Chapter 40 Chapter 40
LUCIAN’S POV
Dawn seeped slowly into the room through the curtains casting a glow over the room…over her. Ailsa curled against me, her breath sift and warm against my chest. For a long time, I didn’t move. I couldn’t move.
Not when I felt like this, something my wolf had been searching for a long time before she came. I was at peace right now and it felt like nothing else mattered but us.
The night replayed in flashes, her mouth on mine, the way she whispered my name. The way her body arched with every touch. I felt drunk on her. My arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer until her back was flushed against me. Her scent hit me fully, rosy and sweet. My body rose in tandem with my wolf.
I lowered my face to the curve of her neck and inhaled deeply. She shivered in her sleep. I let out a low growl, the sound that came from her doing things to my body. My wolf laid his claim on her.
Mine
I pressed my lips softly to the skin on her neck, letting the kiss linger and then another. Her body reacted, her breath catching. She stirred gently, her eyelids fluttering open.
“Lucian…?” She whispered, voice husky with sleep.
“Good morning” I hummed against her skin. Her cheeks flushed a soft shade of red. She turned slowly enough to face me. Her hair spilled over the pillow, messy and wild.
“I thought you’d be gone by now” I frowned but I understood her. The last time, I left before she had woken up without telling her where I was going to.
“It’s fine. I’m not expecting any affection from you that you are not ready to give” my wolf didn’t like her dismissive tone. I wanted to say something else but her smile faded and she has a serious look on her face.
“I need to ask you something” she said quietly. I lifted a brow.
“I’m listening” I didn’t want to sound too serious but my tone came out too strong.
“It’s about Lina”
The muscle in my body went rigid. I didn’t want to talk about that servant girl. I didn’t know why but I didn’t believe anything she was saying. How could she claim she wasn’t the one that poisoned the food when she served it.
“Please….please release her” her voice softened even more. A growl slipped before I could stop it
“Ailsa…”
“She didn’t do anything” she pressed, her eyes searching mine.
“You know that, you must have trusted her if you allowed her to be the one in charge of me. She’s innocent. I know Lina, she would never do that”
“This isn’t about knowing her” my voice dropped to something harder. “Someone tampered with your food and you almost lost your life. Until I know who…”
“It wasn’t her” she insisted.
“Lucian please, she’s been locked away for days. She’ll be terrified. I haven’t even seen her since I woke up” my jaw tightened.
I didn’t want to release her until I knew for certain who had tried that but my wolf pushed me to do something for Ailsa. To trust her for once.
“Ailsa….” I exhaled through clenched teeth. “My main priority is your safety, I hope you understand that”
Her hand came up to cup the side of my face. Her touch was warm and gentle and I leaned into it, never wanting her to leave me.
“I’m safe now, Lucian. You don’t need to keep her locked up anymore”
Damn her! Damn her voice and how it made me everything in me to soften when it should be the opposite. I stared at her. I stared at the fire in her eyes, the quiet strength in them. Finally, I exhaled slowly.
“Fine” I murmured. “I’ll release her” a wide smile spread on her face, relief shone on her face.
“Thank you” she breathed. I also had a condition of my own.
“But…” she frowned.
“But what?”
“She’ll still be under close watch because I cannot trust her fully” she nodded.
“I can agree to that as long as she’ll not remain in a cell then I’m fine. One more thing…” her voice trailed.
“What else”
“I..I want to go back to training” my blood turned cold.
“No” she blinked.
“What? Why don’t you want me to go back to training, it’s been weeks”
“You were injured. You almost died” the memory sliced through me like a knife. “You aren’t setting foot on that field again. You’ve proved yourself enough”
I didn’t want her to go back to training because I didn’t want her to be close to that warrior. It makes me very angry seeing both of them together.
‘Admit you are jealous’ my wolf said.
Yes, I am. She is mine and mine alone.
“Lucian….”
“No” the word came out harsher than intended. “Absolutely not” she pushed up, frustration in her eyes.
“I’m not fragile. I need to be strong, I can’t sit skeins waiting for danger. I need to be ready”
“I’m protecting you from danger”
“I’m trying to stand beside you, not behind you” her voice cracked at the ending. She looked away, pulling the sheets closer around her.
