CHAPTER 36: DRACONIS HEAT

Lucian stood in front of the tall window, his jaw tight as he stared outside. There was a lot on his mind, but one thought lingered more than the rest—the phoenix.

He turned slightly, stealing a quick glance at Seraphina, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, looking almost doll-like in her stillness.

They had been at it from morning until nearly evening, and honestly, he didn’t know what made Seraphina different. He just couldn’t stop. Not until he realized she’d gone still beneath him, her body no longer reacting to his touch. That was when he finally smiled faintly and let her rest.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to Sebastian.

"Book the entire Mirage Fair for tonight. No visitors, no staff. Just me and her."

He stared at the message for a moment before hitting send, his eyes drifting back to the sleeping phoenix.

"I believe she trusts me enough now..." he murmured before turning back to the view outside, where sunlight filtered through the glass and glimmered faintly across the frost.

Hours passed.

Lucian had already changed into a plain white t-shirt and black slacks by the time the sun began to dip behind the horizon. The air in the room was calm, soft light spilling across the bed where Seraphina still lay fast asleep. Her breathing was steady, her hair spread messily across the pillow, untouched and looking peaceful.

He stood by the side of the bed for a moment, hands in his pockets, just watching her. There was something strangely disarming about seeing her like this, vulnerable, yet still carrying that quiet strength even in rest.

He exhaled slowly, a faint trace of a smile pulling at his lips. He hadn’t disturbed her once since she drifted off, but the time was slipping away, and they needed to leave soon.

"Wake up... little birdie..." He took a seat at the edge of the bed, "It’s time for the Mirage Fair..." He leaned closer, removing hair that covered her face.

"Hmm..." Seraphina just responded with a weak humming.

Lucian chuckled quietly under his breath, the sound low and warm. "You’ve been asleep for hours," he said, his tone teasing as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her cheek. "If you keep this up, we’ll miss the Fair entirely."

Seraphina shifted slightly, her brow furrowing as she buried her face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes..." she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

Leaning closer to her ears, Lucian whispered to her ears, "Should we skip the Mirage Fair tonight and just continue our affair earlier?"

Her eyes snapped open, all traces of sleep gone in an instant. "W–what?" she blurted, sitting up so quickly that the blanket slipped down her shoulders, only for a soft wince to escape her lips. A dull ache lingered around her waist, a not-so-subtle reminder of why she’d been sleeping so deeply in the first place.

Lucian’s smirk deepened as he watched her freeze, realization flickering across her flushed face. "Careful," he drawled, voice rich with amusement. "You might hurt yourself. We wouldn’t want to repeat half a day’s worth of effort, would we?"

Seraphina’s blush deepened, her fingers clutching the blanket tighter around her. "Y-you dragon..." she muttered, biting her lip as she reached back to press her palm gently against her aching waist.

Lucian chuckled, the sound low and pleased. "I’ll take that as a compliment," he said, straightening up. "Though you seemed to enjoy it as much as I did."

Her eyes snapped up to him, wide and flustered. "Lucian!"

Lucian’s eyes glinted with quiet amusement as he watched her pout, her cheeks still faintly flushed.

He only smiled, completely unfazed. "Easy, I’m just teasing because you look cute." He reached out and pinched her cheek gently, earning a small squeak from her. "Save your strength... We still have the Mirage Fair to attend."

"But—but..." Seraphina’s lips turned into an even deeper pout. "I don’t think I can walk..." she muttered, her hand pressing at the small of her back as she gave him a look that was both accusing and helpless. "Do dragons always have that much energy?"

Lucian chuckled under his breath, leaning forward until there was barely an inch between them. The warmth of his breath brushed against her lips when he spoke, his tone low and unhurried.

"Let me tell you a secret," he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his mouth. "If we were in Draconis Heat... the season when dragons lose control of their instincts. We could go straight for two days... maybe three."

Seraphina’s eyes widened, her blush returning full force. "Draco... what? T-three days?!"

"Mm," Lucian hummed, clearly enjoying her reaction. "You wouldn’t last an hour."

"Lucian!" she hissed, smacking his arm with the nearest pillow.

He laughed quietly, catching the pillow with one hand and tossing it aside with ease. "Don’t worry, little birdie," he said, his voice dropping softer, almost sincere. "When that time comes, the partner usually goes into heat too."

"What in the omega verse is this?" Seraphina closed her eyes, recalling all the omega verse books she read.

Lucian’s brow furrowed slightly, his confusion genuine. "Omega... verse?" he repeated slowly, as if testing the word on his tongue. "Is that some sort of phoenix ritual?"

Seraphina groaned louder, clutching the blanket tighter around her. "No! It’s not a ritual... it’s a genre!"

"A what?"

"A book thing!" she said quickly, peeking out from under the blanket only to glare at him with pink cheeks. "You know... stories where—ugh—people have instincts, and... heat cycles, and—" She stopped herself mid-sentence, her blush deepening until she looked ready to combust. "Why am I even explaining this to you?!"

Lucian was quiet for a beat. Then, with an infuriating calm, he said, "So... these ’omega-verse’ stories sound educational."

"Educational?!" Seraphina sputtered. "They’re not—they’re—"

His smirk returned, sharp and teasing. "You must read them often if you can describe them that vividly."

Her face went redder. "That’s not the point!" she protested, throwing a pillow at him again.

Lucian caught it easily, laughter rumbling in his chest. "Relax," he said, amusement still glimmering in his eyes. "I was only trying to explain dragon instincts. I didn’t realize I was quoting your... literature."

Seraphina groaned and covered her face. "I can’t believe this conversation is happening..."

He chuckled quietly and straightened. "Come, let me carry you to the bathroom," he said, extending a hand toward her with a charming smile. "Or... would you rather spend the whole night in this bedroom... again?"

"No!" She shot up instantly, only for the blanket to slip off her, revealing that there wasn’t a single thread of clothing on her body. "Aaaa!"