As I came down from the high of my orgasm, I reached up and adjusted the temperature, wondering where to slot this additional what the actual fuck moment in my life.

I couldn’t touch myself.

When had that even happened? I mean, I hadn’t tried since waking in Torin’s bed because I’d been somewhat preoccupied with the missing months of my life, but my natural horniness was always going to rear its head sooner rather than later, and it seemed that I had another point to add to my list.

7. Kill the motherfucker who decided I couldn’t touch myself to bring pleasure.

If there was one thing I hated more than any other, it was the loss of my free will. No one was allowed to dictate what I did with my body. If this was thanks to whoever had stolen my memories, be it the Shadow Beast or someone else, I would be merciless when I found them.

By the time I dragged my ass out of the shower, I felt wrecked, but with determination filling my soul, I pushed through. Once I was dressed, I checked my phone, praying that somehow Simone had left me a message during the night.

Twenty text messages blinked at me, along with five or six voicemails. When I flicked through, half were from Torin and half from Jaxson. Checking in with me. Asking if I got home safely. Chewing me out for leaving the mixer without saying goodbye to the alphas.

I deleted them all and their voice messages without even bothering to listen. I was acting like an asshole, I was well aware of that, but… fuck them. Especially Torin. He didn’t deserve my forgiveness. I always thought the heroines in books I read were far too lenient with the alpha males. They never made those bastards work for the right to be part of their lives, letting their hormones do the thinking instead of their brains.

I would not just be forgiving and forgetting all the years of bullshit and torment I’d gone through. They owed me at least ten years of their changed attitudes before I’d consider it, and while Jaxson had taken the first step, Torin was not even in the race yet.

Pushing those two assholes from my mind, I left the apartment and headed toward town. Torma really only had one main section of shops, and since I hadn’t ventured this way since waking without my memories, I decided it was the perfect place to start my investigation. The main street was well known for its gossip.

As I walked, the heat beat down on me despite the early hour—it was going to be a scorcher today. Our elevation was high enough here that we often escaped the worst of the temps, and considering it was only spring, clearly, the weather was as pissed off as I was.