Later that evening, Marina called out from the sitting room, her voice warm and casual.
"Hunter, sweetheart, could you take this watch up to Lucian? He left it in the kitchen."
Hunter took the small silver watch from her hand. "Sure," he said, though his tone carried the usual edge of indifference. He hadn't really spoken to Lucian since dinner , he never even tried to stick around after dinner ,the memory of his pheromones flaring still hung heavy between them.
He knocked once on Lucian's door, he waited for a while then pushed it open when no one answered. The room was quiet, dimly lit, and smelled faintly of soap. He heard noised coming from the bathroom, so his chiquittin was having a bath , he thought of entering but he stopped his dirty mind before it escalated . he took his sweet time as he looked around Lucien's room as he memorized every single detail , making sure not to miss any detail, everything was set to perfection , not even a speck of dust could be seen, he set the watch on the desk then his gaze went to the laptop that was still glowing and it got his attention , a post :an announcement for the Regeants, bold letters reading: "Looking for a Rider."
Hunter's brows lifted. He stepped closer, jaw tightening as he read the details. Before he could think much of it, Lucian emerged from the bathroom, towel slung over his shoulders, hair damp and messy.
Lucian froze mid-step. "What are you doing in my room?"
His voice came out sharper than he intended. He stood cautiously as he swallowed hard " how long have you been here?" he said ,scared that he might have heard him in the bathroom
Hunter turned slowly, holding up the watch. "mother asked me to bring this, seems you left it while you were in hurry to your room. "he calmly said as he looked at his half naked body, it took every goodwill to stop him from pouncing at him , did he really think he wouldn't do anything to Lucien because they were step siblings, pathetic . His gaze flicked back to the poster .he gazed at him "tell me now Chiquittin" he calmly said , "You're looking for a rider?" he said with a smirk plastered on his face " i thought your boyfriend was the one riding for you" he taunted trying to gauge his reaction
Lucian felt heat crawl up his neck. "that poster was a long time ago, i just happened to stumble upon it then i forgot to remove it, its none of your business anyway" he said as he cleared his throat, each second really tortured him
Hunter leaned against the desk, arms crossed, studying him in silence, pure lies, the poster literally said the recent dates and years and only a fool will fall for that clumsy act . Lucian could feel the weight of that stare, it made him remember things he shouldn't, like the way Hunter's voice had sounded in his head at the bathroom, rough and low, the kind of thing that shouldn't have left a mark but somehow did.
He looked away, clearing his throat. "Ethan is still my rider , don't worry." He said
Hunter's mouth curved slightly. "Maybe you don't need to look far."
Lucian blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hunter's tone softened, almost teasing. "I could be your rider."
Lucan looked at him stunned " i .....i told you , i had a rider"
For a moment, time stalled. Lucian stared at him, uncertain if he'd heard right. Hunter only smirked, a hint of challenge in his eyes.
"Think about it, chiquitín."
And with that, he left, closing the door behind him.
Back in his room, Hunter poured himself a glass of whiskey and leaned against the window. The amber liquid caught the light, but his thoughts were far from calm.
He'd been close enough to Lucian earlier to notice it again ,no scent. Nothing. Not a trace of pheromones, not like before, but he was sure the first time he smelled them , faint but they were there , he still does not believe that he may had been hallucinating. And yet something about Lucian made his pulse quicken in a way no omega ever had.
He pulled out his phone, dialed a number. "Yeah," he said when his friend answered. "I need you to dig up everything you can on a racer named Ethan fast."
After hanging up, he sat on the edge of the bed, swirling the whiskey idly. His mind drifted back to Lucian's face ,the sharp lines softened by fatigue, the warmth in his eyes he tried so hard to hide.
Without thinking, Hunter reached into his wallet and pulled out an old photograph. It was faded, edges worn, a young Lucian smiling shyly beside a much younger Hunter.
A faint smile touched his lips .he traced his finger on the picture
"Guess you never knew, huh?" he murmured. "I was the one who claimed you first. And i will even claim you now , sooner or later,......Mi pecadito "
He closed the wallet and downed the rest of the whiskey, the burn in his throat matching the heat in his chest.