“You were gone all day again.”Lila’s voice cut through the dim light of the hallway as Lucas stepped through the front entrance. Her arms were crossed, eyes shadowed with the weight of waiting. Jake sat silently in the armchair nearby, his posture tense, jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He simply looked at Lucas—waiting for an answer.“I had to finish something important,” Lucas replied, his tone low but steady. He dropped his coat on the hook, his eyes avoiding Lila’s for a second too long.“Important enough to forget to check in?” she snapped. “We’re all worried, Lucas. We need you here too—not just out there chasing ghosts.”“I wasn’t chasing ghosts,” he said firmly, finally lifting his gaze to hers. “I got us a lead.”Jake stirred. “What kind of lead?”Lucas exhaled and moved past them toward the table, where maps and notes cluttered the surface. He pulled out a folded document from inside his jacket and set it down. “Venut’s city records. I managed to get access to a list of r
This wasn’t just a mission anymore.It was a promise. A fight to bring one of their own back from the shadows—no matter the cost.As the aircraft's engines hummed in the background and Jake moved ahead to coordinate with the security team, Lucas lingered for just a moment longer, letting the stillness of the early morning press into his bones.He could still feel the shape of Lila’s arms around him. The quiet desperation in her voice. The way she didn’t cry—but he could sense how close she was to unraveling. It hit him harder than the weight of the mission. Harder than the political maneuvering or the looming threat of Rikkard.Lately, she’d stopped meeting his eyes the way she used to.She had retreated into her books—sitting in the library well past midnight with pages trembling in her hands, too immersed in parchment and silence to feel the world moving around her. That was how Jake found her the other night, curled up near the window with a flickering lamp and a stack of old Cresc
The jet sliced through clouds like a whispering ghost, silver wings glinting against the rising sun. Inside the cabin, the mood was heavy and hushed—an odd quiet that didn’t come from peace, but from anticipation. A storm was brewing—of purpose, of emotion, of bodies teetering on the edge of control.Lucas sat with his arm resting on the back of the leather seat, close to Lila but not touching her. Not yet.She was turned slightly away, face bathed in morning light as she stared through the oval window. Her fingers were curled against her lap, the veins along her wrist faintly pulsing. Her mind, clearly, was not in this cabin.Lucas could feel the distance like cold glass between them.Across the aisle, Jake had his head down, fingers gliding rapidly across his tablet. Surveillance feeds blinked silently on the screen, updates flowing in from the cyber unit. His expression was unreadable—guarded, remote.But Lucas knew Jake noticed everything.The soft hum of the engines filled the si
Lila lay nestled in Lucas’s lap, her breathing finally beginning to slow after that sweet, silent unraveling. Her cheek rested against his chest, and he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her as if anchoring her to reality—to him.But the air between them was far from settled.It pulsed with heat.With promise.With something primal still waiting to be unleashed.Lucas’s fingers slid through the strands of her hair, then gently down her back. The slow, possessive caress of a male who had no intention of letting her retreat behind silence again.Then, softly—but with an edge of command—he said, “Stand up.”Lila blinked, her muscles stiff from how long she'd clung to him. “What?”Lucas looked into her eyes, voice firm but calm. “Stand. Now.”His tone held no threat. Only promise.Promise of what came next.Her heart kicked harder.With effort, she slid off his lap and rose to her feet, swaying just slightly. Lucas stayed seated, legs parted, eyes lifting to trace every line of her body
Lila’s breathing had slowed, her body molded to Lucas’s as though it belonged there—because it did. But the storm inside him hadn’t yet passed.Not even close.The feel of her, bare and vulnerable in his arms, only fueled his craving. His wolf still paced beneath his skin, restless and territorial, demanding more—demanding all of her. Every breath. Every sound. Every submissive gasp she hadn’t dared give anyone else.Lucas’s voice was low against her ear. “Up. On your knees.”She blinked in surprise.Still curled in his lap, wrapped in the thin barrier of his jacket, Lila hesitated.Lucas didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.His fingers skimmed under the fabric, trailing down her spine. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”Her heartbeat kicked harder, not out of fear—but recognition.She moved. Slowly. Carefully. She slid from his lap and turned, positioning herself between his legs, kneeling. The soft carpet beneath her knees contrasted with the burn in her chest. The jacket slipped
“You’re safe now,” Lucas whispered, his knot still pulsing deep inside her.But safety was only one part of it.Lila trembled, her body molded against his, the fullness of his knot keeping her grounded and overwhelmed in equal measure. Her breath hitched, shallow and stuttered, as her inner muscles clenched around him again—an aftershock, or maybe the prelude to something more.Lucas didn’t move.Didn’t demand.He simply waited.And that, more than anything, unraveled her.“I can’t move,” she breathed, eyes clenched shut.“Yes, you can,” he murmured, brushing hair from her face. “You’re not broken, Lila. You’re not fragile. Not anymore.”Her fingers dug into the armrest, breath catching.Lucas leaned forward, his lips at her ear. “I want you to move. I want you to ride it. Take what you need from me.”Her heart stuttered.This wasn’t a command.It was a gift.Her legs ached. Her body throbbed. But still, she shifted—slowly, hesitantly—testing the taut pressure where their bodies remai
