Lucien and I walked side by side down the corridor, our footsteps echoing off the polished marble. “Where’d you keep the guy we brought earlier?” I asked without looking at him.“In the basement. Room four,” Lucien replied. “He was saying something about being untouchable and that his boss will come for him.”I scoffed, “Good for him. We’ll meet with him after this.”“Alright,” he answered.We stepped into the conference room. Inside, a long, sleek table stretched across the room. Twelve chairs, ten suits. All human men. They all stood as soon as I stepped in.I didn’t slow down. Just walked straight to the head of the table and sat. Lucien dropped into the seat on my right as usual. The men hesitated a beat, then sat too.A bald one with the too-tight collar spoke first. “Mr. Ryker. Good to see you again. It's—”“Skip it,” I said. “What do you all want? Why are we having this meeting?”I saw him swallow before nodding. “Of course. We’re here to discuss expanding Lunaris. There’s…a st
Jayden’s POV We got to LUNARIS and Lucien dragged Buzz-cut to the back of the club to Goddess knows where, while Zane and I went inside the club. The club wasn't yet alive, just the staff moving up and down making preparations for the night.We got to Zane's office and I dropped the bags I’d been hauling. There were just three of them. “Here’s your card,” I said, fishing the sleek black metal from my back pocket and handing it to him.He gave me a hard look.“What?” I asked. “Did I do something wrong? Shouldn't I have returned the card?” He took a deep breath, “I gave you a black card and you come back with these…?”“You bought a lot of things already for me, plus I didn't see many things to buy, except these little things.”“What are the little things you bought?” He asked, stepping forward to look at the bags.I instinctively grabbed the Cartier bag and hid it behind me. I wasn't planning on giving it to him yet.“Jayden.” His tone alone made me step back.“Yes.”“What are you hid
Zane was still buried deep inside me when the tremors began to fade. My whole body felt like it had been split open and glued back together, only now every piece of me fit better than before. His chest was pressed to my back, his arms locked around my waist like he thought I might disappear if he let go. His breathing was uneven, hot against my ear. He hadn’t pulled out yet. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then I felt his lips press to the top of my shoulder. Gentle. Like a plea he wasn’t ready to say out loud. "Jayden, you're mine now," he whispered. I wanted to argue, but my throat locked up and my body betrayed me by melting into him even more. I guess deep down I also wanted to be his. He shifted, finally pulling out, and the sudden emptiness made me wince. He must’ve felt it because he was already pulling the blanket over us, adjusting me so I lay across his chest. His fingers brushed down my spine. Slow and reassuring. Like he was trying to soothe the fire he'd lit.
Jayden's POVI woke up drenched in sweat. The fever had broken, but I was still very much aroused, the heat hadn’t gone. If anything, it had just… simmered. Like coals left behind after a wildfire. I blinked slowly, still groggy. How long was I out? Then I heard the steady sound of someone breathing behind me.Zane.I didn’t need to turn to know it was him. His scent was all over the room. I felt his warmth against my back, his hand curled around my waist, and palm flat on my stomach.His breathing was steady but not deep enough for sleep. He was awake.I shifted a bit, and I gasped as my hips pressed against the hard ridge of his erection. A desperate, low whimper slipped out of me before I could stop it. "Fuck," he hissed behind me. He was hard as rock. How long has he been like that?He pulled back slightly to look at me, his hand still resting on my stomach. “You’re awake?”I nodded weakly.His grip tightened. “How do you feel now?”“Like I’m going to explode, tho the fever has re
“I don't want to be your mate…” The words kept ringing in my head as I walked out of Jayden’s room. I stood outside his door with my fists clenched as his arousal scent curled into the hallway. Was I that terrible a man to mate and love? Why didn't he want me? What was holding him back? Was this the moon goddess's cruel idea of a joke by giving me a mate who didn't want me? I had missed him the entire time I was away, and I felt so relieved that he was still around when I came back. But now? I didn’t know what to feel. “How is he?” Lucien asked as they caught up with me in the hallway. How could I tell them that he doesn't want me? “He wants to be alone,” I replied instead. Jake’s expression shifted. “He can't be alone right now, Alpha.” My jaw tensed. “Why not?” “I just got off the phone with my mate, she said that your Alpha aura just upgraded, and with the bond still unresolved, Jayden’s body is struggling to adjust to the aura change.” Jake paused, glancing toward the r
Zane still had me in his arms while the others were kneeling. It felt surreal. I was supposed to be planning to leave Nocturne City by now but instead, I was melting into this man like a goddamn softie.“Congratulations,” I said into his shoulder.He finally pulled back and looked at me like he wanted to say something but he stopped himself and settled with a soft, “Thank you.”I nodded, and just as I was about to move out of his arms, he leaned in and kissed me softly on my lips, in front of everyone. My brain short-circuited and my legs turned to jellyfish. Thank the goddess he was still holding me.The mark on my back burned again, clawing up my spine yanking me back to reality, I then pushed him and mouthed, “People are in the room.” He took a deep breath and turned to them like he hadn’t just lit me on fire. “Stand up,” he ordered firmly.Lucien, Liam, Jake and the guards all stood, their movements precise and synchronized. The tension eased in the room, but I was still processi