Chapter 41 – We’re through

"Ethan…" I stammered, stepping away from Luca, as if I could put miles between us in an instant.

My heart sank. Great. As if this moment needed to get any more complicated. Of course Ethan had to be standing there, just watching.

Luca didn't move right away; he just stood there, catching his breath, his expression unreadable. He glanced back at Ethan, eyes narrowing, like he wasn't at all fazed. Like he didn't care that his brother had just walked in on this little disaster. Typical Luca, too confident for his own good.

Ethan's jaw was clenched so tight I could practically hear it creak. His eyes bounced between the two of us, cold and furious.

"Well," he said, his voice a knife-edge calm, "looks like I walked in on something. Or was it nothing?"

I wanted to say something, anything, to make the situation less awful. But what was I even supposed to say? "Nothing"? That wasn't true. "Everything"? Way too dramatic.

Luca leaned back, completely unbothered. "Don't get so worked up, Ethan," he said, his voice infuriatingly calm, like he hadn't just thrown a grenade into our lives.

"So the rumor is true, and you have been seeing him behind my back? He gestured vaguely toward Luca. "I was so worried—trying to find you and see if you made it home okay, but clearly you are more than safe...in my brother's arms," he spat out like poison. "You lied to me and made yourself out to be this innocent, loyal girlfriend but the whole time you have been this pretentious bi-"

"HEY!" Luca growled. "Finish that sentence, and I will end you!"

I didn't know what I was more shocked at. The way Ethan just spoke to me or the way Luca just blasted and threatened him for speaking to me like that.

Ethan let out a bitter laugh. "But it is true, isn't it?"

"That Quinn and I are dating? No. Well, not yet anyway." Luca grinned but in a cruel way.

"We are not!" I snapped at Luca and then looked back at Ethan.

Ethan's head snapped toward him; his eyes narrowed. "Luca, you've been doing nothing but messing with Quinn's life. One second you're acting like you can't stand her, and now you can't leave her alone and act like she is yours."

Luca just shrugged, acting completely oblivious to Ethan's pain. "She is mine. MY Mate. I thought you'd understand that by now, Ethan."

I wanted to scream at both of them and make them both just leave. This wasn't helping. It was just making everything so much worse. I could feel my face getting hot, the frustration boiling over.

"Will you two knock it off?" I finally burst out, glaring at both of them. "This is… It's ridiculous. You're acting like I'm some prize you can just fight over."

Ethan looked at me, hurt flickering across his face. "It's not like that, Quinn."

"Really?" I shot back, crossing my arms. "Because it sure feels like I'm just getting yanked back and forth. And for what? Your pride? Your weird, twisted sibling rivalry?"

Luca raised an eyebrow, looking at me like I'd just said something absurd. "This isn't about pride, Quinn. This is about what's real."

Ethan took a step toward me, hands clenched at his sides, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Finally, he just shook his head, glancing between me and Luca. Suddenly, anger had taken over. "You know what? You can have her. I am so done with this shit! Quinn, we're done."

The words cut deep. I'd never seen Ethan look at me like that—his face full of resentment and heartbreak, something I couldn't even put into words. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out, leaving me staring after him, speechless.

"You happy now?" I snapped, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "Was this all just to mess with Ethan? Or are you seriously this much of a jerk?"

Luca's eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched. "Believe whatever you want, Quinn. But this is real. You and me... it's real. I would never leave you."

"Right, because you're so selfless," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "All you do is mess with people, Luca. You push them away, drag them back in, and then pretend you're some kind of misunderstood hero."

He took a step toward me—too close, too intense. "You don't know half of what's going on, Quinn. Not with me, not with Ethan, not with any of this."

I felt a pang of anger, mixed with something else, something I didn't want to acknowledge. "Then explain it to me. Because I'm done with these games."

But Luca just looked at me, like he wanted to say something but couldn't. His hand reached up, brushing a strand of hair away from my face, his gaze softening just for a second.

"Maybe someday," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

And then, before I could say another word, he kissed me again. I could have pulled away and could have told him to leave, but I didn't. I was tired of pulling away from him. Instead, this time, I let myself get lost in it, just for a second. It felt so wrong. Ethan just stormed away, hurt and angry, and here I was, letting his brother kiss me. I wanted Luca to kiss the heck outa me.

Before I could respond to his advances, he quickly pulled away and headed for the door.

