Chapter 169: _Jealousy, Loyalty And Dominance Elian’s POV
"I—" His throat bobbed as he forced his lips into a sheepish smile under Lucian’s gaze. "You’re mistaken. You must have misheard me. I was... reciting something from the book. About, uh, mana core resonance. Yeah. All three resonating at once, that’s what I meant." Lucian’s silver eyes narrowed like blades. The Alpha Prince was never one to buy flimsy excuses, and Elian knew it. That cool gaze raked over him with such intensity that Elian felt exposed—like every thought in his head was about to be dragged into the open and picked apart. "Core resonance," Lucian repeated slowly, his deep voice low enough to vibrate in Elian’s chest. "That’s a fascinating way to phrase it. Almost poetic. Tell me though..." He tilted his head. "Why did you look so guilty when I called you out?" Elian’s heart thudded painfully. Damn it! Lucian’s wolf hearing and sharp instincts made lying to him nearly impossible. He needed to pivot, fast. "Because," Elian said quickly, biting down on his lip for effect, "you startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in the corridor. And then you accused me of saying something inappropriate. Of course I’d look guilty—who wouldn’t?" For a moment, the only sound was Lucian’s measured breathing. He studied Elian like one might study a dangerous spellbook—warily, carefully, but with unmistakable interest. Inside Elian’s head, the system groaned.
"I—" His throat bobbed as he forced his lips into a sheepish smile under Lucian’s gaze. "You’re mistaken. You must have misheard me. I was... reciting something from the book. About, uh, mana core resonance. Yeah. All three resonating at once, that’s what I meant." Lucian’s silver eyes narrowed like blades. The Alpha Prince was never one to buy flimsy excuses, and Elian knew it. That cool gaze raked over him with such intensity that Elian felt exposed—like every thought in his head was about to be dragged into the open and picked apart. "Core resonance," Lucian repeated slowly, his deep voice low enough to vibrate in Elian’s chest. "That’s a fascinating way to phrase it. Almost poetic. Tell me though..." He tilted his head. "Why did you look so guilty when I called you out?" Elian’s heart thudded painfully. Damn it! Lucian’s wolf hearing and sharp instincts made lying to him nearly impossible. He needed to pivot, fast. "Because," Elian said quickly, biting down on his lip for effect, "you startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be in the corridor. And then you accused me of saying something inappropriate. Of course I’d look guilty—who wouldn’t?" For a moment, the only sound was Lucian’s measured breathing. He studied Elian like one might study a dangerous spellbook—warily, carefully, but with unmistakable interest. Inside Elian’s head, the system groaned.
[Wow. You really expect him to swallow that? You’re lucky he seems in love with you, otherwise your little soap opera excuse would have gotten you killed by now.]
’Not helping,’ Elian snapped inwardly, keeping his expression calm.
Lucian finally spoke again, his voice quieter but heavier. "You have secrets, Elian. Secrets you never think I notice." His jaw ticked as his eyes glinted. "One day, I’ll tear those secrets out of you. And you’ll learn you can’t hide from me."
Elian’s stomach twisted.
Was that a promise? A threat? Both?
He swallowed hard, trying to think of something—anything—to steer this away from dangerous ground.
He should have been terrified.
Instead, some insane part of him thought: maybe Lucian’s suspicion could be leveraged.
If he could redirect Lucian’s obsession, his possessiveness, his constant hunger to uncover Elian’s secrets... into a different kind of hunger.
His pulse spiked at the thought.
’Oh goddess. Am I really considering seducing my way out of this interrogation?’
Lucian stepped closer until their breaths mingled, his silver eyes clearer in its possessiveness now.
"Tell me again," Lucian said softly but dangerously. "What did you mean by ’all three of them’?"
Elian licked his lips.
His brain screamed at him to deny, to double down on his flimsy lie—but another thought whispered louder: what if this is my opening?
He leaned slightly back against the wall, feigning nonchalance though his heart raced. "It doesn’t matter what I said. You’re blowing it out of proportion." His voice softened, testing the waters. "Unless... you’re jealous?"
