chapter 93
Tori's POV:
Ethan's question hung in the air between us, but I couldn't bring myself to answer.
The very premise of his question was unbearable.
"No such assumption exists," I said firmly, my voice barely above a whisper.
I refused to entertain any other possibility, refused to let my mind wander down that dark path.
"He's going to be fine," I whispered, more to myself than to Ethan. "He has to be."
Ethan looked at me for a long moment, then down at Lucas's still form. The guilt etched across his features seemed to deepen with each passing second.
"He probably won't want to see me when he wakes up," Ethan said finally, his voice hollow. "
He stood up, hesitating at the foot of the bed. "I should go."
I didn't argue or try to stop him. Part of me was relieved he was leaving, allowing me to focus solely on Lucas without the tension Ethan's presence created.
"Tell him..." Ethan started, then shook his head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter what I say now."
With one last pained look at his uncle, Ethan turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind him.
Once alone with Lucas, I pulled my chair even closer to his bedside, gently taking his hand in mine.
I sat in silence for a while, simply watching him breathe, memorizing the planes of his face relaxed in unconsciousness.
"I was going to tell you everything tonight," I continued softly. "About what happened four years ago, about Noah Morris and why I was sent away. I should have told you sooner. I was afraid..."
I swallowed hard. "I was afraid you'd look at me differently once you knew."
The steady beeping of the heart monitor was my only answer.
I leaned forward, resting my head gently against his arm, careful not to disturb any of the tubes or wires.
"When you wake up, I promise I'll tell you everything," I whispered. "No more secrets."
I must have dozed off eventually, still holding his hand, because I awoke to the sound of the door opening. Blinking sleepily, I straightened up to see Matthew entering the room.
"You slept the whole night like this," he said, sounding surprised. "How is he?"
"The same," I replied, stretching my stiff neck. "He hasn't moved."
Matthew checked the monitors and made some notes on his tablet. "Everything looks good. His healing abilities are already working overtime."
He glanced at me with professional concern. "You should get some rest, Tori. He's going to be fine."
I shook my head. "I want to be here when he wakes up."
Matthew studied me for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. But at least get some coffee or something to eat. "
"I'm not hungry," I said automatically.
"Elizabeth Grayson is on her way," Matthew added casually. "She received the news and is driving in."
I tensed at this information.
Lucas's mother was coming. While she had been kind to me at the party, defending me against Garrett's accusations, I wasn't sure how she'd react to finding me at her son's bedside, wearing his family ring.
What made it worse was that I had no idea how to explain what had happened between Lucas and Ethan. How could I tell Elizabeth that they had been fighting over me? That Ethan's jealousy and Lucas's protectiveness had led to this accident?
Matthew seemed to read my anxiety, his professional demeanor softening as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"His condition is stable. The sedation will wear off by morning, and he should regain consciousness sooner. "
I nodded, feeling a small wave of relief wash over me.
After Matthew left, I reluctantly stepped out to use the restroom and splash some cold water on my face.
When I returned to the corridor leading to Lucas's room, I stopped in my tracks.
Elizabeth Grayson was hurrying down the hallway, her elegant figure unmistakable even from a distance. Before I could decide whether to approach or hang back, she disappeared into Lucas's room.
I stood frozen, suddenly unsure of my place. Should I go in?
"You're here to see Alpha Lucas, too?"
The smooth, honeyed voice startled me. I turned to find Vivienne Blackwood standing behind me, looking flawlessly put together despite the early hour.
I nodded, somewhat dazed by her sudden appearance.
"I thought I recognized you from Elizabeth's gathering," Vivienne said, stepping closer with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You and Lucas seemed... friendly."
I shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond.
"Lucas and I go way back," she continued smoothly, filling my silence. "We were practically inseparable for years. Did he mention that to you?" She didn't wait for my answer. "We were actually on the verge of becoming mates at one point."
My stomach clenched. Tracy growled softly in my mind.
"But I chose to accept an exchange position with the Northern Packs instead," Vivienne sighed, as if recounting a bittersweet memory. "Career over love—such a modern dilemma, isn't it?"
I felt a strange hollowness spreading in my chest.
Had Lucas pursued Vivienne the way he pursued me? Had he looked at her with the same intensity, spoken to her with the same tenderness?
Tracy growled low in my mind. Danger. This female threatens our bond.
"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked, finding my voice at last.
Vivienne's perfect smile never faltered, but her eyes hardened slightly.
"Because," Vivienne continued, lowering her voice to a confidential tone, "I've come back specifically for Lucas. We have unfinished business, he and I."
Her eyes lingered meaningfully on me. "It's sweet that he's been... entertaining himself while I was away. But I wouldn't get too attached to things that don't really belong to you."
The subtle threat hung in the air between us.
My wolf bristled at the challenge, but I remained silent.
Vivienne checked her watch—a delicate, diamond-encrusted piece that probably cost more than a year's worth of my grandmother's medical bills.
With a practiced smile that never reached her eyes, she added, "It was lovely chatting with you... Tori, was it?"
Without waiting for my response, she turned and walked away.
I stood there feeling shaken, when my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket.
I pulled it out and saw my aunt Janet's name on the screen. My stomach dropped. Janet rarely called, especially not at this hour.