CHAPTER 62: SDK IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The front door swung open, revealing Luka’s massive frame. He swept into the condo like a thunderstorm, his booming voice filling every corner.

"You should have seen him!" Luka announced, clapping a hand on Satori’s shoulder with enough force to stagger a lesser man. "My boy showed those VHC lab coats what a real Aspect looks like!"

Satori followed behind, hands in his pockets, expression neutral save for the slight curl at the corner of his mouth. His crimson hair caught the afternoon light streaming through the windows, giving him an almost ethereal glow.

"It wasn’t that impressive," Satori said, his voice low and smooth.

"Nonsense!" Luka bellowed. "C-Rank with A-Rank potential! Washington couldn’t believe his eyes!"

Natalia stood frozen, the forgotten nail separators still scattered at her feet. Her eyes locked onto Satori, drinking in every detail of his appearance. The new monitoring bracelet on his wrist. The confident set of his shoulders. The way his t-shirt clung to his chest, revealing the contours of muscle beneath the fabric.

Kimiko rose to greet them, her gaze lingering on Natalia for a heartbeat too long before turning to her husband. "That’s wonderful news, dear. We were just watching—"

"The news is already out!" Luka interrupted, practically vibrating with excitement. "My son is going to be a Hunter!"

Satori moved past Luka, approaching Kimiko with an easy grace. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Mom. Sorry about all the fuss."

The simple gesture sent a white-hot lance of something dark and possessive through Natalia’s chest. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms. That casual affection, that gentle kiss—it belonged to her. Satori was hers now.

She watched as Kimiko’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected display from her usually standoffish son.

"Well," Kimiko said, recovering quickly. "This calls for a celebration dinner. I’ll make your favorite, Satori."

Luka launched into a detailed retelling of their VHC visit, gesturing wildly as he described the private assessment room and the scanning equipment. "And then—you won’t believe this—Reyna Cabana herself came over to talk to Satori!"

Natalia’s jaw clenched. The image from the TV screen flashed in her mind: that crimson-haired witch with her perfect body and her A-Rank Aspect, sizing up her man.

"She seemed interested in my Aspect," Satori said with a casual shrug, though his eyes flickered briefly to Natalia, catching her gaze. A knowing look passed between them, igniting a heat in her core.

"Of course she was!" Luka continued. "It’s unique! Washington said he’d never seen anything quite like it. What did he call it? Thermal Incision?"

"Divine Kitchen," Satori corrected, his lips quirking. "That’s what I call it, anyway."

Natalia nearly rolled her eyes at the ridiculous name, but kept her expression neutral as Kimiko glanced her way again.

"I need to relax before dinner," Satori said, stretching his arms above his head. "It’s been a long day."

"Of course, of course," Luka agreed. "Rest up, son! We’ve got plenty to celebrate tonight!"

Satori nodded, offering another casual smile before heading toward his bedroom. Natalia watched him go, her entire body thrumming with tension.

Five minutes. She would give him five minutes.

Kimiko busied herself in the kitchen, starting dinner preparations while Luka followed, still talking animatedly about the day’s events. Natalia counted the seconds, each one stretching like taffy until she thought she might snap.

When she couldn’t stand it anymore, she mumbled something about changing clothes and slipped away from the living room, heart hammering against her ribs. Her feet carried her down the hallway to Satori’s door.

She didn’t knock. Queens didn’t need permission.

The door opened with a soft click, then closed behind her with the same quiet finality. Satori lay on his bed, scrolling through his phone. He looked up at her entrance, that infuriating smirk spreading across his face.

"Divine Kitchen? Seriously?" she said, stalking toward him. The spa clothes she still wore—tiny sleep shorts and a cropped white t-shirt—suddenly felt far too revealing under his gaze. "That’s the best name you could come up with?"

Before he could answer, she climbed onto the bed and straddled his lap, her bare thighs sliding against the rough denim of his jeans. The bed creaked softly beneath them.

"Congratulations, you ridiculous, brilliant chef," she whispered, and crashed her mouth against his.

There was nothing gentle about this kiss. She poured everything into it—her frustration at seeing him with Reyna on television, her need to claim him, her fear that someone like the gorgeous A-Rank might steal his attention. Her teeth caught his lower lip, tugging, demanding. Her tongue swept into his mouth, claiming every inch as her territory.

Satori responded instantly, his large hands finding her waist and pulling her flush against him. She felt the hard ridge of his arousal through his jeans, and a primal satisfaction flooded her veins. He wanted her. Not Reyna. Her.

She broke the kiss, both of them panting. "Tell me about her," Natalia demanded, beginning a slow, deliberate grind against him. "Reyna. What did she want?"

Satori’s eyes darkened as his hands slid from her waist to her ass, squeezing and kneading through the thin fabric of her shorts. "She’s just a spoiled princess used to getting her way," he said, voice rough with desire. "Came over acting all high and mighty. Said she wanted to ’welcome’ me to the Hunter world."

Natalia leaned down, kissing along his jaw. "And what did you say to her?" Her hips moved faster, more insistent.

"That I look forward to seeing her at the academy." His thumb hooked into the waistband of her shorts, pulling them down just enough to expose the curve of her hip bone. "You know this is my favorite part," he growled, tracing the exposed skin.

Her crop top rode up with their movements, revealing the pale skin of her stomach and the underside of her breasts. Satori groaned, his eyes fixed on the glimpse of flesh.

"She thinks she’s so special with her A-Rank," Natalia muttered, her grinding becoming more frantic. The fabric between them grew damp with her arousal, creating soft, wet sounds with each movement. "But she doesn’t know what I know about you."

"And what’s that?" Satori challenged, suddenly flipping their positions. He pinned her beneath him on the bed, his knee pushing her thighs apart.

"That you’re mine," Natalia gasped, arching up against him. "That I’m your queen."

His hand slid down her stomach and under the waistband of her shorts. His fingers found her already soaked through her panties. He pressed down, and she let out a sharp, choked gasp.

"Dinner’s in thirty minutes, kids!" Kimiko’s voice called from the hallway, impossibly close.