Six

Luxian’s POV

The wedding celebration was over, the pack’s officials had finally dispersed, and the grand hall was quieting down. I caught sight of Summer slipping away toward the bar. I knew she was running from something—maybe from me, maybe from herself. I could feel it in the way her shoulders slumped, the way she moved like she was trying to outrun her own thoughts.

When I found her at the bar, she was already swaying, her cheeks flushed from the liquor. She was ordering drinks strong enough to knock out a wolf twice her size, and it was clear she was trying to drown something deep inside. 

I wanted to leave her to it, to let her have her space, but the sight of her like that—vulnerable, reckless—stirred something in me I couldn’t ignore.

“You’re too drunk,” I said, snatching the snifter from her hand before she could down another.

“One more shot!” she pleaded, her voice thick with defiance and liquor.

“No,” I snapped, sharper than I meant to. She was testing my patience, and I was already on edge.

“Let’s go to the room,” I ordered, hoping to get her out of here before she made a scene.

“Sure, alpha... Let’s make love!” Her words slurred, loud and unfiltered, cutting through the quiet like a blade. My jaw tightened as heads turned. She was out of her mind, her sanity lost to the alcohol.

I watched her wobble, barely keeping herself upright, her dress dragging behind her like a mockery of the elegance she’d worn so effortlessly earlier. I followed close, frustration simmering in my chest. Every step she took was a stumble, and I could feel my control fraying.

“Let’s do it, alpha... let’s make babies... Fuck me, alpha... hurry up,” she blurted, her voice echoing in the hall.

I moved fast, clamping my hand over her mouth, my teeth grinding together. “Control yourself, Summer,” I muttered, my voice low and tight. Her smirk in response only made my blood burn hotter.

She was a mess, groping for balance as her head spun. “Ouch!” she growled, clutching her temples. “My head!”

I’d had enough. “Let me carry you,” I said, my patience hanging by a thread. Before she could argue, I grabbed her, hoisting her up by her hips. Her gasp hit me like a spark as she instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck, her body pressed against mine.

I didn’t mean to let my lips graze her neck, but the moment they did, her scent—citrus and orchid, sharp and sweet—hit me like a drug. It was intoxicating, pulling at something primal deep inside me. My breath felt hot against her skin, and I could feel her shiver under my touch. The urge to bite, to mark her right there, was overwhelming, but I fought it back. Not here. Not like this.

“Uhm...” Her moan was soft, almost involuntary, and it sent a jolt through me that I barely suppressed.

“What happened, Summer?” I asked, my voice calmer than I felt, trying to pull her back to reality.

“No... nothing...” she murmured, her voice trembling.

I could feel her confusion, her body reacting to me in ways I knew she didn’t understand. Hell, I barely understood it myself. She wasn’t like anyone I’d ever been with—not like the others who’d come and gone without leaving a mark. Summer was different, and it was driving me insane.

Her scent was everywhere, clouding my head, making it hard to think straight. My body was betraying me, every nerve on fire as I carried her up the winding staircase. Her breasts pressed against my chest, her thighs brushing against mine with every step. It was torture. My blood was racing, my pants tightening uncomfortably as I fought the primal urge to claim her right then and there.

“Stay still, or we’ll fall together,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. To her, it might’ve sounded soft, but to me, it was a desperate attempt to keep control.

I could feel her heart pounding against me, her warmth seeping into my skin. Every instinct screamed to give in, to pin her against the wall and mark her as mine. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not when she was like this.

“Hold yourself together, Luxian,” I told myself, forcing my mind to focus on anything else—anything but the thought of her beneath me, her scent driving me wild, her body calling to every part of me that wanted to claim her. I had to stay in control, for both our sakes. But damn, it was hard.