Lucien Vanserra was going insane.

For the past hour, he had been leaning against your front door, rain pouring on him. He didn't register his soaked clothes sticking to his body, nor the growing puddles in his boots.

His mate had smiled at him today.

He could have sworn the sun lost its' light when faced with your radiance in that moment. It made a flower of yearning bloom in his chest, filling him with the need to be the reason for your smile for the rest of eternity.

He didn't know how much longer he could take this— being stuck at arm's length. You’d never smiled at him before. You’d never shown a fraction of the interest and pure love he felt for you. But you weren’t cruel either. No, you were far too kind to scoff and scorn him. But that only made it worse, didn’t it? The fact that he watched you laugh and smile and care for everyone around you without sparing him more than a fleeting glance.

Lucien stared at your door, fighting himself over whether to knock on it.

He had to do this. He was too desperate.

He knocked without looking up, knowing he would lose the courage the minute he saw the thinly-veiled disgust and disdain in your eyes. Even then, merely looking at you could work as a soothing balm on his weary soul.

As soon as you opened the door, he was hit with your scent. With one breath, his knees were buckling, making him collapse onto the hard rock.

His eyes were closed, eyelashes wet with rain and tears. "Please..." He whispered. "I'm sorry."

He wanted you more than anything in the world.