LUCIAN'S POV
I took a deep breath, feeling the cool night air prickle over my skin as I leaned against a tree, staring at the endless stretch of forest in front of me. The faint smell of wild flowers and earth helped a little, settling me. The forest was silent, a world away from the pack's constant questions about who Teresa was and what she was doing in pack lands. I'd chosen this run to clear my head, but Ares had other plans; and now I was stuck, still in human form, angrier than before.
Ares growled in frustration, a low, simmering rumble in the back of my head.
"Lucian," he snarled, voice like thunder, "this has gone on long enough."
I rolled my eyes, exhaling sharply as I clenched my fists tightly. "I know what you're going to say, Ares."
"Then stop fighting me. You're only dragging this out because you're too scared to admit you need her."
His words hit like a slap to the face. I straightened, clenching my jaw. "And what would you have me do, huh? Rush her? Scare her off? Teresa's human, Ares. She doesn't know…anything about us."
Ares huffed in exasperation. "You and I know that this has nothing to do with that! Four and a half months, Lucian. She's been with us for four and a half months, and you still won't let me claim her. How much longer do you think you can keep pretending we don't need her?"
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the tension in my muscles as I paced. The pack house wasn't too far off, and the sound of laughter drifted faintly through the trees. But all I could focus on was her voice in the sea of voices.
Ares didn't let up. His voice was a sharp bite in my mind, one I couldn't ignore. "I'm not asking, Lucian. When the full moon rises, I'll make her ours—whether you want to or not."
I stopped dead in my tracks, fire igniting in my chest. "You will do no such thing, Ares. She's not ready, and neither am I."
He growled, louder this time, filling my mind with a pressure that made it feel like my skull might split open. "You think I care about 'ready'? All I care about is her. Every second she's not with me feels like a part of me is being ripped out. And you just stand here, stubborn as ever, holding us both back."
I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my voice level. "She's going to make us weak, Ares!"
"And for the last time, she won't!" His voice was full of raw desperation, a tone I rarely heard from him. "You're too wrapped up in your fear to see what's right in front of you. You're pushing her away."
A heavy silence filled the space between us, thick and electric, like the charged air before a storm. I exhaled, feeling the sharp sting of his words as they cut through me.
"And you're too blinded by this…this bond to see the risks," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "The moment I accept her as our mate, everything changes. She will be targeted and eventually killed! And then, we will automatically go insane like our father! And besides, you think she's just going to accept it when she finds out what we are?"
"You haven't even tried coward!" Ares's fury pulsed like a heartbeat in my mind, nearly drowning out the forest around me.
I felt my fists clench, nails biting into my palms. "Don't lecture me, Ares. Just because you want to give in to every base urge doesn't mean I have to."
Ares's anger boiled over, his voice dark and dangerous. "One more full moon, Lucian, and I swear—if you try to stand in my way... "
"Swear what?" I shot back, fury flaring up inside me. "Swear you'll do something reckless? You forget that this is my body, my choice. I'm not going to let you ruin everything I've worked for."
A low growl vibrated through my mind, and then—a sudden silence.
Ares was gone.
For the first time in a long while, I felt his absence like a hollow ache. I could sense him in the recesses of my mind, lurking like a wounded animal. He was sulking, retreating to the far corners of my consciousness, his anger simmering just out of reach. It felt…strange, emptier without him there, without his constant presence, his incessant urging.
I stood alone in the moonlit forest, a sharp wind cutting through the trees, reminding me of the blackhole Teresa had left behind, of the hole that only seemed to grow with every minute I fought to stay away from her.
I ran my fingers through my hair again, frustration boiling over. Teresa didn't know it, but she was the source of every bit of chaos in my life right now. And yet, all I wanted was to watch her silently, just for a moment—to make sure she was safe, to hear her laugh at Rylan's stupid jokes, to watch her smile. Oh goddess, I was going insane.
**********
Every full moon, werewolves struggled to focus on anything but their mates. Wolves who had already completed their mating bond craved each other's presence more intensely than ever, staying close like gravity pulled them together. For wolves like me—those who had found their mates but hadn't yet claimed them under the full moon—our bodies burned with a fierce, feverish need. Until we marked each other, leaving that unmistakable scent and bite to warn others to stay away, we were caught in a fever that wouldn't break until the moon faded.
Now, with the full moon nearing, I could feel it like a wildfire under my skin, tearing through me, igniting something primal. Ares had been silent since our fight, but I sensed he was waiting, planning something big—and that made me uneasy. The past four months, on nights like this, he was never quiet; we clashed like storm and sea, leaving me wrecked, barely holding on. Sometimes I'd even turn to Philip, the pack doctor, for sedatives strong enough to knock me out, just to keep me—or Ares—from giving in and crawling to Teresa in the blind madness the goddess called love. But tonight? Tonight was different. He wasn't fighting me. He was plotting.
