Chapter 54
Tori's POV:
"Yes, everything's fine," I replied, clutching my phone tighter.
Lucas's voice on the other end sounded concerned, making something flutter in my chest that I quickly suppressed.
"I just wanted to let you know the restaurant manager visited me."
"Did he?" Lucas's tone shifted to something cooler, more controlled.
"Yes. He apologized for the 'unfortunate incident' and offered compensation." I paused, gathering my courage. "Was that your doing?"
"Are you happy with the arrangement?" he asked, neatly sidestepping my question.
I hesitated, uncertain how to respond.
The money would help with Grandmother's medicine, but accepting it felt like acknowledging a debt to an Alpha I barely knew.
"Thank you," I finally said, my voice soft.
"I need to get back to some business matters," Lucas replied, his tone professional yet somehow still warm. "Call me if you need anything. Anytime."
After we hung up, I stared at my phone for a long moment.
This connection between us was becoming increasingly complicated. Despite all my efforts to maintain independence, I was beginning to rely on him in ways I hadn't anticipated or wanted.
I set my phone down with a sigh.
The next time we met face to face, I needed to have a serious conversation with him about... whatever this was. Clear boundaries had to be established before I found myself in too deep with an Alpha whose true intentions remained a mystery.
---
The next morning, my leg throbbing dully beneath its bandages, I made my way to Ethan's room.
The nurse had told me he'd been asking about me, and despite my reluctance, I felt I owed him a visit. He had, after all, shielded me with his own body.
When I knocked and entered, Ethan was propped up in bed, his torso and arms heavily bandaged.
The sharp, antiseptic smell in the room couldn't mask the underlying scent of burnt flesh and silver poisoning. I winced, knowing exactly how that felt.
His face lit up when he saw me, pain momentarily vanishing from his features.
"Tori! You came."
Movement in the corner drew my attention.
Fiona sat in a visitor's chair, a fashion magazine open in her lap. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, which glittered with something dangerous.
"I wanted to thank you," I said to Ethan, keeping a respectful distance from his bed. "The doctor said you took the worst of the burns."
"It was nothing," he replied, though the tightness around his mouth told a different story. Silver burns were excruciating.
"How are you feeling?" Fiona asked, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
"That nasty burn on your leg must be painful."
"It's healing," I replied simply.
"I was so worried," Ethan said, trying to sit up straighter and wincing. "When I saw that steam coming toward you—"
"You did more than enough," I interrupted gently but firmly. "I appreciate it, but please don't feel obligated to worry about me anymore."
His face fell, understanding my meaning perfectly. Whatever had existed between us belonged to the past.
Fiona's eyes narrowed fractionally, her fingers tightening on her magazine.
"I should let you rest," I said, backing toward the door. "I hope you recover quickly."
"Tori, wait—" Ethan started, but I was already slipping out the door.
I made it halfway down the corridor before Fiona caught up to me, her heels clicking rapidly against the polished floor.
"Tori, dear!" she called, as if we were still best friends. "A moment?"
I turned reluctantly. "What is it, Fiona?"
"I just wanted to check on you," she said, smoothing her perfectly styled hair. "With everything happening, I haven't had a chance to discuss Hannah's condition with you."
My body tensed. "What about it?"
"Well, the doctors say it's a high-risk pregnancy at her age," she sighed dramatically. "I thought perhaps you, as her daughter, might want to visit her. Show some concern."
Her emphasis on "daughter".
"How thoughtful of you," I replied, keeping my expression blank. "Especially considering you tried to slip me an abortifacient herb at the party to use on my own mother."
Fiona's smile froze, her eyes widening fractionally. "I don't know what—"
"I've spent four years gathering herbs in Silver Fang," I cut her off. "Did you think I wouldn't recognize wolfsbane and moonwort mixed with tea? Did you think I'd be stupid enough to give it to Hannah without knowing what it was?"
Her mask slipped, revealing the cold calculation beneath.
"You can't prove anything."
"I don't need to. We both know the truth." I stepped closer, lowering my voice.
"I'm not the same girl you manipulated four years ago, Fiona. I see you now. Every move, every lie."
Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked away, my steps steady despite the pain in my leg.
---
Four weeks later, the lunar cycle had completed a full turn.
The scabs on my leg had fallen away, leaving a pinkish scar that would fade with time.
Principal Wilson had called me to his office three times in the past two weeks, making it clear the school expected me to represent them in the upcoming provincial lunar calculation competition.
"Your preliminary scores are the highest we've seen in decades," he'd emphasized during our last meeting.
I understood the subtext. A successful student would bring prestige to Moonridge High.
I was heading to my dormitory when my phone vibrated with a message from Lucas:
South gate, 4:30.
Brief and commanding, typical Alpha communication.
I realized this would be our first time seeing each other since that awkward morning at the hospital with my grandmother. Lucas had left for a business trip after that, and we hadn't been in the same room for weeks.
Something fluttered in my stomach—nervousness? Anticipation? I quickly pushed the feeling aside, telling myself it was merely the natural response to encountering a powerful Alpha after an absence.
I took a deep breath, forcing my heartbeat to slow.
This had to stop. Whatever this thing was between Lucas and me, I needed to end it before I found myself trapped in emotions I couldn't control.
Better to cut ties now, while I could still walk away with my heart intact.