“Everyone here sees me as weak….the longer I stay in here, the worse it gets”
“I’ve told you there is no need to prove yourself”
“You were the one that told me I had to prove myself and now I want to do that. With you, I’m confused, you are always blowing hot and cold, today you are sweet and tomorrow you’ll be someone I don’t know. I need something to keep me busy”
A ripple of anger went through me, I was angry at myself. I didn’t realize how hurt she had been by my behavior before. But now…the idea of her being hurt again terrified me. I reached out, catching her wrist gently.
“You want to train?” I asked quietly.
“Yes”
“Fine, I’ll let you train but you won’t train with anyone else” her eye snapped to mine.
“You’ll train but only with me” I continued.
Shock flickered across her expression then confusion. She wanted to say something but I cut her off.
“That’s the only condition for training. There’s no begging for this one”
“Just you?” She whispered.
“Yes, only me” I said, my voice low. “I’ll teach you everything you want to learn. If you want to become stronger, I’ll be the one to make you strong” a slow flush came to her cheeks. She nodded slowly.
“Then….its settled” I brushed a thumb over her lip.
“Good” I immediately removed my hand, I didn’t know why my wolf was touchy this morning.
Duty pulled me at like it always did even when I wanted nothing more than to drag her back to the bed and have my way with her. I stopped myself from thinking erotic things so I wouldn’t have to act on it.
I stood up and quickly got dressed, I looked at Ailsa and she looked deep in thoughts. I guessed she was thinking of her friend Lina, I’d just have to release her today but after I’ve confirmed something. She turned to me and her expression was calmer.
“I’ll see you later?” She asked softly and I almost smiled at that.
What was wrong with me?
“Later” I said and quickly left the room before I did something reckless.
The moment I stepped into my office, I was greeted with the heap of files on my desk. This must have arrived this morning. I barely reached my desks before there was an urgent knock on my door.
“Alpha” Aiden’s voice called from the door.
“Come in” he entered and bowed his head.
“You need to hear this” I gestured for him to speak.
“It’s the Silver moon pack”
My fists curled hearing that name. I had never liked that pack since I was younger and it was because of my father’s hate for them too.
“What now?” I asked sharply.
“I caught someone from that pack hovering around the border but he escaped”
“Did you at least find out why he was there?”
“He was looking for a girl”
“A girl? Did he say her name?” I was curious to know the girl he had been looking for.
“I only heard him ask and then he ran as soon as he saw me”
“He must have realized who you are. The guards are the border did not know he was not from this pack?”
“They didn’t suspect it at first because he behaved like someone who had lived in this pack all his life. They only realized he was not from here when he started running” I bummed.
“Who do you think he might be looking for?”
“Maybe someone that came here recently. I’m not so sure, it could be anybody”
His words didn’t leave my thought. Someone that came here recently. The only person that came here not recently was Ailsa. It then occurred to me that I knew nothing about Ailsa’s past.
“Aiden, I need you to do something for me”
“Anything Alpha”
“I need to find out about Ailsa’s past” his eyes widened in surprise.
“Why do you want to know about her past all of a sudden. She’s a rogue just like you said. She probably has nothing serious in her past”
“Every rogue once belonged to a pack before something happened. She must have a story, I want to find out. I want you to be discrete about it”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” My wolf agreed with him but I shook my head.
“She doesn’t trust me and she won’t tell me”
“That’s why you have go make her trust you. You’ve slept with her right? You can seduce her and make her tell you anything”
“Seduce her?”
“Yes. Plan something nice for her and engage her in little conversations, tell her sweet words and she’ll fall for you”
My wolf didn’t like that idea but it made sense to me. I could make her trust me and ask her anything.
“I’ll consider that idea” Aiden smiled.
“Anything else you want me to do for you?”
“That servant girl Lina, has she confessed to the poisoning?” He shook his head.
“She still insists that she knows nothing about it and I believe her” I nodded.
“Ailsa also confessed that prior to the poisoning she heard voices talking about eliminating someone”
“So, the culprit is in the pack house and is still roaming free. The person knew the blame would be shifted on that girl since she brings food for Ailsa” Aiden said.
“Yes. The person must be closer than we think. They’ll try to harm her again since the first time didn’t work. We’ll have to be prepared” he nodded.
“What are we going to do?”
“Release the girl, she’ll be used as a bait”