Lucian’s POV

A soft smile tugs at my lips, the kind that feels foreign on my face. Alina. Just the thought of my mate sends a strange, steady pulse through my chest. I should hate this. I should loathe that a single woman can anchor my chaotic mind, but I can’t. The mere memory of her scent makes the room stop spinning, and the ache to see her again is a physical weight in my gut.

"Lucian!" Ragnar’s voice cracks like a whip, snapping me back.

Suddenly, the heavy bass of the club slams into my ears, vibrating through the floorboards. I’d forgotten where I was.

"What are you doing? There’s a line of beauties waiting just for you," Ragnar says, leaning in with a sharp wink. "I picked them myself. Extra lethal, extra sexy."

"Oh," I mutter, the word falling flat.

"Oh? What the hell is ’oh’?" He looks at me like I’ve grown a second head.

"Ragnar, I’m just not in the mood tonight. Maybe some other time."

"What? You never pass up a chance to lose yourself in someone," he says, his voice rising in disbelief. "What’s the deal, Lucian? You were grinning like an idiot two seconds ago, and now you’re telling me you aren’t hungry? You’re the horniest bastard I know."

My jaw tightens. The annoyance starts to simmer under my skin. "Ragnar, I’m not in the mood. Besides, you know exactly what I need to get off, and I doubt any of them have the spine for it."

"Don’t worry," he interrupts, a smug grin spreading. "I gave them a very detailed lecture on how you like to play."

I roll my eyes. He won’t drop it. If I don’t give him what he wants, he’ll spend the rest of the night digging into why I’ve gone soft.

"Fine. I’ll go to the room. Send them in," I say.

Ragnar’s face lights up. "I knew you couldn’t stay away."

I nod curtly and head toward the back. The private room is dim, smelling of expensive bourbon and old secrets. I sit on the edge of the oversized bed, my heart not even a little bit in it—until the door swings open.

Six women file in. Ragnar wasn’t lying. They are all curves and silk, eyes dark with intent. A slow, heat starts to stir in my blood despite myself. My eyes track the sway of their hips as they surround the bed.

"Strip," I command.

The sound of sliding fabric and falling lace fills the quiet room. One by one, they peel away their layers until they are nothing but bare skin and heated breath under the dim lights. My teeth sink into my lower lip as they crowd closer, the scent of several perfumes mixing with the musk of their arousal.

"You are such a sexy man," one whispers, her voice a low purr as she reaches out.

"So, how’s this going to be?" one whispers, her hot breath hitching in my ear, making me bite my lip hard. "One by one, or are you going to fucking eat our pussies simultaneously?"

I wait for the surge, the familiar tightening in my pants, but my cock stays dead. It’s the secret I’ve been rotting with. No one makes me hard. At first, I tried to lie to myself, told myself they weren’t hot enough, but even the doctors couldn’t find a fucking reason why my body wouldn’t wake up.

"I see your dick isn’t awake yet," one of them purrs, her hand sliding down to cup me through the fabric.

I flinch, bolting upright. They look at me like I’m some kind of puzzle they can’t solve.

"You aren’t here to sleep with me," I growl, my voice thick. "I want you all to fuck each other. I’m going to watch."

They trade glances, stunned, until I drop the price. "Fifty thousand dollars. Just to put on a show."

Greedy smiles spread across their faces instantly.

"There’s six of us, so we pair off," the blonde says, already reaching for the girl next to her. "It’s not like it’s our first time fucking girls, right?"

They don’t hesitate. Soon, the room is a mess of tangled legs and arched backs. I sit back and watch, a dark smile playing on my lips. The sound of wet tongues sliding over nipples and the rhythmic, squelching sound of pussy rubbing against pussy is fucking electric. I still can’t get hard, but the heavy scent of their juices and the way the air turns thick with their lust is intoxicating. I love every second of the wreck.

"Fuck, your clit feels so good on mine," one gasps out, her fingers digging into another girl’s ass.

I bite my lip, my eyes locked on the friction. "Don’t fucking hold back your moans," I command. "Moan fucking loud. Let me hear how much you like it."

They keep at it for hours, a frantic, sweaty blur of licking and grinding until they’re completely spent, slumped against each other in a heap of bare skin.

"Good," I say. The room smells like pure sex. I pull out my checkbook, scribble the amount, and hand it over.

"You can always come back," the one who took the check says, grabbing the girl next to her and fucking kissing her passionately, tongues swirling. I smirk and walk out.

In the hallway, I spot Ragnar. He’s got some guy pinned, shamelessly sucking his dick right there in the open—gay and proud as ever. He looks up, his eyes meeting mine as he pulls away.

"I’m leaving. You should have more fun," I say with a grin. Before he can get a word out, I’m out the door.

I blast the heater in my car, driving through the quiet streets. It’s late, but the lights are still on at the bakery. She’s still there. I wait, my heart hammering a rhythm I haven’t felt in years. Finally, the door opens and she steps out, turning to lock up. I’m out of the car before I can talk myself out of it.

"Alina," I breathe, stepping into the light. "Alina, I..."

"Fuck! You scared me," she gasps, flinching back. She eyes me, her guard flying up instantly. "You again?"

I nod, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn’t want to bother you, but can I get your number so we can—"

"No," she snaps. The word hits like a physical blow, making the smile die on my face. "Lucian, right? Look, I don’t want anything to do with you. I just want to bake, sell my bread, and be happy with zero complications. So whatever thoughts you’re having, drop them, because—"

"You are my mate!" I bark, my voice echoing off the empty storefronts. "What do you expect? That I’m just going to stay away from you?"

"You’re being pushy," she says, her voice dripping with annoyance. "I don’t want a mate. I—"

"Why? Don’t you want to change the status of being a placeholder? A used Luna?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The words are out before I can catch them. Her face drains of color, her expression twisting into a deep, pained frown. "Wait, I didn’t mean—"

Her palm connects with my cheek so hard my head snaps to the side. And then it happens.

A white-hot surge of electricity slams straight into my groin. After months of nothing, my dick pulses, hitting the denim of my jeans with a painful, throbbing ache. I’m hard. Fucking rock hard. Right here, in the middle of the street. My breath hitches, coming out in ragged, heavy stutters.

"Fuck," I groan, sweat suddenly breaking out across my forehead.

"What’s happening to you?" she asks, her voice trembling.

"Fuck... you shouldn’t have done that," I growl. My vision is tunneling, my wolf clawing at the surface. She takes a frantic step back, but I’m faster. I reach out and hoist her over my shoulder like she weighs nothing.

"Wait! What are you doing? Let me go!" she screams, pounding her fists against my back.

I don’t say a word. I march to the car, yank the door open, and shove her into the passenger seat.

"This is kidnapping! You—" She stops the second she meets my eyes. I know what she sees—dark, blown-out pupils and a raw, predatory hunger that’s killing me.

"Please," I rasp, leaning over her, my face inches from hers. "Slap me again."

"What?" she whispers, completely baffled.

"Just do it. Fucking hit me. Please!"

She hesitates, then swings. The sting on my other cheek makes me let out a guttural moan. It’s too much. The pain is the only thing feeding the pleasure. I’m dying. My body is burning up—I’m in rut, and the timing is fucking lethal.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her voice softening with genuine concern.

"No," I choke out. I can barely get air into my lungs. Every time she speaks, the scent of her—sugar and heat—makes my head spin.

"What do you want, Lucian?"

I lean in, my nose brushing against the pulse point on her neck. "I want to fuck you," I growl.