The storm wasn't slowing down tonight. Lazarus stared out the window of his room and saw the thick clouds rolling in with flashes of lighting playing amongst the sky. Restlessness crept into him, he shut the windows to prevent the rain from soaking the entire room, when the door to his room opened and his mate rushed inside. A smile tugged at his lips instantly wiping the frown away.

"Goodnight, guys," she said behind her.

"Goodnight!" Ashley's voice came and then Rosalie's.

Sophia closed the door and put her purse down on the chair, her smile grew when she saw him too. He never understood before how someone could completely enchant another, but as he stood here looking as his mate dressed in a tight black dress, her hair tousled by the wind and the sweet feminine fragrance that clung to her, he was utterly disarmed.

"Hey, honey." She came over and hugged him. His heart filled with warmth and it was all because of her.

"I missed you," he said softly.

Sophia looked up without taking her arms off around him. "I didn't," she jested.

He raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"I was having the time of my life with all the girls from the Centauri pack and Evangeline too," she said.

Lazarus caught the playfulness brimming in her blue eyes. "What did you do?" he asked.

Sophia let go of him and walked off into the room to take off her earrings. "Well, first we went shopping all over the city and then had dinner at Eleven Madison Park which was absolutely mind-blowing," she said.

He watched as she moved around the space with ease filling the room with her voice and excitement. She took a seat on the settee to take off her heels, he saw her struggling with the strap so he went to her. Bending to the ground, he replaced her fingers with his own and unhooked the tiny gold belt around her ankle.

"Thank you," she whispered before kissing his cheek and got up on her bare feet to go to the bathroom. He heard the water run for the bathtub and the fragrance of her favourite rose and coconut soap. "Then Viola took us to this really cool retro bar for drinks and later we went to a club called the Underworld. I've never been there before, it's huge. We met the owner, he was scary but had killer looks."

Lazarus went over to the bathroom, leaning on the edge of the door-frame, he enjoyed the sight of her letting her hair down from all the pins and clips. The heavy waves fell around her shoulders, an urge to run his fingers through it grew in him.

She turned towards him, leaning against the counter. "How was your night?" she asked.

"I worked then hit the gym and showered," he said indifferently.

"Didn't you eat dinner?" she asked.

"I wasn't hungry," he answered. Hunger, the word resonated inside him. Looking at his mate, he was definitely hungry for her.

Sophia noticed the bath that was filling to the top rapidly, she quickly turned off the top until all the bubbles formed at the top of the water and floated along gently. The strap of her dress fell from her shoulder before she stood back up. He stepped into the bathroom, cornering her to the table, putting his arms around her.

"How about you have a little fun with me?" he proposed.

She smiled shyly as his eyes trail down to from lips to her neck. She grew quiet when his fingers gently pulled the other strap of her dress off her shoulder, her breasts would be bare if he just pulled a bit further. He leaned down and kissed her neck, running his teeth along her soft skin. A small moan escaped her lips as she gripped the counter for support. He separated her legs with his foot and stepped between them, his hands eagerly pulled the hem of her short dress above her butt exposing her lacy black underwear. He gripped the lace, almost wanting to rip it off but he got distracted when Sophia leaned up to kiss him.

A wild thirst was sated as she fastened their mouths together and he felt her tongue seek his. Cupping her head, angling her back, he deepened the kiss and sated his beastly hunger for her. She moaned desperately and he took that for himself, needing to feel her pleasure for him and savouring it. In a swift move, he peeled off her dress and tossed it somewhere on the floor along with his shirt that she got rid of, returning back to her lips seeking for more.

Suddenly, something black caught his eye. He looked in the reflection, the soft silhouette of his mate's body and something black on the small of her back was in the mirror. He gaped once he realized and looked at his mate.

"Surprise," she smiled at him knowing that he saw the tattoo of his name on her body.

"When?" he asked but didn't need an answer, because the protective film which covered the inked letters meant that she got it today.