Lucian’s body stiffened.
A dark growl vibrated in his chest, low and primal.
"Jealous?" the Alpha Prince echoed, as though tasting the word. His hand pressed against the wall beside Elian’s head, caging him in. "You think I share. You think I tolerate those other two. Is that what amuses you?"
Elian’s lips parted, but no sound came. Lucian’s presence was overwhelming—heat, authority, the storm of his wolf clawing beneath his skin. Elian had seen it before, but every time, it left him breathless.
And yet, amid the tension, the system’s special mission floated in his mind like a flashing neon sign: intimacy with all three mates at once.
If he could bait Lucian’s jealousy, fan it into something reckless, maybe he could bend it to his advantage. Maybe he could plant the idea of claiming him in front of the others—frame it as dominance, as proof of possession.
Werewolves loved that kind of show, right?
It was insane. It was risky. But it was exactly the kind of chaotic plan the system would salivate over.
[Ou, finally, some initiative. Took you long enough.]
Lucian’s voice cut through his scheming. "You play dangerous games, Elian. But I’ll remind you..." He leaned close, lips almost brushing Elian’s ear. "You belong to me."
A shiver tore down Elian’s spine.
For a fleeting moment, he almost forgot the mission, the lies, everything—lost in Lucian’s proximity, his scent, his body’s warmth.
But then his rational brain kicked in.
No. Focus. Think.
He forced a light chuckle, masking his nerves. "You sound so sure of yourself. What if I decide otherwise?"
Lucian’s hand closed gently but firmly around his wrist, pulling it upward to press against his chest. Elian could feel the thunderous beat of the Alpha Prince’s heart beneath taut muscle.
"Decide otherwise," Lucian murmured, "and I’ll be glad to remind you exactly why you can’t."
Elian’s breath stuttered. His lips parted, words failing him, his mind caught between fear, desire, and strategy.
[Oh, I love this. Keep pushing him. You’ve almost got him.]
’Almost got him into what?!’ Elian snapped in his mind.
Pinned against a wall? That seems hardly like progress in the system’s ridiculous mission.
[Wrong. It’s the perfect first step. Now imagine multiplying this tension by three. That’s your goal.]
Elian wanted to scream.
Multiply this? With Kyren and Axel in the room too? That wasn’t intimacy—that was a warzone waiting to happen.
Yet... as Lucian’s grip held him, Elian’s mind sparked with the seed of an idea. A reckless, absolutely insane idea.
If he could engineer a situation where jealousy, dominance, and intimacy collided in one room... if he played his cards just right, nudged their instincts at the right time... maybe, just maybe, the impossible could happen.
He’d need bait. A setup. A reason for all three to be there with him, their emotions raw and defenses lowered. Something to push them past rivalry and into primal instinct.
It was dangerous but it was sure as heck possible.
Lucian finally stepped back, though his gaze remained sharp and unyielding.
"I don’t know what you’re scheming," he said. "But hear me, Elian. I won’t let you slip through my fingers again. Not now. Not ever. I’ll do everything in my power to prove myself to you."
Elian’s pulse thundered.
He forced a playful smirk, masking the chaos inside. "Then maybe you’ll get your wish sooner than you think."
Lucian’s brows furrowed. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Elian said lightly, sidestepping him before his legs could betray how weak they felt. He tossed a glance over his shoulder, his eyes glinting with feigned mischief. "Just... wait and see."
Lucian’s stare burned into his back as he turned and walked away, the weight of it heavy and possessive.
Inside, Elian’s thoughts spiraled.
His mind raced through scenarios—provoking Lucian’s jealousy, tempting Axel’s loyalty, coaxing Kyren’s dominance. If he could turn their conflicting natures into a single storm, he could complete the mission.
It would require planning, timing and precision.
But as reckless as it was, Elian didn’t feel like he dreaded the special mission for the first time. He actually wanted to try.
His lips curved into the faintest smile as he disappeared down the corridor.
[Looks like someone’s scheming mind is actually coming up with an idea after that little encounter... I’ve never been more proud.]