Page 114 of Declan

“Thanks a lot,” he grunts. “Well…” He scratches his head. “Declan is dominant—”

“Oh no.” Viviana cuts him off, her curiosity burning bright. “Don’t make this about him. You’re into primal… stuff?”

“Do you even know what that is, firecracker?” I ask, trying to divert her attention.

“Yes, well… kind of…” But her eyes are still locked on Flynn. “You hunt, right? Follow more… feral… way of…” She trails off, her mind racing.

I burst out laughing at the sight of Flynn staring at her, utterly lost for words.

“Yeah, something like that,” he finally mutters.

She glances at Autumn, then back at Flynn. “She doesn’t look like the type who’d want to be pursued in the dark woods by you,” she snorts.

Flynn looks as uncomfortable as I’ve ever seen him. He’d probably rather be chopping someone’s head off than having this conversation, but Viviana doesn’t care.

“You never know,” I interject, grinning. “You hated my guts.”

Viviana narrows her eyes at me, and I know when to keep my mouth shut. Flynn can fight his own battles.

“I’m not thinking of chasing her,” Flynn says, but his tone betrays him. That feral glint in his eyes says he’d love nothing more than to pursue her and throw her to the ground.

Viviana gives him one last look before Selma calls her over. She laughs, her beautiful dress sweeping the grass as she walks away.

“Thanks for that, fucking arsehole,” Flynn mutters.

“Sorry, mate,” I say with a grin. “It slipped.”

Flynn and I used to frequent a kink club when we were younger, back before we became the heads of our families. I’ve always enjoyed the control, the dominance. It’s a part of me I’ve kept. But Flynn… he’s darker. I know he left that world behind over a decade ago.

But the way he’s looking at that girl Autumn now… She’s the opposite of the women we’re usually surrounded by. There’s no fire, no fear, no shadows in her eyes. Just sweetness, professionalism, and quiet happiness.

“You’re fucked,” I tell him, my voice dropping an octave.

“I know,” he mutters, raising his glass, his gaze like daggers on her.

Fuck.

THE END