Chapter 124 Chapter 124
My blood turned to ice. Lorcan’s eyes flicked over my shoulder, mine followed shortly. Lucian stood a few paces away. His expression was unreadable, his eyes locked on us. The air suddenly felt like it was about to split open.
My breath felt trapped somewhere between my chest and throat. The corridor suddenly seemed too narrow and suffocating, too loud with the pounding of my own heart. His presence filled the space like a storm about to break.
His eyes were now fixed on me, his gaze was not soft or warm or teasing the way they usually were but it was sharp, dark and searching and I knew he was upset.
That alone made my stomach twist. Lorcan leaned casually against the wall as if nothing in the world concerned him. As if he hadn't just poisoned the air with words that crawled beneath my skin and scratched at my dignity.
“What is it that should I know?” Lucian asked again. His voice was calmer than I expected it to be.
Lorcan smiled beside me with that infuriating, knowing smile that made me want to use my fists on his face.
“I was just speaking to your beautiful Luna” Lorcan said smoothly.
My pulse quickened. As Lorcan called me beautiful, Lucian didn’t take it well. His jaw tightened.
“It’s nothing, Lucian” I said quickly.
His eyes darkened, suspicion flickering openly now. Lucian wasn’t convinced. In fact, he looked hurt and angry. Lorcan tilted his head, studying Lucian like a man enjoying a private joke.
“Your Luna is very beautiful. I’ve never seen another this beautiful” he murmured.
“I wonder if she was pure when you met her”
Everything happened at once. I was till trying to process Lorcan’s words. There was a blur of movement. A growl that ripped through the room. The violent sound of a body hitting a wall. Lucian had Lorcan by the throat.
His hand was wrapped around Lorcan’s neck, lifting him with terrifying ease, eyes blazing with pure rage. The air crackled with alpha dominance, suffocating and sharp.
“Stop!” I shouted, rushing forward. Lucian didn’t look at me.
“Repeat what you just said” he growled.
Lorcan coughed slightly but still smiled, gods, he still smiled.
“That’s one of the requirement for a Luna, isn’t it? Purity” Lorcan said hoarsely.
“And looking at her, she may have been sampled by a few others”
The words hit me like a slap. Hot anger flooded my chest. Even I wanted to slam my fists in his face.
Sampled. He spoke of me like I was some sort of good. As if I were something to be passed around, inspected, judged.
“Enough” I snapped, fury shaking my voice.
Lucian’s arm flexed, his wolf pressing dangerously close to the surface. He was going to punch him. I knew it. I stepped between them, pressing my hand against Lucian’s chest.
“Stop this. He’s not worth it” I whispered.
His eyes fell to mine, still burning. For a moment, I thought he wouldn’t listen. Then slowly, he released Lorcan. Lorcan landed on his feet, rubbing his neck, amusement dancing in his eyes as if being nearly strangled had been entertainment.
“Leave my pack and never return. Because next time you step foot here, i won’t hesitate to kill you” he said, his voice turned deadly quiet. Lorcan laughed. I don’t know why he was laughing at everything.
The sound scraped against my nerves and I’m sure Lucian felt annoyed too. He looked at me then not Lucian, not anyone else.
Me.
“I’ll see you again” he said softly.
The words sent a chill down my spine. He was reminding me that this was not over.
“Marie, let’s go” Lorcan called casually.
Marie came in moments later, her presence gentle and composed as always. She bowed her head slightly toward Lucian.
“Thank you for allowing us to spend the night” she said politely. Then her eyes moved to me.
There was something in them. A faint glint in her eyes like she had planned something.
“It was nice seeing you again, Ailsa. I hope we can talk more” she said with a smile.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. When they were finally gone, silence filled the corridor like smoke. Lucian turned to me slowly.
“What the fuck was that?” My heart pounded.
I tried to act confused, tried to build walls with words.
“I don’t know what you mean…”
“Don’t…” he cut me off sharply. His voice cracked like thunder.
