Lucian Graymark Novels & Stories

ELARA I had always wondered what it would feel like to meet my mate. People said it was beautiful, like finding the other half of your soul. That your heart would know them before your mind could catch up. That everything would suddenly make sense. But when I looked into Lucius Blackthorne’s eyes and felt that pull, that spark deep in my chest, it didn’t feel like magic. It felt like a curse. The kind that wraps around your throat slowly and doesn’t let go.

I swallowed bile as I followed him across the collapsing nave adorned with broken pews and rotting tapestries of saints. Halfway down the aisle, we froze. “Lucian Blackthorne,” drawled a familiar voice. From the shadows alongside the altar emerged Marcus, Blackthorne’s security chief, his iron-grey hair slicked back, eyes glittering with a traitor’s triumph. “Marcus,” Lucian hissed. “Move aside.” “Can’t do that, Alpha.” Marcus smirked coldly, grabbing a silver revolver and aiming it at Lucian’s chest. “Council doubled my offer. Retirement to the Scottish Highlands, a mate bond reawakened. I’m tired of serving the losing side.”

Unfortunately, our marketing team hasn’t quite cracked the code yet. I held my phone between my shoulder and ear as I skimmed through documents, pen tapping against my clipboard. “No, no, Mark, you’re not hearing me,” I said, cutting him off mid-pitch. “Lucian already said he doesn’t want anything flashy. His exact words were, ‘Subtle marketing genius. Not loud. Not desperate.’” I checked my watch. Just past one. Lucian usually had his post-lunch black coffee around this time. Without missing a beat, I headed to the break room while Mark kept talking.

But still, Alpha Grayson had already told me the summary of all that just happened. "So the witches are now working with Lucian, eh?" I muttered and alpha Grayson nodded. "That's why I was waiting for you," alpha Grayson said as he immediately put on a serious face. "We need to find a way to stop Lucian. I know the witches and I know how cunning they are and trust me no matter what Lucian offers them or promises them, they will still turn their back on him and that could affect us." "What is your suggestion then?" I asked and Alpha Grayson smiled. He then stood up from his seat as he wiped his nose with a napkin that a servant handed to him and began slowly walking towards me.

I pulled over into the gravel lot of a nondescript glass building situated exactly on the line between the Werewolf and Human territories. It was the headquarters of my Axiom Designs. I had hidden it for a long time. Roman thought it was a ‘little studio’ where I sketched. And did my little projects to pass the time. As I stepped out, my assistant, Marcus, was already waiting at the door. He was human. I preferred having him around because he was very handy. His brilliance and speed were unmatched. Only he in two worlds who knew my real medical results. "You look like hell, Elara," Marcus said, his voice dropping as he handed me a tablet as i entered my office to grab a seat. "The specialis

His grip was firm, his knuckles pale against the black paper. "My intentions in all of this?" he said, leaning closer, his voice now a dangerous whisper. "Simple. Give me my darling back." I froze, my glare locked on his smug expression as he clarified, "I mean your ex-wife, Skyler." Lucian’s smile widened, his eyes glinting with a predator's satisfaction. "I have multiple copies of these photos and documents, Grayson. Every single one. And believe me, I have no problem showing them to your new girlfriend—what’s her name again? Ariana, right?" He smirked knowingly.

He stepped forward cautiously, as though the air around him was charged with an invisible force. “We don’t have much time,” Cassian said. “If we don’t get to it soon, Silas will find us, and he will destroy everything.” Lia took a deep breath, her mind spinning. **The cost. The trials.** What could she possibly sacrifice? What was she willing to give up to save her people? A sudden flash of pain shot through her chest, and she gasped, her hand instinctively clutching her wrist. The mark—the Greykin mark—flared to life, burning with a fierce intensity. Her vision swam, and for a brief moment, she thought she might fall.

“Lucas. I believe congratulations are in order for securing that last venture capital round in Tokyo.” “Small potatoes, my friend. Absolutely secondary to this earth-shattering development.” Lucas finally turned his genuinely friendly, hazel eyes toward me, releasing Alessandro from the hug. “And you must be the miracle worker. Elara, it is an absolute pleasure. I’m Lucas Gray, and I have had the dubious honor of being this man’s best friend since he was short enough to smuggle out of Arthur’s library.” He took my hand, not with the formality of the Conti circle, but with an easy, firm clasp that was instantly disarming.

But when I finally looked at him, I almost forgot to breathe. Lucian Blackthorne was not what I had expected. I’d imagined a brute, someone who ruled by fear. Instead, he looked carved from the same night sky. His banners carried dark hair, sharp cheekbones, eyes a shade of blue that pulled too deep. When he smiled, it wasn’t cruel, but inviting, like a door opening to warmth. That was what made him dangerous. “Your rogues must be tired,” he said, his gaze flicking to Marcus and the others lingering behind me. “They’ve been fighting to survive. Here, they could thrive.”

I said, inching closer to the spot close to him, at the same time, trying my best to avoid Shawn's eyes. “Marcus.” He offered his hand casually. “One of the pack’s betas.” I shook it, surprised by the warmth of his grip. He smiled again, wider this time, one of his cheeks dented with a dimple. His eyes flicked briefly between Shawn and I, like someone who just noticed something. Whatever he noticed, made his grin falter just slightly. Not disappearing, just… adjusting. That's when I look at Shawn, his face masked in a scowl. He didn't say anything or do anything, but the air became a bit stuffy, even though we stood in the well ventilated hallway with tall, open windows.