"No, Lila. Not tonight," Lucas said, his voice rougher than he intended.Lila’s eyes, wide and questioning, held his gaze. "But... why?"He turned away, the sudden silence in the room heavy. "It's... I don't want to overwhelm you. You've been through a lot.""Overwhelm me?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "I feel fine, Lucas. More than fine."He knew he’d messed up. He felt the immediate sting of regret, a sharp, twisting feeling in his gut. Weeks of holding back, of careful restraint, suddenly felt like a terrible mistake. He wanted to reach for her, to pull her close, but he held back, fear a cold weight in his chest.The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. He needed to say something, anything. "Lila, I just... I worry.""Worry about what?" she asked, her voice tight."About pushing you too fast," he said, finally turning to face her. "I don't want to hurt you."She looked at him, her expression a mix of confusion and something else, something he couldn’t quite rea
NEXT He reached out, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw. "Now, it's my turn," he said, his voice filled with a newfound confidence.He pulled her closer, his lips finding hers. The kiss was deep, passionate, a silent declaration of his desire.He wanted to reciprocate, to give her the same pleasure she had given him. He wanted to deepen the intimacy, to explore the depths of their connection.He moved his hands, his touch becoming more insistent, more demanding. He wanted to claim her, to possess her, to lose himself in the heat of their passion.He brought her to the edge of the bed and made her lay down. His hands moved over her body, exploring every curve, every sensitive spot. He felt her body tremble beneath his touch, her breath quickening with anticipation.He lowered his head, his lips finding the sensitive skin of her neck. He nipped and kissed, teasing her until she moaned with pleasure.He moved lower, his lips finding the soft swell of her breast. He suckled and nipp
"Did you see the latest transfer?" Jake asked, his voice tight."Yeah," Lucas replied, his tone equally strained. "The offshore accounts are finally stabilizing. But at what cost?""Cost is relative," Jake retorted, his eyes fixed on the flickering screen. "We needed this. After… everything.""Everything being Lila almost dying, and Lawrence turning traitor?" Lucas pressed, his voice laced with bitterness."Don't," Jake warned, cutting him off. "Just… don't. We need to focus on what we can control.""And what exactly is that, Jake? Lila's in a fragile state, Lawrence is God knows where, probably plotting our downfall, and you're staring at numbers on a screen.""It's not just numbers, Lucas. It's damage control. It's rebuilding. It's… a distraction.""A distraction from what? From the fact that we're all falling apart?"Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair. "From the fact that I don't know what to say to her. Not yet.""She needs you, Jake.""You think I don't know that?" Jake
"You're awake." Lila blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the window, turning her head toward the voice. Lucas stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, eyes scanning her like he was searching for something. "No thanks to you," she muttered, pushing herself up. Lucas’s jaw tensed. "You were dying." "And you thought forcing me to shift was the solution?" she shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. He didn’t flinch. "It worked." Lila exhaled slowly, her fingers curling into the blanket. He wasn’t wrong. The weight in her limbs had lessened, the perpetual ache in her bones faded. She felt… different. Stronger. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, no longer a weak, silent presence. "I hate that you're right," she admitted. Lucas smirked, the expression brief but unmistakable. "I get that a lot." Lila rolled her eyes but shifted her attention to herself. Her arms no longer looked frail, the jut of her collarbone less pronounced. Tentatively, she
His jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue. Jake scoffed. "Right. Because he always knows what’s best for you." "Jake—" "Save it, Lila," he muttered, stepping back. His face was carefully blank, but the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. Lucas didn’t smirk this time. Didn’t gloat. He just watched as Jake turned and walked out. The door clicked shut behind him. Lila exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. Lucas’s voice was quiet. "You still want him." She closed her eyes. "I don’t know what I want." A pause. Then— "You’ll have to decide soon." The weight of his words settled over her. Because he was right. And no matter what she chose, someone would end up broken. _________________Lila exhaled shakily, pressing a hand to her chest. Lucas’s voice was quiet. "You still want him." She closed her eyes. "I don’t know what I want." A pause. Then— "You’ll have to decide soon." The weight of his words settled over her. Because he was right. And no mat
He reached across the table, fingers brushing hers. "I don’t care about any of it. Not Lucas. Not the past. I just care about you." Her breath caught. "You’re mine," he murmured. "And I’m yours. Nothing else matters." A lump formed in her throat. Jake squeezed her hand. "I love you, Lila. Always have." Tears burned at the back of her eyes. "You always say that like it’s enough," she whispered. Jake’s jaw tightened. "Because it is." Lila exhaled shakily. "Then why does it still hurt?" Jake stood, rounding the table, pulling her to her feet. "Because you won’t let yourself believe it." His hands framed her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that escaped. "But I’ll prove it to you." Lila searched his face, looking for doubt, for hesitation. There was none. And it terrified her. Because if Jake was certain—then she had to be, too. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. ...And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.Lila sat on the edge of the
"You're shaking," Lila whispered, her voice a soft tremor against his chest."Just... glad you're here," Jake replied, his arms tightening around her. "It's been too long.""Too long is an understatement," she said, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Where did you even go? You just vanished.""Business," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Things... complicated things.""Complicated enough to disappear for weeks?" she asked, her eyes searching his. "You know you can tell me anything, Jake.""I know," he said, his voice heavy. "It's just... some things are better left unsaid.""Until they explode in our faces?" she retorted, a hint of bitterness in her tone.He sighed, pulling her close again. "I'm sorry, Lila. I'm so sorry."____________________Jake held Lila close, treasuring the moment. His wolf, usually restless and alert, was strangely calm, soothed by her presence. But his mind was a storm of worries, a dark cloud hanging over their reunion. The last war with the Drakkons haunte
“Tell me,” he whispered, his voice a soothing balm against her pain. “Tell me everything.”Lila took a shaky breath, her body trembling against his. "He found me," she began, her voice barely audible. "After... after I ran away. I was lost, broken. He helped me. He showed me how to control my wolf, how to harness my power. He was my mentor, my friend. And then... and then he changed.""Changed how?" Jake asked, his voice low."He became obsessed," she said, her voice filled with fear. "Obsessed with power, with knowledge. He started talking about the Drakkons, about their magic. He said they were the key to unlocking our true potential. I tried to stop him, but... but he wouldn't listen. He said I was weak, that I was holding him back.""And then he started selling intel to them," Jake finished, his voice grim.Lila nodded, her tears flowing freely. "I don't know why," she sobbed. "I don't understand. He was my friend. He was like a brother to me."Jake held her close, his heart achin
“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