"Ares, back down," I snarled within the recesses of my mind. "She's not for you."
For me? Ares laughed, his voice a dark, rumbling growl in my head. "We'll see about that, Lucian."
And just as if the moon goddess was eager to see what Ares had in mind for Teresa, my nose unfortunately picked up her scent.
I knew I shouldn't. I shouldn't even be thinking about her right now—timid, wide-eyed Teresa who had no idea what was happening, no idea what I really was. She shouldn't even be here; I'd taken to the woods again to get away from everyone, to keep Ares at bay until the night was over. But there she was, soft and fragile, with that maddening scent lingering in the air.
That scent hit me like a punch to the chest. Sweet, warm, all-consuming. Ares latched onto it instantly, hunger rolling through him like thunder. And despite every ounce of my willpower, I felt my control slipping.
"She's too close" I warned him. "She'll get hurt."
"She's here because she wants to be," Ares countered with that predatory glint I couldn't shake. "Just let me handle her…"
"Are you following me?" I found myself asking, my voice barely my own, rough and raw, the sarcasm I usually wielded like a weapon dulled by the wild urge building inside.
Her cheeks flushed, that innocent surprise lighting her face like she hadn't expected to be caught. "Y-yes! No! I mean…" She was floundering, tripping over her words, and yet her scent only grew stronger, more intoxicating.
She shouldn't have come out here, but damn it, she was here, and she was close, and every ounce of me—both man and wolf—wanted nothing more than to pull her even closer.
"Let go, Lucian," Ares whispered, his voice wrapping around me like a vice. "You know you can't hold me forever."
"No." I clenched my fists, fighting with everything I had. "She's not yours to take. You'll scare her—"
But he didn't care. The need pulsing through him was raw, untamed, and he was done waiting. I felt him push, and then pull, tearing through the last fragile barrier I'd managed to hold. I was slipping back, sinking into the shadows of my mind, as Ares lunged forward, triumph gleaming in his eyes.
I was only half-conscious now, my presence slipping to the back of our mind, like I was caged in my own skin. I could see through his eyes, feel his pulse thundering, but my control was gone. I was nothing but a watcher now—a prisoner within myself.
Ares stepped closer, slow and deliberate, his gaze locked on her like she was prey. Teresa looked up at him, wide-eyed and nervous, but she didn't back away. I almost admired her bravery, even as I cursed it.
"You don't know, do you?" Ares' voice, my voice, but with a new dark edge, slipped out, a low purr that sent a shiver up my spine—and hers too, by the look of it.
She shook her head, her eyes full of questions and a hint of fear she tried to hide. "Know what?"
Ares' smile was anything but comforting, and I could feel the satisfaction radiating from him. She doesn't even realize what she's dealing with, he thought, amused. He leaned closer, his gaze burning into hers. "You're tempting fate, Teresa," he said softly, almost affectionately, if a predator could be affectionate with its prey.
I wanted to scream, to pull him back, to make him leave her alone. But Ares ignored my every attempt, focusing only on her, on that scent that seemed to ensnare every one of his senses.
"Why did you follow me?" he asked, his voice even lower, dripping with a predatory charm I'd never let him use around her.
"I…I don't know," she stammered, her cheeks flushed, her heartbeat a wild flutter I could hear pounding in the stillness.
Ares tilted his head, watching her with a smile that was almost wicked. "Liar," he whispered. He leaned even closer, so close her breath hitched, and I could feel the thrill of it radiating from him, that dark satisfaction filling every part of us. "You're curious, Teresa. Maybe even…tempted?"
Her blush deepened, and she looked away, flustered and caught in his spell. But Ares wasn't going to let her go so easily. No, he'd already decided she was his.
"You'll ruin this," I tried to warn him from my shadowed corner, anger flaring within me. "She'll hate us."
"Let her," Ares shot back. "She'll come back to us either way."
He reached out, brushing a strand of her hair back, his thumb grazing her cheek. I could feel the warmth of her skin, the softness, and it ignited something wild in both of us, something that burned hotter with every second.
But then, something unexpected happened. Teresa's hand reached up, trembling, as she looked at me—at Ares, at whatever version of us she saw in that moment—with a combination of fear and something I couldn't quite place.
"I don't know what's going on, Lucian," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "But I know you wouldn't hurt me…right?"
Something in her voice—a trust I didn't deserve—broke through the haze, making Ares pause, his grip loosening for just a moment.
And in that second, I took the chance, pushing back with everything I had, clawing my way back to the surface.
Ares snarled, his grip faltering as I wrestled him down, forcing him to relinquish control. His rage reverberated through me, a reminder that he wouldn't let this go easily, but I was resolute. Just as I thought I was gaining the upper hand, Ares struck with a powerful blow. In an instant, my vision darkened, and I lost control, plunging into unconsciousness.