Chapter 29

Lucien’s POV

“I will return to the Hotel today.” I say to Cormac as I sit for breakfast at the pack house. Cormac looks at me.

“Why don’t you just bring her back here?” Cormac asks reasonably. I have asked myself that question time and again, along with some other questions too. Why don’t I just abandon her and let her do whatever she wants on her own?

Why don’t I let her out of my life?

Why don’t I stop the growing influence she has on me?

Why not just let her go?

“Corrigan and I, we understand ourselves.” I say.

“You understand yourselves.” Cormac echoes. I nod, unwilling to put a name on what I was feeling. This odd inclination to want to listen to her talk over dinner about pianist terms I do not understand, or that squeeze in my chest when she smiles at me through the large crowd as she plays, like the performance is mine alone.

Or the weird, murderous thoughts that flash through my head every single time I see a male standing too close to her.

I do not even think about what she had done three years ago, or that she was Dante’s mistress once..

I do not want to think about the feelings that make me act this way, because I might have to control them if I do.

“Of course.” I say, sipping my coffee. A pack member, his name is Lee, walks in holding a sealed envelope. He hands it to me.

“This was delivered in the mail today. It has a pack seal on it. I take the envelope and study the seal.

“The Black Crest pack.” I murmur to myself, breaking the seal.

Lee coughs deliberately and I look up at him. “Is there a problem?” I ask

“There is an ongoing feud between the two packs, Alpha.” He says.

I groan. Of course, the pointless feud that had begun without anyone’s knowledge but had retained itself over the years for generations now.

Some days it had begun because of a land dispute, others said it was a dispute about a female.

Then it had erupted into a fewfights with casualties. All in all, I find the whole thing childish and slightly annoying. And why anyone would even pay attention to it after all this time is anyone's guess. It was so bad because mating between both packs was frowned upon, business was never conducted between the two packs and enmity was encouraged even though nobody could really tell why the feud had begun in the first place

I break the seal. “You can excuse us now.” I say to Lee. He nods and walks away. I take the paper out of the envelope and scan it. It doesn’t take long to realize what it is.

“Apparently, it doesn’t take long for some of us to come to our senses.” I say dryly.

Cormac frowns. “How do you mean?”

“The letter is from Alec Kade.” I say.

“The Alpha of the Black Crest pack?” He asks. I nod

“It’s a proposal for an alliance.” I say, waving the letter slightly in my hand. I place it on the table and stand. “I have to leave now. Do me a favor and get Lorna to help me draft a response telling Alec to meet me at the Hotel.”

“You’re accepting it?” Cormac asks.

“I like what he’s selling. But I won’t buy if it’s bullshit up close.”

Third Person POV

Cormac knocks on the door to Lorna’s office, slightly concerned about how she will respond. He waits before he hears her voice, sweet and losing all its harshness, saying: “Come in.

He can see her smile drop when he walks in and is a bit disappointed.

He is not surprised because he knew it would happen. He puts the letter down in front of her and he can see her eyes sharpen with interest.

“From Lucien?” She asks in a voice that is both mild and dripping with curiosity.

“He wants you to draft a reply to Alec, telling him to meet him at the hotel.” Cormac says in a monotone. She swallows her obvious disappointment with a smile.

“Of course.” She says stiffly. “Just give me a minute.” She says.

He turns to leave and her voice stops him. “Hey, Cormac, is Lucien gone yet?”

Cormac growls, anger and jealousy setting deep in his stomach like acid, burning. He turns, leaning forward and bracing his hands on the table.

“You seem to enjoy being treated like shit.” He says mildly. Her face turns pink.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” She mutters, looking away and to the letter on her desk.

“Just lock the door behind you. I’m busy.” She says, effectively dismissing him. His jaw clenches.

“When are you going to get it into your head that Lucien doesn’t want you?”

He sees her hand tighten on the edge of the desk. “Go away, Cormac.”

“Right.” He drawls. “So you can continue to make yourself delusional.”

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re saying.” She says, standing.

“You’ve said that twice now.”

“Just go to hell.” She says, sitting. “Lucien will come back around.” She says.

“He felt a bond with Corrigan, Lorna.” Cormac says.

Lorna looks away. He can see the sheen of tears on her eyes. “Leave. Now.”

With a nod, he turns and walks to the door. When his hand is on the door knob, he stops and turns.

“Maybe you just need someone to make you feel loved and appreciated.”

She scoffs. “And this “person” being you?” she says softly.

“I don’t see any reason why not.” He says.

“Other than the fact that you leave me totally cold, that you’re younger than I am and that I genuinely don’t care?” she says.

“That wasn’t the tone of voice you had on the full moon fete…”

Her eyes widen and he knows she can remember it. The hot, steamy full moon night when their eyes had locked and everything else had been lost to them. When they had fallen into bed together, her nails raking his back wildly.

When she had pushed him away as he had been about to steal the bond. The night after which she had ignored him and forced everything that had happened away, along with every memory of it.

“Don’t say it.” She grounds out, cutting him short.

“Of course.” He says sarcastically. “If you Ignore it long enough, it’s going to go away.”

“There is nothing to ignore. I was not in a right state of mind and you just happened to be there. It was sex, Cormac. Sex. I see no reason why it should be thrown in my face repeatedly.”

“Maybe because you’re doing your best to ignore it and forget it?”

“Well then,” she says, standing. “why don’t you leave me alone so my best can work? So will you leave or will I have to leave?”

He shakes his head. “Have your office to yourself.” He says, walking out.

Lucien’s POV

I walk into the dining room in the middle of Corrigan’s performance. Hey eyes are closed as she plays. I take a seat at the far end of the room, taking the time to observe her.

She is wearing a black outfit tonight. Her hair falls over her features, giving her a fairy-like air. She is playing a fast, sort of playful melody. There is a small smile gracing her lips.

Does she have any idea just how desirable she is? How every movement she makes drives me mad with want. How every word that comes out of her mouth makes me wonder. How beautiful hey laugh is.

She couldn't possibly know that. I hear the endnotes of her number and I clap as she gets the help of a waiter to get down from the mini stage that had been set up for her. She is wearing a black full length dress. She stops to talk to a few couples and guests, her face animated and friendly.

Happier than I had seen her before she had begun. She spots me and smiles, waving. I nod, returning the smile.

I wait till she is done speaking to the last couple before I walk up to her and offer her my elbow so she can put her hand in its crook. She smiles at me.

“You came back.” She says. I nod

“There was a bit of a problem in the pack.” I say, my voice low.

We walk to the elevator beside each other. She looks up at me as the elevator dings and the doors slide open. “What problem?”

I don't want to burden her with extensive talk about the pack. The Silver Medallion is a personal problem. I tap her nose. “I'll fix it.” I say fondly. She rolls her eyes.

“I'm not a child, Lucien. You can tell me things about the pack.”

I sigh. “Corrigan…”

“Lucien.” She cuts in. “Tell me.”