Kiss

Olivia kept biting her thumbnail, irritation gnawing at her as she sat there, unable to stay still. She couldn’t understand what was happening or how her stepsister had managed to capture the attention of two well-known Alphas in the entire Summergrave Empire.

She was prettier than Amelia. Her rank was higher than that omega’s. Countless men lined up for her attention. And yet why was it always Amelia who got all the good things Olivia wanted for herself?

Earlier at the hunting contest, both Alpha Lucas and Alpha Lorcan had given their catches to Amelia. Lorcan, in particular, had been declared the winner of the annual hunting contest held by their pack. No matter how many gifts or trophies were offered to Olivia, they still couldn’t compare to the attention Amelia received from everyone.

Olivia felt pushed aside, as if she didn’t exist. Not a single person seemed to notice how beautiful she was. She had even put thought into her appearance today—copying Amelia’s simple makeup, her hairstyle, even borrowing clothes straight from Amelia’s cabinet without permission. Yet all anyone talked about in the hunting grounds was Amelia, who wasn’t even there anymore.

“Olivia, do you already have a partner for the after-party later?” a male wolf asked, snapping Olivia out of her thoughts as her mind wandered, plotting how to steal the attention of the Alphas surrounding Amelia.

“Olivia?”

She turned toward him, her anxious expression exposed. She hadn’t even realized she’d forgotten to wear her fake smile, her irritation and jealousy slipping through.

Seeing the confusion on the men’s faces, Olivia immediately realized her mistake. She smoothed the crease on her brow and offered them a sweet smile, batting her lashes and curving her lips beautifully.

“Sorry, I don’t think I’ll be able to attend the after-party later. I’m not feeling well,” she excused herself, clutching her head and pretending to feel dizzy to earn their sympathy.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

Olivia turned at the sound of a familiar voice. When she lifted her head, she saw the eldest brother of Lucas and Lorcan—Lucien West, the infamous Casanova.

She looked at Lucien and sensed immediately that he had something to say, something he was planning—something that could benefit both of them.

“I think I really should head home. Thank you for worrying about me,” Olivia replied. She stood up and left the male wolves behind to walk with Lucien. In her mind, the after-party would be far more interesting if she heard what Lucien had to say.

Several days had passed since the West family’s dinner party, and the rejection ceremony—Amelia’s chance to finally sever ties with Lucas—was now only a day away.

During those days, Lucas did everything he could to win Amelia back. He gave her everything she wanted, followed her every request, and ignored all his mother’s advice just to regain her trust.

What he didn’t know was that Amelia was playing him.

Push and pull. She would shower him with attention, soften him, lure him back into her hands—only to suddenly turn cold and leave him hanging without explanation.

Lucas felt like he was losing his mind. There had been several moments when things nearly crossed the line between them, but Amelia always found an excuse to stop it from going further.

It made him doubt himself. Maybe his body wasn’t attractive enough. Maybe he couldn’t satisfy her.

“Damn it! The rejection ceremony is tomorrow. I need to mark her so she can’t escape me. Even if I just imprint my scent on her so everyone knows she’s mine and that something already happened between us,” Lucas muttered irritably, pacing back and forth in front of his office desk. He had neglected his work for days.

“I need to show the council that we love each other and that I treat her well. If they find a loophole, they might allow Amelia to escape my grasp.”

He couldn’t hide his frustration. He didn’t even understand why he was acting this way now—he had never been like this before.

Lucas used to be calm and composed, moving quietly, hiding his true nature. He had built an image for himself, and he refused to let it crumble. What would happen if the pack members believed that Amelia wanted to leave him because of him?

“Why don’t you just let Amelia go? Make it look like you’re the one ending things—make her the problem, not you,” Dexter suggested, clearly confused by his Alpha’s behavior.

“You think I’ll let someone else take what’s mine? Especially my own brother?” Lucas snapped, his pride deeply wounded especially with Lorcan clearly circling his mate.

Lucas wasn’t blind. He knew Lorcan had liked Amelia for a long time. Lorcan just didn’t know how to express his feelings, so he teased her instead, just to get her attention.

“Tsk. Childish,” Lucas muttered as he left his office.

He would take Amelia tonight even if he had to force it. He wouldn’t let anyone steal her from him.

Meanwhile, Amelia was already preparing. Olivia and Solana were conveniently out of the house, and tonight marked the final day the Crescent Moon Pack would accept visitors. It was the perfect time to play her final card.

