Chapter 116 116
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN
LUCIAN'S P.O.V
He grinned and looked away.
"You are not going to embarrass me."
I nudged him.
"Come on."
He huffed out a breath.
"Fine." He spread out his hands, I stepped closer and pulled him in for a bear hug, he let out a yelp.
"Lucian! Alpha Lucian! Put me down this instant.!" He shouted. "I don't want Talia to see me this way."
"Why? It's not a crime for your best friend to hold you up."
He squirmed in my grasp.
"It is a crime when your best friend is the aloha and when I am the beta. I have a reputation to keep."
"Fine." I made to release him but then I suddenly held him tighter and made my move.
The guys whooped and cheered as I spun him around before finally letting him be, he pouted but I could see the light in his eyes that told me he was happy.
The celebration went on for a long time, I had to find Aurora and pull her back to my side. We had wide smiles on our faces as we watched the way everyone laughed, chatted with each other.
But one person stood out to me....Kieran, I had been wondering where he was, guess he had been here all the while.
He was standing at the back of the room, his eyes fixed on Aurora and me with a mix of emotions. His expression was one of sadness, and I could see the pain in his eyes. He looked like he was struggling to come to terms with the reality of Aurora choosing me. I wonder why he was being this way about this, I met her first, she was my mate first. When our eyes met, he nodded briefly then started making his way to us.
"Great, he's coming here now."
"Huh? Who's coming here?" Aurora asked, looking around, but I didn't need to answer because he was almost here.
He pushed through the crowd and came up to us, his face a mask of forced composure. He smiled, or at least he tries to smile because he just looked like he was in pain.
"Congratulations, Lucian, Aurora," he said, his voice low and strained. "I'm...happy for you both."
I could see the lie in his words, and it made my heart ache...almost for him. Aurora reached out and touched his arm, a gentle and compassionate gesture.
"Kieran, are you okay?"
I was secretly pleased that she no longer addressed him as just 'Kieran'. No alpha to the title.
He pulled away from her touch, taking a step back.
"I'm fine. Just..." He huffed out a breath, a cynical smile on his face. "...realizing that I was never meant to be with you, Aurora. Lucian is perfect for you. I was simply someone who didn't know their place and just wanted what I couldn't have."
"You definutely got that right." I grunted in approval.
"Lucian." Aurora chided.
"Sorry, go on."
But he didnt seem to take offence, he just shrugged and continued.
"He'll take care of you, love you the way you deserve to be loved."
His words were laced with a deep sadness, and I could see the pain he was trying to hide. I felt a pang of sympathy for him, and I reached out to clasp his shoulder.
"Kieran, I'm sorry." Why was I even apologizing? "I know this must be hard for you. But I want you to know that your maybe is out there, somewhere waiting for you."
He shook his head, a small, bitter smile on his lips.
"It's okay, Lucian. I should have known better. I'm leaving, though. I need to get away from here, back to my pack. I'm sure they are missing they're alpha already." He smiled, this time, a bright smile. "But if you ever need my help, I'll come. Just call for me, and I'll be there."
I nodded, understanding his need to leave.
"Thank you, Kieran. That means a lot to me. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."
He nodded, then turned and walked away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. I watched him go, feeling a mix of emotions, sadness for his pain, gratitude for his loyalty, and relief that he was willing to let go.
Aurora slipped her hand into mine, and I turned to her, my heart full of love and appreciation for her.
"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice low.
She nodded, her eyes shining with tears. "I'm fine. Just...sad for Kieran. He didn't deserve to be hurt like that."
I pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her.
"He'll be okay. He just needs time to heal.", a second later, I muttered. "If only he had kept his longing to himself, his heart would have been saved the stress of all this. I feel sorry for the guy, but that doesn't mean I will let him have you. Never."
She burst out laughing, her voice like music in my ears.
We stood there, holding each other, as the pack continued to celebrate around us. A few minutes later, Eli joined us.
"Hey, we'll be leaving by tomorrow."
The announcement startled us. Aurora glanced at me, sadness in her eyes. We both knew they would leave again.
"So soon? You can't stay longer?" I asked.
He shook his head, looking conflicted too.
"No, we left in a hurry, the pack can't be left without it rulers since our parents decided to go on a sudden vacation."
Aurora nodded, sighing forlornly.
"It's okay, we're going to see each other again, right? So..."
He grinned.
"Of course we will. And when next week come, its with..." He scratched his head, a shy smile on his lips, his cheeks red. "...its with my mate."
"Your mate?" I gawked, my eyes wide, Aurora's mirroring mine.
"Yep. You know that witch that came to our pack when we had that statue scared for Aurora?"
My mind went back to that event, the horror that had gripped my chest after I thought I had lost her for good. I shuddered while Aurora snickered.
"Yeah, you mean when you guys thought I was a statue and had been cursed by a witch or something?"
"Yep."
Eli and I nodded together.
"Yes, I do, what was her name again?"
"Ariel Nasuri." He supplied for us.
"Yeah, her, the white witch." I nodded, remembering her name. Then my face broke out in a grin. "I knew it. Is she...?"
He nodded, grinning.
"Yes, she is my mate."