The first thing Lucien did, his reason blurred by the rut cycle, was to press his lips to the tears streaming down Ines’s cheeks, licking them away.

He followed the endless trail of tears with unrelenting focus, and when they no longer fell, he pressed his lips to the corners of her eyes—almost as if determined to draw out even a single drop more.

“Ahh… huuh…”

The hot, wet muscle tracing her tear-streaked skin was a sensation she could never grow used to. If its owner had been anyone but Lucien, there would have been no reason for Ines to endure such humiliation.

There was only one reason she bore it.

“Lucien… I love you…”

Knowing he would wake and forget it all, she wanted at least now to confess honestly. A lifetime of unsaid words overflowed uncontrollably in this moment.

She wanted to preserve, in her own way, the meaning of this act—by delivering her love to him, even if it was entirely one-sided.

“I like you… I love you.”

Lucien, relentless as though licking up every strand of her lashes, let his tongue glide over the fresh tears that welled again. Before they could cling to her chin, he drew them all into his mouth.

Ines kept whispering her confession, until her body was suddenly lifted into the air. Between her parted legs, the burning heat of his arousal pressed against her.

Even though she was still wearing undergarments, she could feel the heat so vividly. He frantically rubbed his p*nis against her v*gina through the thin fabric, the hardness of it and all its veins parting her outer folds as though trying to force its way inside.

Though the cloth was still between them, it was already soaked, allowing her to feel every contour of his skin. He pushed against her with rough, insistent strokes as he moved forward.

Ines clung to him, her arms looped around his neck. The intoxicating scent emanating from his breath made her mind grow hazy.

She always thought herself depraved in these moments. How else could her body go slack and surrender to desire so easily from just his scent?

“Huuh…”

No sooner had he laid her on the bed than he suddenly sank his teeth into her neck. Like an animal biting its prey, he grazed her skin with his teeth before gently chewing and then sucking hard.

“Ahh!”

The force left her wondering if he truly meant to devour her. When he finally released her, a deep bruise bloomed where his mouth had been.

As more and more marks appeared on her skin, her slip and undergarments vanished without her realizing—ripped to shreds and left scattered on the floor.

As if it were his right, Lucien positioned himself between her open, bare thighs and held his er*ect p*nis firmly against her cl*toris.

“Mm… ah…”

With a desperate, jerking motion, he shifted until he found his place, prying her entrance wide before thrusting in.

“Ahh—ha… huuh…”

Whenever something as thick as her forearm split her open and forced its way inside, every muscle in her body tensed and dampened under the strain.

The wetness flowing freely from her made it possible to take him without harm, but the sheer act of being entered without preparation still brought an unavoidable edge of fear.

Even so, she could endure—because even in the haze of his rut, Lucien noticed the moment her body grew tense and soothed her without fail.

Now too, though he said nothing, his lips closed gently over hers, his tongue moving in a slow, stroking swirl inside her mouth.

But unlike the teasing movements above, the heat inside her drove forward with rough, unrestrained force.

Her limbs trembled of their own accord. As she struggled for breath, he grabbed her wrists, crossed them over her chest, and thrust himself fully inside her.

“Mmff!”

The deep, jarring sensation of him striking her cervix made her clench around him without thinking—drawing a groan straight into her mouth.

Pinned above and below, her arms restrained and one leg caught in his grip, she was nothing more than prey offered up before a predator.

“Hh… huuh…”

As she turned her head to catch her breath, he chased after her instantly, sealing his mouth over hers again. The hot weight filling her mouth matched the sensation between her legs, and her ears rang with the sound of wetness.

With each thrust and movement, more moisture was coaxed from her body to ensure she could hold on to him without getting injured. The damp heat between her thighs felt almost indecently blatant.

When she stopped fighting back, he released her wrists.

Like a snake, his hand slid down and firmly grasped the curve of her br*ast. Beneath his palm, her n*pple stood stiff and er*ect with arousal, perfectly cupped in his large hand.

