Finn's POV
The moon hung heavy outside, its bloody glare slicing through the dark, painting the room in shades of red and shadow. I gasped as the slave pressed into me again and again, his hands rough and greedy, clawing at my scarred skin like he owned it. My body rocked under him, sweat slicking my flesh, the air thick with heat and the stench of lust. He was a nobody, some grunt I'd plucked from the shadows, but fuck, he moved like he knew me - hard and relentless, pinning me to the mattress with every thrust. My breath hitched, ragged and loud, but my mind wasn't on him. No, I'd calculated this shit down to the second.
Lycidas was coming. I could feel it in my bones, that prickling certainty crawling up my spine.
"Take me to the window," I rasped, my voice raw, edged with something dark. "Fuck me at the window."
The slave didn't blink, didn't question it. He grunted, scooped me up like I weighed nothing, and hauled me across the room. My face slammed against the cold glass, the night air seeping through, chilling my sweat-soaked skin. He didn't stop, didn't slow down a bit - just pressed me harder into the window, his hips grinding into mine, violating me over and over like it was his fucking birthright. I let my head tip back, a low moan spilling out, my eyes half-lidded as I stared down at the courtyard below.
There it was - Lycidas' Bentley, sleek and black, rolling up to the door like a predator stalking its kill. My pulse kicked up, hammering in my chest as he stepped out, all sharp edges and menace, his coat billowing in the wind. His head snapped up, instinctive, and those eyes - fuck, those eyes - locked onto mine through the glass. He saw it all - a beast pounding into me from behind, my body arched against the window, shameless and exposed. Rage flashed across his face, hot and wild, his lips curling into a snarl I could feel even from here.
He stormed toward the building, and I knew I had seconds. With a sharp shove, I pushed the slave off me, sending him stumbling back, his dick still hard and his eyes wide with confusion.
"You can go now," I said, cold as ice, brushing my hair back like I hadn't just been fucked senseless.
He froze, panting, staring at me like I'd lost my mind. "You want me to leave now?"
I slid my finger along the edge of the sofa, slow and deliberate, the leather cool under my touch. My steps were steady as I closed the distance between us, watching him back up, two shaky steps, uncertainty carving lines into his pretty face. I reached for the cigarette case draped over the sofa's back, flipped it open, and pulled one out. The lighter flicked to life with a hiss, and I lit up, taking a long, slow drag before letting the smoke curl out of my mouth.
"If you don't leave now," I said, voice low and lethal, "you'll never leave alive again. Even if the Moon Goddess herself comes, she can't save you from a Lycan's rage."
He stared, jaw tight, eyes flickering with something stubborn. "I'm not leaving. I'll stay here to protect you."
I laughed, sharp and bitter, and my hands shifted - skin giving way to chrome-colored claws, gleaming and vicious. I dragged the sharp tips across his chest, light enough to tease, hard enough to promise pain. Leaning in, I studied his face - handsome, sure, but fragile under that bravado.
"Why do you think I'm the one who needs protection?" I murmured, exhaling smoke into his eyes.
He didn't have shit to say to that, just stood there, stunned, mouth half-open like a fish. I turned my back on him, took another drag, and flicked my gaze to the French window's reflection. "I'm granting you freedom now. Get lost before I change my mind. The farther away, the better."
In the glass, I saw him hesitate, his shadow shifting, then finally move. He slipped out, quiet as a ghost, and I let the silence settle, thick and heavy. I smoked slow, waiting, the cigarette burning down as my pulse thrummed with anticipation.
The door exploded open minutes later, wood splintering, and Lycidas stormed in, all fury and claws. His hand shot out, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked me hard, throwing me onto the sofa. I hit it with a grunt, the leather creaking under me.
"Your Highness…" I started, struggling to sit up, but his boot slammed into my chest, pinning me back down, stealing my breath. The cigarette butt dropped on the floor.
I looked up at him, his face twisted with rage, and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, letting a smile curl my lips - just enough to piss him off. His foot lashed out, kicking me square in the face, the sting blooming hot and sharp. "You fucking slut! How dare you?!" he snarled, kicking again, harder this time. "Who's the man who fucked you? Where is he?!"
I turned my head, blood trickling from my lip, tasting copper on my tongue. "Your Highness," I whispered, voice soft and shaky, "he was just an insignificant slave. He's already gone."
Lycidas burned with it, his anger a living thing. He grabbed my shoulder, hauled me up, and slammed me against the wall, the impact rattling my teeth. "What the fuck did you say?!"
"Your Highness," I said, trembling just enough to sell it, "I haven't seen you in a long time. I miss you very much."
He pressed harder, his grip bruising my skin. "So you found a slave to fuck you?!"
"That's what those slaves are for. Your Highness, I miss you so much. I didn't know if you'd still contact me after last time. After all, I'm just your fucking toy - used up, discarded."
He spun me around, his hands rough, his breath hot against my neck. "So you did this to get my attention? You've got it now. Do you know what I'm gonna do to you?!"
I met his gaze, voice dropping to a whisper. "Your Highness, you can punish me as much as you want. Or you can just kill me..."
He shoved my face away, sneering. "Kill you? Being killed by me is the greatest fucking mercy you'll get." Then he hoisted me up, threw me over his shoulder like a sack of meat, and marched downstairs. I smiled to myself, cold and sharp, but I let my body tremble, playing the part. "Your Highness, what are you trying to do to me?"