At five minutes to noon, Chase approached Lilith's executive office. He felt the familiar surge of his overcharged Essence—a vibrant, almost painful energy he had carefully cultivated with Rixsa over the weekend. He was radiating power, a beacon of pure, untapped spiritual resource.
He knocked once, and the heavy mahogany door opened automatically.
Lilith was waiting. She was seated behind her desk, but the posture was different now. She was leaning back, trying to appear relaxed, but her eyes—those beautiful, terrifying red eyes—were wide, dilated, and fixed on him with a hungry intensity she was no longer trying to hide. Her smooth brown skin seemed to shimmer in the office light.
"Close the door, Chase," she commanded, her voice low and tight. It was the voice of a predator who had finally cornered its prize.
Chase complied, stepping into the massive room. He walked past the coffee table and stood directly in front of her desk, refusing the seat she typically offered. This wasn't a meeting; it was a confrontation over dominance and possession.
"I believe we were scheduled to discuss the Essence Regulation policy and my 'newfound consistency,'" Chase stated, his voice steady and calm, contrasting sharply with the overwhelming spiritual energy pouring off him.
Lilith didn't speak. She just absorbed the scent, the sight, the sheer volume of his power. It was intoxicating, a spiritual drug. She finally leaned forward, resting her chin on her clasped hands, her smile slow and calculating.
"The scent of Seraphina's venom is completely gone, Chase," Lilith whispered, her voice laced with grudging admiration. "And you are not merely consistent; you are overflowing. You smell like a divine lightning strike wrapped in silk. No human should be able to produce this level of raw, stable Essence. You have exceeded my expectations."
She already knows about that? Well its not a problem chase thought smirking internally
"My goal is to exceed expectations in all areas, Lilith," Chase replied. "However, the Essence overflow is becoming a liability to my work performance. I need a clear, contractual arrangement for Essence transfer."
Lilith laughed, a sharp, powerful burst of sound. "Contractual? You believe you can dictate the terms of your consumption, little resource? You are a walking feast. You belong to the Alpha who claims you."
She stood, moving around the desk with the fluid, powerful grace of a wolf preparing to pounce. She stopped right in front of him, closing the space, attempting to dominate him with sheer physical and spiritual proximity.
"You are mine, Chase.
I staked my claim the moment I hired you. I shielded you from the others last week, and I am the only predator strong enough to manage this power without killing you. We will transfer Essence through the fourth method—the most potent entanglement. And we will do it every time you reach this level of overflow."
She reached out, her hand settling possessively on his chest, right over his pounding heart. Her eyes were burning red. "I will own every surge, every feeling, every atom of power you possess. Now, tell me you submit."
Chase waited for the exact right moment—the moment when her focus was entirely on the magnificent rush of his power. Then, he acted.
He caught her wrist, his grip iron-hard, stopping her predatory movement instantly. His fingers, now radiating the sheer, controlled force of his warrior Essence, pulsed against her skin.
Lilith gasped, not in pain, but in stunned disbelief. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her: this resource wasn't just potent; it was anchored.
"You are right, Lilith," Chase said, his voice low, steady, and utterly dominant, resonating with a power that overshadowed her Alpha command. "I am a valuable resource. And valuable resources dictate their own maintenance schedule."
He didn't release her wrist. He gently rotated it, pinning her hand against her own chest, forcing her into a position of submission.
"First, I am not yours to claim. I work for you. Second, the unscheduled attempt by Seraphina on Saturday demonstrates that your protection is inadequate. If you want this level of power managed—if you want to ensure no other competitor siphons even a fraction of my Essence—then I manage the transfer."
Chase leaned in, his face close to hers, his own eyes holding the terrifying stillness of an ancient weapon. "We will use the third method—prolonged physical contact—for maintenance. It is slow, controllable, and prevents the highly potent, dangerous entanglement of the fourth method that would quickly make me a liability due to addiction and dependency."
He could see the internal struggle: the Alpha instinct to fight, clashing with the predator's self-preservation. He was demanding a controlled transfer, which was less potent, but guaranteed exclusivity.
"You choose the method?" Lilith whispered, a tremor running through her body.
"I choose the terms," Chase corrected. "You get Essence infusion weekly, scheduled by me, using the third method, provided you guarantee my absolute safety from all other predators in this building. My Essence is yours, but only under my control. You are not consuming a passive host, Lilith. You are entering into an exclusive partnership."
He held her gaze, waiting for the Alpha recognition.
The fight went out of Lilith's eyes. The hunger was still there, but it was now laced with respect—and a chilling new level of desire for a resource that fought back.
"Very well, partner," Lilith purred, her eyes half-lidded, accepting the terms with a slow, sensual nod. "Exclusive physical contact for scheduled maintenance. I will draw up the contractual addendum myself. It will be signed before the end of the day."
Chase released her wrist. "Excellent. Now, regarding the Khazarian text inconsistencies..."
As Chase smoothly transitioned back to work, Lilith stood there, her heart pounding, her Alpha mind reeling. She had sought a possession, but she had found a dominant. He had not submitted to her hunger; she had submitted to his control.
This was no longer just an executive feast. It was a game of power, and she had just discovered that her resource was far more dangerous, and far more exciting, than she ever imagined.