Chapter 6
1560 Words
Luciano didn’t listen.
He laid her down on the bed, his hands already tearing at her dress — ripping the fabric apart with every impatient movement.
“What are you doing?” Her voice trembled, though she tried to sound cold and in control. “My dress— you ruined it!”
She tried to push him away, but his grip was firm.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered with a dark smile. “I’ll buy you as many dresses as you want, Lucci.”
A storm raged inside her — fear, desire, defiance, and something dangerously close to longing. She knew she was losing control, and that terrified her more than anything. But surrender had never been her nature.
His lips crashed against hers — hungry, desperate, claiming.
He kissed her like he was trying to breathe her in, to drink every ounce of her will and fire. His mouth was demanding and hot, yet threaded with a kind of tenderness that burned her from the inside out.
She felt her body respond to his touch — her pulse quickened, her breath broke into shallow gasps. The fire he awakened in her spread fast, wild, unstoppable.
For a moment, her resistance faltered. The storm inside her quieted, replaced by a rising wave of heat that consumed her entirely. She knew she was losing control — but for one dangerous heartbeat, she didn’t care.
Then his teeth grazed her shoulder.
Just a light bite — instinctive, primal. The way wolves mark their true mate.
And in that instant, clarity struck like lightning.
He wasn’t just playing the part.
He was a wolf.
And she—if she didn’t stop this now, if she gave in completely—she would never awaken her own wolf again.
A warning whispered inside her soul — to go against her nature meant losing the very thing that would one day make her truly strong.
She pulled away, her heart hammering in her chest, eyes lit with defiance. Nicolette knew she had to stop herself now — or nothing would ever be the same again.
“Stop,” she said firmly. “I’ve changed my mind.”
Her voice was steady, though panic stormed beneath the surface. She was fighting herself — her instincts, her pulse, her blood — trying not to surrender to the wolf too soon.
Luciano looked at her in surprise.
He stepped back for a moment, confusion flickering in his eyes — a strange blend of tenderness and restraint. But then, unable to bear the distance, he moved closer again. His lips found hers, softer this time, yet charged with the same quiet insistence.
Without words, he was saying: I’m here. I won’t leave. You belong to me.
Nicoletta felt his warmth, his strength — but somewhere deep inside, the battle raged on. Between desire and the fragile will to resist.
She tore her lips away and met his gaze.
“Stop,” she repeated, steady and clear. “Not here. Not now.”
Luciano frowned, bewildered.
“I don’t understand… You want this as much as I do.”
“If we don’t stop right now,” she whispered, “we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives. At least I will.”
A crooked smile touched his lips.
“I won’t regret it, mia lupa. You taste too sweet.”
Nicoletta studied him, eyes glinting with curiosity.
“Why did you bite me?”
Luciano kissed the tender spot where his teeth had grazed her skin.
“Don’t worry. The mark will fade,” he murmured. “I bit you because you’re mine. That’s what wolves do — it’s a sign of belonging. Of power. Of trust. You’re part of me now… part of my pack.”
“You’re a wolf?” she asked softly.
He smiled faintly.
“Yes,” he said. “And now—you’re mine.”
He leaned in again, but she stopped him once more.
“If you don’t stop now, I’ll never become a wolf. I’m not awake yet.”
He froze, lips still brushing her skin, but gentler now — reverent.
“Then I’ll stop,” he whispered. “Because I want you to become who you’re meant to be… a true she-wolf, when the time is right.”
He rose slightly, leaving between them a thin thread of heat — a promise, fragile and alive.
“Why did you come to that club?” he asked quietly. “Why did you seduce me?”
She stayed silent.
Luciano studied her face intently.
“You drew me in,” he said, voice low. “It felt like something more than lust.” He paused, then added with quiet warmth, “Even if you’re not ready… I’ll wait. Because a real she-wolf never loses her power — she simply chooses when to use it.”
There was something unshakable in his tone. Patience. Conviction.
“I’ll wait as long as it takes,” he whispered. “You’re mine, Lucci.”
He took her hand, fingers tracing her skin with careful affection, as though promising safety instead of possession.
“I don’t want to let you go. You’re… different. Special.”
He clasped her hand tighter.
“You’re my wolf, and I feel it in every part of me,” he murmured near her ear.
Luciano drew her back against his chest, holding her close, his warmth seeping into her bones. His touch steadied her heartbeat, smoothed her breath. For a brief, fleeting moment — she let herself lean into him.
She knew he would fall asleep soon. And if she was lucky, he wouldn’t remember her in the morning. That was her only fragile hope — to stay free, just a little longer.
He lifted her hand, studying her wrist.
“What’s this bracelet?”
She smiled faintly.
“I never take it off. It was my mother’s. A family heirloom — a symbol of strength and connection. It protects me.”
Luciano leaned closer, running his thumb over the delicate engraving.
“What does it say?”
“Latin,” she said softly. “Fortitudo et Fidelitas — Strength and Loyalty. It’s our family motto. Passed down for generations.”
He nodded slowly.
“Beautiful,” he murmured.
Then his gaze deepened.
“Who are you, Lucci?”
There was no mockery in his tone — only a raw, genuine curiosity. Nicolette looked away, her voice low, shadowed.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?” he asked gently, stepping closer. “What are you hiding?”
A trace of mystery flickered in her eyes — and that only pulled him nearer.
“Maybe it’s better if we don’t know who we are,” she said quietly, smiling faintly. “Let’s just call this… a beautiful adventure."
He chuckled under his breath, but there was no lightness in his gaze.
“You think we can forget tonight? You think I can let you go?”
She hesitated — then nodded.
“Sometimes, that’s the only way to stay free.”
“I can’t let you go,” he whispered hoarsely. “You’re my mate… and I’m not just a wolf, I—”
She silenced him with her fingertip.
“Shh,” she breathed. “Don’t tell me. Not tonight.”
Her smile was soft — and heartbreakingly final.
“I want to remember this night as it was. Beautiful. Endless. Without names, without clans. Without destiny.”
He watched her, memorizing every line of her face as if he could keep her that way forever.
“So just Lucci, then,” he whispered. “Mine… but not now.”
She nodded.
“Not now. And thank you… for stopping.”
He brushed her cheek, his eyes gentler now.
“I didn’t stop because I wanted to,” he said quietly. “I stopped because you asked me to.”
“That’s enough,” she whispered.
He nodded and slowly let her go — his fingers lingering on hers.
“I could never forgive myself if I hurt you,” he said. “Even if it means waiting a lifetime.”
She smiled faintly, her voice trembling.
“This night was a threshold. Between who I’m supposed to be and who I want to become. And you… you’re part of that choice.”
“I don’t want to be just a memory,” he said softly. “But if that’s how you want to remember me—then I’ll accept it.”
“I will remember you,” she whispered. “Always.”
Their eyes met. His gaze burned with tenderness, pain, and desire. She touched his cheek — fingers shaking — and breathed, “Thank you.”
Then she leaned in and kissed him.
It was a slow, tender kiss — without hunger, only warmth and gratitude. He held her close, as if afraid she might disappear. Time seemed to stretch, dissolving around them.
Her heart beat too fast. Too alive. Too close to breaking.
Luciano’s hand slackened against her waist. His body went still. His breathing deepened.
The drug had worked.
Nicoletta pulled away gently and looked at him — so powerful, so dangerous… and now completely defenseless.
A lump rose in her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I had to choose myself.”
- Writer