“I know Lucas well. I know he’ll do anything to stop me from attending the rejection ceremony tomorrow night,” Amelia said over the phone. She was speaking to Mia, who was already nervous about her best friend’s plans.

“Are you sure about this? And how did you even convince Alpha Lorcan? I’m seriously worried about you!” Mia exclaimed.

Amelia laughed. Mia was the one stressing over everything.

“I’ll come to your guest house later at dawn. I’ll need your help—that’s the last piece of my plan,” Amelia added.

Mia sighed, having no choice but to support her, even though she knew chaos would follow.

“This is the last time, Amelia. If you still don’t have a solid reason for rejecting him tomorrow, you better be ready,” Mia warned.

Amelia chuckled and nodded, even though Mia couldn’t see her.

“Alright, he’s here,” Amelia said before ending the call.

She peeked outside and saw Lorcan walking toward the house. Amelia smiled—not because of her plan, but because she was once again seeing her fated mate.

She hurried downstairs and met him at the door. The moment she opened it, Lorcan’s Alpha scent hit her, making her knees weak.

“Come in,” Amelia said softly.

Lorcan nodded and stepped inside.

“Are you sure about this plan?” Lorcan asked as they walked upstairs toward Amelia’s room.

Amelia nodded, her eyes glued to her phone.

“Yes. If this works, I promise I’ll make it up to you,” she replied, glancing back at the front door. She deliberately left it unlocked so Lucas could enter without trouble.

They entered her room—Lorcan first, then Amelia.

The moment Lorcan stepped inside, his fists clenched. Amelia’s sweet scent filled every corner of the room, clinging to every object. It was overwhelming.

He wanted to pin her down, lay her on the bed, touch her soft skin, kiss her plush lips.

“Alpha?”

Lorcan turned, snapping back to reality. He hadn’t realized desire was consuming him.

“Wow. First time you’ve ever called me Alpha,” Lorcan teased, masking his emotions. He didn’t want to scare her or ruin the plan.

“I had to. I need something from you,” Amelia replied sarcastically, sitting on the bed.

“So what’s the plan? I read your message, but you didn’t explain how we’re going to provoke Lucas,” Lorcan said, though he already had an idea.

Just the setup alone told him Lucas needed to catch them in a compromising scene—something that would drive him insane.

“He needs to see that we’re in a relationship,” Amelia said, nervous as she looked at Lorcan. She knew she had crossed the point of no return.

“So… he needs to see us embracing on the bed?” Lorcan asked, moving closer. He sat beside her, cupped her cheek, and asked again, “Or does he need to see me on top of you?”

Without warning, Lorcan pulled her down and hovered over her. The moment happened so fast that Amelia couldn’t even speak—her mind went blank.

Her heart nearly burst from the mix of fear and exhilaration. If not for the plan, she might have already given in to him.

“Yes—like this. But… are you really okay with me using you?” Amelia asked softly, unaware that her fingers were already playing with Lorcan’s dark hair.

“If you’re worried this will cause family drama, you’re wrong. They disowned me a long time ago,” Lorcan replied, taking her hand and kissing it.

Amelia was speechless. She never imagined someone as savage as Lorcan could be this gentle. She felt the roughness of his large hands, the scars etched into them—proof of countless battles.

“How about I mark you now?” Lorcan asked casually.

Amelia’s eyes widened in shock.

“If you do that, there’s no turning back. What would you even gain from an omega like me?” she asked seriously.

“You’re my fated mate. A gift from the Moon Goddess. What more could I ask for?” Lorcan replied, genuinely puzzled.

Amelia stared at him. He always caught her off guard.

“You’re saying that now, but you’ll suffer for it. Your fated mate is wolfless—you’ll grow weaker if you mark someone like me,” Amelia warned.

Lorcan smiled.

“I’m fine with it. If you’re fine being mates with a black sheep, savage Alpha like me.”

Amelia had no response. One look at Lorcan’s grin told her she was already defeated.

Unbeknownst to her, Lucas had already called her multiple times. She had deliberately silenced her phone, waiting for him to come to her.

Everything was set.

When Lorcan caught Lucas’s scent approaching from afar, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

“Kiss my neck. My chest. He’s almost here,” Lorcan instructed.

Nervously, Amelia kissed his neck, leaving red lipstick marks against his tan skin.

“All set,” Amelia whispered.

Lorcan shook his head.

“Not enough. Kiss me here,” he said, pointing to the corner of his lips.