Chapter 4

Lucien casually teased Luna with his fingertips, like he'd done it a thousand times before.

The little white snake immediately obediently wrapped itself around his slender fingers. Its cool scales pressed against his skin, its tail flicking gently before settling comfortably on his sharply defined wrist.

He lifted his wrist and turned Luna to face me.

"Fine," Lucien said, his voice flat and icy but carrying an unmistakable command.

He stood and looked down at me from above. His gaze lingered on my pale, terrified face for a moment before shifting back to the quietly coiled snake on his wrist.

"Touch it," he ordered.

I must have misheard him, because panic flooded me as I stared in disbelief. "What?"

"I said, touch it," Lucien repeated.

After a short pause, he added, "Tonight, it stays in your room. You'll take care of it all night."

"No way," I almost shouted. "Lucien, you're crazy! You know I—"

"I know you're scared," he interrupted. "Then get over it. It's been over ten years, and you still don't dare to even try? Or is your fear just an excuse to avoid me and this whole family?"

"That's not true," I snapped, tears welling uncontrollably, blurring my vision.

Was I afraid of snakes? Afraid of him, or afraid of this place where I never fit in?

I didn't even know.

"Then prove it." Lucien stepped closer, the musky, sweet scent mixing with his intense presence washing over me.

He raised his wrist, bringing the little white snake closer to me.

"Just touch it. Just once. Then take it back to your room and care for it tonight. If you do..."

He deliberately paused, his deep black eyes locking onto my tear-filled ones.

"Tomorrow morning I'll let you go," he said, enunciating each word with deliberate clarity.

Let me go?

You mean I could leave this suffocating place?

As long as I could leave. As long as I could end this once and for all.

I bit my lip hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood.

My vision blurred as I blinked away the tears, forcing myself to focus on the silver-white snake coiled serenely around Lucien's wrist.

Knowing I had to try, I braced myself.

Trembling, I slowly lifted my right hand, the chill in my fingers sinking deep into my bones.

My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat loud and frantic, as if it were about to crack through them.

Lucien stood there without moving, his wrist held steady. However, his eyes, dark and impossibly deep, were unnerving in their intensity.

My fingers hovered just shy of the snake's cold, slick scales. Every detail of its intricate pattern was visible, and I could feel a faint vibration pulsing through its body.

I squeezed my eyes shut, held my breath, and braced myself. The moment my fingertips made contact with its skin, a jolt shot through me like static.

I jerked my hand back, heart pounding against my ribs, a cold sweat breaking out down my back.

Without realizing it, my eyes opened again. The little white snake was still resting quietly on Lucien's wrist.

Its slender tail flicked once—deliberate and slow. Something was unsettling in that tiny, wordless motion.

Lucien stiffened.

A short, restrained grunt escaped his throat.

It was soft, barely audible.

Startled, I looked up at him and saw a flush had crept up the side of his neck, blooming quickly across his cheeks.

He pursed his lips, eyes flashing with disbelief and embarrassment. Before I could study him further, he turned his head.

As if sensing the shift in Lucien's emotions, the little white snake flicked its tail, the tip gliding across the inside of his wrist.

Lucien yanked his hand back like he'd been burned, the sudden movement stirring the air between us.

He lowered his head, lashes casting shadows over his eyes. By the time he looked at me again, the flush was gone, replaced by a practiced calm that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Get off me," he growled at the snake, voice hoarse and tight with restraint.

He didn't look at me. His gaze shifted away as he snapped out another order. "Take it with you. Bring it back tomorrow morning."

With that, he spun around and stormed out, the door slamming so hard the echo lingered in my ears.

Suddenly, I was alone.

The little white snake looked just as startled. It curled up on the carpet, its tiny head raised, beady eyes fixed on the door.

I glanced at it, then back at the closed door, my mind in turmoil.

"What was that?" I muttered. "That blush... and the way he reacted..."