Page 41 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"Me," she stated flatly, refusing to phrase it as a question.

"You." He nodded, setting his glass down. "Our pack's Omega."

Our.

The possessive pronoun made her bristle.

"I don't recall agreeing to be anyone's Omega, least of all to three Alphas I barely know." Serenity's voice was edged with defiance, but she couldn't ignore the awareness creeping into her every pore. The table beneath her fingertips felt cool, and grounding, but not enough.

Even while she tried to deny the claim, something in her recognized its truth on a visceral level.

Lucian's smirk grew bolder, sharpening with an interest that went beyond obsession. His body language mirrored the predatory glow in his eyes, calculated and deliberate, like a panther closing in on prey. He shifted, sliding effortlessly around the booth until he was right next to her, his proximity sending an electric jolt through her senses.

The air felt charged with something dangerously potent, a heady mix of Alpha pheromones and his expensive cologne. She should have moved away, should have done anything but stay rooted in place as he got even closer.

He inhaled deeply, and Serenity felt the pull in her core, the primal thrill of being desired by an Alpha who wanted her so utterly.

Her body responded with an aching need, a traitorous hum of pleasure at the mere thought of being the focus of such possessive attention. Something in her quivered, knowing the implications, knowing the risks, but still leaning toward the danger he represented.

Her custom scent-suppressing panties clung to her as she felt the unmistakable pooling of slick, a physical reaction she couldn't suppress no matter how hard she tried.

Lucian's touch was just as deliberate as everything else about him, his lips grazing her neck with a barely-there pressure that set off a cascade of shivers. Her back arched involuntarily, surrendering to the sensation in spite of her resolve.

"Blackthorn," she murmured, the name coming out as both a warning and an unwilling plea. Her voice betrayed her, feeding into his confidence.

His chuckle was rich, resonant with the satisfaction of a man who knew he had the upper hand. It was an audacious sound, full of the certainty that he was in control, that he had already won this round, and maybe the whole damn game. He moved even closer, every motion a testament to his intention, a smooth invasion of her space that left no room for retreat.

The intent was palpable in the air between them. He wasn't just being bold; he was laying claim, knowing exactly how far he could push her without provoking the fight-or-flight response. It was a gamble, a risk that only a man like him would dare to take, and he was betting that she'd stay exactly where she was.

Every move is calculated, every breath a challenge.

That I’m not going to fight against him.

“Tell me to stop if my company isn’t driving you mad,” he whispers darkly with that husky voice that sends a thrill throughher. She barely takes a breath in an attempt to reply before his lips are already brushing her. The touch feels sacred as if he didn’t comprehend he’d even be able to pull it off, leaving them in a stillness as his lips pull apart just enough to keep him centimeters away.

Their shared look is electric, her whole body seemingly on fire before it escalates from the light touch of her thigh, moving along the dress pants of her suit while his eyes never leave hers.

She swallows the lump forming in her throat, desperate to ignore the maddening sensual rollercoaster she’s enduring in this Alphas Presence.

What is positively clear is the fact he knows what he’s doing.

Knows that he’s driving my body mad.

She bites her bottom lip in frustration, and how he watches like a predator in the shadows, ready to mark their prey.To claim their territory.

“You think an arrangement like this one…a fake arrangement if I may be so bold to suggest for your convenience at the idea of an easy, safe escape route, wouldn’t be beneficial to you, Ms. Vale?” he asked, his voice dangerous and low, a dark hum against her skin that sent a shiver racing through her.

The response was instinctive and reckless, the moan escaping her lips with a traitorous ease. He growled, the sound feral and primal, vibrating through her in waves that left her desperate and wanting more. The frenzied desire only intensified as his hand moved with deliberate slowness along the front of her dress top, working on the buttons.

Each soft click revealed bare skin, the top three undone to expose a hint of cleavage and the smooth line of her chest.

For a man who never acts unless he has the upper hand, he was pushing his luck with his advances. But maybe he already knew she wasn’t going to tell him to stop.

He looked at her first, a smirk playing on his lips as he gauged her reaction, inching closer to the nape of her neck like a creature of habit.

The slow drag of his tongue along her skin made her eyes flutter shut; she gave in for that single, senseless moment, reveling in the wild sensation he ignited. The forbidden touch sent a bolt of heat through her, blistering and unrestrained. She should have cared, should have stopped him.

She should have worried about the consequences, about the way this action might ripple through the tangled web of alliances.

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