Chapter 108 LUCA IS MY ONLY CONCERN

Chapter 108 LUCA IS MY ONLY CONCERN
\- MELISSA -

Luca is not Lancaster’s son.

If the ritual works, it will become obvious that Luca has another father then questions will splutter like busted paint.

I didn’t need to know how effective these rituals were to fear the result.

If it was ever revealed that I lied about Luca being the son of a lycan, then everything would collapse like a house of cards.

I needed to avoid the ritual.

I had to.

Hell, I should have known the weight of all this would become catastrophic someday.

Caring for Luca had never been a problem for over five years. But now, all of a sudden, it had become the only problem.

Who gives a fuck who his father is anyway?

Or who his mother is, to be frank.

Can’t they all just leave him to me and let me love him in peace?

I exhaled.

Frustration, fear, and distress ambushed me all at once.

I walked back into the room and plopped onto the bed, sulking.

For a moment, I forgot Luca was right there.

“Mother, is something bad going to happen?”

His voice pulled me right out of my dark thoughts.

I smiled immediately.

With a flick of my finger, I beckoned him closer until he climbed onto my lap. He rested his head against my chest and shut his eyes.I stroked his hair aside and kissed his cheek gently.

"No one can hurt you. Not while I’m here. I would give my life to protect you. I love you more than anyone in this world.”

“Including Father?” he mumbled.

I chuckled softly.

“I love your father very much too.”

He grumbled under his breath just so I would know he was jealous.

We stayed wrapped around each other like that for most of the day.

Soon the sun set and night began to fall.

Lanterns were lit across the palace, and the entire place drowned in golden light and decorations. You would think something wonderful was about to happen.

Luca had fallen asleep by then, while I paced the room endlessly, biting my nails and racking my brain.

My hair had become disheveled from how many times I had run my fingers through it in frustration.

I was coming up empty.

No plan.

No solution.

Nothing.

I felt like a rat trapped in rising water with nowhere left to escape.

The only option left was to go out there and let the ritual happen so we could leave afterward. For the first time in a very long while, I found myself missing the Beast.If I still had his power, I could have shifted, torn down these walls, and escaped with Luca.

My feet slowed. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

The most sensible thing to do now is wait.

Once we get outside, we will figure something out.

There has to be a way.

“Melissa.”

The voice startled me. I looked up immediately. Lancaster was standing there. Luca had already hidden himself behind me without me even noticing. To be frank, I hadn’t noticed anything around me at all.

“What?”

“I invited the lycan king.”

My eyes widened.

My jaw nearly dropped.

“You’re lying. Why would you invite the king? He will kill you.”

“I told you I would let you go after this. I meant it. I just want to do what I should have done and get things over with.”

I eyed him coldly.

Nothing in my expression suggested I believed him.

“You really will never believe me, will you?”

“You kidnapped Luca. You nearly started a war between the wolf and lycan kingdoms, and now you want me to believe all this was your twisted attempt at making amends? I don’t know why you think that’s easy to swallow.”

“Would you have come if I asked nicely?” he countered immediately. “I wanted to bring him here. And you too. I was going to make it happen one way or another. Apparently, the only option presented to me was an extreme one.”

He paused.

“Believe me or not, I’m the one with good intentions here.”

Something about those words felt strange.

I couldn’t fully understand why they unsettled me so much, but there was something hidden beneath them.

Before I could think deeper about it, Lancaster was already gesturing toward the maids waiting outside.

They entered the room carrying neatly folded clothes pressed to perfection.

“Dress up. Mutheran should be here before the festival ends. He will pick you both up and leave. You will never have to see me again after tonight.”

“Thank the Goddess. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

That was my reply.

But inside my head, I was boiling, cursing and repeating, ‘Liar. You’re such a liar. You liar.’

You would never do anything good. Not for me. Not for anyone. You are selfish to the core.

This is a charade. You’re going to hurt me again. But I didn’t care. The only thing I cared about was Luca. If Lancaster hurts Luca, I was going to use every ounce of strength left in my body to stab him to death.

I asked for Luca’s clothes and dressed him myself.

The maids helped me into mine since it was too sophisticated for one person to wear alone.

By the time they were done, Lancaster was already robed and waiting.

He guided us out as though we were honored guests instead of captives.

Luca clung tightly to me, our fingers interlocked and squeezed together.

I inhaled slowly and clenched my jaw, scanning every corner of the palace with careful vigilance.

Whatever was going to happen tonight, I would be ready. Ready to protect my son.

I had lost a child once already. I would not lose another. I don’t give a fuck who his mother is.

He’s mine.