Vincent Manor – Midnight
The heat had passed, and for once, the house was silent. The air was thick with scent, lingering tension, and the aftermath of unfulfilled desire.
Max stood on the private balcony of the east wing, shirtless, his breath steady as he stared into the night. The stars above reminded him of freedom—but nothing about his life was truly free anymore. Not since Noah.
His mate.
His obsession.
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MAX'S THOUGHTS:
He's too much. Too wild. Too dangerous. Too beautiful. I shouldn't love him this much. But I do.
Max clenched the balcony railing until his knuckles turned white.
Noah had crawled into his life like smoke—gentle, choking, inescapable. Max was a dominant alpha trained to control everything. He controlled entire countries. Markets. Men.
But he couldn't control the way Noah touched him like he was fragile. How he whispered, "Mine," when he thought Max was asleep. How he broke people for Max… and smiled like it was love.
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Inside the Manor, Lower Bedroom – 1:17 AM
Silas sat on the floor of the music room, legs crossed, playing soft keys on the old Vincent piano. The sound was haunting. His fingers trembled slightly.
Behind him, Lucien stood, arms crossed, watching. Silent. Always watching.
"Is this what it means to be bonded?" Silas asked softly.
Lucien didn't answer.
Silas turned, sharp eyes narrowed. "You're pretending you're not just as addicted to Noah as I am."
Lucien's jaw flexed. He walked toward Silas slowly. Dominant. Dangerous.
> "I don't pretend anything, Silas," Lucien said. "Noah is the axis of my world. So are you. So is Max. And yes… even your little broken brother Sam."
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SILAS'S THOUGHTS:
Lucien knows too much. He sees through me. But he never pushes. He just waits. Waits for me to crumble on my own.
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Back in the West Wing – Sam's Bedroom
Noah lay on the bed, hair messy, bare chest rising and falling. He looked soft. Human.
Sam stood beside the bed, his body tense, arms crossed.
> "You never asked why I killed Mikael," Noah whispered, eyes fluttering closed. "You already knew, didn't you?"
Sam didn't speak.
Noah turned his head slowly. "I love you so much it hurts. Sometimes, I dream about marking all of you in the same night. Claiming every inch. Watching you beg for me."
Sam's throat tightened.
> "You're mine, Sam," Noah murmured. "Even when you lie to me."
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SAM'S THOUGHTS:
They all think I'm the quiet one. The broken one. The shadow they have to protect.
But I'm the only one lying to their faces every day.
If they knew the truth, they wouldn't love me. They'd burn the world down trying to fix it.
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Lucien entered without knocking.
He crossed the room, yanked Sam close by the wrist, and stared into his eyes.
> "Whatever you're hiding, Sam, I don't care. But if it puts Noah in danger, I will take you apart piece by piece."
His tone was calm. Too calm.
Sam yanked his arm away. "You don't scare me."
Lucien leaned in, lips brushing Sam's ear. "That's because I want you too badly to hurt you… yet."
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MAX & SILAS – Shared Room
The twins lay in bed, backs to each other, silent.
"I think I'm falling in love with Noah," Silas whispered.
Max turned his head. "Only now?"
Silas closed his eyes. "No. I just didn't want it to be true."
Max reached out, touched Silas's hand beneath the sheets.
"I'm scared of what he'd do for us," Max confessed. "Or what we'd let him do in our name."
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IN THE DARK
Noah stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall, listening to them.
He didn't cry.
He smiled.
> "Then you finally understand," he whispered.
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BONUS SCENE: LUCIEN & NOAH (Their private room)
Lucien sat in a chair, shirtless, his back to the fireplace. Noah straddled his lap, his fingers in Lucien's hair.
"I'm losing control," Noah murmured.
Lucien cupped his face. "You're just waking up to your true nature."
"I want to keep them all. Forever."
"Then do it," Lucien said. "I'll help you."
Their lips met. It was violent. Hungry.
Lucien's tongue slid across Noah's lip, then down his throat, tasting obsession.
"Do you still want Sam?" Noah asked.
Lucien smirked. "Enough to break him open and put myself inside his bones."
Noah moaned, leaning in. "Good. Because he's already halfway yours."
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🌒 Closing Scene
The mansion slept. But hearts burned. Secrets festered. Love twisted into obsession. And somewhere, deep beneath the surface…
The storm was beginning to rise.
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