The scent of sweat, blood, and raw magic clung to us, thick in the night air as I sat nestled in Lucien's lap, our bodies intimately tangled. For the first time since my life had been ripped apart since the veil had been lifted, and I'd been thrust into this world of shadows and ancient power, a fragile sense of peace settled over me. Lucien's arms around me were a cage of iron, a promise of safety, a haven of belonging. His heartbeat, steady and strong, echoed against my own.
I kissed the sensitive skin of his throat, feeling the answering growl rumble against my lips, a vibration that resonated deep within my soul. "You keep saving me," I whispered, a breath against his skin, a confession of my vulnerability and gratitude.
Lucien's hand slid up my spine, cradling me closer, his touch possessive and reassuring. "I'll always save you," he murmured against my hair, the promise laced with a fierce protectiveness that sent shivers down my spine. "Always."
A small smile curved my lips, a genuine expression of happiness that felt foreign after so much fear and turmoil. But the moment was shattered as the air seemed to shift, the temperature dropping several degrees. A low rumble vibrated through the ancient ruins, a sound of impending doom. The scent of rot, cold metal, and ancient, malevolent magic rode the wind, chilling me to the bone.
Lucien tensed instantly, every muscle coiling like a drawn bow, ready to spring. His eyes, usually pools of molten silver, sharpened into icy shards. "Get behind me," he snarled, shoving me back with a force that nearly sent me sprawling.
I stumbled, my heart slamming against my ribs, fear a cold fist clenching in my gut. A figure dropped from the shadows, as silent and deadly as a phantom. Tall and imposing, he was clad in black armor etched with crimson runes that pulsed with dark energy. A monstrous sword gleamed in his hands, dripping with a black mist that seemed to devour the light around it. His face was hidden behind a mask shaped like a wolf's snarling snout, a grotesque parody of the creatures of the night.
The Crimson Hunter.
One of the Court's most feared assassins. A being who existed only to kill, a weapon forged in darkness and fueled by malice.
Lucien didn't hesitate. He lunged in a blur of motion, impossibly fast and lethal, claws extended, ready to rend flesh and bone. But the Hunter moved faster, a horrifying display of unnatural speed. Steel met flesh with a sickening crack, a sound that echoed through the ruins like a death knell.
Lucien grunted, staggering back as blood bloomed across his side, staining his skin a horrifying crimson. But he didn't fall. His eyes burned with a feral intensity, his resolve unwavering.
I screamed, a raw, primal sound torn from my throat, and magic exploded out of me in a blinding pulse of raw power. The ruins shook, stones cracking and crumbling, ancient vines withering and turning to dust. The Hunter flinched, just for a split second, thrown off balance by the surge of energy. It was all Lucien needed.
Fangs bared, claws extended, he struck with the force of a hurricane, sinking deep into the assassin's armored chest and tearing through metal and flesh with savage ease. They crashed into each other in a storm of violence and fury, neither giving ground, locked in a deadly dance of predator and prey.
I stumbled forward, instinct screaming at me to help, fight, kill. But I barely knew how to control my magic; my powers were still a volatile, untamed force. If I unleashed it now, I might hurt Lucien, too, and the thought was unbearable.
The Hunter slammed Lucien against a crumbling wall, the impact shaking the very foundations of the ruins. He lifted his sword high, preparing for a killing blow, the black mist swirling around the blade like a shroud.
"NO!" I cried, the sound ripped from my soul, a desperate plea against the inevitable.
The world snapped.
Dark tendrils of magic shot from my hands, seizing the Hunter's limbs and binding him in place with an unyielding force. He roared in fury, struggling against the invisible bonds, but my magic held him fast. Lucien seized the opening, ripping the sword from the assassin's hand and driving it through his gut with a savage cry.
The Hunter hissed, a sound like steam on steel, a chilling rasp that sent shivers down my spine. Then, with a final, agonizing scream, he exploded into a cloud of black mist, dissipating into the night.
Gone.
For now.
Lucien dropped the sword, swaying on his feet, blood pouring from the deep gash in his side, staining the ground beneath him. I was at his side in a heartbeat, catching him before he could fall, my arms wrapping around his trembling form.
"Lucien," I gasped, tears burning my eyes, my voice choked with fear and desperation.
