It was the next day as the morning light poured through the tall kitchen windows, spilling across the long dining table where Lucian and Hunter sat in thick silence. The faint clink of cutlery was the only sound between them.
Lucian continuously stole glances at Hunter , yesterday he was over hyped of crushing the Gray's family and the thought of him not having a rider slipped his mind , but now he wanted to ask Hunter , it was a stupid request, even for himself but he had no choice , he needed an alpha to win and Hunter was the only exception left . He was halfway through buttering his toast when Hunter's voice cut through the air, low and flat.
"No."
Lucian blinked, his knife pausing midair. "No…?" He frowned, looking at him. "I didn't even say anything yet.", did he read his mind ?, he judt hopped he hasn't read his thoughts out loud for him to suddenly respond
Hunter leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze never leaving the steaming mug of coffee in front of him. "You were about to ask me to be your rider again."
Lucian's eyes widened slightly. "And what if I was?"
"Then my answer's still no," Hunter said sharply, taking a sip of coffee. "I've decided I'm not interested."
The words hit harder than Lucian expected. "You were the one insisting on it!" he snapped. "You said you'd be there—"
Hunter looked up, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. I changed my mind." He stood, pulling his jacket over his shoulders. "You want me to ride with you? Then beg for it."
Lucian's mouth opened, but no words came out. His throat burned with frustration. "You're unbelievable," he muttered. He sighed annoyed , what was he expecting anyways from this self cantered bastard , probably said those thing to just get back at him in the future, and that future was now
Hunter smirked faintly. "So I've been told chiquittin."
He turned to leave, but Lucian's voice stopped him. "Where are you going?"
Hunter adjusted his cufflinks without glancing back. "Out. I've got a date, with my fiancée."
Lucian froze, the word echoing in his chest like a hit. Right. He'd completely forgotten about that engagement. His pulse quickened, a wave of something uncomfortably close to jealousy tightening his stomach. He forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, have fun," he said flatly, as he avoided his gaze
Hunter left without another word.
Lucian spent the rest of the morning trying not to think about him. But that person somehow managed to pay rent to his brain that he was thinking about him almost each and every second
At school, his test papers were returned, neat red markings lining the top corner. A+. He barely looked at it. Mason leaned across the desk, grinning.
"Top score again, huh? You're making the rest of us look bad." He said as he waved his " i got a B which is not bad "
Lucian shrugged, uninterested. "It's just a test." He said as he placed his results in the middle of his book ,
"Just a test," Mason mocked lightly. "You say that like you didn't get best student of the year last semester, if i was you i would be walking on the hallway like i own the damn place."
Lucian ignored him. He glanced at the empty seat two rows away Ethan's. It had been empty all day.
The lecturer called his name twice, irritation clear, but Ethan never showed. Mason followed Lucian's gaze and sighed.
"He probably overslept. Or skipped. You know him."
Lucian shook his head. "He wouldn't. Not without a reason." He said as his fingers absentmindedly flipped the pages "i known him for the longest time and i knew he was not the type to miss school, unless with a better reason .... did something happed to him?"
Mason forced a smile, hiding the twitch of annoyance in his jaw. "You really still care, huh?"
Lucian didn't answer. He looked away. He did care , he just didn't want to admit it, Afterall Ethan was his first lover
Mason noticed the look on Lucien and he clenched his fist , he stood up and excused himself to the bathroom. Once alone, his friendly mask fell. He leaned over the sink, pulling out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until Ethan's name appeared.
One more try.
The call went straight to voicemail. Mason's jaw clenched. He typed a quick message . 'hey babe , you have been quiet all day , hope everything is good, call me when you get this , Love Mason' he hit send afterwards .As the screen went dark, he muttered under his breath
"Damn it, Ethan. Don't make this harder."
His reflection smirked back at him. "Guess I'll have to make Lucian hate you myself." He said 'i have to destroy any lingering feelings these two have before having Ethan to myself' he thought with a sly grin
Meanwhile, across town, Hunter sat alone at a corner table in a luxurious five-star restaurant. His jacket was crisp, his patience thin. He checked his watch for the third time.
She was twenty minutes late. He was always the perfectionist and he despite people who cant simply follow a simple order
His thoughts wandered to the look on Lucian's face that morning, the flicker of hurt he'd tried to hide. Hunter exhaled slowly, guilt brushing somewhere deep inside. He's too easy to read, he thought. Too honest. But he will continue to tease him and see how long he would break, it was challenge he would take open heartedly
A burst of perfume interrupted his thoughts. His fiancée had arrived.
