Chapter 81 Chapter 81
81
AILSA’S POV
I left before Lucian would stop me again. I didn’t look back and I walked slowly. As I made my way back to the pack house, I was upset. My wolf paced beneath my skin the moment I crossed the threshold, she wanted to bare her teeth and it had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with possession.
‘Stay. Stand your ground and mark what’s yours’ she had urged.
I clenched my fists as I walked down the corridor, my nails biting into my palms.
I should have stayed like Lucian asked. I should have stood tall and reminded Elara who stood beside Lucian now. The one who he was mated to and the one who slept in his bed.
Instead, I fled. I thought it would have been better she told him what her reason for coming was and he gone quickly. My anger increased, I was angry at myself but most especially at Elara.
How dare she come back? After everything she had done. After leaving and choosing someone else. After breaking Lucian and making it hard for him to trust. My wolf snarled at the memory of Elara’s face.
She has no right.
“I know” I muttered under my breath.
I wanted to smack her. Not because I was insecure but out of fear and rage. The audacity she had. I turned a corner and nearly collided with Dahlia.
“Well, if it isn’t the Luna herself” she said sweetly. Something sharp flickered behind her eyes. I didn’t stop or acknowledge her.
I walked past her like she was nothing more than air. Behind me, I felt her smirk. As if she had achieved something great. I would not give her the satisfaction she craved today. My wolf bristled.
‘She didn’t try to follow you. That’s new’
I didn’t respond. I wasn’t in the mood for Dahlia’s antics and if I stopped to I would only be encouraging it. By the time, I reached my room, my chest felt too tight and my thoughts too loud.
I shut the door and leaned against it, staring at nothing.
Lucian.
My mind thought instantly, replaying the image of Elara stepping towards him and calling him love like they were still lovers and saying his name like he still belonged to her.
She must really have some nerve or did she think Lucian would be waiting for her return with open hands? I was now thinking of what they were doing.
What were they talking about? Was she asking for forgiveness? Was she crying? Was she reminding him of what they used to have? Did he forgive her? Was he comforting her?
My stomach twisted.
‘He chose you’ my wolf said firmly.
“But he chose her first” I whispered back.
‘She left and chose another person’
‘That didn’t mean the bond is gone’ I said.
Did it? My thoughts spiraled. I didn’t know anything about broken bonds and how they worked. Or did I? My brain was not processing anything right now all I could think about was Lucian with Elara.
Did Elara still want him? Did she expect him to jaw her back? Did they feel something as they stood close, something old and familiar? Did Lucian regret choosing me? Was he torn on what to do?
I continued pacing in the room till I stopped in front of the mirror, my eyes turned golden. My wolf trying to take over but I held back.
‘Listen, if he still wanted her, you would feel it through the bond’ she said. I swallowed.
“He didn’t mark me” I whispered.
Yet. That gives her an edge over me. What if the bond reawakens? The word lingered.
Before I could chase that thought further, the door opened and I turned sharply. Lucian stood at the doorway.
The room seemed to shift as he stepped inside, as if the space recognized him before my mind could catch up. He closed the door quietly behind him, his eyes already searching my face. The bond was alive now,as if hr had given me permission to feel his emotions.
I didn’t give him time to speak, I crossed the room in three strides and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face into his chest. He stiffened for a moment before his arms came around me, strong and holding me like I was fragile. It felt so right and our bodies fitted perfectly.
I breathed his scent in to remind myself that he was mine and I was wrapped in his arms.
“You came” I murmured.
“Of course, I’ll always come back to you” he said softly, his chin resting against my hair and he gave it a kiss. I held him tighter, as if he might slip away if I didn’t.
When we pulled back, his hands stayed at my waist, his thumbs brushing small circles against my skin.
“You left quickly” he said gently.
“I didn’t want to stay. I wanted to give you privacy” I admitted.
“I know you didn’t want to but I just want to let you know there’s no privacy for me when it comes to you. I want you to know everything” his gaze softened.
“I felt your anger through the bond. Your wolf too” my lips parted.
“She wanted me to stay. To…remind her that you were mine” his lips curved into a smile, an approving one.
“Good wolf” I huffed.
“You knew how I was feeling but I didn’t know how you were feeling. Did you shut your emotions” he turned away.
“Lucian….” I drawled.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes my emotions come off too strong and I don’t want you to worry”
“We’ve talked about this. I told you I want to feel everything the good and bad”
“I won’t shut you out next time” he kissed my forehead. I decided to talk about the main issue at hand.
“Why is she here, Lucian?”
“She’s in danger” he said. “The man she left with…he’s violent. She’s been running from him and believes this is the only place she’ll be safe” the words settled heavily.
“Won’t here be the first place he would check when he finds out she’s gone?”
“He won’t dare to come to my pack after all that happened”
“And?” I asked quietly.
“She begged me to let her stay here” my jaw tightened.
“And you let her?”
“One week” he said immediately. “I gave her one week and I made it clear that she is to leave when the week elapsed” I signed and searched his face.
“Why here? Why not somewhere else? I’m sure she has other places to run to”
His hands tightened slightly at my waist.
“She said she had nowhere else to go to”
“And you believed that? Have you even verified if she’s saying the truth?”
“Elara would never lie about something of that nature” my expression fell, he was defending her. I didn’t like it.
“Don’t look that way. She will be gone after a week. She won’t cause any problems because I’ve warned her” I studied him and I exhaled slowly.
“Did you feel any spark with her?” I asked quietly. Something dark flickered across his face.
“It’s not what it was. The mark is still there so there’s still a bit of connection to her but it’s nothing serious”
“Yet, it’s still there” I said. He leaned closer brushing his forehead against mine.
“And this? Do you feel how alive this is?” He asked softly. My breath hitched.
“Yes”
“That’s the difference” his voice dropped.
The air between us thickened, charged with lust. His thumb traced the line of my jaw, tilting my face up just enough that I felt his breath on my lips.
“I missed you. I want you” his voice was rough with need.
“That’s not the issue at hand”
“All I could think about today was you naked under me as I plowed into you” my cheeks turned pink.
An image of both of us naked and in bed, made my knees shaky but i didn’t want to be distracted by the issue at hand and so I pouted.
“I know you were angry” he murmured, kissing my nose softly.
“I still am”
“Good. I like it when you are jealous, it makes me hard” my pulse skipped as he rubbed his hardened length against my belly.
“Lucian…”
He kissed me softly cutting off my words. The kiss was slow and soft, his tongue seeking mine and when I finally gave in, his kiss made me needy, making me whimper and my hands fisted in his shirt. He was trying to distract me from the topic and I shamelessly let him.
He pulled back and his hands still firm on my waist, my breath uneven from the kiss.
“One week, then she’s gone” he repeated quietly.
I wanted to tell him that I didn’t like it and she looked like trouble. I wanted to tell him of my fears but my words were stuck in my throat as he kissed me again.