“Don’t do that. Don’t you dare lie to me” I swallowed hard.
“What did Lorcan mean when he said he would see you again or when his Luna said it’s nice seeing you again”
“I don’t know what either of them meant” I whispered.
‘Damn it Ailsa, just say the truth. This is the best time’ my wolf urged. Lucian’s control snapped.
“Stop lying!” he roared.
The force of his voice shook the walls, my heart slamming painfully against my ribs. I had never seen him like this. Not this furious or this hurt.
His eyes searched mine desperately, like he was begging for truth even while preparing himself for betrayal. Then he spoke and everything shattered.
“I know Lorcan was your mate”
The world stopped. My breath left my lungs in a silent gasp. The truth is as finally out, the one I had buried, hidden, suffocated stood between us now like a barrier.
Lucian’s chest rose and fell heavily, his gaze never leaving mine.
“I know” he repeated, quieter this time.
“What I don’t understand is why you didn’t want to tell me all this time?”
Emotion crashed over me in waves, fear, shame, guilt, heartbreak, and the overwhelming terror of losing the one man who had become my home. I couldn’t speak neither could I move.
Memories surged violently through my mind, pain, rejection, abandonment, the bond that had once defined my world and the devastation when it broke me. Lucian took a step toward me.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I waited for you to open up to me”
The question wasn’t angry. It was broken. Tears blurred my vision.
“Dammit Ailsa!! Answer me!!” He snapped.
“I wanted to. I was afraid” I whispered. His jaw tightened.
“Afraid of what?”
“Of losing you”
The words trembled out of me, my emotions raw as I sobbed. Silence stretched between us and ur was killing me.
Lucian looked like he’d been hit. Pain flickered across his face before he masked it with anger again.
“You should have trusted me. I confided in you about my past” he said.
“I wanted to” I whispered. “But my past isn’t just a story, Lucian. It’s a wound that I didn’t want to open”
“Did you think I wanted to reopen my own? I told you because I wanted to be with you”
“I’m so sorry Lucian” I sobbed.
His expression softened for a brief second, then hardened again.
“And now he’s here. In my pack looking at you like you belong to me” Lucian said quietly.
“I don’t belong to him” I said firmly.
Lucian’s gaze searched mine.
“But he was your mate” The words felt heavy.
“Yes” I admitted. “He was. But there’s nothing binding us again”
Lucian’s eyes darkened with a pain so deep it stole my breath. The bond between us pulsed, it was strained and aching.
“Was” he repeated. I nodded.
“He broke me by betraying ne. Him and my ex-best friend” I whispered.
“And I survived it because the moon goddess gave me a second chance. That’s why I didn’t ever want to speak about it. I didn’t want to spoil the beautiful bond we’ve built”
Lucian stared at me for a long moment, emotions warring behind his eyes, jealousy, rage, protectiveness, heartbreak, love.
So much love. The silence that followed wasn’t empty. It was heavy with everything unsaid. And standing there, with Lucian looking at me like I was both his greatest blessing and his greatest threat, I realized something terrifying. This wasn’t over.
“I’m still angry that you didn’t trust me enough to talk about your past despite how many times I asked. Even when Aiden asked” my gaze widened.
“You sent him?”
“Yes. I thought you would be more comfortable telling him than me. But you were not forthcoming with him either. I know you didn’t trust me that much” I shook my head.
“I trust you. I swear I wanted to tell you. Anytime I wanted to bring it up something came up”
“That’s not an excuse, Ailsa and you know that”
“I know. Nothing I’d say now would convince you but I just want you to know how sorry I am. I won’t fault you if you’re angry at me, you deserve to be”
“Right now, I don’t know how to act when I know you were lying earlier trying to protect Lorcan”
“No, no. I wasn’t trying to protect him. I just didn’t want you to get into a fight with Lorcan” he didn’t look at me and it hurt so much.
“I need some time alone”