Page 26 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

Before she could process his meaning, Lucian leaned in, his face dipping near the curve where her neck met her shoulder. He inhaled deeply, deliberately scenting her, and Serenity's body betrayed her with a violent shiver.

"Extraordinary," he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. "You carry his scent, but there's something else there. Something...unexpected."

Her heart hammered wildly, a mix of fear and unwanted arousal flooding her system. The Omega traits responded to his Alpha presence on a primal level that her rational mind couldn't fully override.

"Step back," she managed, her voice thankfully steady despite the chaos inside her.

Or how her pussy was clenching with utmost need — his scent wrapping around her like forbidden territory, waiting to be explored and obtained. The wretched thing was pulsing in a way that had her thighs pressing together. And the more he crowded her space, the more she felt her slick pooling from how close he was.

It was odd to acknowledge the dramatic difference in how he was making her feel in comparison to Darius. With Darius, she felt the need to bow to his dominance.To submit like the Omegashe was.But with Lucian, she felt this odd shift of rebellion in his closeness. As if she could turn the tables and be in control.To force him to be at her mercy.It was as if his scent was sparking some primal urge to fight for dominance instead of conceding to it.

It wasn’t making sense, but then again, nothing really was right now with how swiftly everything was moving in her life in the short amount of hours that had passed. A dead father, a fortune the size of a small country, her entire life turned upside down. And now this? Another rollercoaster of absolute insanity to navigate.

She was standing here in a garden with another Alpha scenting her, while Darius had abandoned her to face the wolves without him. She couldn't help but feel the sting of his absence, of what his warnings meant, and she couldn't ignore the strange thrill Lucian's proximity was causing. They all wanted to own her, control her, and use her to get what they desired. But Serenity wasn't ready to roll over and play the obedient little Omega in this game.

She never would be…and everyone would have to find out the hard way.

But the most bizarre of all was how her body was responding in the most insane ways to this stranger. She was practically oozing in the most humiliating way, her Omega instincts having her body act like it had a damn mind of its own.

He stood too close, his presence too much, yet it was exhilarating to not give him the response he wanted and felt so entitled to.

"Lucian." She grit her teeth, feeling the mixture of fear and desire swirl within her chest. "I said, step the fuck back."

He did so, but slowly, deliberately, his amber eyes darkening as they locked with hers.

"You fight your nature admirably. Most Omegas would be trembling by now."

"I'm not most Omegas." She squared her shoulders, channeling the steel she'd inherited from her father.

"No," Lucian agreed, his expression calculating and hungry. "You're something far more interesting. A Vale with an Omega's biology but an Alpha's spirit." He tilted his head slightly. "I wonder what else you've inherited from your father. His ruthlessness? His cunning? His capacity for...creative solutions?"

The implication hung in the air between them. Serenity's mind raced, cataloging his words, searching for the trap within them.

"I guess you'll have to wonder," she replied coolly.

Lucian's smile widened, genuine amusement flickering across his features.

"Oh, I rarely have to wonder for long, Serenity Vale. Information is my particular currency." He reached out, boldly tracing a finger along her jawline. “And you...you're a wealth of secrets just waiting to be uncovered."

Her skin burned where he touched her, and she hated her body's visceral response to his proximity.

"You assume I have secrets worth knowing."

"Everyone has secrets," he countered, his voice dropping to a velvet whisper. "But yours might just be worth killing for."

6

A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE

~SERENITY~

Serenity slammed the door of her assigned bedroom, the heavy oak connecting with the frame with a satisfying thud.

She pressed her back against it, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding since Lucian Blackthorn's touch had branded her skin.

"Bastard," she muttered, crossing to the bathroom where she vigorously splashed cold water on her face as if she could wash away the lingering sensation of his finger tracing her jawline.

The suite was luxurious—all dark hardwoods and rich fabrics—but it might as well have been a prison cell. She methodically examined the room, trailing her fingertips along the walls, checking behind the artwork for safes or hidden panels, and testing the windows. Sealed shut, reinforced glass.

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