(Quinn's perspective)
The smell of rosewater and jasmine clung to my skin, the oils still fresh from the omega women's hands. My skin felt slick and soft, like I'd been molded from wax and dipped in honey. They'd scrubbed every inch of me, their faces blank as they worked. No words. No kindness. Just hands rough with duty. My hair was pulled back, loose curls spilling over my shoulders, and the dress they'd given me—if it could be called a dress—was nothing more than a slip of silk clinging to my body like a second skin. Every part of me was on display. Every flaw. Every scar. Every reminder of what had been done to me.
But they didn't see that. No one did. Not anymore.
I caught my reflection in the mirror across the room and barely recognized myself. Pale blue eyes, sharp and unyielding. Not the dull, lifeless stare I'd seen for years. My gaze flickered with something I hadn't seen in a long time. Control. Purpose.
He thinks he's testing me.
"Trinity," I whispered in my mind, my lips unmoving.
"I'm here, sister," her voice echoed, smooth as silk, sharp as steel.
"You know what's about to happen," I said, heart thudding in my chest like the steady beat of war drums. "He's going to test me the only way he knows how."
"Yes, he will try to break you the only way he can," she replied with a calm I didn't feel. "But you will not break."
"Easy for you to say," I muttered. "I'm the one who has to play his game."
"No, you will master his game," Trinity corrected, her tone laced with power. "You must smile, Quinn. Smile when you feel the bile rising in your throat. Smile when his hands touch you. If he sees disgust, if he senses hesitation, he will tear you down piece by piece. But you are no longer made of pieces, are you?"
I swallowed thickly. "No," I whispered. "I'm whole."
"Then play the part. Outlast him. Outsmart him. And if it becomes too much, I will give you a gift."
My breath hitched. "A gift?"
"I can shift your mind," Trinity said, her voice sly like a fox with a secret. "If you want, you will not see Cale. You will see Luca."
I stiffened. "That's not possible."
"I am bound to you by the Moon Goddess herself. Her gifts are limitless, and so are mine. Do you want it?"
My heart slammed against my ribs. "You can make him look like Luca?"
"Not just look like him. Sound like him. Smell like him. Feel like him." Her voice turned tender, knowing. "You still want him, don't you? Even after everything, you want him."
My eyes closed, breath shaky. She wasn't wrong. I hated Luca. Hated how he humiliated me, tormented me, shoved me aside like I was nothing. But deep beneath all that hate, there was something worse: desire. It clung to me like smoke after a fire, impossible to wash away.
"Do it," I whispered, my nails digging into my palms. "Make me see him."
"Done," Trinity replied with a wicked purr.
Just as her voice faded, the door creaked open. Heavy boots thudded against the stone floor, slow and deliberate. My eyes lifted to meet his, heart steady and cold as steel.
Cale.
But no.
Not Cale.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw him.
Luca.
My vision blurred for a moment, like staring through rain-soaked glass. But as it cleared, I saw him, every perfect detail of him. The sharp jawline I'd traced in my dreams. The dark, unruly hair that curled at the nape of his neck. His eyes. Golden. Wild. Watching me with that heated, predatory gaze I'd seen a thousand times before.
I blinked, heart skidding. How?
"Trust me," Trinity whispered. "I see him too."
Cale — Luca — stepped forward, his gaze dragging up and down my body. Slowly. Too slowly. It felt like a physical touch, and I hated it. Except… it wasn't him. It wasn't him.
"Wide-eyed, are we, Perfect Luna?" he sneered, his voice sharp as broken glass. But it wasn't his voice I heard. It was Luca's. Every drawl, every cadence.
I lifted my chin. "Just thinking about how long it took for you to see me."
His eyes narrowed, flicking over me like he was looking for cracks. Keep calm, Quinn. Stay in control.
He prowled toward me, his lips curling in a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You used to fight me. Used to cry, scream, and kick like a wild thing." He reached out, fingertips grazing my bare shoulder. "But look at you now. Tame."
Don't flinch. Don't flinch.
I didn't.
I smiled. Wide and sweet, like the perfect little Luna he wanted.
His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in them. He lowered his head, lips brushing the curve of my shoulder. My stomach twisted, revulsion coiling hot and violent in my chest. But when I glanced down, I didn't see Cale's face. I saw Luca.
Trinity, you're a monster.
"I know," she purred.
His lips moved up my shoulder, trailing toward my neck. I felt his breath, hot against my skin, and it took every ounce of control I had not to recoil. His teeth grazed my jawline, testing me, and I let out a soft, shuddering breath.
He froze.
Head snapping up, eyes locked on mine like a predator sensing prey.
His gaze searched my face. Looking for something. A sign. A crack. A weakness.
"Did you just moan my Luna?" he muttered, eyes darting from my eyes to my lips.
I tilted my head, lips curving into a soft smile. "Try it again and find out."
His nostrils flared. He grabbed my face with both hands, his fingers rough against my skin. Testing me. Always testing me.
I leaned into it. Leaned into him.
His lips crashed against mine, harsh and full of hunger. I didn't fight it. I matched him. Moved with him. It wasn't Cale I felt, wasn't Cale I saw. It was Luca.
He growled, deep and rumbling in his chest, and it was the only warning I got before he lifted me into his arms like I weighed nothing. My heart jumped into my throat, but I didn't panic. Not now. Not when I was winning.
He tossed me onto the bed, and I felt the air rush from my lungs. Be still. Be calm. I sat up slowly, letting the slip of silk fall from one shoulder. His eyes darkened, and I almost laughed at how easy it was to control him. Like a dog on a leash.
He followed me down, his weight pressing me into the mattress, his breath ragged against my neck.
When he kissed me again, I kissed him back, my nails dragging down his back just hard enough to leave marks. He growled into my mouth, his body tense with barely restrained need.
"Mine!" he growled.
He moved against me, and I let him. Played my part. Every gasp. Every sigh. Every look of want. Perfect Luna. Perfect little liar.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer, feeling his hard length against me.
He entered me slowly, his eyes locked on mine as he filled me up. My fingers dug into his shoulders as he began to move. He was rough and demanding, just the way he liked it. I met him thrust for thrust, our bodies moving together in sync, showing him I was the Luna he wanted.
"Harder," I gasped, seeing him as Luca which I admit, I even started to enjoy it a little.
He obliged, his hips snapping forward as he drove into me. I cried out, my body trembling from his rough movements.
He growled, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he felt me tightening around him. He reached down between us and rubbed my core, and I acted like he was sending me over the edge by screaming his name and I squeezed him with my legs making him think I reached my climax.
He followed soon after, his body going stiff as he emptied himself inside me. He collapsed on top of me, his breath hot and heavy against my neck.
When it was over, his head rested against my shoulder, his breath warm and shallow.
"Best night I've ever had with you," he murmured, his voice raw.
I smiled at the ceiling, heart steady as a drumbeat. You have no idea what you just unleashed.
He turned my face toward his, his eyes softer than they'd ever been but his face was now back to Cale, no longer Luca. "You're mine, Quinn. Body and Soul."
I kissed his cheek, sweet as sugar. "Yes, Alpha."
He grinned, and it made my stomach twist with hate.
I closed my eyes, my body going slack. The room blurred, and I slowly sank into the darkness.
But before I slipped under, I heard his voice, low and quiet.
"I knew you'd break."
No, Cale. I thought to myself, my grin sharp as a blade.
I'm the one doing the breaking.