CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Elias woke with a start, the feel of silk against his skin foreign and alarming. His breath hitched as he sat up, scanning the opulent chamber bathed in soft candlelight. Velvet drapes, golden chandeliers, and a fireplace crackling with warmth—it was nothing like the cold, dirty places he was used to. Panic set in. This wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

He looked down, realizing his tattered clothes were gone, replaced by a silk shirt and loose-fitting trousers. Who had done this? His hands clenched the fabric as his mind raced, recalling the chase, the snarling wolves, and then—darkness. He had passed out. Had he been captured?

His stomach growled, breaking the silence. Hunger gnawed at him, making his limbs feel weak. As he swung his legs over the bed, the heavy wooden door creaked open. A woman, dressed in a simple but elegant gown, stepped inside, bowing slightly.

"You are awake. Good. Breakfast is ready," she said, her voice devoid of warmth.

Elias swallowed. "Where am I?"

"Master Lucian’s estate. You were found in the forest. Now, come along."

He hesitated, but his hunger won over his fear. He followed her down an elegant corridor lined with paintings of stern-looking men with piercing eyes. Everything here reeked of wealth and something else—something he couldn’t quite place.

They reached a grand dining hall. The massive wooden table stretched far, yet only one place was set. The maid gestured for him to sit. The aroma of warm bread, roasted meat, and fresh fruit made his mouth water. He wasted no time, grabbing the bread and tearing into it hungrily.

The silence was unnerving, but he focused on eating, shoveling the food in like a starved animal.

"Slow down, you'll choke," the maid muttered, shaking her head before stepping aside.

Just then, a deep voice cut through the room, smooth as silk yet laced with amusement. "Quite the appetite."

Elias froze mid-bite, his heart slamming against his ribs. He coughed, his throat tightening as he choked on the bread. Gasping for air, he looked up—and his breath left him entirely.

Standing at the head of the table was the most handsome man he had ever seen. Tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp features carved to perfection. His grey eyes gleamed like silver under the dim lighting, and his pink lips curled into an amused smirk. His long dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun, revealing the strong lines of his face. And then there were his pants—form-fitting, showcasing everything in a way that made Elias’s face burn.

Lucian’s smirk deepened. "Ah, you like what you see, do you?"

Elias choked again, coughing violently as heat rushed to his ears. He grabbed his water goblet, gulping desperately. The man didn’t move, simply watching him with that same knowing expression.

"You—Who are you?" Elias rasped, voice hoarse.

Lucian took a slow step forward, the sound of his boots echoing in the large hall. "Lucian D’Arcy. This is my home. And you, darling, are my guest."

Elias swallowed hard. "Why—why am I here?"

Lucian tilted his head, a strand of hair slipping free from the bun. "I found you. Half-dead, bleeding, practically begging to be saved. Should I have left you for the wolves?"

Elias clenched his fists. "I wasn’t begging."

Lucian chuckled, a deep, rich sound. "No? Then what were you doing, trembling like a leaf?" He leaned in slightly. "I could hear your heart pounding from a mile away."

Elias felt trapped under his gaze. There was something unnerving about him, something unnatural. "I... I need to leave."

Lucian arched a brow. "You just got here."

"I don’t belong here," Elias insisted, pushing his chair back.

Lucian moved faster than Elias could process, suddenly standing beside him, fingers brushing against the back of his chair. "I disagree," he murmured. "You fit here quite perfectly."

Elias stiffened. His pulse hammered in his throat. There was an intensity in Lucian’s presence, something magnetic and dangerous.

"I don’t even know you," Elias whispered, barely able to breathe.

Lucian’s lips twitched. "Oh, you will."

The air grew thick, suffocating. Elias was about to step back when Lucian spoke again, his voice a teasing purr. "And if you want me to fuck you, darling, I can do just that."

Elias’s entire body went rigid. Heat flooded his cheeks, his throat, his chest. He gaped, choking on his own breath for the third time that morning.

Lucian only grinned, his grey eyes dancing with amusement as he watched him struggle.

"Careful now," Lucian murmured, leaning closer. "I wouldn't want you to faint on me again."

Elias’s breath was still unsteady as he pushed back from the table, but Lucian didn’t move, his silver eyes locked onto him with predatory amusement.

“You crossed into my land. That makes you mine.”

Elias’s jaw clenched. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Lucian chuckled, a deep, smooth sound that sent shivers down Elias’s spine. “Ah, but you see, darling, in my world, that’s not how it works.”

Elias shot him a glare. “I didn’t cross into your land on purpose. I was running for my life!”

Lucian lifted a brow, unbothered. “And now you live because of me.”

Elias scowled. “That doesn’t mean I owe you anything.”

Lucian merely hummed in amusement before reaching for a goblet on the nearby table. Elias’s eyes caught the thick, dark red liquid swirling inside. It looked like wine, but something about it felt…wrong. Too dark. Too rich.

Lucian lifted the cup to his lips and took a slow sip, his gaze never leaving Elias’s. “You argue so much for someone with nowhere else to go.”

Elias stiffened. “I can leave.”

Lucian licked a stray drop from his lip. “Oh? And go where?”

Elias faltered. He had no answer. His mind screamed at him to escape, but his body remained rooted to the spot. The air in the room felt charged, electric.

Lucian set the goblet down, then took a slow, deliberate step forward. “You’re a pretty little thing.”

Elias’s breath caught in his throat. “W-what?”

Lucian smirked, tilting his head. “All wide eyes and flushed cheeks… tell me, Elias, has anyone ever told you how exquisite you look when you’re flustered?”

Elias swallowed hard. His heart was hammering, but he didn’t know why. A warmth was pooling in his stomach, spreading lower, making his limbs weak. He had never reacted like this before—never felt this strange, burning sensation crawling under his skin.

Lucian took another step, closing the distance between them. Elias tried to move, to push away, but his body refused to cooperate. His breathing grew shallower as Lucian leaned in, his voice a sultry whisper.

“You feel it, don’t you?”

Elias parted his lips, but no words came out. He did feel it—the heat, the tension, the inexplicable pull toward the man in front of him. He didn’t understand it, and that terrified him.

Lucian’s smirk deepened, but then—

His expression shifted. The teasing amusement faded, replaced by something sharper. His gaze darkened, his nostrils flaring slightly as he inhaled.

Then,

his eyes locked onto Elias with an intensity that made his knees weak.

“I smell your arousal in the air.”