LUCIAN'S P.O.V.
Sitting at my desk, buried under a mountain of paperwork, I sighed. This was never-ending. Numbers, contracts, signatures—endless.
"We should be with Teresa," Ares growled in my head, his voice a low rumble, impatient as usual.
"Shut it, Ares," I muttered, rubbing my temple. "She's fine. She doesn't need me hovering over her like a lovesick pup."
"Lovesick? You? Please. You're too proud to admit it," Ares shot back with an annoyed snort. "She's our mate. Stop pretending like you don't care."
I clenched my jaw, flipping over a page as if I cared about the damn thing. "She's in the house. That's enough."
"Enough? You're pathetic," Ares growled. "Get up. Go to her. Now."
"No."
"Yes."
"Ares—"
"Don't make me do it."
I shut my eyes, refusing to let him get under my skin. "You're not in control here."
"For now," he taunted. "But you're playing with fire. We both want her. Stop acting like you don't."
"I'm not desperate," I shot back. "I'm not about to rush out there like a fool."
"Right, and I'm a vegetarian." Ares rumbled, clearly enjoying my internal struggle. "You're over here pretending to work when all you're thinking about is her. What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"
I scowled at the papers in front of me, realizing I hadn't actually read a single word. Maybe Ares was right—no, no, I shook my head. "I have dignity."
"Dignity? Oh, is that what you're calling it now?" Ares laughed. "It's fear, Lucian. And it's going to make us miss out."
Before I could respond, a knock on the door interrupted the ongoing war in my head. I didn't need to guess who it was. Juliette's scent hit me a second before she barreled in without waiting for my permission, as usual.
"Lucian!" she exclaimed, her face lit up like she had won the lottery.
I didn't even look up. "Let me guess. Rylan told you?"
"Everything," she said with a grin, striding over to my desk with the kind of energy that made me tired just looking at her. "Is Teresa really your mate?"
I groaned, leaning back in my chair. "Of course he did. Remind me to punch him later."
Juliette just laughed, clearly finding my misery amusing. "Oh, this is too good. The mighty Lucian Blackwood, Alpha extraordinaire, is whipped!"
"Called it!" Ares laughed.
"I'm not whipped," I shot back, narrowing my eyes at her. "And if you repeat that, I'll make sure Rylan suffers for it."
"Uh-huh, sure." She waved me off, still laughing. "Anyway, I'm here because Teresa wants to see you."
My heart stuttered for a second, and of course, Ares noticed immediately.
"Go to her. Now."
I fought to keep my cool, trying to ignore the surge of excitement in my chest. "Why does she want to see me?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay neutral.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because she's your mate?" Juliette rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. "I've taken it upon myself to be her assistant-slash-bodyguard-slash-best friend, and I'm here to inform you that you should stop pretending you don't want to see her."
"See? Even she knows," Ares chimed in, practically buzzing with excitement. "Get. Up."
"Well, since you've made such a compelling case…" I stood, pushing the chair back with more force than necessary. Juliette's grin only widened as she watched me.
"Oh, look at you. So eager. Who knew you'd fall this hard?"
I shot her a warning look. "Shut up. I haven't fallen and I'm not planning on falling anytime soon."
"Uh-huh, sure, Alpha." She didn't stop laughing, trailing behind me as I made my way to the door. Ares was practically vibrating in my head, urging me forward.
"Move faster. She's waiting."
"I swear, if you don't stop, Ares—"
"What? You'll lock me up? Try it."
Juliette, still smirking, barely kept up as I strode down the hallway, my pulse quickening with every step. When I reached Teresa's door, I paused, trying to steady my breathing.
"Knock already," Ares urged.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm going." I raised my hand and knocked.
The door opened, and there she was. Teresa looked up at me, nervous, her hands fidgeting as she stepped aside to let me in. Juliette waited outside by the door still smiling. I walked in, trying to play it cool, leaning against the wall like I had all the time in the world.
"So, you wanted to see me?" I asked, my tone casual, though inside, I was anything but calm.
"Talk nicer," Ares reprimanded. "She's nervous. Don't mess this up."
Teresa's gaze darted nervously around the room, never settling on me for long. Her voice was soft, uncertain. "I, uh… I just wanted to ask... what exactly am I supposed to do here?"
I raised an eyebrow, studying her. There was something vulnerable in the way she stood, almost as if she were bracing for something unexpected. "Do? Oh," I realized, letting a faint smirk curve my lips. "You want a job description." I leaned back a little, trying to put her at ease. "Your job is simple: relax, enjoy the estate, and ask for anything you need. No catch. That's all."
She blinked in confusion, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then, a flicker of doubt clouded her eyes as she hesitated, her voice quieter now. "But... why? Why would you do all this? Why did you even ask my father for—" she paused, then carefully added, "Jennifer?"
There it was, the real question. I let out a slow sigh, running my fingers through my hair, trying to find the right words. "Your father, thought I was interested in his daughters. He made a mistake," I admitted, my voice lower now. "Honestly, I didn't care about Jennifer or the other one. I just wanted to frustrate him enough to make him back off from the deal he kept proposing to me; so I asked him for one of his daughters as a maid and he himself suggested Jennifer. But then he tried to play a fast one on me and sent you instead."
Her face paled, her lips parting in shock as the truth sank in. "So... you never wanted Jennifer?"
I shook my head with a quiet chuckle. "Nope. Not for a second. But instead, I ended up with you." My smirk softened as I added, "And, if I'm being honest? I'm not complaining."
Teresa's expression crumbled, her eyes filling with tears she couldn't hold back. She tried to stay composed, but the flood of emotions overwhelmed her. I could feel the tension in the room shift. My voice softened, more genuine now. "Look, Teresa… we've somehow found ourselves in this strange situation, but you're lucky in one thing—we've developed some kind of acquaintanceship, even if it's a weird one. And because of that, I'll make sure your father never gets to mess with you or your brother again."
Her tear-streaked face snapped toward me, her voice trembling with sudden hope. "Luke?"
I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. "Yeah," I said, my voice softer than I meant it to be. "I bought the buildings where his family's bakery and home are. No one's going to force them out now. They're safe."
Before I had a chance to react, she launched herself at me, her arms wrapping tightly around me. The intensity of her hug caught me off guard, and for a moment, I froze. But then, as her warmth pressed against me, something shifted. Sparks of electricity seemed to race through my skin, making my breath catch in my throat. I slowly wrapped my arms around her, feeling her trembling body relax against mine. It was a moment of pure, raw emotion—something I hadn't expected but somehow, deeply felt.
"Yes, finally!" Ares howled in excitement.
When she realized what she'd done, she pulled back, blushing furiously. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Don't worry about it," I said, my heart still thundering in my chest.
"Now ask her out, idiot!" Ares yelled in my head
"Are you hungry?" I blurted out, surprising both of us. "I mean, if you are, I can get you something."
Teresa nodded shyly, and before I could stop myself, I grabbed her hand, enjoying the electric sparks that surged between us. "Come on," I said, trying to sound casual. "I'll make sure your first meal here is the best one yet."
"Finally, you're acting like a real mate." Ares praised. I rolled my eyes.