Chapter 52 Chapter 52
LUCIAN'S POV
As Ailsa left the office, I looked back to Aiden. His stance told me how urgent this matter was.
"What's that you didn't want to say in front of Ailsa that I need to see urgently?"
"We caught her" He said. My wolf surged instantly.
"Who?"
"The girl responsible for poisoning Ailsa” He said quietly.
Everything went still.
For a while, we had been secretly investigating about the poisoning after we found out what kind of person it was. I didn't want the investigation to be known or the person responsible would have gone into hiding.
I had not forgotten how Ailsa lay in my arms pale and breathless. The fear that had gripped me on that day was not forgotten and I had promised myself to find whoever was responsible.
I strolled past Lucian making my way out of the office and to the cell. The cells were cold and carved from stone older than us.
For the first time in years, I looked forward to seeing the criminal. Nothing prepared me for the shock of seeing the criminal. It was a woman and she was young. She was a new servant, not too new but she was brought here a few months ago if I was not mistaken.
Her wrists were bound and her eyes swollen from crying. She tried to avert her gaze when I stepped inside.
"Look at me" I growled. She flinched and lifted her head. I could smell her fear from a distance.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“T-Tara” she stuttered.
"Why?" My voice shook with fury. “For what reason did you target Ailsa?"
"I swear, I didn't know it was her at first" She whispered.
"Someone told me to poison the food meant for one of the rogues in the cell. I didn't know the food belonged to the Alpha's mate"
My heart slammed so hard. Mate. It had been long someone had referred to a female as my mate since….. Don’t think about her right now. Her use of words were not accidental. Most wolves in the pack sensed the pull, even If I had denied it for a long time.
"Who ordered you” I demanded. Her breath hitched, she shook her head violently.
"I can't. He said he'll kill me, my mother and ...."
"Who" I roared but she sobbed, trembling so hard, her chains rattled.
"I....I can't please.... Alpha, I can't..."
My wolf snarled inside my chest, furious and protective. Aiden tightened his fist beside me.
"She has refused to give us the name, Alpha" Aiden said, annoyance in his voice. I shook my head.
Not yet. Not while she believed someone else scared her more than I did. I turned away abruptly.
"Whip her and she’s confined till further notice. No one is to speak to her. Find a means to torture her but make sure she doesn’t die. I'm sure a name would come out soon" Aiden nodded.
"Alpha... please.. help me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"
Her voice became inaudible as I turned and left her cell.
Someone inside my pack wanted Ailsa and I would find out who.
I'll give that young woman a day to give a name or she will see the other part of me, everyone hated to see. I hesitated because she was the only person the person behind this and also because she is a woman and I knew how vulnerable they could be. That was why I ordered Aiden for her to be confined.
I walked back to the pack house and I stopped at Dahlia's door, it had been a while since I came here but today for some reason, my feet led me here. I didn’t know the reason.
It was not because I believed she would poison someone but because every instinct inside me reacted wrong around her lately. She was sitting at her vanity when I entered into her room. She was brushing her hair. She stood up immediately she noticed me from her mirror.
"Lucian" she said sweetly.
"You look tense. What happened" I studied her expression. She looked too eager.
"I've found the person responsible for poisoning Ailsa" I said. My gaze fixed sharply on her. Her hand froze.
"W...what?" She mumbled, then she smiled again too quickly.
"Well.... I'm glad you caught her"
Her.
But I didn't tell her the gender of the person that was caught. My wolf believed something was off and I thought so too but I couldn't put my hand on it. I was going to find out.
She moved closer until she was just a breath away from me. She traced her hands down my chest until it was just above my cock. But it didn't react to her touch.
"I can make you forget all your worries" She whispered seductively in my ear but I removed her hand from my body.
"I didn't come here for this" I said coldly. Her smile disappeared.
I left before she could respond. I didn't know what brought me to her room in the first place. I should have just gone straight to my office and thought of ways to make the prisoner speak and focus on other things.
‘Go to mate’ My wolf insisted but I hesitated.
I didn't want to go to her when I had Dahlia's scent on me. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea.
The truth was that I didn't find Dahlia attractive anymore and I didn’t know when it really started but it became clearer to me when I kissed Ailsa for the first time .
At first, I tried to prove myself wrong about being attracted to Ailsa by touching Dahlia but I did not turned on by her advances and it had gotten worse over time, since she got more desperate. What I felt for her was more like irritation.
The only thing and person I could think of was Ailsa. I guess it was time I stopped pretending like I didn't care about her or her presence didn't affect me. I swallowed hard.
I never guessed a day like this would come when I couldn't get someone of my mind. Aiden would never let me hear the end of this if he was aware of my thoughts.
That night, my wolf was restless and kept pushing me to go to Ailsa. I tried resisting at first but I couldn't hold back for long.
As I made my way to her room, I told myself I was only going to tell her we've found the person responsible for her poisoning and also tell her to be careful around others until the girl confesses if her master was in this pack.
But when I reached her door, I contemplated on going back. My wolf pushed me to knock which I did anyways. When I knocked, part of me prayed she wouldn't open and another part prayed she would.
The door cracked open and her scent hit me like a storm. It was warm and soft. I wanted to wrap my arms around her. My wolf lunged forward trying to take control which made me to stagger as I fought for control.
‘Behave’ I said to him.
"Ailsa, good evening” I breathed. Her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted, as she smiled.
Suddenly, every ounce of restraint I'd held onto snapped. I stepped insides before she could speak, closing the door behind me.
Ailsa backed up instinctively out of confusion. I moved towards her without thinking, grabbing her waist. I didn't understand my wolf’s behavior tonight. She moved back till she tested her back on the wall. I caged her, one hand beside her head.
"Lucian...." She whispered, her voice was barely audible.
My name on her lips was so soft and it shattered the last control and my wolf took over but we didn’t shift. I leaned down, inhaling her. My mouth brushing her jaw.
"Do you know what you do to me?" I whispered, my voice low and rough.
I rubbed my erection between her thighs, I was so hard that I thought I was going to combust. She shivered, her wolf pushed through. She didn't freeze neither did she push me away instead she leaned into me. Her chest brushed mine, her pulse quickened. Her body moved closer to mine.
"Lucian....." She whispered again, her voice trembling. I lost myself.
My canines enlongated brushing the curve of her neck. Her breath hitched, I don't know if it was in fear or want
‘Stop this’ I said to my wolf but he wasn't listening.
I lowered my head and my lips grazed the point where her pulse throbbed wildly.
‘Mark her, claim now’ My wolf roared in my ears.
I inhaled deeply intoxicated. My wolf was pushing me and for one sweet second, I almost sank my teeth into her skin. My canines grazed that spot where my mark was supposed to rest. Then she whispered again, her voice low.
"Lucian.... please"
That was what brought me out of my oblivion. Her plea and how softly she called my name. I stepped away from her like I had been burned. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted and her breathing uneven.
My chest was heaving.
What had I almost done?
"I...." My voice cracked. I didn't know what to say that will make sense for my actions.
"I shouldn't have come here"
Guilt, fear, shame and desire, they all hit me at once.
Before my wolf could take control again, I turned and left her room, slamming the door behind me. I didn't look back. I couldn't because if I did.... I would have marked her.