"When you're ready," he said, voice flat, "come find me. But until then, I'll stay away. My wolves will keep watch over you from a distance."

I blinked, taken aback. "Oh, so now that Ethan's out of the picture, now you'll leave me alone? Really?"

"No, it's not that. You just made me realize that you don't understand how I feel about you, and I know you are keeping your longing for me deep inside yourself and you refuse to acknowledge it. I want you, Quinn, but I want all of you. Maybe only then you will understand that this is not some stupid high school crush, sibling rivalry, or anything ridiculous that you have come up with. Once you are true to yourself and you realize that you can't live without me by your side, come to me. I will accept you with open arms and gladly take you as my luna.

For some reason, I felt a pang in my heart. I should be exalted to have him say he will leave me alone from now on. To my utter horror, a single tear escaped down my cheek. I didn't expect that. I didn't even know where it came from, but it was there, undeniable. And of course, he noticed, stepping close again, cupping my face, his thumb wiping away the tear.

"Quinn…" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper.

He then pressed his lips into mine. But this kiss was different to all the others that he had stolen from me. This time, I kissed him back hard, meeting his desire equally, and our lips locked in passion. I threw my arms around his neck, and he then brought his hands down my body, squeezing my waist and bringing me closer to him.

This kiss was so intense that I didn't know how we would be able to stop. He drove his tongue deeper into my mouth, dueling with mine, that my head started getting dizzy from this insatiable need for him—the need to be one with him. It was like electricity going through my body and a magnet that held us together—but I wanted more. I started moving slowly, grinding my body against his, and that's when I felt something hard pressing against my stomach.

That can't be what I think it is. I briefly paused the kiss to look down, and sure enough, he was fully erect. The idea that I could have this effect on someone like Luca was just unbelievable. But it also stirred something within me. I wasn't sure what it was, as I had never been with anyone intimately, but it was like my body yearned for his touch – everywhere.

Luca just smiled, watching my reaction. His eyes flashed with something raw, something hungry, and entwined our lips again, guiding us backward until I found myself lying on my bed, his lips tracing along my neck. Every touch was like wildfire, and I didn't know if I could stop if I even wanted to. His hand caressed my thigh while the other cupped my breast, causing me to moan a little, but he covered my mouth to swallow the sounds of pleasure I was making. 

My eyes went wide when he trailed his hand from my thigh to between my legs and started rubbing my sensitive area, which was the most incredible thing I've ever felt. I just wanted to get rid of the barrier that prevented him from touching my naked skin.

As if reading my mind, he pressed his lips against my earlobe and whispered, "Can I touch you?"

"Yes," I breathed out. 

He slid his hand under the belt of my pants, delicately inching his way to my moist folds and I closed my eyes, hoping he wouldn't pull away and when he inserted two of his fingers inside me, I felt absolute bliss. I couldn't believe what he was doing to my body but I found myself grinding against his fingers encouraging him to go deeper and faster. I opened my eyes and found him watching me with such fiery desire, it made the feeling of his fingers inside me more intense. With this feeling of his fingers and his deep insatiable kisses, I was experiencing such a build-up of pleasure, I did not want this moment to end. 

But then it did. He pulled away, and the shock of it was like plunging into ice water. I blinked up at him, disappointment way too obvious in my expression. He just smiled.

"Quinn," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear.

"Yes?" I barely recognized my own voice, breathless and unsteady.

 "Do you love me?" His words hung in the air, heavy and charged.

I stared at him, wide-eyed, feeling like he'd just asked me to walk off a cliff. "I… I don't know."

A slow, almost satisfied smile crossed his lips, like he'd heard exactly what he expected. He leaned in close, his mouth brushing my ear.

"When you know the answer," he murmured, "I'll be waiting."

And with that, he stood up, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he turned and walked to the door. I pushed myself up, still reeling, half-expecting him to turn around, to say something else, but then I heard the front door open, the sound of his car roaring to life.

"Asshole!" I muttered, flopping back on my bed, still feeling his presence, his words, his touch. I feel like an asshole myself for letting this happen, but Luca … there is just something about him. He makes me feel different, makes me want to cross boundaries that I would never cross.

Guilt overrides my emotions because I dont intentionally mean to hurt anyone and I hurt Ethan - horribly. This wasnt supposed to happen. I feel so awful about all of this but I cant help thinking about what my future with Luca will be like from here. I am drawn to him like a moth is drawn to a dangerous flame. Have I made a huge mistake?