Chapter 3
Rain poured harder outside Noctis as Danny stumbled out of the club with Lucas following silently behind him.
The city lights blurred against wet streets, glowing gold and silver beneath the stormy night.
Danny pulled his oversized sweater tighter around himself and yawned.
“So cold…”
Lucas immediately removed his expensive black coat and draped it over Danny’s shoulders without thinking.
Danny blinked up at him.
“Oh.”
His fingers curled into the warm fabric.
“You smell nice.”
Lucas nearly stopped breathing.
Mate.
His wolf practically melted at the simple compliment.
Danny, however, looked entirely unaffected by the devastating effect he had on the Alpha King.
“You’re surprisingly nice for someone who looks scary.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Scary?”
“You look like the type who ruins lives for fun.”
“…Do I?”
“Definitely.”
Danny nodded seriously before leaning closer.
“But you’re still hot.”
Ethan, who had followed them outside to ensure his king didn’t accidentally murder someone tonight, looked ready to walk into traffic.
Lucas ignored him completely.
All his attention remained fixed on Danny.
His mate.
Still unbelievable.
After one hundred years-
Here he was.
Warm. Alive. Real.
Danny suddenly frowned at the rain.
“I don’t wanna go home.”
Lucas’s heart sped up.
“Then where do you want to go?”
Danny looked at him innocently.
“A hotel?”
Lucas went still.
His wolf growled possessively.
Mine.
The human had no idea what he was doing to him.
None.
Ethan stepped forward carefully.
“My king-“
“Leave,” Lucas said quietly.
Ethan froze.
“But-“
“Now.”
The beta immediately bowed his head and disappeared without another word.
Lucas turned back toward Danny.
Danny was staring at a puddle with deep concentration.
“…I think I’m drunk.”
Lucas almost smiled.
“You are.”
“Hm.”
Danny swayed slightly.
Lucas instinctively steadied him by the waist.
The moment their bodies touched-
A strange warmth spread between them.
Like moonlight sinking into frozen water.
Danny looked up slowly.
For one fleeting second, something unfamiliar crossed his sleepy eyes.
Something soft.
Something almost recognizing.
But then it vanished.
“Your hands are warm,” Danny mumbled.
Lucas’s voice lowered unconsciously.
“So are yours.”
Danny stared at him for another moment before suddenly grabbing his wrist.
“Come on.”
And Lucas-
The terrifying Alpha King feared by all creatures-
Allowed himself to be dragged obediently through the rain.
–
The hotel was one of Lucas’s own properties.
Of course Danny didn’t know that.
The staff nearly collapsed seeing their king enter with a human clinging sleepily to his arm.
No one dared speak.
Lucas simply took the private elevator upward.
Inside the elevator, silence settled between them.
Danny leaned against the mirrored wall.
Then suddenly asked-
“What’s your name?”
Lucas hesitated.
“Lucas.”
“Lucas…”
Danny tested the name softly like it tasted nice.
Then he smiled lazily.
“It suits you.”
Lucas’s chest tightened dangerously.
No one had ever said his name like that before.
The elevator opened to the penthouse suite.
Warm golden lights filled the massive room.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the rainy city below.
Danny walked in, unimpressed.
“You’re really rich.”
Lucas watched him carefully.
“Does that bother you?”
“No.”
Danny immediately kicked off his shoes and collapsed face-first onto the giant bed.
“This bed is amazing.”
Lucas stared helplessly.
Cute.
Everything he did was cute.
Danny rolled over dramatically.
“Come here.”
Lucas slowly approached the bed.
Danny sat up slightly, messy hair falling over his eyes.
Then casually said-
“So… fuck me?”
Lucas froze completely.
The room went silent.
Even the storm outside seemed distant.
Danny looked confused by his lack of response.
“What?”
Lucas inhaled sharply.
His wolf was going insane.
Mate.
Touch him.
Claim him.
But Lucas forced himself calm.
“No.”
Danny blinked.
“…No?”
“You’re drunk.”
Danny frowned immediately.
“But I brought you here for this.”
Lucas moved closer slowly.
“You don’t understand.”
“Understand what?”
Lucas stared into those sleepy human eyes and felt centuries of restraint unraveling.
“You’re important to me.”
Danny looked genuinely confused.
“We literally met an hour ago.”
Lucas almost laughed bitterly.
If only you knew.
He crouched slightly in front of Danny.
“I don’t want your first clear memory of me to be something you regret.”
Danny stared silently.
No one had ever spoken to him like this before.
Most people either spoiled him because of his family name or scolded him for being lazy.
But Lucas looked at him like he mattered.
Like he was precious.
It made Danny strangely nervous.
So he covered it with teasing.
“If you don’t wanna do it,” Danny muttered, “I’ll just find someone else tomorrow.”
The air changed instantly.
Dangerously.
Lucas’s eyes flashed faintly gold.
“No.”
Danny blinked.
The possessiveness in Lucas’s voice sent warmth down his spine.
“You can’t say things like that to me.”
“Why?”
Because you’re mine.
But Lucas swallowed the words.
Danny tilted his head.
“…Are you jealous already?”
Lucas stared at him quietly.
“Yes.”
The honesty startled even himself.
Danny suddenly laughed softly.
It was bright.
Careless.
Beautiful enough to ruin kingdoms.
“You’re weird.”
Lucas looked at him helplessly.
He had ruled for a century.
Destroyed enemies.
Built empires.
Yet one drunk human smiling at him made him feel completely defenseless.
Danny slowly crawled closer across the bed until they were only inches apart.
“You really don’t wanna sleep with me?”
Lucas’s voice became rough.
“You have no idea how badly I want to.”
Danny’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Then why are you stopping?”
Lucas reached out carefully and brushed damp hair away from Danny’s forehead.
The touch was impossibly gentle.
“Because I want more than one night.”
For the first time that evening-
Danny became quiet.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
The city glittered below like fallen stars.
And somewhere deep inside Lucas-
His wolf whispered softly.
Found him.
Finally.