"Hunter!" A woman's voice rang out cheerfully. Tracy waved, stepping closer, every inch of her styled to perfection, flawless curls, bright lipstick, glittering jewelry. "Sorry I'm late! You wouldn't believe how long it takes to look this good."
Hunter didn't stand. "I can imagine," he said dryly.
She blinked. "Aren't you going to pull out my chair?"
He looked at her, expression blank. "You have hands. Use them."
Tracy hesitated, cheeks burning. She forced a laugh and sat down. "You're... blunt."
"I'm honest."
Trying to recover, she flipped her hair and smiled. "Anyway! I'm Tracy. I'm sure you've heard of my father. This is his restaurant. Isn't it beautiful?" she said as she looked at him , he was even dreamy up close and she was already seeing their marriage
Hunter raised a brow. "Then he must be the one who actually works."
Her smile wavered. "Excuse me?" her sudden fantasy slowly melted ,
He leaned forward slightly. "If you're going to boast about a business, at least know how it runs. What's the average revenue? The growth margin? How many employees?"
Tracy blinked rapidly. "I—I don't… handle numbers."
"Didn't think so." Hunter sighed, sitting back. "You talk a lot, but you say nothing."
Her face flushed red. The rest of the dinner was painfully awkward, with Tracy trying to fill every silence with empty chatter. Hunter barely touched his food, his mind miles away. Every now and then, he saw flashes of Lucian's frustrated eyes, the tremble in his voice.
When the meal finally ended, Hunter stood, grateful to leave. Tracy looked at Hunter in disbelief , she had to find a way to win his heart , she ,reached for his hand as they walked outside. He pulled away sharply.
"Don't."
Her eyes glistened with forced sweetness. "I just thought ,maybe we could start over?"
"Tracy." His tone was warning enough.
But she didn't stop. "You'll like me eventually. You'll see." Her voice softened, almost seductive. "We're a perfect match, you and I. I'm an omega after all—"
Hunter's eyes snapped to her. The air thickened instantly as her pheromones spilled out ,sweet, cloying, desperate.
He recoiled, disgust twisting his face. "What the hell are you doing?"
Tracy froze, startled by the sudden shift. Hunter's eyes darkened as his body tensed, heat rushing under his skin. He shoved her back, his voice sharp as steel.
"Turn it off. Now."
She stammered, panicking as she realized how wrong it had gone. "I—I just thought—"
"Leave." His voice was low, dangerous. "Before I say something worse."
He turned away, dragging a hand through his hair, breath uneven. The air around him burned with restraint. He had to get out of there now, before he completely lost it
Lucian sat at his desk, textbooks scattered around him. He'd been trying to study, but his mind was a mess. Every page blurred into the next. His chest felt heavy.
He wanted to call Ethan. To make sure he was okay. But what would that solve? They were over. He needed to stop thinking about him.
His phone buzzed. A message.
Hunter:Come to my room.
Lucian stared at it, scoffing. "Unbelievable." He threw the phone down. "Now he wants to talk?, as if im going to get on my knees and beg him to be my rider"
The phone buzzed again. Then again. Then again. The noise drilled into his head until he couldn't ignore it. He groaned, pushing himself up.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll see what the hell he wants."
When he opened Hunter's door, the scent hit him first , raw, wild, and heavy. His breath caught in his throat.
"Hunter?"
Before he could step back, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him inside. The door slammed shut. Lucian's back hit the wood, and his eyes widened.
Hunter stood inches away, his pupils dilated, breathing rough. His usual control was gone. The air buzzed with his pheromones, thick and consuming.
"H-Hunter—" Lucian started, but the words broke as Hunter's voice cut through the air, low and trembling.
"I need you."
The words were rough, desperate — nothing like the cold man from the morning.
Lucian's heart pounded, his thoughts spinning between fear and something else, something dangerously close to longing. Hunter's hand trembled slightly where it pressed against the door beside his head.
He wasn't angry. He wasn't mocking. He was breaking.
"Hunter…" Lucian whispered, unsure if he should push him away or reach out. "What happened to you?" he said ,
Hunter looked at him, his jaw tight, eyes burning with something raw and unspoken. "I don't know anymore," he said hoarsely. "But when I smell you… everything stops hurting."
Lucian's breath hitched. Smell? , what smell was he talking about "Hunter, im scentless "
For a moment, neither of them moved. The silence was heavy, filled with everything they didn't know how to say.