Chapter 4: Deceit

Seraphine’s POV

I opened the doors to Lucien’s office and paused.

He didn’t notice me standing there. He was staring at his desk, a soft smile tugging at his lips. Whatever he was thinking about, it seemed to pull him far away from this room.

“Lucien!” I called.

He flinched, his head snapping up as though I’d dragged him back to reality.

I stood at the door, my arms crossed. “You’ve been up here all evening,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “Aren’t you going to rest?”

He leaned back in his chair, watching me with that calm, assessing look he always wore. “Couldn’t sleep.”

I hesitated, then took a few steps into the room. The moonlight streaming through the balcony doors cast a soft glow on his face, making him look almost... peaceful. It was a rare sight.

 “Neither could I,” I admitted quietly.

His gaze softened. “What’s keeping you up?”

I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Just wanted to surprise you.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Really? You’ve never been a good liar, Seraphine.”

balcony.

I could tell he wasn’t buying it from the way his brow arched slightly, I really needed him to buy this, I need my plan to run smoothly.

“What’s the surprise?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair, his full attention on me now.

I smirked, folding my arms across my chest. “You have to guess.”

He sighed, leaning back again. “You know I’m terrible at guessing.”

“Well,” I teased, tilting my head, “if you can’t guess, then you don’t get to know.”

That got him moving. He stood up from his chair and started walking toward me. The look on his face was playful yet undeniably intense.

“What if I bribe you?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave, smooth and warm. He stopped just inches away, his hand brushing a stray curl from my face. “A deep kiss, maybe?”

I raised an eyebrow, pretending to consider it. “Tempting,” I said, a small smile creeping onto my lips. “But I think you need to rest more than anything. You’ve been working too much.”

He had no idea what I was up to, and the thought made me smile even wider.

“Fine,” he said with a dramatic sigh, still holding onto me. “But only if you tell me the surprise.”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back a laugh, and finally gave in. “I prepared a meal for you,” I said, watching his reaction closely.

His eyes widened in genuine shock. “You… cooked? For me?”

I nodded, a little proud of myself. “Yes, I did.”

He blinked, as though he couldn’t quite believe it. “Wow. This late? Why?”

“I figured you’d need it,” I said, stepping closer. “You and the hunting pack are heading to the woods early tomorrow, so I need to feed my man and make sure he’s strong and fit for the hunt.”

I reached out and ran my fingers down his chest, my touch slow and deliberate. His sharp intake of breath told me I had his full attention.

He looked down at me, his surprise now mixed with something else entirely. “You’re full of surprises tonight, Seraphine,” he murmured, his voice low and almost teasing.

I tilted my head, giving him a playful smile. “What? I can’t take care of my mate?”

“It’s not that,” he said, his hand brushing against mine where it rested on his chest. “It’s just… I didn’t expect you to be all... loving after the mood you were in before.”

I laughed softly, hoping my voice didn’t betray how nervous I felt. “Maybe I’m just full of surprises tonight,” I said lightly, stepping back before I got carried away.

My tone was light, but the truth was that I needed him to relax—so deeply that he wouldn’t notice my absence later.

His gaze lingered on me, his smile slow and lazy. “Well, now I really want to see this meal you made.”

“You should,” I said, turning toward the door and throwing a glance over my shoulder. “It’s not every day I decide to cook, you know.”

He chuckled, following me. “Now I’m worried. What if you poisoned me?”

I stopped, pretending to look offended. “Lucien!”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin unapologetic. “I’m kidding! Mostly.”

Lucien’s smile grew darker as I turned toward the door, and before I could take another step, his arms were around me. I felt his lips graze my neck, his warm breath sending a shiver down my spine.

“Lucien…” I started, but then his hand moved lower, resting on my chest, and he gave a gentle squeeze.

"I smiled at him, keeping my expression light. But deep down, my heart raced—not because of his touch, but because of what I needed to do once he finally fell asleep."

“Babe” I said with a playful tone, grabbing his hand and pulling it away. “You need to eat first before you even think about doing any of this.”

He groaned, his lips brushing against my ear. “No,” he murmured, his voice deep and rough. “I don’t want to wait. I want to own you right now.”

As Lucien leaned closer, murmuring something teasing into my ear, I forced a laugh.

My eyes went straight to the desk behind him, where the drawer with the attic key was. Focus, Seraphine, I told myself. Not yet."

I forced out a laugh, my heart pounding. “Nooo!” I said, stepping out of his grip with a playful shove. “Come on, Alpha. Food first. Then we can talk about… whatever this is.”

He looked at me, his grin lazy but mischievous. “You’re a tease, you know that?”

“And you’re impossible,” I shot back with a smirk, grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the door.

He sighed dramatically but followed, his gaze still lingering on me in that way of his.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “Come on. Let’s see if my cooking skills impress you.”

As he followed me out of the office, I could feel his amused gaze on me.

If only he knew what I had up my sleeves…