Chapter 2: The Lycan Lord’s Secret Sin

He stepped closer again. "Ravenna, you always stand out. You act like you don't want the attention." His gaze didn't leave mine. "You know what's funny? You act invisible, but everyone notices you." 

For a second, I forgot what I was about to say. No one had ever complimented me as being desirable.

"You think your sister is beautiful?" He laughed coldly. "Princess, every guy I know thinks you're fucking gorgeous."

I gaped at him. Nothing about what he said was true, right? He was making fun of me.

There was no way Xavier Beckett was serious.

He barely spoke to me at family dinners. Most nights he looked like he'd rather be trapped in traffic than sitting beside Freya and the rest of us.

Now he was calling me gorgeous?

Sure. And maybe the moon was about to fall out of the sky.

A humorless laugh escaped him. "You sit there letting people talk over you." His gaze held mine. "You act like you want to disappear."

I swallowed.

"And somehow that just makes people pay more attention."

I hated how much I wanted him to be right. As an Omega, attention usually meant trouble. But wanting Xavier's attention? That was a different kind of problem.

"Xavier, this isn't happening!" I stepped back, but he grabbed my wrist, yanking me against him. The counter dug into my back as he caged me in.

"Oh, it is," he growled. "You're in heat. I can smell you."

My body betrayed me before I could stop it. Xavier's expression changed the second he saw my reaction. 

"You like this?" he mocked. "Freya would never stand for it. But you? You need it."

His hand shoved under my skirt, fingers pressing against soaked fabric. "So fucking wet," he groaned.

I moaned before I could stop myself, my hips jerking against his hand. His fingers pushed past fabric, sinking into me without warning.

"Tight," he hissed, pumping slowly. "So fucking tight for someone who acts innocent."

His thumb circled my clit ruthlessly.

"Say it," he demanded. "Tell me you're this wet for Scott.”

I shook my head, tears pricking my eyes. It was true; Scott had never pleased me like this, even when I lost my virginity to him at one of the suites of Luminara Resort as soon as I graduated from the Academy.

He sped up. "Say it, Ravenna. Or I stop."

"I… I'm wetter for you," I gasped.

"Good girl."

I couldn't help but blush.

The praise made him want me even more. His mouth crashed into mine again, messy and desperate. His fingers worked me relentlessly, pulling helpless moans from my throat.

Ciel was spiraling inside my head.

I yanked back suddenly. "We can't do this," I panted, horrified.

Xavier's jaw clenched. "Ravenna."

"What if Freya comes back?" I whispered with a shaking voice.

He groaned and stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair. "You had to say her name now?" His voice was dark.

I hugged myself, still aching for him. My heat was overwhelming; my body throbbed, slick running down my thighs.

Xavier stared at me for a long moment before sighing. "I've been in threesomes where the women talked less about each other than you do right now." He shook his head. "Put some clothes on. Wear mine or your sister's. I don't care. We're not doing this anymore."

He seemed done with the whole mess. But as I tried to cover myself, his eyes dropped to my chest and stayed there.

Freya was petite. I wasn't. My breasts strained against the soaked fabric, making it look indecent. His expression darkened.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Your sister's clothes won't fit you." His voice was rough, almost annoyed, and… breathless.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the stairs. "Come on. I'll get you something from my closet so you can leave before this gets worse."

I followed on shaky legs, my pulse racing with every step.

Upstairs, Xavier pushed open his bedroom door. The room smelled like him. Whiskey, cedar, and something wild I couldn't quite name.

I shifted under his gaze. “Xavier...” I blinked. His eyes were gold!

“I'd let you leave,” he said slowly, his voice rougher than before, “if you do a show.”

I stared at him. “A show?”

His mouth twitched. “A striptease.”

For a second, I just gaped at him. “You cannot be serious.”

He smirked, but the expression was darker this time. “I’m just kidding.”

His gaze dropped from my face and didn't come back right away. 

Xavier kissed me like a man possessed. I didn’t resist. Despite Ciel howling frantically inside my head, I melted into him, my hands fisting in his sweater. Our mouths moved desperately, tongues tangling, breaths mingling.

He walked me backward until my thighs hit the bed. His hand slid under the oversized shirt, palming my breast as he ground his hard length against me. A needy whimper escaped my throat.

Xavier pulled back from the kiss just enough to drag his lips down my throat. His breathing was ragged—hot and uneven against my skin—like he couldn't control it. When his teeth grazed over my scent gland, I gasped. That sharp pain lit up my nerves, and suddenly the bond between us flared to life, undeniable and electric.

I gasped sharply. For the first time all night, Xavier looked genuinely shaken. 

My voice came out shaky. “Does this… does this mean what I think it means?”

Xavier stilled, staring at me with a stunned expression.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “Are we… mates?”

For a second, neither of us spoke. 

For a second, Xavier just stared at me.

Then he laughed because he thought the idea was ridiculous.

"You actually believe that?" He smirked. "You're hot, Ravenna. I'll give you that. A lot hotter than your sister, if we're being honest." His gaze swept over me. "But fated mates? Don't get carried away, Omega."

Before I could respond, his phone buzzed violently on the nightstand.

The first ring didn't get Xavier's attention; he just let it go. But when that damn phone rang again right after? That's when he lost it, snarling Freya's name under his breath as she'd personally offended him.

“Shit.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. The screen lit up for a third time and we both knew who was more demanding than my sister.

"Freya," he muttered. “Yeah?” he answered roughly. 

The doorman sounded nervous. “Mr. Beckett, Miss Holloway is here. She insists on coming up now. Should I let her in?”

Xavier’s eyes flicked to me, the cruel smirk still lingering. “Tell her to wait one minute,” he said coldly before hanging up.

He looked at me. “Freya’s downstairs.”

My blood ran cold.

Xavier stared at me with a dark, unreadable smile. “Now this is a real fucking problem.”