Feral Eclipse

Sam’s POVI stood in the middle of the hall, looking around as elites from different packs greeted one another with tight smiles and exaggerated laughs. The chandeliers above scattered gold light across polished marble, making the whole room gleam like it had been dipped in false perfection. They had not gathered because of me of course.They were here because my bride-to-be was the daughter of the most feared Alpha in the region. Her father’s presence alone was enough to shift the air. He could get anyone to show up just by sending an invitation, no matter how much they hated him. And oh, they did hate him—half these people would kill him if they thought they could survive the retaliation.These people wouldn’t be caught dead standing six feet from one another on a normal day, yet tonight they were close enough to clink glasses and pretend to be old friends.I’d grown up watching this charade, but it still made me sick. Every false laugh sounded like claws dragging over my nerves.A

Lucifer’s POVI leaned against a pillar, half-shadowed, watching the scene unfold like some badly written play. But the longer I watched, the harder it became to tell if the ache in my chest was irritation or something else I didn’t want to name.Alpha Luther stood like the snake he’s always been, his voice slick and smooth as he told the Lycan Prince that this was Diana’s engagement party. You’d think that would end the conversation. But no—Luther’s posture shifted, spine just slightly bent toward the Prince, already angling himself to curry favor. A man like Luther always had two games running in his head—the one everyone could see and the one that would cut you when you weren’t looking.The Prince—tall, broad, the kind of presence that demanded a room whether you wanted it or not—smiled faintly. “I hear there’s been talk of rejection,” he said, not even glancing at Sam. “If Lady Diana is pleased with me, she can reject her groom here and now.”My jaw tightened. The audacity didn’t

Sam's POV I woke to the faint sound of my own breathing. Or maybe it was someone else’s. My eyes fluttered open, and the first thing I realized was that I couldn’t remember where I was. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar, painted a pale gray that I couldn’t place. The bed beneath me was too soft, the sheets too clean. My body ached everywhere, a deep, dull kind of pain that made every movement feel like I’d been run over.I tried to sit up, and my head spun violently. I froze, gripping the mattress. Something wasn’t right. Something was wrong.Then I saw him.Lucifer. Sitting in a chair at the edge of the room, legs crossed, hands resting lazily on his knees, that same infuriating smirk tugging at his lips like he owned the world.“Where… am I?” I croaked, my voice weak. My throat burned.He raised one eyebrow, tilting his head as if I’d asked the dumbest question imaginable. “You’re alive. That’s what matters. Everything else is secondary.”I struggled to push myself upright again,

Sam’s POVI couldn’t speak as I stared into space… I wanted it. I wanted it so bad.“We won’t fuck, I promise, even though you need it to recover fully. But I’ll have to let you know you’re not as bad as you think.”“Okay,” I said.“You’ll let me, baby?”“Yes, but don’t call me that.” I chuckled, and he turned me to face him. I met his eyes and swallowed.His eyes were on my lips. “Will you let me kiss you?” he asked, and I nodded.I didn’t know why my heart hammered so loudly in my chest. He moved in and his lips met mine. I sighed out in what I found was relief. But then his tongue was in my mouth, stroking mine, his lips sucking on me. Slowly, I began kissing him back, closing my eyes and getting lost in the sensation.“You taste so sweet, baby.” He spoke and kissed the corner of my lips, rolling me over to my back, coming on top of me without exerting his full weight.He kissed me gently. I loved it. It was nothing like I had experienced before. I never really enjoyed kissing Dian

Lucifer’s POVSo somehow, the meeting had managed to draw out every single atom of good mood I had leaving Sam at home.From talks about politics that honestly I couldn't care about, to the incident at Sam's proposal… that was where things were beginning to taste sour.My dad had called me outrageous for stepping in and told me to send him out if he was at my mansion, calling him weak and a liability.Yes, sure as fuck, I was pissed and blurted out that Sam and I were mates.I wanted to rub it in their fucking faces, but I guessed I took it too far. Honestly, I didn't care about my reputation, but Sam was still sensitive about everything and I ruined it all for him.Add it to my archives of fucking pissed and bad moods.But another good thing was how the hall suddenly became quiet and even my father, the almighty Alpha, had nothing to say for the first time. Well, I wasn't really going to waste any more patience on them. I needed it to stop myself from literally turning Sam over and s