Mates of a Werewolf Hunter

Chapter 13 Fiery Temptations and Frozen Rejections

Valentine Winters P.O.V

"Stubborn," he muttered, his voice low and steady.

"Ruthless," I shot back, refusing to back down. The tension between us felt like a coiled spring, ready to snap at any moment.

His lips curled into a smirk, a challenge in his eyes as he suddenly shoved me down to the floor. Pain shot through me as I hit the ground, but I swallowed the hiss that threatened to escape. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Ignoring my discomfort, he sprawled out on my bed, deliberately claiming it as his own. He buried himself in the blankets, a clear statement that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Could you please move?" I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. I was too tired for this battle, too weary of the constant power struggles.

He didn't even acknowledge my request, his silence more dismissive than any words could have been. I sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. If he wanted the bed so badly, fine. I could still take the pillow and blanket, right? He only demanded the bed, after all.

Carefully, I slid the pillow from beneath his head, grinning when his head thumped against the mattress. Whoops. I clutched the pillow to my chest, feeling a small triumph.

He cursed under his breath, shooting me a glare that could have melted steel. "Mine." I declared, clutching the blanket and settling down on the floor. The cold, hard floor. Great.

"Whatever." he muttered, rolling over and turning his back to me. His apathy stung more than I wanted to admit.

When I finally woke up, the first thing I noticed was the chill that crept into my bones. I turned to find Lucifer curled up, his body shivering slightly. Despite everything, a pang of guilt hit me. As much as I wanted to be as cold and indifferent as he was, I couldn't.

With a sigh, I draped my blanket over him, hoping it would chase away the chill. I couldn't be like him, and maybe that was a good thing.

I tiptoed to the washroom, stripping off my clothes and stepping into the warm embrace of the shower. The water cascaded over me, washing away the tension from the previous night. For a moment, I let myself relax, the heat soothing my tired muscles.

But as I reached for my towel, a realization hit me like a bucket of ice-cold water. I had forgotten it. Again.

"Great." I muttered under my breath, cursing my own forgetfulness. Back when I had the room to myself, I wouldn't have cared. But now, with Lucifer just outside...

I stayed in the shower longer than necessary, hoping he'd leave the room. But after about ten minutes, I heard the creak of the bed and his footsteps approaching the bathroom door.

"Val, open the door. I need to use the bathroom." he demanded.

"Could you pass me my towel?" I called out, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

His footsteps retreated, and for a moment, I thought he'd just leave me hanging. But then they returned. "Here you go." he said.

I cracked the door open just enough to grab the towel. As I pulled it through the gap, I tried to close the door, but before I could, he slipped inside, locking the door behind him.

"Lucifer, get out." I ordered, clutching the towel tightly around me. But he ignored me, his eyes dark and intense.

He stripped off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest and abs. My breath caught in my throat, and I cursed myself for the way my body reacted to the sight.

He moved closer, his presence overwhelming. I backed up until I was pressed against the cold tile wall. He was on me in an instant, pressing me against the wall as the shower water drenched us both. My towel felt heavy, slipping as I tried to keep it wrapped around me.

"Stop." I breathed as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I should have pushed him away, but instead, I tilted my head, giving him more access.

"Lucifer." I tried to warn him, but it came out as a breathless whisper. His grip on my hips tightened, a soft groan escaping his lips as his hands roamed over my skin.

One hand moved up to tug at my towel, but I clutched it tighter, earning a growl of disapproval from him. He spun me around, pressing me against the wall, his eyes dark with desire. My mind screamed at me to stop this, but my body betrayed me, craving his touch.

The heat between us was unbearable, each touch sending electric shocks through my body.

"Do you love me?" he whispered; his breath hot against my ear.

Before I could answer, my wolf spoke for me. "Yes." she confessed, the bond between us was too strong to deny.

I felt a smirk spread across his lips against my shoulder as he left a kiss on my shoulder. The intensity of our connection made everything else fade away.

But then, his warm breath chilled, his voice turning cold. "I don't." he muttered, each word like a dagger to my heart. He shoved me away, the sudden distance between us was like a slap in the face.

He stepped back, his eyes hard and unfeeling. "I, Lucifer Argent, reject you, Valentine Winters." he said, his voice void of any emotion.

My world crumbled around me as his words sank in. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. The rejection was more than just words; it was a tearing of the soul, leaving me hollow and broken.

Lucifer Argent P.O.V

I hissed in frustration, running deeper into the woods, trying to escape the voice that nagged at me, the one that whispered how much I had lost. Regret gnawed at my insides, eating away at my pride.

Last night, I had been a fool. I had let emotions I didn't even know I had rule me, breaking down the walls I'd spent years building. It was a moment of weakness, one that I couldn't afford.

I needed to be the old Lucifer again—the one who was feared, who didn't let anyone get close enough to hurt him. The one who was cold, calculating, and ruthless.

But why did it feel like the more I tried to reclaim that, the more it slipped away? Valentine's rejection should have been easy. It should have been just another step toward reclaiming my power. But instead, it felt like I had cut out a piece of myself, and I wasn't sure I'd ever get it back.

The cold wind whipped through the trees, but it couldn't compare to the icy resolve forming in my heart. I would be ruthless again. I would be feared again. Valentine Winters would be nothing but a memory—a mistake that I'd learn from. No more weakness. No more foolishness.

I had to reclaim control, to become the monster that everyone expected me to be.

And yet, her face, her touch, lingered in my mind, a haunting reminder of the one time I let my guard down. The one time I allowed myself to feel.

But no more. Never again.