Lucien’s eyes fluttered open as sunlight stabbed painfully into them. He groaned, a familiar sense of déjà vu settling over him, though this ti there was no arm shielding his face from the glare.
That alone made him feel strangely relieved. At least it ant Crimson Diablo was not hovering over him.
That relief lasted only a second.
Once his vision cleared, he realized the Devil was still very much in the room. Mikhail was doing push-ups with one arm, his body steady and controlled as if gravity itself respected him.
Lucien watched despite himself, eyes tracing the way the alpha’s back muscles tightened and contracted with every movent.
Sweat dripped down onto the floor, and his long red hair was tied into a loose bun that exposed the powerful line of his neck.
Mikhail let out a rough breath, his groan low and strained. The scent of vodka and burning wood filled the room, thick and intoxicating enough to make Lucien swallow hard.
Unwanted mories surged forward. Mikhail above him, voice hoarse as he called his na.
The way his body moved, the way he closed his eyes and groaned as if Lucien alone could undo him. The image made his chest tighten.
It was maddening.
’Fuck, he is too hot. What the hell,’ Lucien cursed silently as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
There was no denying it. Mikhail was easily the most dangerous and attractive alpha he had ever t.
If they were not constantly at each other’s throats, they could have been terrifying together.
The thought only made it worse.
’Why the hell were all the alphas around him toxic in their own ways?’
Was this so kind of curse, a punishnt for never being allowed a simple kind of love?
"Oh, you are awake?" Mikhail said casually, flashing a grin that instantly irritated him. "How does your body feel? You don’t need a doctor, right?"
"I am not that weak," Lucien muttered.
Still, the pain flared the mont he tried to move. His entire body ached, especially his lower half, which felt sore and overworked to the point of splitting open.
At least he did not feel sticky. The sheets were clean, and the room slled fresh, as if everything had been deliberately washed.
He shifted, inhaling deeply, and found the scent oddly comforting.
That comfort vanished when the bed creaked.
Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him flush against a warm, solid body. The sll of alpha surrounded him instantly.
"Damn it, Reznik. Don’t hug ," Lucien snapped, struggling weakly.
It was pointless. He was wearing nothing but a loose shirt and underwear, and his exhausted body refused to cooperate.
"Mmm. Let enjoy this," Mikhail murmured, pulling him even closer.
He pressed a kiss to Lucien’s neck and inhaled deeply, unashad.
"You already enjoyed it for an entire day," Lucien snapped. "I don’t even know how long we had sex. Get away from ."
The struggle faded quickly. His body was done. He finally gave up and went limp.
"Since you made cum in under five minutes, I will expand the area you are allowed to visit," Mikhail said lazily.
Lucien glanced back. "Such as?"
"How about the garden?" Mikhail replied. "There is not much open space here anyway."
His hand drifted down, flicking Lucien’s nipple playfully. He slapped it away hard enough to make him flinch.
"Just don’t touch anymore," Lucien sighed. "I don’t care where it is. It isn’t like I can go anywhere right now."
Mikhail laughed openly. "Yeah, you can’t even walk. I can carry you."
"Pass," Lucien muttered, closing his eyes. "I want to sleep. Don’t disturb ."
The alpha rolled his eyes before standing up from the bed. Lucien turned his head to watch what he would do next, eyes narrowing slightly as Mikhail pulled on a sleeveless shirt and a pair of trousers.
The fabric clung tightly to his muscles, outlining his broad shoulders and defined arms while still looking deceptively casual.
Comfortable, practical, and annoyingly hot. Mikhail noticed the stare almost imdiately and grinned the mont he caught Lucien peeking.
Without warning, he stepped closer, grabbed Lucien’s wrist, and lifted him with ease. In the next second, he was cradled in his arms like sothing fragile and precious.
"Hey!" Lucien protested. "I told you I want to rest. Do you have any idea how careless you are with my body?"
He tried to slap him, but Mikhail only laughed and let the weak hit land harmlessly against his chest.
"Sshh," Mikhail said calmly. "You are not made of glass. And sunlight is good for your health."
Before Lucien could argue further, Mikhail turned and walked out of the room.
They passed through the hallway, down the stairs, and toward the first floor. Staff mbers and Dominus n alike froze when they saw them.
So averted their eyes out of respect, others stared openly, curiosity and disbelief written across their faces.
Lucien stopped caring.
At first, embarrassnt had burned through him, but it faded quickly when he recognized the surroundings. This was undeniably the Dominus estate, deep within the Cernov sector.
When they finally reached the garden, the truth beca unmistakable.
From the hilltop estate, Lucien could see Cernov clearly divided below them, the wealthier district stretching out on one side while the poorer area spread densely on the other.
The Dominus mansion stood between them like a silent declaration of power.
It beca obvious then. Mikhail was not hiding him at all.
If anything, it felt like a direct challenge, as if daring Lunox and Lucero to co for him and fight head on.
"Crazy bastard," Lucien muttered under his breath.
"I will take that as a complint," Mikhail replied smoothly as they stepped fully into the garden.
The space opened into a maze of tall grass trimd into clean blocks. It was beautiful, but also dangerous. Blind spots everywhere, paths twisting unpredictably, corners that could hide anything.
Lucien’s eyes sharpened.
’This would be a perfect place to make contact.’
The question was how.
He had never placed his n inside the Dominus estate. They would have been discovered too easily. That was why he had put them on shell companies and distribution routes instead.
But Lunox might have planted soone here. And his grandfather might have done the sa.
Even in retirent, the Basilisk never stopped preparing for the worst. Lucien knew better than to underestimate that.
"Here we are," Mikhail said suddenly.
Lucien blinked, pulled back into the present. His eyes widened as he took in the structure before them.
A greenhouse stood at the heart of the garden, sunlight filtering through its walls, illuminating rows of carefully tended plants inside.
It was unexpectedly delicate, almost gentle, standing in sharp contrast to the man who owned it.
Lucien stared, montarily speechless.
He could not believe soone like Mikhail was capable of creating sothing like this.
Then he rembered.
Mikhail loved gardening.
And Lucien knew, without a doubt, that every ounce of that devotion had been poured into this greenhouse.
The building that stand sti and shining than this black depressing estate the Devil called his ho.
’Ugh, so him.’
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