Chapter 147 He Called Her Name

Chapter 147 He Called Her Name
Winnie’s POV

The smile on Lucian’s face sent my heart racing so fast that, for one foolish second, I truly believed I had finally gotten through to him.

Standing before such a refined and striking man, I could barely contain my excitement. Lucian had always been difficult to approach, colder than most men and almost impossible to impress, but tonight felt different. His lips had actually curved into a smile while he looked in my direction, and after all the effort I had put into coming to Phoshire, dressing perfectly, and finding an excuse to speak with him alone, I refused to believe that smile meant nothing.

My confidence rose immediately.

I knew I looked beautiful tonight. The deep red dress hugged my figure perfectly, my hair fell loosely around my shoulders, and my makeup had been carefully done to bring out my best features. Lucian was still a man, no matter how cold and controlled he usually appeared. Surely he could not remain indifferent forever.

With just a little more effort, I was certain I could win him over.

Holding the cooperation proposal against my chest, I stepped closer to him and softened my voice.

“Lucian, why don’t we go inside and have a private conversation? We can discuss the proposal without anyone disturbing us.”

I leaned toward him before I had even finished speaking.

But Lucian suddenly moved aside.

My body pitched forward before I could catch myself. My heel slipped against the floor, and I crashed down in the hallway.

For a moment, I could only stare at the floor in shock.

Then laughter came from behind me.

My entire body stiffened.

Someone had seen that.

Humiliation rushed through me as I turned sharply, and the instant I saw who was standing there, my stomach twisted with anger.

Selene.

Of course it had to be her.

She stood a short distance away with Lucian’s suit draped over her arm. Her eyes moved from me to the floor before returning to my face, and amusement danced openly in them.

“Ms. Crawford,” she said, barely hiding her laughter, “is lying on the ground that enjoyable for you?”

“You!”

I pushed myself up immediately, my cheeks burning.

If anyone else had witnessed my embarrassment, I could have endured it. But having Selene stand there looking down at me as though I were some ridiculous joke made rage burn through my veins.

Before I could retaliate, she looked away from me as though I were not worth another second of her attention.

Her gaze settled on Lucian, and even her voice changed.

“Lucian, you left your suit in my room earlier.”

My anger vanished beneath a wave of shock.

His suit?

In her room?

My eyes immediately dropped to the jacket in Selene’s hands.

Why was Lucian’s clothing in her hotel room?

My mind began racing through possibilities, and each one made my chest tighten more.

What had happened between them before I arrived?

Had Lucian been inside her room?

How long had he stayed there?

The confidence I had felt only moments earlier cracked apart.

Then another realization hit me even harder.

That smile.

Lucian had not been smiling at me.

Selene had been standing behind me.

His smile had been meant for her.

My nails dug into my palms as jealousy surged through me.

How could this be happening?

I had spent so much time preparing myself tonight because I believed I could finally make Lucian notice me as a woman. Yet Selene had appeared wearing nothing particularly special, holding nothing except his suit, and somehow Lucian’s entire attention had shifted toward her.

I could not understand it.

What did Selene have that I did not?

I was beautiful. I came from a respected pack. I had been raised knowing exactly how a woman of status should carry herself. I knew how to dress, speak, and behave around powerful people.

Selene was nothing compared to me.

So why did Lucian look at her differently?

My furious gaze remained fixed on her, and for one dark second, I wished I could shift into my wolf and wipe that smug expression from her face myself.

What happened next only made my humiliation worse.

Lucian did not ask whether I had hurt myself when I fell.

He did not even seem interested in my anger.

Instead, he walked straight toward Selene, took her hand, and led her into his room.

My eyes widened.

“Lucian, about that proposal…”

I hurried after them. I refused to let the opportunity disappear so easily. I had traveled all the way here for him, and I was not about to allow Selene to ruin everything again.

But before I could finish speaking, the door closed directly in front of me.

I froze.

For several seconds, I simply stared at it.

Lucian had shut me out.

And Selene was inside with him.

My breathing grew heavier as fury rushed through me.

Selene.

That vile woman had humiliated me again.

I tightened my grip around the proposal until the papers nearly bent beneath my fingers.

She thought she had won because Lucian had taken her into his room?

No.

I would not allow that.

Whatever game Selene was playing, I would find a way to beat her at it.

She would not get away with this.

Selene’s POV

The instant Lucian and I stepped into his room, I pulled my hand free from his.

He looked down at his empty hand before raising his eyes to me, clearly puzzled by my sudden reaction.