"I got it today," she said. "Do you like it?"

Lazarus was fascinated by the way the beautiful cursive writing spelled out his name on her lovely body. Yeah, he fucking loved it, and his body thought so too now that it was raging to mark her and take her right here and now. She noticed his reaction which was hard to miss.

"I'm thinking you like it," she jested with a cute smirk.

"I could fuck that smirk off your face," he admitted.

She gaped. "How could you-" A knock on the door interrupted her.

He growled a curse. "We're busy!" he yelled at whoever it was.

"I don't give a shit," Isaiah spoke sternly. "My office. Now."

Lazarus loved his brother but this was pushing it.

"Go, he needs you," Sophia insisted.

He took her by the waist. "We finish what we started later," he said.

She nudged him off her and sauntered to the large tub, she peeled off her panties and dropped them in front of him. "You're wasting time, baby," she teased.

Reluctantly, he put his shirt back on and left the bedroom over to his brother's office. He didn't need to open the door to know that everyone was inside. As he entered, he saw Adrik, Ronin, Marcello and Zeiden all standing around the room. He didn't say anything but he knew that something definitely wasn't right. Isaiah leaned against his table holding some kind of letter in his hand.

"What's this about, brother?" Lazarus asked.

"I've been summoned to join the council for a trial," Isaiah said, a frown creased between his brows.

"For what?" Lazarus asked.

"Ivy Croft's crimes against Halo Morelli," answered Isaiah.

"What does that have to do with us?" Zeiden asked then.

"It means that Isaiah gets a vote at the table as an alpha of this city," Marcello said. "Frankly, it's a privilege only some receive."

"And what does one usually expect at these trials?" Ronin asked.

"I don't know, I've never been to one and these trials are kept confidential," Marcello replied.

"We'll discuss the details tomorrow," Isaiah said. "Marcello, gather any intel you can on this trial. I don't want to go in blind."

"Sure," he responded.

Everyone left the room promptly except Lazarus.

"What's bothering you?" he asked his brother.

"Whatever this trial is it can't be good," Isaiah voiced.

"We can't do anything about it," Lazarus said. "You're just going to have to wait and see."

Isaiah picked up the letter again. "Ivy Croft killed Halo Morelli for her pack," he said. "Why do you think she's held for trial?"

"Probably because the council members are afraid of anyone who fight for their rights," Lazarus answered scornfully.

"Do you think we should take her side?" he asked.

"We need to know the whole story," Lazarus told him.

Isaiah sighed. "Okay, you can go to bed," he said.

He frowned. "What about you?" he inquired.

"I'm going to make a few calls," Isaiah said. "I need answers."

"Let me know as soon as you get them," Lazarus said and his brother gave a curt nod.

He returned his room wondering about this trial and what would be its outcome. Powerful alphas gathered in a room to dictate the future of another. How could that possibly go wrong? he thought cynically. He wondered if Gabriel, Alec, Zachariah and Czar Bacardi were summoned as well.

He shut the door behind him, and like that, all thoughts were shut out too. He smelled the soft fragrance of rose and coconut fill the room. He took a few steps and Sophia was sitting on the bed in a flimsy night-gown reading a book, her knees gathered close to her body.

She looked up. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

Seeing her on the bed; his mate, his moon... everything was more than just alright for him. He came over to her and took the book from her hands.

"We had something to finish," he said.

She giggled cheerfully; the sound was serene enough to send flutters through his heart. He laid her down and crept over to her body to consume and ravage her all night, and occasionally marvel at his name tattooed on her back.

"Was it a mistake getting that tattoo?" she said eventually as he couldn't help himself.

"Never," he admitted but then found himself drawn to it again, "probably." There was something carnal in him that fucking adored that his name was on her body forever.

Sophia drew his attention back on her as she brought his mouth to her lips and took him into a world of passion. Whatever the future had in store, Lazarus wasn't worried about it. He found his mate and he'd love her with his entire soul and body. He was her dark beast now and forever.