A Morning of Warmth and Wariness:“Lucas… your knot’s still in,” Lila mumbled, voice raspy with sleep.“I know,” he murmured against her shoulder, lips brushing her skin. “Didn’t want to wake you. You were peaceful.”“I’m not now,” she grumbled, stretching slightly and wincing at the soreness spreading through her hips.His arm tightened around her waist. “Sorry. I lost control.”“You didn’t.” She turned in his arms to face him. “I gave it willingly. Don’t take that away from me.”He searched her face, his eyes dark with concern. “You’re sore.”“I’m alive,” she said with a soft smile. “And I’m with you. That’s enough.”Lucas exhaled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Still… I should’ve been gentler.”“You’ll make up for it,” she teased, and for a moment, the heaviness in the room eased.The cabin bedroom was dim, the blinds half-drawn against the gray light of morning. Somewhere beyond the walls of this quiet space, the engines hummed low and steady. But here, wrapped in warm
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Lucas murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.“You didn’t,” Lila whispered back, her voice still drowsy. “I was already half-awake. I just didn’t want to move.”“You were sore,” he said gently, guilt flickering across his features. “I can feel it in your muscles.”“I’m fine,” she said, but he was already moving, sliding from the bed with careful grace.Jake’s voice floated in from the other room. “She’s not fine if she’s wincing in her sleep.”“I wasn’t wincing,” Lila muttered, rolling her eyes even as her cheeks flushed. She tried to sit up, only to wince slightly at the sting between her thighs. Damn it.Lucas was already wetting a towel from the tiny sink across the room. “Don’t lie to me, little wolf,” he said with an affectionate smile that didn’t quite mask his concern. “You’re strong, but you’re not indestructible.”Jake appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, his eyes scanning her with that piercing protectiveness that made her squirm mor
“You’re joking, right? Please tell me this is some twisted prank,” Lucas muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving the figure lounging by the fireplace.“I wish it were,” Jake replied quietly, jaw clenched. “But that’s him. That’s Rikkard.”Lucas swore under his breath. “Of all the days… why the hell would he show up in Venut?”“I don’t know,” Jake admitted, hands fisted in his jacket pockets. “But we need to play this smart. We can’t let him know about Lila.”Lucas inhaled sharply and nodded. “You sure he hasn’t seen her?”“Positive. He only saw us. Let’s keep it that way.”The plush lounge of the hotel was dimly lit, scented with expensive cologne, polished leather, and cigar smoke. Rikkard was seated casually on a velvet couch, legs crossed, swirling amber liquid in a crystal tumbler. His demeanor was relaxed, almost amused—but Jake could see it. The glint of calculated menace in his eyes.Jake took a breath and approached with Lucas, every step deliberate. They stopped jus
“Tell me you’re joking,” Lucas muttered, his voice low and edged with tension.“I wish I were,” Jake replied, running a hand through his damp hair. “But he’s here. In Venut. I saw his convoy near the North Quarter twenty minutes ago.”Lila blinked. “Wait, Rikkard? As in—the Rikkard?”Jake gave a grim nod. “The Mad Alpha himself.”Lucas straightened from where he sat beside Lila on the hotel bed, his entire body going rigid. “How the hell did he find out we were here?”“Doesn’t matter,” Jake said. “What matters is that he’s here. And if he’s sniffing around, it’s not just to catch up over drinks.”Lila’s face lost all color. “You told me he wasn’t a threat anymore.”“I told you what I needed to so you’d sleep,” Jake said quietly, shame flickering across his expression. “But clearly, I was wrong.”“Perfect,” Lucas growled. “Just what we need—another lunatic Alpha throwing his weight around.”“Not just another lunatic,” Jake said, voice clipped. “He’s the lunatic. The one who ripped out
“…She’s alive,” Lila repeated, quieter now. “I just don’t know where.”Lucas’s hand tightened briefly on her shoulder before he let go, stepping back to give her space even as his eyes lingered with worry. Jake returned to the window, gaze hard and focused.The silence that followed was the kind that spoke louder than words.Then—Knock. Knock. Knock.Not soft. Not tentative.The kind of knock that didn’t ask permission.Jake’s head snapped toward the door. Lucas was already moving—one hand reaching into the drawer beneath the minibar, where he’d hidden a blade and compact gun. Lila rose too, pulse leaping as the door handle turned despite the locks still being in place.Click.“Jake,” Lucas said, tone sharp.Jake strode toward the door and yanked it open an inch just as the locks disengaged, bypassed from the outside.The man who stepped in didn’t belong in any polished hotel suite. His mere presence dimmed the luxurious lighting, as if shadows followed him in.Rikkard.He was as unm
