Chapter 3

Lucian had broken free from the handcuffs at some point, or perhaps those things had always been useless on him.

He braced himself above me, his dark gold eyes so deep they were like whirlpools ready to suck my soul in.

"You're quite bold, Vivian." He suddenly spoke, his voice low and husky.

That large hand that had just been bound was now shamelessly gripping my waist, his calloused fingertips rubbing lightly through the fabric.

This reversal left me dazed. My heart was racing wildly, but I refused to back down. I forced myself to stay calm. "Know your place, Lucian. I'm the one who paid for you... Mmph!"

"Is that so?" He chuckled softly, his knee forcefully pushing between my legs. His scorching body heat seared through the thin fabric of my clothes, making me shiver.

"Weren't you the one who threw yourself into my arms just now, Master? But..." His tone shifted as his gaze swept lazily over my hands pinned beneath his weight before settling on my lips.

"Since you're so enthusiastic, I should be on top to serve my master properly."

The air heated up. We were less than two inches apart, our breaths tangling together.

His gaze slid slowly from my eyes down to my lips, then to my neck and collarbones.

That look was too hot. It made my entire body go weak.

My mind started racing. What did he want to do? Kiss me? Maybe he wanted to...

I should have pushed him away. Even if I bought him for $600 million, he was still a dangerous male stranger. However…

The scent of cold cedar was too intoxicating, like a powerful hallucinogen. It made me completely unwilling to refuse.

In fact, my body was secretly anticipating him getting closer.

Lucian slowly lowered his head. I instinctively closed my eyes, my lashes trembling lightly, but the expected kiss never landed on my lips.

He simply buried his head in the crook of my neck and took a greedy breath. His burning exhale sprayed across my skin, triggering waves of shivers.

"Vivian..." He murmured in a low voice, filled with grievance and long-suppressed desire.

"You smell so good..."

The domineering yet gentle scent of cold cedar filled my mind. I had been completely caught up in the moment, but suddenly, my eyelids grew too heavy to lift.

Years of family power struggles and high-pressure work had given me severe insomnia. It had been so long since I could feel drowsy without sleeping pills.

However, in the arms of this dangerous werewolf I had just met, I felt an unprecedented sense of security. I felt like a ship that had drifted for ages, finally returning to harbor.

"You can only... Hold me for a bit..." I pushed at him groggily, my voice growing softer. "If you dare try anything... I'll turn you into a stew..."

The next second, I was completely knocked out. Lucian maintained his position with his head buried in my neck, his entire body frozen.

He listened to the steady breathing by his ear, completely dumbfounded.

She… fell asleep? At a time like this? In the arms of a hot-blooded, ready-to-go adult male like him?

She actually used him as a body pillow and fell asleep?

"Ha!" He laughed helplessly as he looked at the woman sleeping so defenselessly beneath him.

"You really don't see me as a wolf at all."

He resignedly propped himself up to go take a cold shower in the bathroom, but the moment he moved, the woman who had been dead asleep suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don't go..." Like a cat guarding its food, she pressed her entire body against him. She nuzzled her face against his burning chest, found a more comfortable position, and continued sleeping.

Lucian froze in place. How the hell was he supposed to leave now?

As he looked at the defenseless sleeping face in his arms, the possessiveness and adoration in his eyes finally transformed into a reverent kiss on her forehead.

"You were the one who provoked me first, Vivian. Now that I've caught you, don't expect me to let go for the rest of this lifetime."

He stretched out his long arms and tightly wrapped her in the blanket with him, leaving no gap whatsoever.

At that moment, Lucas, who had been preparing to climb through the window to rescue his Alpha King, slipped and crashed into the bushes below with a thud.

It was over.

The Alpha King, who could kill without batting an eye, had sold himself off so cheaply to a human who used him as a sleep-aiding body pillow!