102 (Lucian’s POV) My heart Beat
Lucian
We didn’t talk about Tina after he admitted she was seeing Joey. There was nothing left to say, really. We shifted to lighter topics while I waited for Mara to show. Truth was, I was barely listening. My mind was somewhere else entirely- wondering what she’d wear, how she’d carry herself tonight.
Two hours passed.
Then she walked in-and the whole room tilted. Mara didn’t just enter the club, she claimed it. Her hair was down, falling in soft waves over her shoulders. A short black lace dress clung to her like it had been sewn onto her skin. She moved like someone who didn’t need attention, but got it anyway. Heads turned-men paused mid-sentence, women took second glances. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was unforgettable.
Next to me, Denis exhaled sharply. Keisha noticed.
“Damn,” he muttered, before Keisha smacked his thigh. I didn’t blame him. No one was used to seeing Mara like this. Usually, she was in oversized hoodies and faded jeans. Comfort over glam. I knew he wouldn’t recognize her like this. Her eyes scanned the crowd and found me. And just like that, the chaos of the room fell away. She smiled-soft, slow, real -and started walking toward me.
“Wait,” Denis said, nudging me. “Lucian… is that Thornridge?”
A spark of pride lit in my chest. “She’s a Nighthorn now.”
He let out a low whistle. “No wonder you bounced back from Tina. That’s not even the same league.”
I didn’t reply. Didn’t need to. Mara reached me and kissed me like I was the only one here. That’s when people finally figured it out-who she was. The staring stopped. No one wanted to end up on the future Alpha’s bad side.
She slid into the seat beside me, and I pulled her close without hesitation.
“Have fun today?” I asked, brushing a hand against her back.
“A little,” she said with a playful smile. “But it wasn’t the same without you.”
Her words hit me somewhere deep.
“Hello, Luna,” Denis chimed in, like he’d just remembered he was part of this moment.
“Oh! Mara, meet Denis-and his fiancée, Keisha,” I said.
Mara smiled, warm and gracious.
“You’re stunning,” Keisha blurted, then laughed, a little embarrassed. “I mean it.”
“Thank you,” Mara replied, genuine. “So are you.”
Keisha was beautiful. But tonight, Mara eclipsed everything.
The night blurred into music, heat, and stolen glances. Mara and I danced for what felt like hours. Her body against mine was driving me insane. By the time we left the floor, I was hard and aching. She sat on my lap, bold as ever, moving in ways she knew would push me to the edge. And she was winning.
I leaned close. “Let’s go home.”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Her eyes said soon. She was teasing me, delaying the inevitable, playing this game like she knew exactly how far to push before I’d break. She twisted and turned, soft and deliberate. She wasn’t just
1/2
tempting me.
She was in control.
And I was completely, blissfully, hers.
Keisha and Mara clicked right away. You could feel it-the easy laughs, the shared glances. It wasn’t just polite small talk. Something real was forming, and I could already see the beginnings of a friendship that might last. That warmed me more than I expected.
Eventually, it was time to go. Before parting, we invited Denis and Keisha over for dinner at our holiday house. I explained why we called it that, and Denis burst out laughing. Said it was ridiculous and brilliant at the same time. He didn’t bring up Joey again, which I appreciated. Mara had no idea Tina was seeing him, and I wanted to keep it that way-for now.
All Denis said was that we should find a way to get Tina out of the Nighthorn mansion so we didn’t have to move. But the
truth? I liked the new place. We’d planned on relocating even before Tina moved in. I’d already started working on buying
it from the landlord.
My father thought it was a strange spot for a holiday home. He was picturing waves and salt air, not forest silence and winding backroads. But when I told him we chose it to have time alone-to reconnect and start a family-he stopped
questioning it. The man wanted grandkids more than anything. I understood that. Darian and I were the last of the Nighthorn line.
My uncle died before my father could pass him the Alpha title. He never found a mate, never settled. That’s partly why my father cared so much about Tina’s baby. He probably didn’t believe those other girls who claimed to be pregnant with Darian’s child. Maybe he had reasons.
Maybe it was just easier to believe Darian and let Martha sweep the rest away. Either way, I didn’t want to carry the weight of those old family politics anymore.
Mara and I reached the parking lot and said goodnight to our friends. The moment we were alone, the tension between us
snapped taut. I kissed her, hard. I wanted her right there, in the car, but she whispered against my lips, “Not yet. Let’s wait.
I want it slow tonight.”
I didn’t argue. I just pressed the pedal down and got us home in record time.
As soon as we stepped through the door, Mara turned the lock with a quiet finality. Upstairs was all that existed. I barely
registered Jennifer Clearwater’s greeting from the hallway-we were already halfway up the stairs.
Inside our room, Mara dropped to her knees, eyes locked on mine as her fingers went to my belt. The air thickened. I
braced myself against the wall, overwhelmed by how badly I’d wanted her all night. She laughed softly when I finished quickly, but there was no mocking in it-just the kind of teasing only love makes tender.
I lifted her onto the bed and took my time peeling away the dress that had nearly undone me in the club. Her body was
warm and ready, mirroring the tension that had been building in me all night. She was trembling, wet, wanting.
And we had all the time in the world.
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