Burning in his arms

Lucas carried Ethan through the private elevator of the Sebastian Corporation tower like he weighed nothing. His powerful arms held him securely against his chest, one hand supporting Ethan’s thighs while the other pressed firmly against his back. Ethan’s body burned hotter with every passing second.

“Hold on,” Lucas murmured against his hair, voice rough with restraint. “We’re almost there.”

Ethan whimpered softly, face buried in the crook of Lucas’s neck.

The elevator doors opened directly into the penthouse. Lucas strode straight to the master bedroom and laid Ethan down on the massive bed with surprising care. The black silk sheets still carried the mingled scents from the night before.

“I’ll get more suppressants,” Lucas said, turning toward the bedside drawer.

“No,they’re not working anymore. My body… it’s reacting too strongly to you.”

Lucas froze. Ethan’s midnight-blue suit was already disheveled, the silver Sebastian crest necklace gleaming against his heated skin.

“Little substitute,” Lucas growled, climbing onto the bed and hovering over him. “Do you understand what you’re asking?”

Ethan nodded shakily, fingers twisting in Lucas’s black shirt. “Just… help me take the edge off. Please. I can’t think.”

Lucas’s control snapped like a thin thread. He captured Ethan’s lips in a fierce kiss, much deeper than the one at the gala.His tongue swept into Ethan’s mouth, tasting the sweetness that had been teasing him since the wedding hall. Ethan moaned into the kiss, body arching up instinctively.

Lucas’s hand slid under the suit jacket, pushing it off Ethan’s shoulders. Buttons popped as he tore open the dress shirt beneath, exposing smooth, flushed skin. His palm settled possessively over Ethan’s racing heart before sliding lower, tracing the curve of his waist.

“You’re mine for this year,” Lucas rasped against his lips. “No one else gets to see you like this. Not Victor Kane. Not your treacherous family. Only me.”

Ethan gasped as Lucas’s mouth moved to his neck, sucking lightly on the sensitive gland behind his ear. The touch sent electric pleasure shooting down his spine. His legs parted without thinking, allowing Lucas to settle between them. The heavy weight of the Alpha felt both terrifying and perfect.

“Lucas…” Ethan’s voice broke as another wave of heat crashed through him. Slick had started dampening his clothes, a clear sign that his body was fully entering heat. “It’s too much…”

Lucas pulled back just enough to look at him. His own breathing was ragged, pupils blown wide with Alpha instinct. “I won’t knot you tonight. Not while you’re this vulnerable. But I will take care of you.”

True to his word, Lucas stripped Ethan efficiently but carefully, then removed his own jacket and shirt. The sight of Lucas’s bare, powerfully muscled torso made Ethan’s mouth go dry.

Lucas held Ethan close,unraveling him slowly until Ethan finally broke apart in his arms with a helpless cry.

Even in the afterglow, small tremors continued. Lucas held him through it, murmuring low praises against his temple.

“You did well,” Lucas whispered, wiping sweat-dampened hair from Ethan’s forehead. “So responsive for me.”

Ethan lay boneless against the Alpha’s chest, exhausted but clearer-headed. The temporary relief gave him a moment of lucidity. “Why are you being… gentle? I thought you’d be cruel.”

Lucas’s hand stilled on Ethan’s back. For a long moment, he was silent. “Because your scent is driving me insane,” he finally admitted. “From the moment I smelled you at the wedding, something felt different. Not defective. Rare. Addictive.” His arms tightened. “And because I don’t like being played for a fool. Your family used you as a pawn. I won’t do the same.”

Ethan’s heart twisted. He had his own secrets,the real reason he hadn’t fought harder against the substitution. But now wasn’t the time to reveal them.

A new wave of heat began building again, slower but deeper. Ethan whimpered, pressing closer. Lucas cursed softly under his breath.

“My rut is starting to trigger,” Lucas said, voice strained. “If we continue like this, I might not be able to stop next time.”

Lucas’s phone rang from the bedside table. He ignored it at first, but when it rang again immediately, he reached over and answered with a snarl.

“What?”

“Mr. Sebastian ,” his assistant’s urgent voice came through. “Victor Kane has issued a public challenge. He’s claiming the marriage is invalid and offering Ethan a way out through an Alpha duel. The media is going crazy. Several major partners are demanding a statement within the hour.”

“Tell Kane he’s dead if he comes near my Omega again,” Lucas growled. He ended the call and looked down at Ethan.

“Your heat is getting worse,” he said, brushing a thumb over Ethan’s swollen lips. “And now this bastard wants to take you from me.” A smile curved his mouth. “I think it’s time we make this marriage look very, very real.”

Lucas reached into the drawer and pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was a matching platinum ring with a large, flawless black diamond ,the official Sabastian family mating ring.

“Ethan Cannon,” Lucas said, voice low and commanding as he slipped the ring onto Ethan’s finger beside the wedding band. “Starting tonight, we stop pretending in private too. You will wear my mark.”

Ethan’s eyes widened as Lucas leaned down, fangs grazing the sensitive gland at his neck.

“Lucas, wait—!”

A sharp sting of pleasure-pain shot through him as Lucas bit down, beginning the temporary claiming mark. Heat exploded through Ethan’s body once more, stronger than before.

At the same moment, another urgent message lit up Lucas’s phone: Cannon family has gone to the press claiming Ethan was forced and is being held against his will.

Lucas pulled back, blood on his lips and pure Alpha satisfaction in his eyes. The fresh mark on Ethan’s neck pulsed with their combined scents.

“Now the whole world will know,” Lucas whispered darkly. “You’re mine.”

But Ethan’s vision was blurring again, the heat reaching a dangerous peak. His body craved something only a full knot could satisfy.

“Lucas…” he gasped, clutching the Alpha desperately. “I need… I need more…”

Lucas’s control was hanging by a thread. His own rut pheromones were thickening the air.

“Be careful what you beg for, little substitute,” he warned, voice husky. “Because once I give in completely, there’s no going back to a simple one-year contract.”