Black Swan

The Proposal

The front door creaked open as Malik stepped inside, tossing his keys onto the entry table. The scent of vanilla candles and takeout lingered in the air, but it was the sound of laughter that made him pause.

He tilted his head toward the living room.

Selene sat cross-legged on the couch, a wine glass in hand, her dark curls bouncing as she laughed. Zara leaned against the armrest, smirking, her cheeks flushed. It was the most relaxed he'd seen either of them in weeks.

"Well, well, well..." Malik drawled, stepping in and folding his arms. "Look who finally decided to rise from the dead."

Zara raised a brow. "Too soon."

He ignored the jab and narrowed his eyes at her. "Seriously, though. What happened to you?"

Zara exchanged a glance with Selene, her expression softening. "It's...a long story."

Malik sat on the armrest beside Selene, his curiosity piqued. "We got time."

Zara sighed, "Turns out the guy I left that stupid club with was a little more than I could handle."

Malik blinked. "Okay?"

Zara chuckled, "He turned me into a f*****g vampire. I'm literally his vampire child."

Malik let out a low whistle. "Damn. I almost forgot. Sorry."

Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he turned to Selene. "Speaking of child—you better not be having any, anytime soon."

Selene's wine choked mid-sip. "Malik!"

"I'm just saying," he teased, facepalming himself. "The walls are thin. I heard more than I ever wanted to last night. Low-key sounding like you were auditioning for The Exorcist. I had to leave the house." He was shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Zara cackled while Selene covered her face with a throw pillow. "I hate you both."

"You love us," Malik said, nudging her.

Selene muttered, "I need to pee," and fled toward the bathroom.

As soon as she disappeared, Zara's smile softened. She looked Malik over carefully. "So...how's Heather?"

Malik's gaze shifted toward the floor. "We're...on a break."

Zara's brows lifted. "Oh?"

He shrugged, suddenly very interested in the coaster on the coffee table. "Things got tense. We were both changing, and not in the same direction. She wanted something more normal. And, well..." He gestured around them. "This ain't exactly normal."

Zara nodded slowly. "I get that. I missed a lot too. I'm sorry."

Before he could respond, a thump was heard upstairs.

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The soft hiss of running water filled the upstairs bathroom as Selene patted her face with a towel. She leaned closer to the mirror, searching her own reflection for signs of fatigue, as though it could give away the heaviness she carried these days.

Then—thump.

Her head snapped toward the door, breath caught in her throat. It didn't sound loud, just enough to jar her nerves. A second sound followed, the faint creak of her bed's springs. Someone was in her room.

Selene moved with caution, bare feet padding against the hardwood as she tiptoed across the bathroom. When she nudged her bedroom door open, she froze. Her bedroom was dim, washed in a pale moonlight that bled in through the window.

There, sprawled across her bed as though it belonged to him, was Lucas. His long frame stretched lazily against her comforter, hands tucked behind his head. The casual grin on his face made him look almost boyish, but the glint in his eyes—the dark, smoldering hunger—reminded her exactly what he was.

"Hello, little swan," he said smoothly, voice rich and unhurried. "Hope I wasn't interrupting your little family reunion downstairs...." he said with a hint of amusement, "I'm glad you've finally gotten reacquainted with Zara."

Relief fought with irritation in Selene's chest. She crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame to keep her ground. "Breaking into my room, Lucas? You could just knock like a normal person."

"Normal?" He chuckled, deep and soft. In a flash, he was right in front of her, moving her hair from her shoulder. "Selene, I'm anything of the sort."

Her breath hitched as the memory of his touch burned at the edges of her mind—the way his hands had once gripped her, how his lips had stolen her breath in a haze of both terror and desire. For a dangerous moment, her skin remembered him.

Lucas leaned in slowly, his gaze raking her from head to toe. His eyes lingered, openly admiring, as though undressing her in silence. The weight of it made her throat tighten. She swallowed, forcing her composure.

"Lucas," she warned, taking a step back, "if you plan on formally meeting my brother, maybe stop looking at me like I'm dinner."

"Can't help it," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. He tilted his head, a wolfish grin tugging at his lips. "The way you stand there, trying to scold me, when every inch of you remembers how good it felt to give in to me."

Heat surged through her cheeks. Her hand shot out, smacking his chest playfully but firmly. "Focus," she hissed, eyes darting toward the door. "Malik could come up any second, and I do not need him seeing us like this. He already knows about...us."

Lucas caught her wrist with effortless speed, holding it lightly, bringing it up to his lips and placing a gentle kiss. "Relax. I'll be gone before he ever notices." His expression shifted, more intent now. "But before I leave... I have a request."

Selene raised a brow, wary. "What kind of request?"

He released her wrist and stepped forward as she stepped back against the door, placing his arms around her and trapping her. "I'm hosting a masquerade at my estate. A gathering of...the vampire council and elite." He smiled softly. "I want you to accompany me. As my date."

Her lips parted, caught between surprise and suspicion. "A masquerade. With a bunch of vampires." She shook her head, biting her lip. "That sounds like being thrown into the lion's den, Lucas. You know I'm a weird, funky fusion..."

He stood then, closing the distance between them. "You have my word that nothing will happen to you...Not when you're with me." His tone was velvet and fire, a promise and a threat intertwined. "No one would dare touch you."

Selene's heart thundered. The offer was intoxicating, part of her whispering yes just to see what such a world looked like. But her rational mind screamed no. She steadied herself, holding his gaze. "Let me think about it. I'm not ready to play dress-up with predators."

For once, Lucas didn't press. He nodded, the faintest hint of respect softening his sharp features. "Fair enough."

Before she could react, his lips grazed hers in a kiss—brief, searing, dangerous in its promise. Then, with an effortless grace, he strode toward her window, glancing back at her one last time.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, little swan."

And with that, he was gone, leaping into the night as though the darkness itself carried him.

Selene stood frozen, breath shallow, her lips still tingling. Somewhere downstairs, Malik's voice called her name faintly, reminding her of reality.

But the echo of Lucas's kiss clung stubbornly to her, making her wonder just how long she could keep saying no.