Chapter 23
The room felt unbearably warm.
Danny still sat on the edge of the bed staring at Lucas like he’d discovered an entirely new species.
Which technically-
He had.
A very handsome species.
Lucas stood near the windows trying very hard to maintain control while Danny processed everything excitedly.
“You’re actually a werewolf.”
“Yes.”
“A real one.”
“Yes, Danny.”
“And you’re in heat.”
Lucas closed his eyes briefly.
“Please stop sounding so fascinated.”
Danny ignored that completely.
Instead he stared downward thoughtfully.
Then suddenly-
“…Wait.”
Lucas immediately became cautious.
That tone meant trouble.
Danny narrowed his eyes slowly.
“So your whole… problem right now…”
Lucas already regretted this conversation.
“…Mhm?”
Danny pointed dramatically.
“It only goes away if you sleep with your mate?”
Silence.
Lucas answered carefully.
“For Alphas, mate bonds affect heat cycles strongly.”
Danny blinked.
“So basically…”
Lucas watched him warily.
“You can’t fix this with anyone else?”
Another silence.
Then Lucas quietly answered-
“No.”
Danny froze.
Then slowly-
A smug smile spread across his face.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Lucas immediately recognized that expression.
His mate was about to become unbearable.
Danny climbed off the bed dramatically before circling Lucas like a tiny evil prince.
“Oh wow.”
Lucas sighed softly.
“Danny.”
“No no this is important.”
Danny poked Lucas’s chest proudly.
“So THE Alpha King.”
Lucas closed his eyes briefly.
“Danny-“
“THE scary immortal werewolf king.”
“Yes.”
“Needs me specifically.”
Lucas looked at him helplessly.
Unfortunately-
Yes.
Danny looked deeply pleased with himself now.
“That’s kinda romantic.”
Lucas’s wolf growled softly.
Mate proud.
Good.
Danny flopped onto the couch nearby dramatically.
“You should probably hand the kingdom over to me honestly.”
Lucas stared.
“…What?”
Danny waved lazily.
“Well obviously I’m more important.”
Silence.
Then despite himself-
Lucas laughed quietly.
His mate truly had no survival instincts.
Danny grinned proudly.
“See? Even your body agrees.”
Lucas looked at him slowly now.
Heat burned painfully beneath his skin.
And Danny-
Danny looked too soft tonight.
Too tempting.
Lucas’s oversized shirt slipping down one shoulder again.
Bare legs tangled in blankets.
Warm sleepy eyes looking at him with curiosity instead of fear.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Danny tilted his head suddenly.
“So if I told you to do something right now…”
Lucas’s wolf immediately became alert.
“What kind of something?”
Danny smiled mischievously.
“You’d listen?”
Lucas walked closer carefully.
“Yes.”
The honesty made Danny’s chest flutter strangely.
Lucas stopped directly before him now.
Close enough that Danny could feel the heat radiating from his body.
Lucas lowered his voice quietly.
“But you shouldn’t abuse that power.”
Danny stared upward slowly.
Pretty.
Lucas looked unfairly pretty like this.
Flushed slightly from heat.
Dark eyes intense.
Hair messy from running his hands through it repeatedly.
Danny’s heartbeat sped up.
Then suddenly-
An idea appeared.
Dangerous.
Embarrassing.
Interesting.
Danny swallowed softly.
“…Then beg.”
Lucas froze.
Silence filled the room instantly.
Danny’s face warmed immediately afterward.
Oh my god.
Why did he say that aloud?
But Lucas just stared at him.
Eyes darker now.
“Danny.”
His voice sounded rougher than before.
Danny’s heartbeat stumbled again.
“You said you’d listen.”
Lucas stepped closer slowly.
Too close.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
Maybe not.
But Danny suddenly wanted to know.
Because Lucas always looked so composed.
So controlled.
The idea of making him lose that composure felt strangely thrilling.
Danny tried to sound confident.
“Maybe I just wanna hear the scary king beg a little.”
Lucas went very still.
Then slowly-
He dropped to one knee before Danny.
Danny’s breath caught instantly.
Oh.
Oh no.
That was unexpectedly hot.
Lucas looked up at him quietly from beneath dark lashes.
Powerful.
Beautiful.
Dangerous.
And yet kneeling only for him.
His voice lowered softly-
“Danny.”
The way he said his name sent heat straight through Danny’s chest.
Lucas’s hands settled carefully against Danny’s thighs.
Gentle despite the tension burning through him.
“You really enjoy tormenting me.”
Danny tried to stay smug.
It became difficult when Lucas looked at him like that.
Lucas leaned closer slowly.
Then pressed a kiss against Danny’s knee through the blanket.
Soft.
Careful.
“Please,” Lucas murmured quietly.
Danny’s brain stopped functioning.
The Alpha King of werewolves was actually begging.
For him.
Lucas’s forehead rested briefly against Danny’s thigh.
“Don’t tease me unless you plan to be cruel.”
Danny’s face burned violently now.
Because somehow-
Instead of feeling scared-
He felt wanted.
Important.
Special in a way nobody had ever made him feel before.
Lucas looked upward again.
Eyes heavy with restraint.
“All I can think about lately is you.”
The confession settled softly between them.
Warm.
Dangerously sincere.
Danny’s chest tightened painfully.
Because fake husbands weren’t supposed to sound like this.
And Danny was starting to realize-
Maybe neither of them were pretending anymore.
