Chapter 33 – Come to Me, I Dare You
Naomi’s breath was still shaky when she leaned in, arms wrapping around Lux’s waist as he gently slid her dress back into place—carefully covering her shoulder, hiding the strange, flickering red mark beneath silk once more.
It had burned for a moment. Glowed like fire laced with gold. Then it faded—shifting into something more refined. A sigil. Elegant. Crisp. Like a seal made of molten ink. Now it was gone, hidden under her skin... or waiting for her to bring it back.
His hands stayed on her waist. But his eyes?
Still locked to the glass.
Still watching the girls inside with that slow, infuriating calm.
He just smiled.
And mouthed it silently.
"Come to me. I dare you."
And gods help them—Rava nearly did.
Her heel scraped the ground. Her thigh twitched. Her body moved before her brain caught up. One step—just one step forward—and she might’ve joined them. Might’ve marched up and kissed him or drowned him or thrown him straight into a luxury suite for ’questioning.’
Because whatever that was?
The kiss. The way Naomi’s body curled into his like she belonged there—
That wasn’t just intimacy.
It was power.
And Rava wanted it.
But before she could take another step—
"Hey!" she hissed when suddenly—
A hand clamped over her mouth.
"Not today, Kraken girl," Mira muttered.
"Mmmf!" Rava struggled, flailing as Elyndra and Fiera flanked her from both sides like they were her damn security detail.
"You saw what he did," Fiera whispered hotly, cheeks flushed like she’d just stared down a credit default swap gone volatile.
"I did, and I approve," Rava tried to say but it came out like "Mm-hmmph!"
Mira dragged her back by the wrist.
Elyndra grabbed the other arm.
Fiera threw herself in front like a velvet barricade.
"No," Mira hissed.
"He looked at us—!"
"That’s the problem!"
The girls wrestled her back into the main room, faces flushed, heels clicking wildly on marble like a bank run in high heels.
Inside, back at their table, Rava finally broke free, fanning herself.
"I just wanted a closer look," she hissed. "That doesn’t mean I was gonna jump him."
"You were drooling," Fiera muttered.
"You bit your lip," Elyndra added.
"I always bite my lip when I’m curious!" Rava defended.
"That wasn’t curiosity," Mira said, sitting down with a tight, calculated breath. "That was heat. And you were about to go public with it."
"I mean..." Rava exhaled, flopping into a chair. "Can you blame me?"
None of them answered.
Because the truth was...
They were all doing the exact same thing.
Still staring at the terrace.
Still flushed.
"I thought it was just a kiss," Fiera murmured. "You know? Intense. Hot. Whatever. But then..."
"She bared her shoulder," Elyndra said, nodding. "And then he—what even was that?"
"Not a tattoo," Mira muttered. "Not illusion magic. Something else. I’ve never seen it before."
Rava propped her elbows on the table. "It glowed. Like... like molten ink. Crimson and gold."
"Maybe it’s symbolic," Fiera offered. "Like a branding ritual or spiritual bonding or..."
"Guys," Rava groaned, "I don’t care if it’s a cultural tradition or a weird kink. All I know is, I want it."
"You mean him," Mira corrected, sipping her wine again.
"...Yes. That too."
"You said marriage was a trap," Elyndra reminded her once again, cocking an elegant brow.
Rava shrugged, fixing her hair. "That was before I saw a man kiss a girl like he just closed a billion-dollar merger and followed it up with signing his name on her soul."
"You’re being dramatic," Fiera said, blushing.
"And you’re not?" Rava snapped. "You clutched Mira’s arm so hard I thought you were going to short the fabric."
"It was velvet! I panicked!"
Mira just watched them, unreadable. Her mind spun in numbers, networks, and risks.
But even her heartbeat wasn’t as steady as usual.
"That wasn’t magic," she said at last.
Fiera blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it wasn’t anything I could identify. No sigil I’ve seen. No enchantment lines. Not from the Western, Eastern, or Atlantean schools. No markings. No audible incantations."
"Then what the hell was it?"
"I don’t know," Mira admitted. "And that bothers me."
Silence.
Elyndra reached for her wine glass. "It looked expensive."
They all groaned.
Rava shook her head. "I swear he smells like power. Not just money. Like... some kind of heirloom spell. Or bloodline aura. Or something older."
"Definitely not normal," Fiera murmured.
Mira sat back. "Do you think Naomi knew?"
"Oh, definitely," Elyndra said. "She didn’t flinch. She melted."
"And now she’s his," Rava mumbled.
"Not necessarily," Mira said. "It could just be a game. A statement. A move."
"You mean like a power play?" Fiera asked.
Mira’s eyes glinted. "Exactly. That kiss? That bite? That was a declaration. But it didn’t say love. It said..."
"She’s mine—for now."
The girls stilled.
Rava licked her lips. "Then that means the board is still open."
Fiera stared at her. "You’re not seriously—"
"I am seriously. He dared us, remember?" She tilted her head toward the glass. "That wasn’t just a look. That was a summon."
Elyndra sighed. "You realize we sound like schoolgirls chasing the quarterback."
"We’re billionaire schoolgirls," Rava corrected. "And he’s not a quarterback. He’s a black card with abs and emotional damage wrapped in Prada."
Fiera buried her face in her hands. "We’re doomed."
"Don’t worry," Mira said coolly. "I already scheduled a background refresh. I want to know what Naomi knows."
"And if it turns out he’s faking it all?" Elyndra asked.
Mira’s smile sharpened. "Then we flip him. Break his brand. Turn him into ours."
"Savage," Fiera whispered.
"Strategic," Mira replied.
The girls sat in silence for a long moment, heartbeats still syncing with the echo of candlelight, kisses, and unspoken heat. Each of them unsure whether they wanted to claim Lux...
...or be claimed by him.
And on the terrace—
Naomi rested her head against Lux’s chest, her eyes half-lidded and dazed.
Lux?
He didn’t need to say a word.
He could already hear them planning.
And he smiled.