy room. The piles of clothes all over the couch were gone and it looked like they were taken to theundry room. The sheet had been changed and had the smell ofundry detergent. She woke up with a hangover but she didn''t smell any alcohol in the room. All she could sense was a nice fragrance.


    So clean and tidy...


    M''s head was buzzing like crazy. She struggled to get up and noticed something was wrong with her. Her legs were all sore and covered with hickeys, from which she could tell what a crazy night she just had. She had s*x with a man from the barst night. As far as she could remember before she cked out, the man looked quite familiar to her as well as his voice. He wasn''t such a saint as she thought he was. Last night the man was like a beast because her whole body was sore and exhausted although she was very rxed mentally.


    Oh, Moon Goddess, please don''t let it be that goofy boy. M prayed in her head.


    But then, the door was pushed open and she couldn''t pull it together anymore.


    It was beta Richard from the Midnight ws Tribe.


    He was in a good mood and was wearing a pink apron, which was actually from her kitchen. Richard said gently, "You''re awake? I made breakfast. Go freshen up ande to have something to eat. You were pretty drunkst night and I assume your stomach isn''t feeling very well right now."


    M''s mindpletely went nk.


    "What''s wrong?" Richard walked up to her and asked, "are you having a headache? Do you need me to get you some medicine?"


    When Richard came to her, M immediately stood up despite her difort and avoided his reaching hand, "I''m good." Chill...


    M, you''re a grownup now. This is nothing. Just think of it as a one-night stand.


    Yes, it''s just a one-night stand.


    "M?" Richard frowned and was a bit confused, "oh, by the way, I''ve washed the sheets fromst night and it''s got..."


    "Stop!" M interrupted her and didn''t want to know what was on the sheets, "I''m having a big headache right now and I''m gonna go and take a shower to get myself sober."


    After saying that, M ran out of the room. She took a few deep breaths and finally calmed herself down.


    She wanted to call Lauren right away but then she remembered they were still on their honeymoon. She held back her anxiety and took a shower, trying to cool down.


    But when she saw Richard putting the breakfast on the table in the living room, M was screaming in her head as she tried to put on a straight face. How could she have s*x with Richard? How?!


    Why did she sleep with Richardst night when she was just trying to have some fun?


    "Drink some water," Richard said softly and got her the meds and warm water.


    "Oh, thanks," M took a deep breath and asked as she pretended to be cool, "why did we... hmm... do thatst night?"


    Richard froze with aplicated look on his face, "I called youst night and the bartender said you were drunk."


    "Oh, that''s how," M said calmly but all she was thinking was that she should punch that bartender in the face. She suppressed her feelings and acted to be chill, "Sorry, I didn''t know it was youst night. But we''re both grownups. Let''s move on." Beta Richard had always been a gentle sweetheart but now he looked quite gloomy, "Who did you think it wasst night?"


    "A random guy from the bar," M took the sandwich Richard made and said.


    "Oh?" Richard said, "a boy who is stupid when ites to love?"


    What?!


    M almost choked. She couldn''t believe she said that when she was drunk. What else did she say?! How much did this guy know?


    Her head was a mess right now.


    M took a sip of her coffee, trying to calm down, "Well...this is nothing but a one-night stand. You get it? No strings attached after the s*x...Oh!"


    Richard frowned and wanted to say something but M gasped and interrupted him.


    "Oh! Did you touch anything on the table?" M turned to look at her operating table. She put down her sandwich and walked over hastily.


    Richard looked at the table as well, "No. There''re only potions on it and I only helped organize your clothes and magazines."


    He knew it was M''s operating table.


    "Wait..." M cleaned her hands and started counting the potion bottles on the table. Though the table was pretty messy, she still knew the order in this chaos and was aware of exactly how many potion bottles there were. "Something''s missing."


    "What?"


    "The exact of damiana and clove."


    "Huh?"


    M exined, "It has a psychedelic effect and the original version may cause heat. It''s still in the experimental stage..."


    "Umm," Richard was shocked and said, "it''s not here. I''ve cleaned every corner in this room."


    An image popped into her head.


    "Here you go. Enjoy your honeymoon."


    Damn it!


    She remembered where the potion might be!


    Richard asked, "What?"


    M, "...I think...perhaps...Lauren has it."


    ***


    Lauren''s POV


    I sniffed it and became speechless.


    "Is it the wrong potion?" Victor asked.


    "... Maybe it''s a love potion."


    Just as I was about to check, Victor stopped me. I chuckled andforted him, "It''s alright. My blood can clean them out of my system. Don''t worry about me."


    Even though I said that, Victor still looked quite worried but he still didn''t stop me. I smiled at him and opened the potion bottle to check it out. I sensed the scent of damiana and clove and nodded with a frown, "You''re right."


    "M must have made a mistake. Thank God we only used a little." Though M was always encouraging me to have sex with Victor, she would never give me this kind of love potion. I knew her too well and she was just being mischievous. I guessed she was working on some new potions and gave me the wrong one.


    Victor''s eyes darkened.


    "Are you...feeling something?" I asked.


    "Like what?"


    "Is your heart racing? Do you have a sudden urge of mating?"


    Victor said bluntly, "My heart always races in front of you."


    I red at him and wondered when he had be so corny, "Come on, I''m serious."


    "This dosage isn''t enough to arouse me, rest assured," Victor said. But I could see what he couldn''t say to me and his desire.


    It was as if the thing that was arousing him wasn''t the potion. It was me.


    Though the potion didn''t work on us, the tension was building up and the temperature was rising. The scent of peppermint was getting stronger and went through my body like a summer breeze. Every inch of my skin was heating up because of my alpha''s scent and I was uncontrobly turned on...


    "Victor," I called his name gently and threw away the potion bottle, putting my arms around his neck.


    Victor frowned, "What''s wrong with this potion? You can''t get it out of your system? I''ll get you back." This dummy. I thought to myself.


    Just then he was so flirtatious with me but now he was so clumsy and awkward. I repeated what he just said, "This dosage isn''t enough to arouse me yet."


    Victor''s eyes shimmered and stared at me as he grabbed my waist a little harder.


    Right now I was restless, a little nervous and anticipating. This wasn''t the perfect time for me but who was I to say when the perfect timing was for love? All I knew was that I wanted Victor to mark me at this very moment in this tree house full of my memories. I said in a gentle voice, "But you are."


    "Do you know what you''re talking about, Lauren?" Victor was breathing heavily and his eyes darkened dangerously as he rubbed his fingers against my lips.


    "I know." I could feel my heart racing uncontrobly and I was a bit running out of breath. But I still looked him in the eyes and said, "Mark me, Victor." I''m willing to be marked by you, my alpha.