He smiled at me, a slow, pained thing, and reached up to wipe a smear of blood from my cheek, his touch gentle despite his weakened state. "You're getting stronger," he rasped, his voice a strained whisper.
I shook my head furiously, tears streaming down my face. "You're bleeding out! I have to… I don't know what to do!"
Lucien's hand cupped my face, his thumb brushing across my lips. His eyes were filled with a love that transcended the pain and chaos. "You know," he whispered, his voice barely audible. You've always known."
The bond between us throbbed, desperate and alive, a lifeline in the face of death. My chest heaved, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My magic burned, a hopeless, untamed force within me. My body ached with a need deeper than blood, a primal urge to heal him, to save him, to keep him with me.
Without hesitation, I pressed my wrist to his mouth, offering him the only sustenance I had to give. "Drink," I ordered, my voice shaking but firm.
Lucien hesitated, his eyes searching mine, a silent battle raging within him. Then, with a low growl that vibrated deep in his chest, he bit down.
I cried out at the sharp, electric pain that shot through my veins, a searing agony that quickly transformed into an overwhelming pleasure. A tidal wave of heat, connection, and belonging washed over me, blurring the lines between us, making us one.
Lucien drank deep, his hands fisting in my shirt, pulling me against him, his grip desperate and possessive. I straddled his lap, pressing myself into him, feeding him my life, my magic, my love, pouring everything I had into him.
Our bond blazed white-hot, searing through the darkness, anchoring us to each other, a beacon of hope in the face of despair.
Lucien pulled back with a gasp, blood staining his lips, his eyes wide with a mixture of pain and wonder. "Selene," he rasped, his voice broken with reverence.
I kissed him hard, desperate, claiming him as mine, pouring all my fear and love into the kiss. Lucien groaned into my mouth, his hands sliding under my shirt, finding bare skin, gripping me like a drowning man clinging to a lifeline.
I whimpered, grinding against him, feeling him harden beneath me even as he healed, the raw power of his life force surging back into him. "I need you," I sobbed against his lips, the words a desperate plea.
Lucien's silver eyes burned into mine, his gaze intense and possessive. "Then take me."
I didn't hesitate. I tore the shirt over my head, baring myself entirely to him, uncaring of the blood, the dirt, and the ruin around us. All that mattered was him, this moment, this connection.
Lucien's breath caught in his throat. His eyes rake over my body, lingering on every curve and scar. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he says hoarsely, his voice thick with emotion.
I kissed him again, my fingers fumbling with his pants, freeing him from the confines of the fabric. Lucien growled, lifting me easily, positioning me over him, his strength returning with every passing moment.
We stared at each other for one breathless heartbeat, our eyes locked in a silent communion, a promise of passion and devotion. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, I sank down, taking him deep inside me.
We both cried out, the sound raw and broken, a release of pent-up emotion and desperate need. Lucien gripped my hips, guiding me as I moved, slow at first, grinding, rocking, building the tension between us.
I rode him, my magic sparking between us, pleasure and power twining together into something wild and unstoppable. Lucien bared his throat to me, offering me the ultimate sign of trust and submission. "Mark me," he commanded, his voice a rough snarl.
I hesitated for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. Then, driven by an instinct I couldn't deny, I bit down, breaking the skin, tasting his blood, claiming him as mine.
Lucien roared, his hips thrusting up into me harder, faster, driving us both higher, closer to the edge. I clung to him, riding the wave of sensation, feeling the bond between us lock tighter, deeper, indestructible.
When I shattered, screaming his name, Lucien followed me, his hips jerking as he spilled into me, sealing our bond all over again, binding us together for eternity.
We collapsed together, panting, trembling, our hearts racing, the world around us fading into insignificance. Lucien cradled me against his chest, rocking me gently, his touch tender and protective.
"You saved me," he murmured against my hair, his voice filled with gratitude. "Again."
I kissed his heart, feeling the steady beat beneath my lips. "We save each other," I whispered, a promise and a truth.
Far above, hidden in the branches of a dead tree, another figure watched his presence as cold and unsettling as a winter wind. Clad in black, a silver mask covering half his face, his smile hidden but unmistakable, a cruel twist of his lips.
"So, the little queen awakens," he murmured his voice a silken whisper that carried on the wind. "How delicious."
The dark mate had arrived. And he would stop at nothing to make Selene his, even if he had to tear Lucien apart. The game had begun, and the stakes were higher than ever before.