---
*CHAPTER THREE: THE ESCAPE*
Eli left before sunrise.
No goodbye. No message. Just a bag of clothes, a fake ID, and enough cash from side jobs to buy a bus ticket out of the city.
He didn't know where he was going — only that it had to be *away* from Lucien Moretti.
Away from the pull.
Away from the dangerous truth blooming under his skin.
***
Two towns over, the city was quieter. Fewer Alphas, fewer eyes. Eli found a room above a small café and picked up a job cleaning tables. Simple. Forgettable.
Exactly what he needed.
He wore extra scent blockers now. Avoided eye contact. Blended in.
But every night, in the silence of that dusty little room, he felt it — the *ache*. That invisible thread between him and Lucien. Tense. Tugging.
And every night, he told himself he didn't miss the way Lucien looked at him. Like he was *seen*. Like he *mattered*.
***
Back in the city, Lucien stood in front of Eli's old building.
Gone.
No trace. No scent.
No warning.
His second-in-command approached, cautious. "You want me to track him?"
Lucien lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. "No."
"But—"
"I said *no*. Lucien's jaw was tight. His silence sharper than usual.
He wasn't chasing Eli.
But he wasn't letting go either.
---
The café was quiet most days — tucked between an old bookstore and a flower shop. Eli liked it that way. The customers didn't ask questions. The owner, Ms. Lan, was kind and never pried.
He wore plain clothes. Kept his hair tied. Avoided heat cycles with double-dosed suppressants.
He told himself he was safe.
But "safe" didn't mean whole.
Each morning, he woke before dawn and stared at the ceiling, wondering why his chest felt empty. Why he could still *feel* Lucien's presence like a ghost pressed against his skin.
It had been three weeks.
No messages. No search parties. No sign of the Alpha who had claimed him with a look.
Part of him was relieved.
The other part… hated the silence.
***
One evening, Ms. Lan handed him a small envelope. "For you. Came with today's delivery."
Eli frowned. "From who?"
She shrugged. "Didn't say."
His fingers trembled slightly as he opened it.
Inside was a single note, scrawled in dark ink:
*"You can run from a bond, Eli. But it won't run from you." — L*
He froze.
Lucien knew. And worse… he was *waiting*.
Eli crushed the note in his palm — heart racing, throat burning.
He had left to be free.
So why did part of him want to go back?
---
Perfect — here's the next part of *Chapter Three*, shifting focus to *Lucien* and introducing new key characters in his world:
---
*Back in the City — The Moretti Estate*
Lucien stood in the courtyard, sleeves rolled up, blood drying on his knuckles. The air smelled of iron and fire — another message sent, another enemy silenced.
But his mind wasn't on the dead man at his feet.
It was on Eli.
"Still no word?" he asked without looking up.
*Nico*, his right hand — lean, sharp-eyed, loyal since they were teenagers — stepped closer. "Nothing. He's covered his trail well. Kid's smarter than he looks."
Lucien exhaled. "He doesn't want to be found."
"That's never stopped you before."
Lucien didn't answer. Just wiped his hands with a cloth and tossed it to the ground.
Behind him, *Sera Moretti*, his younger sister and the family's political strategist, crossed her arms. She was the only one who ever spoke freely around him.
"You're off your game," she said. "You're letting this Omega mess with your head."
Lucien's jaw twitched.
"He's not just an Omega."
"No," she said. "He's the *only* thing you've ever wanted and couldn't keep."
Lucien turned sharply. "I could take him."
"Then why haven't you?"
Silence.
Sera stepped closer, voice gentler. "Because for once, you want someone to *choose* you."
Nico looked between them, uncomfortable.
Lucien said nothing.
But the truth hung in the air like smoke.
He could send ten men to drag Eli back.
But he didn't want a prisoner.
He wanted *a bond that was real*.
Even if it destroyed him.
---
*Later that night — Moretti Estate, War Room*
The oak table was scratched from years of planning violence. Around it sat the only people Lucien trusted with his life.
*. Nico Santoro* – Second-in-command
Sharp jaw, sharper mind. He'd grown up with Lucien on the streets before the empire was built. Loyal to the bone but not afraid to challenge Lucien when needed. Keeps the soldiers in line. Hates politics. Hides his own scars beneath sarcasm.
*. Sera Moretti* – Sister, strategist
Beautiful, brilliant, and dangerous. Sera handles political alliances, media, and dirty negotiations behind closed doors. She's the only one who can talk Lucien down. Ruthless when she has to be — but with a soft spot for her brother.
*Matteo "Ghost" Reyes* – Intel & surveillance
Ex-special forces, now the eye in every shadow. Rarely speaks, always watching. He's the one who knows where everyone is… except Eli. His loyalty was bought with blood, and he never takes off his gloves.
* Leo Vescari* – Enforcer
Muscle. Firestarter. A wild card who's fiercely protective of Lucien. Doesn't trust outsiders — especially Omegas. Hates that Lucien let Eli go. He's brutal in the field, but his loyalty is terrifyingly personal.
As they sat, a map of territory disputes glowed on the wall.
"New players are moving in," Matteo said, pointing to the east district. "Bratva."
Nico leaned forward. "Think they're testing you while you're… distracted?"
Lucien's gaze was cold steel. "Let them."
Sera sipped her wine. "But you're not thinking straight. We all see it."
Lucien stood, walking to the window. Rain hit the glass like whispers.
He said nothing.
But inside, every instinct screamed one thing:
*Eli was in danger.*
And if the Bratva got to him first…
There would be no war.
There would be a massacre.
---