ELLA.

The moment the door to Lurgard’s office opened, he pulled me inside roughly and shut the door behind us with a loud thud that echoed through the entire room.

My heart skipped instantly.

The tension around him was overwhelming.

I could still feel the anger radiating off him from what had happened with Bernard moments ago, and honestly, I was already preparing myself for another outburst.

I expected him to yell, to lash out, to vent his frustration on me simply because I happened to be standing closest to him.

But instead...Lurgard suddenly pulled me into his arms.

A tight hug.

I froze instantly.

For a moment, my brain completely stopped working.

What?

I blinked rapidly in shock as his arms wrapped firmly around me, holding me close against his chest.

My first instinct was to pull away immediately and I tried to but the moment I moved slightly, his voice suddenly echoed softly above my head.

"Please stay...just this once, Theresa."

The anger from earlier was completely gone, as his voice had become calm, deep, low and dangerously soft.

The sudden change caught me completely off guard.

I swallowed hard.

Without even realizing it, my hands slowly lifted on their own and rested lightly against his back and then, I gently patted him.

The movement was so natural that I didn’t even notice what I had done until Lurgard suddenly tightened his hold around my waist.

My eyes widened instantly.

What was I doing?

I quickly pulled my hands away from his back as if I had been burned.

"No—"

I tried to pull away from the hug immediately, but Lurgard only tightened his grip around me even more.

"Lurgard..." I muttered nervously.

But he wasn’t listening, instead, he buried his face deeper into my neck and inhaled slowly, and deeply like a man desperate for air, like my scent alone was keeping him sane.

The action alone sent a strange shiver through my body.

"Theresa..." he breathed softly, before adding suddenly, "I need you."

The words came out instantly, as they were dangerously vulnerable.

My breath caught in my throat and only then did I notice how warm his body had suddenly become.

No, not warm but hot. Heat radiated from him intensely, pressing against my skin through our clothes.

Oh no.

My eyes widened slightly, this was very bad. I couldn’t let things spiral out of control.

I was still trying to gather my thoughts when suddenly...Lurgard’s lips brushed against my neck, then his teeth sank lightly into my skin.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips immediately as a violent shiver rushed through my entire body instantly.

Every nerve inside me awakened at once.

Goosebumps spread across my skin as warmth curled dangerously low in my stomach.

And worst of all, my body wanted more.

Nyx stirred excitedly inside me, as she practically surged forward.

’Stay sane, Nyx!’ I tried warning my wolf desperately. ’Keep it together!’

But traitorous as always, she ignored me completely. Instead of calming down, she leaned further into him emotionally, craving his touch even more.

My legs weakened suddenly beneath me. A soft breath escaped my lips as another shiver coursed through me.

Lurgard immediately tightened his hold around my waist, keeping me firmly against him before I could fall.

His breathing had become uneven now, and every second his hands remained on my body, the harder it became for me to think properly.

Gosh.

Why did his touch affect me this much?

"I knew it, Theresa..." Lurgard muttered softly as he slowly pulled away from the hug.

My breathing was already uneven, and the worst part was the fact that he noticed it.

He lowered his gaze briefly, almost like he was trying to control himself, but his hands remained firmly around my waist.

Then slowly, one of his hands slid lower, straight to my thigh.

My breath hitched instantly.

"...You need me too," he finished in a low seductive voice.

My heart pounded wildly against my chest.

The way he was staring at me made it even harder to think properly.

His eyes were dark, as they were filled with emotions I couldn’t even begin to explain and his touch...

Gosh.

It was driving me insane.

I wanted to deny his words immediately, I wanted to push him away and tell him he was being ridiculous but my shameless body betrayed me completely.

"I..." I tried speaking but no words came out.

My brain had completely stopped functioning.

Lurgard stared at me for a few more seconds before suddenly speaking again.

"Theresa..." he called softly, then his expression turned unexpectedly serious. "Let’s get married."

I froze instantly.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

What?

For a moment I genuinely thought I heard wrong.

Marriage?

Just like that?

The words echoed repeatedly inside my head as I stared at him completely stunned and before I could even process what to say...

A knock suddenly came from the door.

The sound shattered the atmosphere instantly and reality crashed back into me immediately, and only then did I realize how dangerously close Lurgard still was.

Panic flashed through me.

I pushed him away instantly and quickly adjusted my clothes and hair awkwardly, trying to compose myself.

Meanwhile, Lurgard looked visibly irritated by the interruption.

"Come inside," he said coldly.

The office door opened slowly, and a delivery boy stepped in carefully. He bowed his head politely before speaking.

"A delivery for Miss Ella," he announced respectfully.

My brows furrowed immediately in confusion.

A delivery?

For me?

I didn’t order anything.

Still confused, I watched as the delivery boy stepped further into the office. Another worker followed behind him carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.

Then another golden box was brought in carefully and placed neatly on my desk.

The entire thing looked too expensive.

The delivery boy then stretched a paper toward me politely.

"Ma’am, please sign here."

I blinked twice before slowly taking the paper from him.

"May I know who the sender is?" I asked carefully.

The delivery boy smiled immediately.

"It’s from Mr. Alexander Blake."

I froze instantly.

Alex?

What exactly was wrong with him?

The room suddenly became suffocating.

I could already feel Lurgard’s gaze burning holes into the side of my face but honestly, I was too shocked to even react properly.

After a brief silence, I signed the paper reluctantly.

The delivery boy collected it politely, bowed once again, then left the office.

The moment the door shut behind him, silence filled the room again.

I stared at the flowers on the desk, and then at the golden box.

My confusion only deepened.

I already made myself clear to Alex, I told him to leave me alone.

So why was he suddenly sending flowers now?

Was he insane?

Curiosity slowly crept into me despite my irritation. I hesitated briefly before finally walking toward the golden box.

Lurgard remained silent behind me but I could practically feel the tension radiating off him.

Slowly, I opened the box and the moment I saw what was inside...

I gasped loudly in shock.

My eyes widened instantly.

Alex must have really gone mad.