I found my pulse racing, heat crawling up the back of my neck.
The weight of the prize pressed down on me, heavier than expectation. I wasn’t just competing for prestige now.
This was about legacy, salvation, hope-for so many. For myself.
And yet, despite the knot of nerves in my stomach, a strange fire lit inside me. Excitement. Determination.
As though the Nectar itself was daring me: come and earn me, if you are worthy.
***
VICH
When the evening’s formalities finally drew to a close, Lucian was at my side almost instantly, his hand finding the small of my back with the kind of easy claim that made warmth dart up my spine.
“Come with me,” he murmured, steering me gently but firmly away from the dispersing crowd.
His pace carried me out of the grand hall and onto a private terrace tucked along the hall’s edge.
Cool night air swept against my skin, carrying the faint perfume of roses from the garden below.
Above us, strings of lanterns glowed like captive stars, their light softening the world into something almost intimate.
“Your expression betrays you,” Lucian said softly as we walked toward the railing, his tone teasing but edged with something cautious.”
You’re still thinking about it.”
“How could I not?” I glanced up at him, my voice low, almost reverent. “The Moon Dew Nectar-it’s the stuff of myths. Logically, it shouldn’t actually exist. Yet here it is.”
I shook my head. “It’s so surreal.”
Lucian chuckled indulgently. “It’s actually not that unbelievable. The formula was not…mine to begin with.” His tone carried a note I rarely heard from him-a wistfulness, threaded with something close to…grief. “It was entrusted to me. By someone I once knew.”
There it was again-that shadow, flickering across his expression before he mastered it.
I tilted my head, curiosity sparking. “Someone you knew?”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “She shared with me the basics. But the attempts to replicate-hundreds of them-failed. It was only after tireless trial and error that we achieved success.”
“She?” The word slipped out terser than intended.
A faint smile curved his mouth, not quite reaching his eyes. “A friend.”
A friend. Yet the soft longing in his tone betrayed more. I caught it, tucked it away in the back of my mind for examination later.
Still, before I could probe further, he deflected, leaning closer. “Tell me honestly, Seraphina. Do you resent me for not giving the Nectar directly to you?”
The question disarmed me. My breath hitched.
For a moment, I imagined it: me, healed, whole, powerful beyond my wildest imaginations.
And yet I shook my head slowly.
“No. I understand. Something that precious…you can’t just give it out recklessly. Too many others need it too. I’d rather earn it. That way, it’s mine-rightfully.”
Lucian’s gaze deepened, heat and admiration mingling in the pools of his eyes. “I have no doubt that you will win it.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “If my friend were here, I know she would want someone like you to have the Nectar. Integrity and bravery-she prized those above all else.”
The words struck me like a bell, echoing in my chest.
Not only was I now carrying Lucian’s confidence, but the conviction of someone I had never even met.
And then, as if sensing the weight of my nerves, Lucian took my hand. “I have something for you.”
He gestured toward a chair near a table draped in silver cloth.
Upon it sat a long, elegant box, its surface etched with faint designs that glimmered in the lantern light.
“What’s this?” I asked cautiously as he led me towards it.
“A gift,” he said, his voice lower now, carrying that elusive softness I liked to think he reserved just for me.
I exhaled. “You’ve already given me so much, Lucian.”
He smiled. “Then consider this a reminder.”
“A reminder?”
“Due to a…conflict of interest, I can’t have any contact with you during the LST. I don’t want to jeopardize your victory with false accusations or speculations.”
“Oh.” And even though he was still in front of me, I felt a pang of his absence resonate within me.
“But,” he raised our joined hands and kissed my knuckles-“even if we won’t have contact during the trials, you are never alone.”
My pulse quickened as I slowly lifted the lid with my free hand.
Inside lay an outfit folded with meticulous care.
With trembling hands, I unfolded it, and my breath caught. I could tell it was tailored for me, down to the last seam.
Midnight-dark fabric kissed with threads of silver, cut sleek and strong, meant not just to flatter but to empower.
It was beautiful, yes, but more than that-it felt like armor woven from his belief in me.
“Lucian…” My voice faltered. “You had this made for me?”
His lips curved, but the gleam in his eyes was what stole my breath. “For you. To wear when you step into the trials. So that when you walk into that Arena, you’ll know I am with you-even if I cannot be at your side.”
I swallowed hard against the tightness rising in my throat. My fingers brushed the fabric, trembling faintly.
“You didn’t have to-“
“I did,” he interrupted gently. “You’ve carried so much. Tonight, I wanted to give you something that carried you in return.”
The night air pressed cool against my cheeks, but my chest was unbearably warm. For a moment, words failed me, tangled in gratitude and something I couldn’t describe.
I gently set it down into the box and reached for him-
A cough broke the moment.
I startled at the sound, the thread of intimacy between us snapping as my head whipped toward the balcony’s entrance.
Maya stood there, one hand half-raised as if caught mid-apology, her cheeks tinged pink.
Her dark curls framed her face wildly, and her ever-present air of mischief softened the awkwardness of her intrusion.
“Sorry, sorry!” she said quickly, her grin both sheepish and unrepentant. “I wasn’t spying and I didn’t mean to intrude-well, not on purpose.”
I exhaled, half-relieved, half-annoyed.
My heart was still racing from Lucian’s words, and now I had to shove all that tangled emotion aside.
“Maya…” I tried to sound reproachful, but it came out more weary than anything else.
Lucian arched a brow, leaning back with an almost amused sigh. “You have an uncanny talent for interruption.”
“Part of my charm,” she shot back, unabashed.
Then her attention swung fully to me, her eyes lighting up. “As a judge, I also won’t be able to have any contact with you during the LST.”
My eyes widened. “You too?”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply