chapter 62
Tori's POV:
Lucas's appearance felt like a dream.
His words—"I'm serious about you"—still echoed in my mind.
He was gone, leaving nothing but the memory of Winter Solstice and an unfinished promise: "We'll continue this conversation when you return."
The rest of the holiday passed slowly and quietly.
Mrs. White still came to visit every few days, acting as if the awkward encounter with Lucas had never happened.
"Such a shame that Andrew got called back to work," she sighed, sipping the tea my grandmother had prepared. "He really wanted to see you again. You two could have spent more time together. He's such a good boy."
My eyes flickered slightly, but I maintained my silence.
The night before the holiday ended, I found Grandmother Eileen sitting in her rocking chair, intently sewing something. Her thin fingers moved skillfully through silvery-white fabric, occasionally pausing to adjust the position of her stitches.
"Tori," she noticed my presence and smiled, motioning for me to come closer.
"Look at these. These protective gloves are made from Silver Moon tree bark. They protect werewolves from injuring themselves or others during transformation."
I picked up one of the gloves, feeling the material's softness and strength.
Silver Moon tree bark was extremely rare, a premium material for werewolf protective gear.
"I've made two pairs," Grandmother continued, "one for Lucas, one for Ethan."
My fingers stiffened. "You could mail them directly," I suggested, my voice barely audible.
Grandmother set down her needlework and looked at me seriously. "Remember who helped you when you were injured? We cannot be ungrateful."
I struggled internally. Yes, they had helped me. I owed him thanks, but personally delivering gifts?
"Fine," I finally nodded.
Grandmother seemed satisfied with my response and resumed her sewing while I sat quietly beside her, watching the silver moonlight stream through the window, creating dappled patterns on the floor.
---
Back at school, I immersed myself in academics, trying to fill every minute with intense coursework and revision, leaving no space to think about anything else.
Especially not those ice-blue eyes and that deep voice.
At lunch, I carried my tray to a corner table.
Just as I started eating the not-particularly-appetizing school meal, Morgan rushed over like a whirlwind and sat across from me, her face radiating excitement.
"Tori, big news!" She lowered her voice, though her excitement was impossible to conceal.
"I heard Lucas has finally agreed to the Elder Council's arrangements! They've found a matching Luna candidate for the 'Frost King'! "
The fork in my hand trembled slightly, but I quickly composed myself.
"He's... thirty-one. Finding a Luna is normal." My voice sounded unnaturally calm.
Morgan didn't notice my discomfort and continued excitedly, "Mrs. Elizabeth is so happy! She gave all the Grayson territory staff a twenty-thousand moonstone bonus! "
"That's... nice," I forced a smile, feeling a strange coldness spreading through my limbs.
When I stood up, my legs felt as if they were bound by silver chains, heavy and powerless.
"Are you okay?" Morgan finally noticed something was wrong and asked with concern.
"Just a headache," I lied. "I probably need to rest."
I didn't wait for her response before taking my tray and leaving.
Outside the cafeteria, the cold air enveloped me, but I barely felt it. My thoughts were chaotic, dominated by one recurring question: Why do I care?
---
Back in my dorm that night, I pulled the blanket over my head, curled up in the darkness.
"Why do I care? Isn't this what I wanted?" I whispered to myself. "He finds his Luna, I return to normal life, we each go our separate ways."
My inner wolf Tracy whimpered softly in the depths of my consciousness, expressing her dissatisfaction and protest.
"Don't be like that," I scolded. "We both know relationships between us only lead to pain."
I recalled Lucas's words on Winter Solstice: "I'm serious about you, Tori," and "I can wait until you figure it out." Empty promises.
Just like the ones Ethan once made.
Just like all the pretty lies males tell when they want something.
And now, according to Morgan, he was already arranging his marking ceremony with some suitable Luna.
Thank god I hadn't fallen for his act. Or had I? The uncomfortable twisting in my chest suggested otherwise, but I pushed the feeling down.
"All males are the same," I whispered into the darkness. "Alphas just happen to be more dangerous versions."
Tracy quieted down, but I could feel her resistance and discontent deep inside.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone suddenly lit up, displaying Lucas's name.
I took a deep breath, my finger hovering over the answer button for a moment, then unhesitatingly pressed decline.
Darkness enveloped the room again, broken only by the sound of my rapid breathing. This is the right decision, I told myself. Distance and boundaries are the way to protect myself.
Whatever he wanted to say wouldn't change anything.
I would never be anyone's prey again.