CHAPTER 57: _YOUR BODY TELLS ME A DIFFERENT STORY

Elian’s POV

*****

"Don’t you have some... Committee to plan out?" He tried avoiding looking into Lucian’s silver eyes, glancing around the room instead.

As an omega, his senses weren’t as sharp as those of an average werewolf. If not, he would try checking for any lingering scents that would hint at someone else being here earlier.

"Oh, right. You mean the committee meant to protect your ass?" Lucian sniggered, taking steps forward, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor.

Suddenly, Lucian stopped a few feet away, his silver eyes narrowing before his nostrils flared.

His gaze flicked past Elian to the open window behind him. The change in his expression was instant — his whole body went rigid.

"You let another man in here?" Lucian’s growl was low, cold, and promised trouble.

Elian blinked, thrown off by the sudden accusation. "What? No—"

Lucian closed the distance in a blur. One second, he was across the room; the next, his fist had twisted into Elian’s collar, yanking him forward.

[On the bright side, you now have a rough idea of who broke into your room and how.]

Elian barely had time to raise his hands in protest. "It’s not what you—"

Lucian’s face was so close their breaths tangled. His voice came out as a threat wrapped in silk.

"What did I tell you would happen to any man who so much as blinked at you during your heat?"

[On the bad — or low-key hot — side, your mate’s jealousy meter just broke the damn scale.]

Elian gripped Lucian’s wrists, but the Alpha Prince didn’t budge.

"L–Lucian, you’re roughing up my clothes—"

Lucian jolted him hard enough that their noses brushed. "I’ll do more than rough up your clothes if you don’t start talking. I can barely stomach the fact that you have a second mate. Who the fuck did you sneak into this room?"

Heat flared in Elian’s chest and not the good kind. His jaw clenched, his glare sharp enough to cut glass.

"That’s what you think of me? Some cheap whore?" he sneered. "I brought no one in here. Besides, I’m no longer experiencing my first heat."

[Actually, about that...]

A cold shiver ran down Elian’s spine when he heard the system’s voice.

’Please, don’t tell me I’m experiencing my second heat already.’ he asked mentally at the exact same moment that Lucian loosened his grip on him.

Elian took a few steps back, freeing himself from him. "You’re fucking insane! You know that?"

[Thanks to your proximity to your mates throughout today, their pheromones have influenced your next heat to happen in approximately... Thirty minutes from now.]

Elian froze.

His breath hitched, his mind stuttered over the words. Thirty minutes?

A cold rush of panic slid down his spine, curling into his gut. He didn’t even have time to fully process it before Lucian snarled:

"Says the boy who’s been playing games. Seducing me and the Beta to get us against each other."

Elian felt like he’d just been splashed with a whole bucket of stupid.

"Seducing you and... What the heck are you on about?" He flung his arms into the air with disbelief. "Was I ’seducing’ you when you came into my room and stole my first kiss?"

Lucian scoffed. "Seems you never want to let that go."

Elian’s fists curled as he took a few steps forward. "No. No, I don’t. Because when I imagined my first kiss, I didn’t imagine it would be with a cold, arrogant prince who treats me like the biggest shame in his life."

Lucian’s eyes darkened. "Right. You imagined it with the empire’s golden boy. Axel, right?"

Elian snapped. "Yes! Because at least, he doesn’t treat me like shit!"

Lucian bolted again but this time, he held his wrists, causing Elian’s eyes to widen.

The Alpha Prince pinned him to the wall, raising his hands above his head and bringing his lips dangerously close to his face.

[Who needs a drama series when I can watch you two bicker like an old married couple?]

’Shut up or come up with a way to help me out of this.’

[Help you out? So, you don’t want this?]

Elian felt like he was about to flip. ’Of course I don’t! I have more important things to deal with than—’

[The little guy between your legs begs to differ.]

It was at that moment that Elian felt his erection aching with need within his pants. He swallowed, trying to stay composed as Lucian’s hot breath hit his face, tickling his skin.

Their bodies pressed together, making Elian feel Lucian’s own erection poking at him.

"You sound like you hate me." Lucian finally muttered, his tone unreadable.

Elian squinted his eyes at him before laughing sarcastically. "Yeah, no shit. What do you want next for your discovery? A—"

His words died in his throat when Lucian brought his right hand to his chest, trailing roughly to his crotch. When the Alpha Prince fondled his dick, Elian’s knees wobbled as a gasp left his lips.

"Your body tells me a different story," Lucian said with certainty, rubbing his hand gently on his dick. "The unsteady beat of your heart. The way you avoid eye contact—"

"All signs of someone being uncomfortable, by the way." Elian chimed but Lucian jolted his body against the wall, causing him to grunt.

The Alpha Prince shook his head slowly. "No. You might not have a wolf constantly growling and prancing in your soul, begging you to make a claim on me..."

[Why does he need one with me around?]

Elian ignored the system as usual while Lucian continued. "But your body tells me all I need to know. And this..."

Lucian slowly brought his fingers into his pants, brushing them against Elian’s pubic hair.

Elian flinched. "That’s a dick. They’re notorious for having a mind of their own, you know?"

A smirk finally curled up Lucian’s lips. But it wasn’t the kind that had warmth or came from a place of amusement... No.

It was a predatory, wolfish smirk.

"In that case, I guess your... Dick." Lucian held his erection abruptly, causing Elian to gasp as he arched subconsciously into his touch. "... Wouldn’t mind us continuing what you started in the training hall and my room."

Before Elian could catch his breath, Lucian stole it yet again with a steamy kiss. Elian wanted to resist, but his body betrayed him, his knees buckling as he melted into the Alpha Prince’s hold.

[It’s going to be a long night... Again.]