The "maintenance" schedule was becoming increasingly aggressive. Following the clinical coldness of the sub-level session with Seraphina, Lilith had become almost feverish in her need to reassert her dominance—or rather, her right to be dominated.
At exactly 6:00 PM, while the rest of the Lore team was filtering out of the building, Chase's desk phone buzzed. There was no ID, just the direct line from the executive suite.
"My office. Now," was all Lilith said before the line went dead.
Chase didn't rush. He saved his progress on the Khazarian physics engine, adjusted his cuffs, and took the private elevator. When the doors opened into the penthouse office, the lights were dimmed to a deep, predatory amber. The scent of expensive bourbon and Lilith's own heady, floral musk hung heavy in the air.
Lilith wasn't behind her desk. She was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, her back to him. She had discarded her blazer, leaving her in a sleeveless silk blouse that shimmered like liquid gold against her skin.
"You were efficient today," she said, her voice vibrating with a low frequency that made the air in the room feel thick. "The way you handled that parasite... it was very loyal. Very professional."
"I was following the contract, Lilith," Chase replied, standing in the center of the room.
She turned slowly, her eyes glowing a fierce, hungry red. "Is that all it was? The contract?" She began to walk toward him, her heels clicking rhythmically on the marble. "Because I feel like the contract doesn't account for how much I want to tear that suit off you right now."
She stopped inches from him, her breath warm against his neck. She reached out, her fingers tracing the line where his collar met his skin. "You're overflowing again. I can feel it humming under your skin. The stress of the day... or perhaps the proximity of the vampire... has made your soul quite rowdy."
Chase didn't move, but his pulse quickened. The "Warrior" core within him stirred, responding to her challenge. "If there is an overflow, it is your responsibility as the Alpha to manage it. Those were the terms, were they not?."
"Oh, I intend to," Lilith purred, liking her lips .
She grabbed his tie, her grip iron-clad, and yanked him toward her massive mahogany desk. With a sweep of her arm, she cleared a space, sending a stack of quarterly reports and a crystal paperweight clattering to the floor.
"Sit," she commanded, though her eyes were pleading.
Chase didn't sit. Instead, he gripped her waist and hoisted her onto the desk itself. The heavy wood groaned under the sudden shift in weight. He leaned in, pinning her between his arms, his face inches from hers.
"Tonight, we aren't discussing reports, Lilith," Chase whispered, his voice dropping into that dangerous, flirtatious register that only appeared when his Essence was at its peak. "And we aren't using a 'trickle' flow. You may be the alpha but your still mine"
Lilith let out a soft, shuddering breath, her Alpha pride melting instantly into the submissive bliss she had craved since Friday. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him flush against her.
"Then show me the Fourth Method again," she challenged, her voice breaking. "Dominate whats yours , Chase. Own me."
I wiil he said a flertatious smile forming on his face.
The session that followed was a far cry from the clinical observation room. It was a collision of raw power and desperate need. Chase didn't hold back, letting the surging Essence move through him with a predatory grace. The desk, a masterpiece of artisan craftsmanship, creaked and shifted as they moved, testing the very structural integrity of the furniture.
Lilith was vocal, her cries echoing off the glass walls of the office, her claws leaving shallow, stinging marks in the wood of the desk as she fought to keep her balance amidst the overwhelming pleasure. Chase was a force of nature—deliberate, powerful, and utterly focused on the woman beneath him.
The Essence transfer was violent and beautiful, a blinding exchange of light and heat that seemed to turn the very air in the office into a physical weight. When the final surge came, Lilith arched her back, her eyes glowing so brightly they illuminated the darkened room, before she collapsed against the mahogany, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
They stayed like that for a long time, the only sound the hum of the city far below and the frantic thud of two hearts slowing in unison.
Chase eventually pulled back, his mind clearing as the pressure in his soul subsided. He looked at Lilith, who was draped across the desk, her hair a wild halo, her expression one of total, radiant defeat.
"The desk is scratched," Chase noted dryly, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.
Lilith laughed, a soft, genuine sound. "I'll have it replaced. Or perhaps I'll keep it as a trophy." She sat up slowly, adjusting her disheveled clothing with trembling hands. "You're a monster, Chase . A beautiful, terrifying monster."
"I'm just a contractor, Lilith," he replied, though the smile on his face suggested otherwise. "I'll see you tomorrow morning for the budget review."
"Seven o'clock?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.
"Eight," Chase corrected firmly. "I have roommates to manage."
As he left the office, Chase felt the familiar exhaustion setting in, but it was a clean, satisfied tired. He had the Alpha in the palm of his hand, but as he headed to the elevator, a thought occurred to him: if this was Thursday, and the overflow was already this bad, the weekend was going to be absolute chaos.
Walking back home,chase suddenly stopped coming to a realisation.
I think I'm starting to enjoy myself too much, no that's the essence overflowing with my mind. Our relationship is still professional, Chase thought aloud to himself coping with the fact that he may be using the excuse of essence over flow as an excuse for enjoying Lilith.