“Mm… hhht…”

Her n*pples were being tormented simultaneously: one was pulled deep into his hot mouth, while the other was pinched and tugged sharply between his fingers.

Even in response to such minor stimulation, her body reacted; her v*gina throbbed as if in answer.

Each time, shame washed over her. Although Lucien was beyond reason, she knew she shouldn’t feel this way.

And yet, every time his hands or lips touched her, her mind dissolved into rapture. Moreover, his overpowering scent made her feel as though her very soul was being stolen.

When his bright, hungry eyes locked on her, resistance seemed impossible. She was left with the dizzying urge to give herself to him entirely — even her life, if he asked for it.

After teasing her n*pples for a while, he stood up and grasped her narrow waist with both hands.

His sapphire eyes, which had been fixed on her navel, slowly travelled upwards.

His gaze met hers.

There was nothing in them — nothing at all — yet somehow they burned with an intensity that made her wonder if she was imagining things.

Might he love her too?

Lucien’s tongue slid slowly over his lower lip as his thumbs pressed firmly into the spot just below her navel.

“Hhuhh…!”

The motion made his hardened p*nis inside her press flush against her inner walls, as though it had become one with her. She could feel every ripple of her muscles tightening in waves around him. Just that small motion was enough to make her entire body tremble.

“Uhh… Lu… Lucien…”

He remained buried to the hilt, not moving. It was unlike him.

His p*nis pressed against her cervix and his fingers dug into her lower abdomen. This alone was enough to make her vision flicker and stutter.

She blinked rapidly, shuddered, and cl*maxed on her own.

“Ahhh—!”

Physiological tears spilled freely down her cheeks. Even though he didn’t move, aftershocks continued to roll through her, causing her limbs to twitch irregularly.

Watching her reaction closely, he suddenly dipped his head, catching a tear that clung to her chin with his tongue.

His sharp nose pressed into her cheek as if to leave an imprint, inhaling deeply and openly. Sniffing along the tear-streaked skin, he then lowered his head further and sank his teeth into the nape of her neck.

“Mmph!”

The pain was sharp enough to bring tears to her eyes again, and the sudden metallic tang of blood filled the air.

The act—something he had never done before—sent a ripple of fear through her. Was this… what all Alphas were like?

Then his tongue traced up over the wound in a slow, deliberate lick, one hand patting her crown almost soothingly.

“…Lucien?”

For a moment, it felt as though he had come to his senses, and her body stiffened instinctively.

Three years had passed since she had first slept with him while he was in the grip of his rut. In all that time, he had never remembered a thing. She had resented him for it.

Once, she had even hoped he would recall—whispering her love into his ear over and over while he was insensible, begging him to remember.

But no matter how hard she tried, once the cycle ended, every trace of their nights together vanished from his memory.

So why did it frighten her now?

She had never considered what would happen if he did remember. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she had avoided thinking about it.

She had only ever vaguely wished that Lucien would remember their nights together.

But if he did — if he remembered this night — wouldn’t their fragile relationship fall apart?

“Lu… Lucien!”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet he continued to lick the wound he had inflicted, even when she called his name. It was as though he was offering a silent apology.

“Haa…”

Relieved, Ines let out a long, weary breath as the tension drained from her body.

After lingering at her neck for a while, he suddenly pulled away, only to thrust back in with great force, as if he could no longer control himself.

“Hhhuuhh!”

“…Haa.”

Her walls, still trembling from her earlier climax, yielded easily to the onslaught, convulsing around him. Exhaling in satisfaction, he began thrusting into her with relentless vigour.

With each forceful stroke, her slick juices scattered in every direction.

Ines, oddly comforted by the familiar rhythm of his movements, wrapped her arms around his neck and thought—

‘Lucien, never remember our nights together.’

‘I’ll take responsibility for everything. Just let us carry on as we are.’