I folded my arms.

“Why was Winnie looking for you this late at night?”

For a second, Lucian simply stared at me.

Then amusement slowly entered his eyes.

“Didn’t you already see for yourself?”

I frowned.

Of course I had seen.

That was exactly the problem.

“Discussing business at this hour?” I asked, unable to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

Did he really expect me to believe Winnie had dressed like that just to discuss a cooperation proposal?

Everyone across the Werewolf Continent who knew Winnie also knew how she felt about Lucian. She had never exactly tried to hide it. Even tonight, the way she had dressed and leaned toward him had made her intentions obvious.

Lucian could not possibly be that clueless.

Only hours earlier, he had told me Teressa belonged to his past. He had looked directly into my eyes and said I was the person he wanted beside him now. He had even promised he was willing to give up his destined mate if that was what it took to be with me.

And now another woman had appeared outside his room late at night, asking for a private conversation.

The contradiction irritated me more than I wanted to admit.

Lucian moved toward the couch and sat down comfortably, apparently enjoying my reaction.

Then his lips curved into a smirk.

“Are you jealous, Selene?”

My eyes narrowed.

“Not in the slightest.”

The answer came quickly, perhaps too quickly, but I refused to think about that.

I threw his suit toward him.

“Take this back.”

He caught it easily.

I had only come here because he had left the jacket in my room earlier. If I had known Winnie would be standing outside trying to seduce him, I might have waited until morning.

Or perhaps I would not have.

The thought annoyed me further.

Without another word, I turned toward the door.

I had no reason to stay here and entertain Lucian’s teasing.

I had barely taken a step when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist.

“What are you doing?”

My feet slipped backward, and before I could steady myself, I fell against him.

My head landed against his firm chest.

Heat immediately rushed through me.

I pushed against him and let out an annoyed breath.

“Let go of me.”

Instead, his arm tightened.

Lucian’s POV

The instant Selene fell against me, her familiar scent surrounded me.

For a moment, everything else disappeared.

The jealousy she was trying so hard to deny had been written all over her face from the moment she entered my room. She could say she did not care as many times as she wanted, but I had seen the way she looked at Winnie outside.

That alone was enough to make something warm settle inside my chest.

I pulled Selene closer.

Her body immediately stiffened against mine.

She placed her hands against my chest and frowned up at me.

“Lucian, what are you…”

I did not let her finish.

I lowered my head and kissed her.

Selene froze.

For one brief second, she seemed too shocked to react. Then her hands pressed harder against my chest as she tried to push me away.

But having her this close only made it harder for me to let go.

I had spent so much time controlling myself around her, watching her, teasing her, waiting for the answer she had promised me in two months. Yet every time she came close, that patience became harder to hold on to.

I tightened my arms around her waist and kissed her more deeply.

She resisted at first, her fingers gripping the front of my shirt as she tried to create distance between us. But slowly, the tension in her body began to ease.

Her hands stopped pushing.

Her resistance weakened.

That tiny change almost destroyed the last of my control.

I could feel the warmth of her body against mine and the quick rhythm of her breathing. The woman who constantly challenged me, rejected my flirting, and insisted that I wait two months was finally no longer trying to escape from my arms.

The realization made my heart pound.

I pulled back from her lips only slightly before pressing soft kisses across her face. My lips brushed near her eyes, then moved toward her ear and along the delicate line of her neck.

A quiet sound escaped her.

“Hm…”

The soft response sent heat through me.

Selene felt impossibly delicate in my arms, yet I knew better than anyone how strong she truly was. She could stand before danger without fear and face enemies without lowering her head, but right now, in my arms, there was a softness about her that few people would ever be allowed to see.

And I wanted that softness for myself.

I wanted her.

My arms tightened around her as the warmth between us deepened.

Then something strange happened.

As I looked at Selene’s face, the room around me seemed to blur.

For a fleeting moment, another image slipped over hers.

A girl from my past.

The change was so sudden that my thoughts became clouded.

Selene was still in my arms. I knew that. I could feel her warmth and breathe in her familiar scent.

Yet the face in my mind would not disappear.

A memory I had buried long ago pushed its way forward, mixing with the woman standing before me until I could no longer separate the past from the present.

My head grew hazy.

Without realizing what I was saying, I lowered my voice into a rough whisper.

“Teressa…”

Selene went completely still.

The warmth between us vanished instantly.

Before I could understand what had happened, both her hands slammed against my chest and shoved me backward.

Then her palm struck hard across my face.