Chapter 41
Tori's POV:
I nodded absently as Morgan continued her animated retelling of Megan's jealous reaction.
My attention was caught by a shadow passing across the small window in the hospital room door.
Someone was standing outside, listening.
My pulse quickened. I nudged Morgan's arm and subtly tilted my head toward the door.
Her eyes widened as she followed my gaze.
Without a word, Morgan grabbed the small fruit knife she'd been using to peel apples and held it behind her back.
She approached the door cautiously while I tried to sit up straighter.
Morgan yanked the door open, knife hidden behind her.
"Alpha Lucas!" she exclaimed, hastily tucking the knife into her back pocket.
Lucas stood in the doorway, holding a bouquet of white tulips. His blue eyes flickered between Morgan and me, then to the knife poorly concealed behind her.
"Were you... just standing out here?" Morgan asked, her voice pitched higher than normal.
"I just arrived," Lucas replied smoothly, stepping into the room as if he owned it.
He walked directly to my bed and extended the flowers. "Congratulations on your discharge."
Morgan still looked confused, opening her mouth to question him further, but Lucas interrupted.
"Your brother called. He said there's something urgent at home that requires your attention."
"Oh!" Morgan's eyes widened. "In that case..." She turned to me with an apologetic smile.
"Would it be okay if Alpha Lucas takes you home after discharge? I should probably check what's happening."
"Of course," I nodded, though Tracy growled suspiciously inside me.
"Thanks, Tori. I'll call you later!" Morgan grabbed her purse and hurried out the door.
After Morgan left, the hospital room fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Lucas stood by the window, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the floor. I clutched the flowers, suddenly aware of how disheveled I must look.
"That woman Clara, they're talking about," Lucas said abruptly, "she has nothing to do with me."
I blinked, surprised he would bother explaining this to me.
"Oh... well, even if she did have something to do with you, it wouldn't matter," I said.
However, Lucas's face immediately darkened, his expression shifting from neutral to gloomy in an instant. His jaw tightened visibly, and something dangerous flashed in his ice-blue eyes.
His mood seemed to shift like quicksilver, and a sudden unease crept up my spine.
Maybe it was best to get out of here as quickly as possible. My leg still hurts when I put weight on it, but it wasn't unbearable anymore. The doctor had said I was healing well.
"I should probably get going," I murmured, setting the flowers aside and carefully swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.
I pushed myself up, testing my weight cautiously. The bandaged leg trembled slightly, but I felt steady enough.
Then, as I took my first step forward, my injured leg buckled unexpectedly.
I pitched forward with a startled gasp, bracing for impact with the hard floor—but instead, I collided with something solid and warm.
Lucas had moved with impossible speed, his strong arms wrapping around me to prevent my fall. My hands reflexively clutched the front of his shirt, my face pressed against his chest.
His scent enveloped me completely—pine and winter air and something uniquely him.
I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my cheek, unexpectedly calm compared to my own racing pulse.
When I dared to look up, Lucas's earlier dark expression had softened.
He steadied me with a firm grip on my elbows, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone with his strength.
"Clearly, you're not ready to be on your own yet," he said, his voice low. "Before I take you home, there's somewhere we need to go first."
It wasn't a request. His tone left no room for negotiation.
Twenty minutes later, I found myself in the passenger seat of his sleek black Maybach, watching the cityscape of Moonhaven gradually give way to dense forest.
Anxiety coiled in my stomach as we ventured further from familiar territory.
"Where exactly are we going?" I finally asked, breaking the silence that had stretched between us since leaving the hospital.
Lucas's lips curved slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You're only asking now? Isn't that a bit late?"
I frowned, not appreciating his humor. "I didn't realize we'd be driving to the middle of nowhere."
"We're going to see someone," he replied vaguely, turning the car onto a narrow dirt path. "Someone who can help you."
The car jostled slightly as we navigated the uneven terrain.
After several minutes of winding through increasingly thick forest, an ancient stone structure appeared through the trees.
It looked like a cross between a small castle and a cave entrance, with weathered gray stones covered in climbing vines. Moonstone crystals embedded in the archway glinted even in the daylight.
Lucas parked the Maybach in a small clearing nearby.
As the engine quieted, the door to the structure creaked open, and a slender figure emerged, seemingly drawn by the sound of our arrival.
A woman with flowing silver hair and striking silver eyes walked toward us, her movements graceful despite her apparent age.
She wore simple linen clothes in earthy tones, adorned only with a moonstone pendant around her neck.
"Alpha, " she greeted with a respectful nod to Lucas before her piercing gaze settled on me.
"Is this the one who required my attention so urgently?"