7

LUCIAN

He could see the defiance blazing in her eyes as she fled the room, and he found it amusing to watch.

Lucian turned toward the tall window, staring out into the deepening shadows of the pine forest. His wolf would usually yearn to go out, to shift and run free amongst the trees.

Right now, he only wanted the woman who walked out of the room.

Whether Eveline liked it or not, she was his fated mate.

Her wolf knew it, just like his. He saw it in her eyes, and he could smell it on her.

And that was why he found her defiance amusing. There was no need trying to hide it. Because he was not letting her go.

He didn't think after all these years, he would have a mate. He never even considered what it would be like.

But the feeling was intoxicating. His wolf surged against his ribs, irritated by the distance that separated them.

It had taken every ounce of his self control to hold back from the soft weight of her bosom as she surrendered to his touch, to feel that soft skin…with her that close, her warm breath on his face, her scent luring him in. The memory of their closeness mere minutes ago lingered like a drug.

Then there was the mark he had left on her neck during their first night. It had glowed a faint orange minutes ago, a sign that only the Vales could see. It was their ancient mating bond, and that alone was conviction enough.

Sooner or later, she would realize she was already his. For now, he would play the professional. Professional enough to let her come to him willingly. It would be far more satisfying to watch her break her own rules, to crawl to him with that fire still in her eyes.

A low beeping sound jolted him from his thoughts.

He turned sharply, ears twitching here and there, tracking the source. The sound was faint, a frequency most people would miss, but his alpha senses caught it immediately.

It was coming from the west wing. Marcus Hart’s room. The old man’s heart rate was plummeting.

Lucian moved swiftly, hurrying up the corridor. He found Eveline already inside, her face wrinkled with worry.

“I need you to give him some space,” he told her, gently guiding her outside.

“But-”

“He'll be fine, don't you worry.” He turned down the hallway and called, “Howard!”

The steward appeared almost instantly, striding down the corridor.

“Get me the defibrillator,” he said, shutting the door.

“Yes, sir.”

Howard moved quickly, wheeling the machine in and handing over the paddles.

Lucian yanked open the man’s shirt, exposing his chest. The monitors screamed their warning but he didn't hear them now. His healer instincts had kicked in.

If his heart rate was falling, this could only be an effect of the I.V diazepam he administered to induce sleep. Which was normally unusual, because he had given just the right dose.

He pressed the paddles firmly against Marcus’s skin.

“Clear!”

The first jolt arched the older man’s body off the bed. No response.

Lucian charged again. “Clear!”

The second shock hit harder. Marcus convulsed, then drew a long, deep breath. Lucian waited, still holding the paddles, his eyes trained on his patient's face.

Only when he was satisfied by the steady beep on the monitor, did he drop them.

He still didn’t waste a second. Slipping on a latex glove, he searched the side cabinet, took out an ampoule of purple liquid and snapped it open.

His wolf snarled in response, blanching away from the drug. It was known as lupiliis, a wolf anecdote and a milder substitute for wolfsbane.

He injected it directly into the IV line. The compound should calm the erratic shifts threatening to tear through Marcus’s fragile system without poisoning him outright. Or else, they would have a full shifted wolf ripping his villa apart.

The lupilis worked: the beeping on the monitor slowed even further, to a steady pace.

Lucian exhaled, relaxing his shoulders. He gave Howard a thumbs up, and his steward gave a nod in return.

“Perhaps we should get him straps?” He suggested. “Tie him down, just in case?”

“No,” Lucian shook his head. “That would only agitate him further. Don't worry, he's not going to shift.”

“The full moon is close, sir,” Howard reminded him.

“I know.” He gave him a look. “Lunch is closer. Come on, get back to work.”

Howard nodded. “And the lady?”

“I need to check a few things before she can come in.”

Howard nodded again, while

Lucian checked Marcus' vitals a second time. He was not about to get on Eveline’s bad side by losing her father on the first night. She would eat him alive.

A dark smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. ‘Eat him alive.’

He could picture it too clearly. Those pretty lips stretched around his tool, slurping and sucking with that want that was in her eyes a few minutes ago. Her tongue working him, eyes watering as she took him deeper, his hand fisted in her hair while he claimed her throat…

“Sir?” Howard’s voice cut through the haze. “Are you alright?”

Lucian blinked. “I’m fine. I'll need to monitor him closely for a while, but until then, keep her out.”

“Yes, sir,” said the steward, before leaving.