Chapter 4 Moonlight & Liquor

The night air in Ivory Hollow was crisp and full of possibility.

Mason Row pulsed with low bass and scattered laughter as students spilled from dorms, apartments, and rideshares, all drawn to the glowing windows and the promise of chaos inside.

Aurora stood at the edge of the crowd, nerves tangled in her stomach like ivy.

She wore a black cropped top that showed just a little skin and a high-waisted skirt that hugged her hips. Her thick curls were loose tonight, wild and tumbling down her shoulders, kissed by the wind.

"You look hot," Maya declared, grabbing her hand. "Let's ruin some reputations."

Aurora laughed despite herself. "You say that like I have one."

"You will by the time I'm done with you."

Inside, the party was exactly what she expected-dim lighting, red cups, thumping music, and the subtle scent of sweat, perfume, and cheap vodka.

She didn't know anyone besides Maya, but for once... that felt okay.

She could be anyone tonight.

No expectations. No sorrow.

Just a girl in the middle of a new chapter.

One Drink In

Aurora stood in the kitchen, sipping something sweet and fizzy, and letting her eyes wander.

People danced, flirted, stumbled, shouted over the music. The air buzzed with energy. For the first time since losing everything, she didn't feel like a ghost in her own life.

"You okay?" Maya asked, leaning against the fridge.

Aurora nodded slowly. "Yeah. Actually... yeah."

"Good," Maya smirked. "Because your Professor Fantasy just walked in."

Aurora's heart stuttered.

She followed Maya's eyes toward the archway, and there he was-Lucien Dusk, dressed in dark jeans and a black button-down with the sleeves rolled up. He looked devastatingly out of place and yet... completely at home in the shadows.

He wasn't a man who attended parties.

He was the kind of man people noticed from a distance and never got the courage to approach.

His eyes scanned the room. They were sharper tonight. Controlled. Intense.

And when they landed on her, everything else faded.

Time. Music. Movement.

All of it vanished in the weight of that stare.

Aurora swallowed hard, heart thundering.

He didn't smile. Didn't nod.

Just watched her like she was a riddle made of fire and silk.

The Dance Floor

Later-one more drink and an aggressive shove from Maya-Aurora found herself on the dance floor, hips swaying in time with the rhythm, her body finally light.

She let go.

Of the grief.

Of the fear.

Of everything.

And in that moment, he was there.

Lucien stood near the edge of the crowd, half in the shadows, arms crossed. Watching her.

Not like a professor. Not like a stranger.

Like a man watching the center of his storm.

And though he didn't move, his presence wrapped around her like smoke-thick, forbidden, and intoxicating.

She kept dancing.

And for the first time in a long time, she felt wanted.

Kade Penthouse – The Same Night

Damien's body jolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat.

His breath was ragged.

Ares growled low and hungry.

"She was dreaming about us."

"How the hell do you know that?" Damien muttered, gripping the sheets.

"Because I could feel her. I could feel her need."

His entire body was on fire. His cock was rock hard and pulsing, and her scent-gods, her scent-was thick in his head like she'd been right there, writhing beneath him.

But she wasn't.

He was alone.

Still.

"I can't fucking take this much longer," Ares snarled.

Damien stood, crossing the room to the glass doors that led to the balcony. He pushed them open and let the night air hit his skin.

It didn't help.

Nothing helped.

He'd never wanted anything this way before.

It wasn't just lust.

It was instinct. Bond. Claim.

"Who are you?" he whispered into the darkness, forehead pressed to the cold glass.

"Where are you?"