Chapter 51 51

Chapter 51 51
Amelia swept into Lucian’s office with a smile so bright it seemed to chase the shadows from the room. 

The joy in her expression stood in stark contrast to the heavy silence hanging in the air.

She walked confidently to his desk, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Hi,” she said brightly. “I heard you were looking for me.”

Without waiting for an invitation, she settled into the chair across from him, completely at ease, as though the world outside wasn’t unraveling.

But to Lucian, her behavior was annoying. 

For the first time, he couldn’t help but be irked by her cheerful spirit. 

Why was she grinning so brightly when the air was thick with tension? Couldn’t she sense the unease saturating the room? 

It was as though she couldn’t read the atmosphere… or simply refused to.

Amelia glanced around the office with idle curiosity before looking back at him, her expression as carefree as ever.

“You’re always buried in work, Luc,” she said with a small pout. “When are you ever going to have time for me again? We should go out like we did last time.”

Ironically, their last outing had ended with her being shot, yet somehow, that disastrous day had become one of her happiest memories. 

Not because of what had happened, but because she had spent it with him. 

If given the chance, she’d relive it all over again just to share another day like that.

Lucian released a slow, tired sigh.

He studied her for a long moment, searching for the right words.

“Amelia,” he said quietly, his voice carrying an unusual weight, “there are still people out there who want to hurt you. Until we deal with them, it’s not safe for either of us to leave the packhouse.”

He paused before continuing.

“But… that’s not why I asked you to come.”

The lighthearted smile on Amelia’s face softened and a faint crease formed between her brows as she sensed the shift in his tone.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice gentler now.

Lucian leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers with unwavering seriousness.

“Kevin Russel.”

The name alone seemed to drain what little warmth remained in the room.

“We need to talk about Kevin Russel.”

Amelia’s eyes widened, and genuine surprise flashed across her face.

“Kevin?” she repeated, almost disbelieving. “You mean my new friend?”

A smile spread across her lips before she could stop it.

“Kevin is… honestly, he’s amazing.” Her voice brimmed with excitement. “I never really knew what it felt like to have a real friend until I met him. I mean, I had someone I called a friend before, but… it wasn’t like this.”

She laughed softly, her eyes shining.

“With Kevin, I actually feel… free. He’s funny, thoughtful, and when he found out about me…” Her smile deepened. “…he didn’t even hesitate. He didn’t look at me differently. I guess people really can be kind.”

Lucian never looked away.

Each word she spoke settled like another weight on his chest.

Beneath his calm exterior, his wolf thrashed violently, scraping against the walls of his mind, desperate to break free. His jaw tightened until it ached. His fists curled so hard his knuckles turned white.

Every instinct screamed at him to overreact, but he forced himself to stay calm.

Amelia didn’t know any better.

She was innocent. Naive. She looked at the world with the wonder of a child seeing it for the first time, making her dangerously easy to deceive.

Drawing in a slow, steady breath, he finally spoke.

“Amelia.”

His voice came out low, rough, almost a growl.

“You need to understand something. Not everyone is good. Some people are… very good at pretending to be.”

His gaze drifted away for a brief moment before returning to her.

“So listen carefully.”

His eyes hardened.

“I need you to stay away from Kevin. Starting today.”