The night swallowed us whole. Rain lashed against the cobblestones, mirroring the tempest brewing inside me. Lucien's grip tightened as he carried me through the labyrinthine alleys, his body a furnace against my soaked skin. Each footfall echoed in the narrow space, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the storm.
The world blurred into a dizzying kaleidoscope of shadows and flashing streetlights. I barely registered the ancient wrought-iron gates he pushed open, their intricate designs lost to the darkness. The crumbling stone steps, slick with rain, seemed to lead to an abyss. And then, the heavy door, groaning shut behind us like a tomb sealing its occupants inside.
All I knew was him. Lucien. The scent of rain, blood, leather, and a hint of dangerously alluring sin. The effortless, unstoppable way he moved, a predator in human form. And the way he looked at me like a man barely restraining a monster, a hunger that both terrified and thrilled me.
He burst into a cavernous space hidden beneath the Quarter, a forgotten part of the city. The room was lit only by a few guttering candles, their flames casting wild shadows on the stone walls, turning familiar shapes into grotesque figures. The air was thick with age and hunger, a palpable weight that pressed down on me.
Lucien set me down atop a massive, weathered table, his hands lingering at my waist, his silver eyes feral. My heart thundered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I should be afraid. This place, this man… they radiated danger. Instead, I burned. A fire ignited deep within me, fueled by a desire I couldn't name or control.
He brushed wet hair from my face with surprising tenderness, contrasting his raw power. "You're trembling," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. It wasn't a question but a statement, a knowing observation.
I didn't know if it was probably from fear… or need a dangerous cocktail that had me teetering on the edge of reason.
His fingers trailed down my throat, tracing the frantic beat of my pulse. "So delicate," he whispered, his voice laced with a possessiveness that sent shivers down my spine. "So alive." His thumb pressed against the hollow of my throat, right where my heart raced against fragile skin.
"You don't know what you're offering me, *ma petite*," he said, his voice low and thick with warning. "If I take what I want, I will ruin you." A pause hung in the air, heavy with unspoken promises and threats. "Forever."
I met his gaze, fierce, defiant even now. "Then do it."
Lucien went utterly still. For a heartbeat, the world stopped spinning; the only sound was the frantic beat of my own heart. Then, the monster inside him snapped free.
With a growl torn from his chest, he yanked me forward into him, his mouth crushing mine in a kiss so savage it stole my breath. I whimpered, clutching at his shoulders, nails digging into the wet fabric of his shirt. Lucien devoured me, his kiss rough, bruising, claiming. No more restraint. No more gentle teasing. Just a raw, primal need.
His hands tore at my ruined shirt, ripping it down the center with a brutal efficiency that had me gasping. My bra followed, shredded in his haste, leaving me bare and trembling before him.
Lucien pulled back just enough to stare at me, his eyes blazing silver fire. "You are…" He shook his head, voice rough with awe and hunger. "Perfect."
I shivered under his gaze, heat pooling low in my belly. Every nerve ending sparked under his attention, a symphony of sensation that threatened to overwhelm me.
He bent his head, his mouth finding my collarbone, nipping and licking a trail across my skin. I arched into him, my body begging for more, for anything he would give me.
Lucien's hands roamed over my curves, mapping every inch like he owned me already. When he cupped my breasts, teasing my nipples with rough palms, I cried out, hips bucking into him.
"You like that," he growled against my skin. "Good." His voice dropped lower, darker. "I intend to teach you how to beg for it."
I whimpered, lost to the rough pleasure, the heady dominance in his touch. Lucien lifted me again and threw me onto a battered velvet chaise in the corner of the room. I landed with a gasp, sprawled and panting, desire flooding my veins.
Lucien stalked toward me, shedding his rain-soaked shirt as he came. My breath hitched at the sight of him: hard muscle, scarred skin, a body built for violence and sin. And the look in his eyes… pure, savage possession.
He knelt between my spread thighs, hands gripping my hips so tightly I knew there would be bruises. I trembled, not from fear, but from anticipation.
"Last chance, little moon," he said, his voice a guttural growl. "Tell me to stop."
I met his gaze, heart in my throat. "Don't you dare?"
Lucien smiled, slow and dark and devastating. "As you wish."
He yanked my jeans down, baring me completely. I gasped as the cold air kissed my overheated skin, but then Lucien's mouth was on me, hot and hungry and merciless.
He devoured me, tongue thrusting deep, teeth scraping sensitive skin, growling in approval when I cried out and writhed against his mouth. I fisted his hair, tugging hard, and Lucien only groaned, redoubling his efforts.
He didn't stop. Didn't relent. Not even when I shattered apart under his tongue, crying out his name like a prayer.
Lucien rose above me, his face gleaming with rain and my arousal, his smile wicked. "You taste like heaven," he rasped. "And I am going to sin again."
He unzipped his pants, the sound loud in the charged silence, and freed himself. My mouth went dry at seeing him: thick, heavy, perfect. Made to ruin. Made to claim.
Lucien didn't give me time to think. He gripped my hips, positioned himself, and thrust into me in one brutal, perfect stroke.
I cried out, half pain, half pleasure, as he filled me, stretched me, completed me.
Lucien groaned low and deep, forehead dropping to mine. "So fucking tight," he snarled, hips grinding against mine. "So perfect for me."
He didn't move at first, just stayed locked inside me, trembling with the effort of holding back. My nails raked down his back, urging him on, needing more.
Lucien lifted his head, silver eyes burning into mine. "You're mine, Selene," he said roughly. "Say it."
I shook my head stubbornly, even as my body clung to him.
Lucien growled low and dangerous. He pulled out almost entirely, leaving me empty and desperate, then slammed back in so hard I saw stars.
"Say it," he ordered again, each word a thrust, a demand.
I gasped, body breaking apart, mind unraveling. "Yours," I choked out. "I'm yours."
Lucien made a sound half roar, half groan, and slammed into me harder, faster, the table beneath us creaking in protest.
I held on, riding the wild, feral storm of him, lost in the brutal, beautiful rhythm we created. Each thrust drove me higher, closer, until…
Lucien's mouth latched onto my throat. His fangs grazed my skin. I cried out, tilting my head in the offering in surrender.
He bit.
Pain. Pleasure. Eternity.
I screamed his name, my body convulsing around him, pleasure detonating through every nerve ending. Lucien followed me over the edge with a broken snarl, his hips grinding into mine, filling me completely.
We collapsed together, panting, trembling, the world spinning around us. Lucien licked the small wound at my throat closed, his tongue gentle now, reverent. He cradled me against him, shielding me from the cold, from everything but him.
"You are mine now," he whispered against my hair. "No one will ever take you from me."
I drifted in a haze of warmth, exhaustion, and something frighteningly close to joy.
But just as I was falling into him completely… a loud crash echoed through the chamber.
Lucien stiffened, lifting his head. His silver eyes narrowed, going deadly. He set me down gently, covering me with his torn shirt.
"Stay," he commanded, his voice cold as steel.
I barely had time to process the loss of his warmth before Lucien was gone, a blur of darkness, a predator unleashed.
And in the doorway… a figure cloaked in shadow stood watching. Waiting.
A chill slithered down my spine. Something told me that the real danger was only just beginning.