The rhythmic crash of the waves against the shore did little to ease Lucian's growing impatience. His fingers drummed against the armrest of his chair. A cold bottle of whiskey sat untouched on the table beside him. He barely acknowledged it.
His sunglasses shielded his eyes from the setting sun, but his annoyance was impossible to mask. His sister had dragged him out here—practically demanded he come with—only to abandon him for her friends. Typical Lena.
Lucian exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. He didn't even like the beach. Too many people. Too much noise. And yet, here he was, stuck in a place he had no business being. At least this beach wasn't as full.
His gaze flickered toward the ocean, where a lone figure sat at the water's edge.
A woman.
His brows furrowed slightly as he observed her. Her posture was slouched, her shoulders hunched forward like she carried the weight of the world. Three empty beer bottles sat beside her, their contents long gone. He scoffed internally. Drinking alone on the beach? Now that was another kind of pathetic act he hadn't seen in a while.
He would've ignored her entirely if she hadn't suddenly staggered to her feet.
Lucian watched as she swayed, laughter bubbling past her lips. He couldn't hear her words over the sound of the waves, but whatever she was saying, it wasn't pleasant.
Then she took a step forward.
Another.
And suddenly—she was gone.
Lucian didn't think. His body moved before his mind could catch up, launching from his chair and sprinting toward the water.
Cold saltwater bit at his skin as he dove in. His arms burned as he pushed forward, eyes scanning desperately until—
There.
A flash of dark hair. A barely visible hand slipping beneath the surface.
He reached her in seconds, his fingers wrapping around her wrist, yanking her upward. She was limp in his grasp, her body barely reacting as he pulled her against his chest and kicked toward the shore.
By the time he dragged her onto the sand, she was coughing, gasping, her body trembling.
Lucian pushed his wet hair back, exhaling sharply as he hovered over her. "Are you stupid?"
The woman let out a choked gasp, blinking up at him with wide, teary eyes. Her lips parted, her chest rising and falling in rapid, erratic breaths.
And then—she started crying.
Not the soft, silent kind. Not the quiet, dignified tears he was used to seeing from women who wanted sympathy.
No.
This was full-on wailing.
Ugly, uncontrollable sobs ripped from her throat, her body shaking as she curled in on herself. She hit his arm—weakly, but repeatedly.
"I—" She hiccuped, shoving at him with little strength. "I hate you."
Lucian blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You—why did you—Why won't you leave me alone?" she cried, her words slurring. "I don't—I didn't—" Another hiccup. "I hate everything."
Lucian exhaled through his nose, patience running thin. "Yeah, well, you're welcome."
Lucian let out a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as the woman's sobs slowed. Her body sagged, her grip on his shirt loosening until—nothing.
He looked down. Her head lolled to the side, lips parted, breath soft and even.
She'd passed out.
Lucian stared at her in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
Here he was, soaking wet, sand sticking to his clothes, and the woman who had just been wailing like her world had ended had the audacity to pass out in the middle of the damn beach.
"Hey," he muttered, nudging her shoulder. "Wake up."
Nothing.
Lucian scowled, shaking her slightly. "Come on, don't do this right now."
Still nothing.
He dragged a hand down his face, huffing out a frustrated sigh. "Unbelievable."
His gaze instinctively dropped to her neck. If she had a mate, this wasn't his problem. He could drop her off somewhere and be done with it.
But there was nothing.
No mark. No faded scar. Not even a hint of one.
Lucian clenched his jaw.
Now it was his problem.
"Fantastic," he muttered under his breath before scooping her up into his arms. She was lighter than he expected, but her dead weight was awkward as he adjusted her, carrying her toward his car.
Once he reached his sleek black SUV, he carefully opened the passenger door and settled her into the seat. She slumped against it, completely out cold, her damp hair sticking to her face.
Lucian sighed and pulled out his phone, pressing a familiar contact. The line barely rang twice before his sister picked up.
"Don't even start," Lucian cut in before she could speak. "I'm leaving."
"What? You just got there!" Lena whined.
"Yeah, well, something came up."
"Lucian—"
He hung up before she could argue. With one last glance at the unconscious woman beside him, Lucian shook his head and climbed into the driver's seat.
Tonight was not what he had planned.