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Lucas murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.“You didn’t,” Lila whispered back, her voice still drowsy. “I was already half-awake. I just didn’t want to move.”“You were sore,” he said gently, guilt flickering across his features. “I can feel it in your muscles.”“I’m fine,” she said, but he was already moving, sliding from the bed with careful grace.Jake’s voice floated in from the other room. “She’s not fine if she’s wincing in her sleep.”“I wasn’t wincing,” Lila muttered, rolling her eyes even as her cheeks flushed. She tried to sit up, only to wince slightly at the sting between her thighs. Damn it.Lucas was already wetting a towel from the tiny sink across the room. “Don’t lie to me, little wolf,” he said with an affectionate smile that didn’t quite mask his concern. “You’re strong, but you’re not indestructible.”Jake appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, his eyes scanning her with that piercing protectiveness that made her squirm mor
A Morning of Warmth and Wariness:“Lucas… your knot’s still in,” Lila mumbled, voice raspy with sleep.“I know,” he murmured against her shoulder, lips brushing her skin. “Didn’t want to wake you. You were peaceful.”“I’m not now,” she grumbled, stretching slightly and wincing at the soreness spreading through her hips.His arm tightened around her waist. “Sorry. I lost control.”“You didn’t.” She turned in his arms to face him. “I gave it willingly. Don’t take that away from me.”He searched her face, his eyes dark with concern. “You’re sore.”“I’m alive,” she said with a soft smile. “And I’m with you. That’s enough.”Lucas exhaled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Still… I should’ve been gentler.”“You’ll make up for it,” she teased, and for a moment, the heaviness in the room eased.The cabin bedroom was dim, the blinds half-drawn against the gray light of morning. Somewhere beyond the walls of this quiet space, the engines hummed low and steady. But here, wrapped in warm
“You’re safe now,” Lucas whispered, his knot still pulsing deep inside her.But safety was only one part of it.Lila trembled, her body molded against his, the fullness of his knot keeping her grounded and overwhelmed in equal measure. Her breath hitched, shallow and stuttered, as her inner muscles clenched around him again—an aftershock, or maybe the prelude to something more.Lucas didn’t move.Didn’t demand.He simply waited.And that, more than anything, unraveled her.“I can’t move,” she breathed, eyes clenched shut.“Yes, you can,” he murmured, brushing hair from her face. “You’re not broken, Lila. You’re not fragile. Not anymore.”Her fingers dug into the armrest, breath catching.Lucas leaned forward, his lips at her ear. “I want you to move. I want you to ride it. Take what you need from me.”Her heart stuttered.This wasn’t a command.It was a gift.Her legs ached. Her body throbbed. But still, she shifted—slowly, hesitantly—testing the taut pressure where their bodies remai
Lila’s breathing had slowed, her body molded to Lucas’s as though it belonged there—because it did. But the storm inside him hadn’t yet passed.Not even close.The feel of her, bare and vulnerable in his arms, only fueled his craving. His wolf still paced beneath his skin, restless and territorial, demanding more—demanding all of her. Every breath. Every sound. Every submissive gasp she hadn’t dared give anyone else.Lucas’s voice was low against her ear. “Up. On your knees.”She blinked in surprise.Still curled in his lap, wrapped in the thin barrier of his jacket, Lila hesitated.Lucas didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.His fingers skimmed under the fabric, trailing down her spine. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”Her heartbeat kicked harder, not out of fear—but recognition.She moved. Slowly. Carefully. She slid from his lap and turned, positioning herself between his legs, kneeling. The soft carpet beneath her knees contrasted with the burn in her chest. The jacket slipped
Lila lay nestled in Lucas’s lap, her breathing finally beginning to slow after that sweet, silent unraveling. Her cheek rested against his chest, and he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her as if anchoring her to reality—to him.But the air between them was far from settled.It pulsed with heat.With promise.With something primal still waiting to be unleashed.Lucas’s fingers slid through the strands of her hair, then gently down her back. The slow, possessive caress of a male who had no intention of letting her retreat behind silence again.Then, softly—but with an edge of command—he said, “Stand up.”Lila blinked, her muscles stiff from how long she'd clung to him. “What?”Lucas looked into her eyes, voice firm but calm. “Stand. Now.”His tone held no threat. Only promise.Promise of what came next.Her heart kicked harder.With effort, she slid off his lap and rose to her feet, swaying just slightly. Lucas stayed seated, legs parted, eyes lifting to trace every line of her body
The jet sliced through clouds like a whispering ghost, silver wings glinting against the rising sun. Inside the cabin, the mood was heavy and hushed—an odd quiet that didn’t come from peace, but from anticipation. A storm was brewing—of purpose, of emotion, of bodies teetering on the edge of control.Lucas sat with his arm resting on the back of the leather seat, close to Lila but not touching her. Not yet.She was turned slightly away, face bathed in morning light as she stared through the oval window. Her fingers were curled against her lap, the veins along her wrist faintly pulsing. Her mind, clearly, was not in this cabin.Lucas could feel the distance like cold glass between them.Across the aisle, Jake had his head down, fingers gliding rapidly across his tablet. Surveillance feeds blinked silently on the screen, updates flowing in from the cyber unit. His expression was unreadable—guarded, remote.But Lucas knew Jake noticed everything.The soft hum of the engines filled the si