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Lucian doesn’t flinch.Typical.
“Didn’t realize I needed your permission to speak to what’s already mine.”
“Excuse me?” I say, channeling all the righteous fury of someone wearing another man’s shirt and currently impaled on a knot. “I thought that we were past this, now. You know, after you lay inthis bedwith me yesterday. After youknotted me, Lucian. We had a whole emotionally repressed heart-to-heart afterward. Or are you suffering memory loss from how hard you rutted me?”
His jaw twitches.
Good.
“You knew what this was,” I say, softer now. “What I wanted. What I still want: all of you. That hasn’t changed.”
Ash’s hand rests between my shoulder blades now. He doesn’t speak, but he’s holding steady.
My anchor in case this turns into a full alpha brawl.
“So unless you plan on taking your bond back -”
“Ican’t,” Lucian interrupts, his voice jagged and raw.
“No,” I snap. “Youwon’t.And you shouldn’t have reached back to me if you didn’t want this. You shouldn’t have put your knot in me if you weren’t ready tobe here.”
Lucian still doesn’t respond. But I see it: cracks, regret, rage, and desire all playing poker behind his eyes.
“You’re not mad at them,” I press. “You’re not even mad at me. You’re mad atyou.Because you felt me before they did, and you waited. You waited, Lucian.”
That one hits him. Dead center.
His mask wavers, and I lift my chin higher.
“And now you’re scared you missed your chance.”
Despite what I’m saying, the truth is, there’s a part of me thatwantsLucian’s frustration, his rage, his jealousy. I want his restraint hanging by threads, andIwant to be the one to snap it.
“But don’t stand there for one minute and pretend this is about instinct. You think the problem is biology? No. The problem is me. Because I want all of you. And you’re finally realizing what that means.”
Then, sweet as sin:
“So, are you going to stand there judging me, or are you going todo something about it?”
The thread snaps.
He moves -fast.
The kiss hits like a power surge, all mouth and possession and the kind of tension that lawsuits are built around. I gasp into it, body tightening, and Ash groans behind me as I clench around him, arousal sparking to life all over again.
Lucian’s hand fists in my hair. He breaks the kiss, panting, and I trail my hand down to the waistband of his stupidly tailored pants.
“I’m not helpless,” I whisper, palming the outline of his cock. “You don’t get to be the only one making moves and taking here.”
His eyes go molten. I squeeze just a little - enough to make a point.
Enough to make him twitch.
“Careful, Omega,” he growls.
“Why?” I grin. “Scared I’ll give you what you want?”
His belt hits the floor. Pants follow.
