Page 29 of Captivated By Alphas 1, Fated (The Blood Moon Chronicle #4)
“As you wish,” Adrian quoted, making a show of turning his back. His panther objected strenuously to looking away from their mate, but he placated it with the promise of what was to come.
He’ll wear our shirt, he reminded his beast. Carry our scent. Small claiming now, full claiming later.
He heard the gentle splash of water as Eli emerged from the lake, the soft padding of wet feet on stone.
His enhanced hearing captured every detail—the subtle catch in Eli’s breath as the air hit his wet skin, the rustle of fabric as he pulled on Adrian’s shirt, a muttered “ridiculous situation” under his breath.
Adrian’s imagination filled in the visual details his turned back denied him—water streaming down that perfect pale skin, droplets clinging to platinum lashes, the way his shirt would cling to Eli’s still-damp body.
His panther whined with frustration at missing the sight, clawing at his insides with impatience.
Want to see, it complained. Want to look. Want to touch.
“Okay, you can turn around now,” Eli said after a moment, his voice tight with embarrassment.
Adrian turned, and his panther nearly broke free at the sight that greeted him.
Eli stood on the shore, Adrian’s white dress shirt hanging to mid-thigh on his smaller frame, the fabric clinging to his still-damp skin in places.
Water droplets traced paths down his bare legs, and his platinum hair was slicked back, emphasizing the elegant structure of his face.
The shirt was partially transparent where it clung to him, revealing tantalizing glimpses of the lean body beneath.
Beautiful, his panther breathed, momentarily stunned into reverence. Perfect. OURS.
He looked like something from a Renaissance painting—all pale beauty and ethereal grace, standing against the backdrop of nature. Adrian’s artistic eye and predatory instincts merged into a single, overwhelming appreciation that made his breath catch in his throat.
His panther stirred beneath his skin, claws extending as the beast fought to emerge. It wanted to pounce, to pin this beautiful creature to the ground, to mark every inch of that pale skin with teeth and tongue until no one could mistake who Eli Harper belonged to.
Mine, it growled, the sound nearly escaping Adrian’s throat. MINE.
“See something you like?” Eli asked dryly, though the flush on his cheeks belied his casual tone. “Or are you mentally blocking out a scene for your next pretentious art film?”
“Both,” Adrian admitted, his panther too close to the surface for anything but honesty. “You’re exquisite. Like moonlight given human form.”
Eli blinked, clearly thrown by the sincere compliment. His snarky facade cracked momentarily, revealing something vulnerable beneath. “That’s… I… Right. Well, you mentioned car trouble? Before this gets any more awkward?”
Adrian let his gaze linger on those water droplets clinging to Eli's eyelashes, drinking in every detail like a man dying of thirst. "Ran out of gas about a mile back," he replied, his eyes making a slow, deliberate journey down Eli's body before meeting his gaze again.
"I may have gotten… distracted by the scenery"—his voice dropped to a husky whisper as his gaze burned into Eli's—"and completely lost track of everything else. "
Want to touch him, his panther urged, pacing restlessly beneath his skin. Want to taste those water droplets. Want to feel that skin beneath our hands.
“Lucky for you, I keep an emergency gas can in my trunk,” Eli said, moving toward his car. “Though I’m questioning how lucky I am at the moment.”
“You don’t consider meeting me lucky?” Adrian asked, following at a distance that wouldn’t alarm his mate but close enough to catch his scent on the breeze.
His panther tracked every movement, cataloging the graceful way Eli walked despite his obvious embarrassment, the slight sway of the shirt that revealed tantalizing glimpses of thigh.
Eli shot him a look over his shoulder. “Meeting one of my—meeting you, half-naked, while I’m completely naked, in the middle of nowhere? No, I wouldn’t file that under ‘lucky.’ More like ‘cosmic punishment for unknown sins.’” He stumbled slightly over his words, the slip not lost on Adrian.
His panther perked up at the verbal stumble, suddenly alert. One of his what? it demanded, sensing something significant in the hesitation.
“One of your what?” Adrian pressed, his panther suddenly alert. “Fans? Crushes? Future co-stars?”
Tell us, his beast urged silently. Tell us what we are to you.
“One of my employer’s family members,” Eli recovered, though the heightened color in his cheeks told a different story. “Which makes this whole situation professionally mortifying.”
Adrian’s panther didn’t believe the deflection for a second. It had caught the spike in Eli’s scent, the subtle quickening of his pulse that signaled deception. Their mate was hiding something—something about how he saw Adrian.
More than employer, his beast insisted. He knows us. Wants us. Can smell it on him.
“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Adrian promised, his voice dropping to a register that had made countless co-stars swoon. “Some experiences are meant to be… private.”
Eli fumbled with his keys, nearly dropping them as he opened the trunk. “Do you practice these lines, or do they just come naturally to you?”
“Improvisation is my specialty,” Adrian replied, moving closer as Eli bent to retrieve the gas can. The shirt rode up dangerously high, and Adrian’s control nearly shattered at the glimpse of pale thigh revealed by the movement.
His vision sharpened, the colors intensifying as his eyes began to shift. He felt his canines lengthen, his nails extending into claws that he quickly curled into fists. The urge to pounce, to pin this beautiful creature against the car and claim him completely, was nearly overwhelming.
Take him now, his panther urged, its voice a primal growl that reverberated through his skull. Claim what’s OURS. Mark him. Make him understand.