LUCIEN'S POV

I took a threatening step toward him, closing the gap until our faces were inches apart. My breath came out in hot bursts, my chest heaving like I'd just run a marathon. "Adele is my mate, you understand?" I snarled, my voice low and dangerous, laced with every ounce of fury boiling inside me. "So stay the fuck away from her."

Derek didn't back down. Hell, he didn't even blink. Instead, he shifted forward, mirroring my aggression, his broad shoulders squaring up like he was ready to throw down right there on the balcony. The air between us crackled, thick with the scent of challenge—two powerful males, locked...