Lucien.
The door clicked shut behind her, and silence filled the room.
I stood there, breathing in the faint trace of her perfume, heat, and regret. The echo of what I didn’t let happen.
Control, that was the word I’d given her. But right now, it felt like a lie. Every damn nerve in me screamed to follow her.
I straightened my cuffs, steadied my breath, and left the room. The club had gone quiet, the halls washed in amber light. My footsteps sounded too loud against the marble. Inside, I was anything but calm.
I could still taste her on my tongue, feel the heat of her pulse beneath my fingertips as if I’d touched her again.
And God, I wanted to.
Every muscle in me still burned from holding back—every instinct screaming to claim what was already mine
My mate.
She didn’t know it y
