The elevator rattled violently before pulling to a stop, making me almost lose my balance.

Then the world was plunged into darkness, and I lost my sanity instead.

It’s going to be okay, I repeated in my head, a mantra that I’d gotten used to by now. I squinted my eyes until I saw the glowing numbers of the elevator buttons, which indicated the floors which we were supposed to press. I looked for the red emergency button—my salvation to get out of this little place as soon as possible.

There was no red button.

I looked again. Twice. I could only see the numbers, and the panic began to rise up again as I realized that I was trapped here until the blackout was done. Beside me, I could hear the alpha utter a soft curse as he, too, finally realized that there was no emergency button.

He asked me a question. I didn’t respond. I stayed in my corner and he stayed in his, and the silence that followed was almost deafening. I assumed he thought I was being a spoiled brat again by not acknowledging his presence. I didn’t care.

I needed to calm myself down.

It’s going to be okay, I inwardly said over and over to myself, wrapping my arms around my torso. Even through the darkness, I could see the silhouette of the huge alpha as he sat on the floor with ease, as if he was about to have a relaxing meditation session.

How could anybody be so calm in a situation like this? All I could see were the walls surrounding us—four corners that felt like they were closing in on me, bit by bit. I closed my eyes.

Everything turned black.

I fought to keep my breath, but it felt like some monster was sucking out whatever air was left in my lungs, making me dazed and lightheaded. My heart rate sped up, and my blood was rushing to parts of my body that only made me panic even more. I squeezed my hands into fists, willing myself to calm down.

But I wasn’t calming down.

The world became smaller and smaller. My mantra was being crushed to death by the voices inside me telling me there was no escape, and I was going to die, and — “Hey, buddy! What the hell is your name?”

My eyes snapped open. The rude voice that interrupted my thoughts got me confused for a second before I realized it wasn’t my imagination. It was the tattooed alpha.

“Leo,” I said automatically.

“My name’s Lucas,” he said. “And you’re hyperventilating.”

I shook my head in denial, and the world steadily continued turning smaller. Then I found myself being guided to the floor by Lucas, where I was suddenly sitting down and clutching onto the hands that were holding me. I tried to pull away, but his grip was firm.

“Let me go,” I hissed.

“You really are a spoiled brat, aren’t you?” Lucas muttered.

I glared at him in the darkness. “I’m opinionated and I don’t let anyone step all over me. That doesn’t make me a spoiled brat.”

A soft, quiet chuckle came out of his mouth, and it had a shiver running down my spine. I pictured him in my head so it would turn off the shiver—tattoos, muscled body, that surprisingly sharp mouth… big, big body. Blue-gray eyes that pierced with a single gaze.

Not helping.

“Let me go,” I repeated.

“Tell me about yourself, Leo,” he said smoothly, ignoring my request—no, my order. “What things do you find annoying?”

“Alphas who think they can just seduce me and get away with it,” I snapped.

A shadow of a smile formed on his mouth. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you. What else annoys you?”

“I dislike closed spaces and the dark,” I blurted out.

“I figured that,” Lucas responded lightly. “What do you like, then?”

“Chocolates. Strawberries. Fantasy books. Authors who aren’t full of themselves.”

I realized what he was doing. I hated him for it, for knowing what my weakness was when I wasn’t ready for anyone to know about it yet. But by God, what he was doing was working, and I’d be an idiot not to take advantage.

I asked some questions back.

“What about you, Mr. Hotshot? What do you despise?”

“Snooty people,” he confirmed. “They give me a headache.”

“Didn’t look like it with that hot blonde omega in the bar,” I couldn’t help saying.

A soft curse came out of his mouth. “Damn it. I forgot about him. Damn blackout.”

The word reminded me of where I was. But before I could panic again, I spoke out.

“What do you like, then, Mr. Lucas?”

“Lucas,” he corrected. “Don’t get snooty on me now.” There was a pause. “I love fucking omegas. I’m not even going to deny that.”

How rude. How blunt. How honest and refreshing.

“So, is he your boyfriend?”

“I don’t do relationships.”

I scoffed. Go figure. “What else?”

“Motorcycles. Flying. Money.”

“So you like the adrenaline rush.”

“I do. Don’t you?”

I shook my head. “I like things steady and slow.”

“Boring. You should live your life a little.”

This alpha was infuriating. Cocky. Absolutely too sure of himself.

He may also be just a little right.

* * *

We were stuck there for almost an hour, just talking about whatever topic we could think about. I talked mostly, while Lucas asked me questions and seemed very interested in what I had to say. I had never been more honest and candid with my responses, and surprisingly, I found it more refreshing than anything. I had a captive audience— An alpha that was genuinely listening to me, without mansplaining or trying to give his two cents about everything.

I also realized that whatever panic I had been feeling at the beginning was now kept in check, safely locked up. For now.

Since I still had the opened bottle of wine in my hand, we decided to have a go at it. It was unorthodox and so unlike me, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and celebrate with my new friend—sort of. I wouldn’t exactly call us friends out loud, not when it was obvious we were total opposites and wouldn’t really be friends under normal circumstances. However, fate had struck us together in this elevator.

“Last kiss?” I asked, curiously.

“The omega at the bar. Kyle. You?”

“This morning. With my ex.”

“Ex?”

I wrinkled my nose. “I found him dry-humping a slutty redhead omega in a club just a block away.”

Lucas chuckled. I shot him a look.

“It’s not funny.”

“It is. You don’t even sound hurt. That tells me you’re not the serious, committed, relationship-type omega that you claim to be.”

“Stop being judgmental,” I shot back. “He works with me, and my dad’s my boss. We were planning to make it official in a few days. Or weeks, maybe.”

Lucas chuckled again. He never really held back when he was amused, and obviously my situation amused him. “If you’ve never been official, what were you? Friends with benefits?”

“Something like that.”

My declaration was followed by silence. “What?” I paused.

Lucas scoffed. “I don’t believe it.”

“Not sex,” I clarified. “I’m not that easy. We just have a good time.”

“I still don’t believe it. You? You kiss? Fool around? You’re too prim and proper for that.”

“I know how to have fun,” I argued. “And I’m a great kisser.”

He chuckled again. I was starting to lose my patience with him, and my legs were killing me with upcoming cramps from sitting for too long. So I knelt up.

“Are you trying to prove a point now?” he asked.

Kneeling made me wobbly, and I was starting to lose my balance again. To steady myself, I put my arms out and placed my hands on the nearest steady object—which happened to be Lucas’ big shoulders.

They were hard and corded with muscles. They were so warm. My knees shook again at the jolt that surged in my stomach.

His hands came up to steady me, settling on my waist. Big hands.

“Careful,” he murmured. “You’re awfully clumsy.”

His palms were like a brand, and a tingle started up my spine. I tried to pull away, but his hold was firm.

“Let. Me. Go.”

“No,” he said simply. Suddenly his head was just inches away from mine, and an alarm started inside my body.

But there was also anticipation.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked in defense.

“Curious,” he murmured.

“About?”

His thumb rubbed my cheek. The touch burned. “How much of a good kisser you are, exactly?”

I should have shut my mouth earlier. I should have pushed him off after that blatant invitation and scrambled away. But I found my hands gripping his shoulders tighter, and I found my pulse quickening when his hot breath came near.

“You are insufferable,” I snapped, to turn him off.

But Lucas wasn’t easily turned off.

“Yeah,” he said. “So are you.”

And then his mouth was pressing against mine.