The night air in the city was sharp, scented with rain and asphalt, a bitter reminder of the storm that had passed hours ago. Seraphina Vale tightened her scarf around her neck, trying to ignore the chill creeping through her bones. She never liked this part of town—the sleek neon lights and towering skyscrapers belonged to a world she had learned to survive outside of, a world of wealth, power, and dangerous secrets.
Yet tonight, the pull of the city was irresistible. She had business to attend to, and business meant meeting people who dealt in power—some human, some... not.
Sera's heels clicked against the marble floor of the luxury high-rise, each step echoing like a metronome counting down to something she wasn't ready to face. She glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall. Dark hair cascading over her shoulders, emerald eyes sharp and guarded, lips pressed into a line of defiance. She was nothing like the scared girl who had been abandoned six years ago. That Sera had died along with her broken heart.
"Ms. Vale?"
A soft, familiar voice broke her thoughts. She turned, instinctively scanning the lobby. A tall, impeccably dressed man approached, his expression polite but unreadable. "Your appointment is ready."
Sera nodded, forcing a smile. "Thank you."
She stepped into the elevator, the hum of the machinery oddly soothing. But then, a flicker of movement in the corner of her eye froze her blood. A shadow, tall, commanding, yet impossibly familiar. Her heart skipped—not with fear, but a mixture of disbelief and anger.
He was here.
Lucien Blackwood.
The man who had left her six years ago without explanation. The alpha who had torn her world apart. The man she had tried to forget, but never truly could.
Sera's fists clenched at her sides. He hadn't changed—maybe a little older, a little sharper—but those piercing grey eyes, the ones that had haunted her dreams, were still the same. And when he looked at her, there was no hesitation, no apology—only that dangerous, possessive intensity that had once made her heart race and her knees weak.
Lucien's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Sera."
Her breath caught. The single word was like a whip across her skin. She had spent years trying to erase it from her memory, and yet here it was—alive, as raw as the first day he had walked out of her life.
"I—" she started, but words failed her.
"You've grown," he said, stepping closer. His presence was overwhelming, magnetic. She could feel it—the subtle vibration of his alpha energy brushing against her, pulling, commanding, testing her will. "Stronger than I imagined."
Sera straightened, lifting her chin. "I had to." Her voice was steadier than she felt. "You left. I survived."
Lucien's expression darkened, a storm behind those grey eyes. "I had no choice. You think I wanted to leave you? I walked away to protect you—from them, from everything I couldn't control at the time."
She laughed bitterly, the sound sharp and cutting. "Protect me? By disappearing? By leaving me to wonder, to suffer?"
He flinched, almost imperceptibly, then composed himself. "I know I hurt you. More than you'll ever know. And I can't take back the past, Sera. But I'm here now. And I won't leave again."
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped into the dimly lit hallway. The tension between them was electric, palpable, and Sera felt the old pull in her chest—a mix of longing, anger, and something dangerous lurking beneath.
"Why now?" she demanded, her voice low. "After six years of silence, after everything—why show up at my doorstep?"
Lucien's gaze softened just slightly. "Because I need you. Because I can't ignore what's mine. Because you're mine, Sera. Always have been. Always will be."
The words hit her like a thunderclap, leaving her momentarily stunned. "Mine?" she echoed, incredulous. "You think you can just come back and claim me?"
"I don't think, Sera. I know."
Her heart raced. She wanted to scream, to push him away, to run. And yet, she found herself rooted to the spot, drawn to him in a way she couldn't explain. This was dangerous. This was forbidden. And she hated how much it thrilled her.
Before she could respond, his phone vibrated. He glanced at it, expression tightening. "I have to go. But we will talk. Soon. Tonight, if you'll allow it."
Sera's stomach twisted. "Talk? About what? Your excuses?"
"No," he said, his voice low and firm, brushing over her like fire. "About us."
And just like that, he was gone—leaving her alone with a storm of emotions, memories she had tried to bury, and a pulse-quickening tension that refused to fade.
Later That NightSera paced her apartment, heart still pounding from the encounter. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to stay away from him, yet every part of her remembered the thrill of being in his presence. She could still feel his energy lingering, wrapping around her, testing her.
Her best friend, Evelyn, lounged on the couch with her usual smirk. "You look like you just saw a ghost. Or a very rich, infuriatingly handsome ghost."
Sera groaned. "It's worse than a ghost, Ev. He—he's back. Lucien. The alpha who ruined my life."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "And you're not going to run to him?"
Sera spun around, furious. "Of course not! I survived six years without him. I'm not going to let him waltz back into my life and—"
Her words faltered. She didn't want to admit the truth, even to herself: that seeing him again had awakened feelings she had buried deep. The longing, the heat, the undeniable connection—they were all still there, threatening to consume her.
Evelyn leaned forward. "You've always been drawn to danger, Sera. Don't lie. You want him as much as you hate him."
Sera snapped. "I do not!"
But as she sank into the couch, head in hands, she knew Evelyn was right. Lucien Blackwood had returned, and nothing would ever be the same again.
A Storm is ComingHigh above the city, in his penthouse overlooking the skyline, Lucien Blackwood poured himself a glass of whiskey. His eyes, grey and unreadable, stared out into the night.
She was stronger. Smarter. Fiercer. Exactly the way he remembered—and exactly the way he would claim.
The world had changed. But his bond with Sera? That was eternal. And no force on earth, human or supernatural, would stand in his way.
Because she was his mate. And mates were not denied