Chapter 80 Chapter 80
LUCIAN’S POV
The moment I saw her, something inside of me snapped. My wolf growled inwardly. Something in my chest twisted violently, like an old wound being torn open after I had spent years healing. I felt Ailsa stiffen in my hold.
I’d been missing her and decided to spend some time with her before continuing with my work before this. Our bond flared, her confusion and alertness, I could feel it.
“Elara” I called again. Her name tasted bitter on my tongue.
She turned fully and looked at me. She looked thinner than the last time I saw her. Her under eyes were dark and dull and she looked pitiful.
‘No. She doesn’t deserve our pity” my wolf said.
She stepped forward and before I could stop her, her arms lifted as if it was a reunion and she tried to hug me.
“Lucian, my love” she breathed.
I caught her wrists mid-way. The contact sent an unwelcome jolt through me, memory, familiarity, something old and buried stirring against my will. I shoved it down. This was not the kind of reaction I had been expecting.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Her expression wavered, but she recovered quickly.
“I’m back” I scoffed.
“Why are you here, Elara” I said in a serious tone.
“I need to speak with you”
“Then go ahead and speak” she looked at Ailsa and then at our hands entwined together before she looked up.
“Alone”
I tightened my hands around Ailsa’s but she tapped my hand trying to calm me. Her presence was what anchored and grounded me.
“I’ll leave you to it” Ailsa whispered, removing her hands from mine before she stepped back.
“No. Stay. She’ll say whatever it is she has to say and be on her way” I said instantly, turning to her.
Her eyes met mine, searching and uncertain. The look there caused a tightening in my chest. I didn’t want to ever see that look in her eyes.
“I have something to take care of” she whispered.
“She doesn’t need to hear this, Lucian” Elara said softly
“I decide what my Luna needs to hear” I replied coldly.
The word Luna changed the air. Elara went still.
“It’s fine, Lucian. I’ll give you both privacy. You’ll come to me when you’ve finished discussing with her” I knew that tone so well, she was marking her territory. She gave me one last look passing her message and I nodded before she left.
I turned back to Elara.
“You shouldn’t be here. Go back to wherever you came from”
“Hear me out first before turning me away” she said pleadingly but I was not having that.
“I don’t want to hear whatever it is you have to say. What did I tell you when you were leaving here?”
Her composure cracked and then she dropped to her knees. I moved back and I heard gaps from some of the guards nearby but I barely paid attention to them. All I could see was the woman kneeling before me, her head bowed and shoulders shaking.
“Please….I had nowhere else to go” she said, her voice trembling. I clenched my fists.
“Here is not a place for homeless people”
“I know but this was the only place that I could think of”
“Stand up” I commanded but she didn’t.
“He’s trying to kill me. The man I left with. If he finds me I’m going to be dead”
I was supposed to feel happy about that but my stomach sank at her words.
“Elara…”
“He deceived me. He made me betray you, Lucian. I was young and foolish. I know that now. I lost everything because of it. I hope you can forgive me”
“Stand up now” I ordered in my Alpha tone and this time she stood up.
I marched back to my office and Elara followed closely behind. Once we were in my office, the door shut with a bang that echoed too loudly. Elara stood in the center of the room, wringing her hands.
“I know I don’t deserve your mercy” she began slowly. “I really don’t have anywhere to go”
“You left, Elara and said you were never coming back. You made your choice” I said flatly.
“I know. It’s all my fault and I’ve been paying for it ever since. That’s the biggest mistake of my life and I wished I could go back to change it”
‘Don’t be fooled by her crocodile tears. Send her away now’ my wolf said angrily.
“There’s no place for you here”
“I know. You have a Luna now. I can beg her if that’s what you want”
“No” I said immediately. I didn’t want her anywhere close to Ailsa.
“Don’t go close to her. Stay very far way from her” I warned.
“I’ll do anything you say” she said cleaning the tears.
“I don’t want you here Elara” I said again, my voice sharper now. She swallowed. I saw the fear in her eyes, the one I realized too well. It was fear that I was going to turn her away. I resented myself for remembering that about her.
“I swear Lucian, I won’t cause any trouble. You won’t even know I’m in the pack. I’ll live like a shadow”
Silence stretched between us, heavy and dangerous. Then she exhaled slowly.
“He hurts me” she said.
The words were quiet and almost swallowed the room. I said nothing.
“He always said he loved me. That you were cruel and would never understand me the way he did” she continued, her voice trembling. I turned away, my jaw tightening.
“He promised me heaven on earth, he’s manipulative too and likes being in control. He punishes me every slightest chance he gets”
I felt it then, that familiar, infuriating pull. The instinct to protect and intervene. To make it stop.
‘Don’t even think about it’ my wolf warned.
She stepped closer, desperation evident on her face.
“I didn’t know it would be like this. I tried to leave, I tried to come back to you but then…..” she broke off, her fingers trembling as they reached the edge of her sleeves. I moved instantly.
“Elara” I said in a warning tone, she still tried to lift her sleeves.
“Don’t” I snapped at her and she froze. I clenched my fists, I didn’t mean to scare her.
“I don’t need to see anything to believe you. You don’t have to undress yourself” I said tightly. Her hands stopped but her eyes didn’t leave mine.
“You always believed me before” she said softly.
Before.
“That was in the past. Back then, you were my responsibility before you humiliated me by running into the arms of another man” fury simmered beneath my restraint as I spoke the words, I had been holding back for a very long time. Tears spilled down her checks uncontrollably.
“I know. I know. I was wrong. I was young and foolish. That is why I was easily deceived” I scoffed.
“Don’t blame it on your age. Blame it on greed. Was I not enough? I did everything for you to be happy and yet you betrayed me”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry” she sobbed.
She hesitated for a moment, before she lifted her chin.
“Your Luna, she is beautiful. She suits you” Elara said quietly. I didn’t respond.
“Have you marked her?” She asked and I still didn’t respond.
“I know…..it’s because of me” she said
“Don’t give yourself so much importance”
She reached up, brushing her fingers along her neck, showing me evidence.
“It’s still there…your mark never faded. It’s still there just like the day you marked me. Believe me when I say I tried everything to have it removed. Now, I believe that bonds don’t disappear not matter how far two people are”
I clenched my fists.
“It will. Eventually” I said harshly. She shook her head slowly.
“You know that’s a lie” the word settled heavily between us.
“You haven’t marked her yet because some part of you knows you can’t. Not while our bond still exists” Elara went on, her voice steady now.
“That’s enough” I snapped. She flinched but she didn’t stop.
“You feel it too, don’t you? Our connection. The attraction is still there, we just have…” I stopped her before she went further. I stepped forward
“You don’t know anything about how I feel or get to define it” her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Then why didn’t you throw me out the moment you saw me?”
“I can still have you thrown out now, don’t think I have agreed for you to stay” I said and her expression turned into that of fear.
“Don’t ever forget your place here”
“I’m sorry” she whispered. I closed my eyes briefly.
“You have one week. You stay out of sight and cause no trouble. You speak to no one and live in the shadows just like you have said” her breath shuddered with relief.
“After that, you leave this pack forever. If you’re still here after that one week, I’ll have you thrown out. Have I made myself clear?” She nodded rapidly.
“Thank you”
“A place would be prepared for you”