chapter 145
Lucas's POV:
The cold air bit at my face as I drove away from the hospital, my knuckles white against the steering wheel.
Tori's scent still lingered in the car. I glanced in the rearview mirror, watching her disappear through the hospital's glass doors. Only when she was completely out of sight did I allow my expression to change.
"Damn it," I muttered, my jaw clenching tight enough to hurt.
I assume you had a life before you met me, Tori. What matters is who you choose now.
My own words echoed in my head, hollow and dishonest.
Duke, my wolf, growled in disagreement. The truth was that every fiber of my being rejected the idea of Tori with anyone else—especially Ethan. My nephew. The thought of them together, his hands on her, his lips against hers...
Duke's growl intensified, and I felt the steering wheel begin to crack under my grip.
The rational part of me knew this was unreasonable. Tori didn't even know she was my fatedmate when she dated Ethan. But reason had little power over the possessive instinct raging through me.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus on the road ahead.
These feelings weren't productive. They weren't worthy of an Alpha. Yet they consumed me all the same.
---
By the time I reached Grayson Enterprise, the temperature in the car had dropped several degrees. Ice crystals formed along the dashboard—a physical manifestation of my Arctic lineage that only emerged during extreme emotional states.
The receptionist flinched as I strode past, not meeting my eyes. The elevator emptied immediately when I entered, other wolves instinctively clearing my path. I barely noticed.
The conference room fell silent the moment I pushed open the doors.
Fifteen senior pack members sat around the long table, their eyes dropping in submission as my cold energy filled the room.
"Alpha Grayson," my brother Richard greeted, his voice careful. "We've prepared the quarterly reports as requested."
I nodded curtly, taking my seat at the head of the table. "Proceed."
For the next twenty minutes, I listened to reports on pack finances, territory disputes, and alliance negotiations. My responses were clipped, my attention fractured.
Every few minutes, my thoughts drifted back to Tori and Ethan, to the history they shared that I hadn't been part of.
The room temperature continued to fall as the meeting progressed. Several of the older Betas were now visibly shivering, though none dared comment on it.
Even my brother, accustomed to my cold nature, seemed uncomfortable.
"Alpha," one of the younger council members ventured, "about the Luna candidates the Elder Council has proposed—"
"There will be no discussion of Luna candidates today," I said, my voice so frigid it seemed to crystallize the air. "Or any day. The only one is Tori."
The council member paled, nodding quickly. "Of course, Alpha. My apologies."
After another fifteen minutes of increasingly tense discussion, Richard glanced at his watch. "Perhaps we should adjourn for today. We've covered the essential matters."
The relief in the room was palpable as the council members gathered their materials.
As they filed out, I caught my brother's concerned gaze.
"Lucas," he said quietly once we were alone, "what's wrong? You've never let your control slip like this during a meeting."
"It's nothing," I replied, shuffling papers I wasn't really seeing.
"Is it the Sullivan girl?" he pressed. "If she's causing this kind of disruption to your focus—"
"Stop," I said, the words emerging as a growl. "It's none of her business."
I left without responding, my mood darker than when I'd arrived.
Hours later, after stops at a bar that served alcohol potent enough to affect even Alpha metabolism, I returned home.
The house was quiet, but her scent enveloped me the moment I stepped through the door.
I stood in the doorway of the bedroom, watching Tori as she sat up in bed, her book forgotten as she registered my presence.
The alcohol had dulled my control but sharpened Duke's demands. Her neck—unmarked, unclaimed—called to me like a beacon.
"Lucas?" she called softly, setting her book aside. "Is everything okay?"
I didn't answer. Couldn't answer. If I opened my mouth now, Duke would take over completely.
She slipped out of bed, walking toward me with concern etched across her features. "What's wrong?"
"You've been drinking," she said quietly.
Something in me snapped. In one fluid motion, I pulled her against me, one hand tangling in her hair while the other wrapped around her waist.
She gasped, her silver eyes widening as I tilted her head to expose her neck.
"Mine," Duke growled through my lips as I lowered my head.
My teeth sank into the sensitive juncture between her neck and shoulder, deeper than a casual love bite, marking her as claimed in the most primal way.
I tasted the copper of blood and the sweetness that was uniquely Tori. Her body trembled against mine, a small sound—half pain, half pleasure—escaping her lips.
Even with our bond, the wolf inside me couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to make her mine all over again.
"Lucas..." she whispered, confusion and something else—desire?—coloring her voice.
Before I could respond, her phone rang. She jumped slightly, still locked in my embrace. Neither of us moved to answer it, but the sound continued persistently.
"You should get that," I said finally, my voice hoarse.
She nodded, reluctantly stepping away from me to grab her phone from the nightstand. Her expression shifted to confusion as she stared at the unknown number.
"Hello?"
I could hear the slurred voice on the other end clearly with my enhanced hearing.
"Tori... my moon..." Ethan's voice, thick with alcohol and emotion.
Tori's face paled as she recognized the voice. She looked at me with panic, clearly unsure how to respond.
I held out my hand for the phone. After a moment's hesitation, she passed it to me.
"You're only with him for revenge, right?" Ethan continued, unaware of the change. "Once I break things off with Fiona, I'll stand in front of you again, and we can—"
"Ethan." My voice cut through his rambling like a blade of ice. The temperature in the room plummeted as my control slipped further.
Silence fell on the other end of the line, followed by a sharp intake of breath.
"Uncle Lucas?" Ethan's voice was suddenly smaller, more sober.