Chapter 56
Lucas's POV:
I watched Tori from the corner of my eye as we drove away from Elena's clinic.
Her hands were folded tightly in her lap, her gaze fixed somewhere outside the window.
The silence between us was heavy with unspoken thoughts. She'd tried to say something earlier, but then she'd looked at me directly and whatever courage she'd mustered had evaporated.
"We should get dinner," I said, checking the time on the dashboard. "It's getting late."
Tori's mouth opened slightly, likely to refuse, but I cut her off before she could.
"You still have to tutor Leo tonight. You'll need your strength."
I kept my tone matter-of-fact, giving her no room to argue as I pulled into the parking lot of Silvermoon.
"Be good," I added, allowing the slightest hint of Alpha command to color my words.
Her eyes flashed with brief hesitation before she nodded silently
Dinner was a quiet affair.
I ordered for both of us, choosing dishes rich in protein and nutrients that would help her recovery. She ate methodically, taking small, measured bites.
When we finished, I drove us back to the Grayson estate.
The grounds were quiet in the evening light, the security gates opening automatically as my car approached. We drove up the long driveway toward the main house.
Arabella lives in the east wing. I parked near a smaller but elegant building connected to the main residence.
As we walked toward the entrance, the door flew open and Leo bounded out, stopping short when he saw us.
His small face lit up with recognition.
"Uncle Lucas!" he exclaimed.
I felt my expression soften as I approached him.
Leo was only six, but already carried himself with the careful dignity of a Grayson. I reached down and swept him up into my arms, feeling his small body relax at the contact.
"Have you been good for your mother?" I asked, my voice gentler than most.
Leo nodded solemnly. "Yes, I finished all my reading assignments."
"That's my boy." I ruffled his hair, noticing how his eyes darted curiously toward Tori, who was watching our interaction with surprise evident on her face.
Leo's eyes widened slightly when he spotted Tori standing behind me.
He straightened his posture and offered a small, polite bow. "Ms Sullivan. "
Before Tori could answer, Arabella appeared in the doorway, her expression shifting from casual welcome to surprise when she saw us together.
"Lucas? Tori? I wasn't expecting you both to arrive together," she said, glancing between us with undisguised curiosity.
Tori quickly shook her head.
"We just happened to run into each other. "
I kept my expression neutral, though I noticed the slight flush on Tori's cheeks as she emphasized the coincidental nature of our arrival.
Arabella's lips curved into a knowing smile as she nodded, clearly seeing right through the explanation.
"Of course," Arabella said, her tone suggesting she didn't believe it was mere coincidence but was willing to play along. "How... fortunate."
Tori shifted uncomfortably under my sister's perceptive gaze.
"I should probably get started with Leo's lesson," she said, turning to the boy with forced brightness in her voice. "Ready to learn some math, Leo?"
Leo nodded, and Tori quickly ushered him toward the stairs, clearly eager to escape further questioning about our arrival together.
As Tori led Leo inside, Arabella turned to me with a knowing look. "Let's chat?"
"Fine," I answered, following her through the house to a tastefully decorated office that reflected her artistic sensibilities.
Once the door closed behind us, Arabella wasted no time. "So, when are you planning to tell her?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Tell her what?"
"Don't play dumb, Lucas." She rolled her eyes.
"The fated mate thing. I've helped bring her right into our territory, into our home. What's your next move?"
I sank into one of the leather armchairs, choosing my words carefully. "She's not ready and she is still in school."
"And you're not getting any younger," Arabella countered, pouring two glasses of bourbon.
"I never thought I'd see the day when my Alpha brother would become smitten with a high school girl. Quite the cradle robber, aren't we?"
I accepted the drink but fixed her with a cold stare. "She's twenty-one."
That gave Arabella pause. "Twenty-one? But she's in high school."
"She had taken some time away from school." I explained.
Arabella raised an eyebrow, clearly curious but did not press further.
"Well," Arabella sighed, settling into the chair opposite mine, "but you need to be gentle with her, Lucas. No more of your usual cold, commanding Alpha routine. Nobody likes your icy face."
I didn't respond.
"How are Ethan and Fiona?" Arabella asked, changing the subject. "Has he gotten over that prison girlfriend yet?"
The image of Fiona sitting soundly asleep by Ethan's hospital bed flashed through my mind. "They seem fine. She was quite attentive when he was injured."
Arabella made a noncommittal sound.
"I suppose that's good. Though by my calculation, that girl should be out by now."
She took a sip of her drink, studying me over the rim of her glass. "Let's hope they don't cross paths again. Ethan was absolutely destroyed when she went away."
I felt my jaw tighten as an unwelcome memory surfaced—Ethan standing in my office with desperation etched across his face.
"Uncle Lucas." Ethan had looked up at me, his eyes red-rimmed from sleepless nights. "Why won't you help her?"
The question had hung between us, heavy with accusation. Lisa Morris had been using her connections to ensure no reputable pack advocate would defend Tori.
"If you would just intervene... she wouldn't get such a harsh sentence. She didn't do anything wrong—she was only defending herself." he had pleaded.
I'd looked at my nephew coldly, unmoved by his distress. "She's just an irrelevant person," I'd replied indifferently. "Not worth our concern."
A soft knock on the door interrupted our conversation.
I looked up to see Tori standing in the doorway, with Leo hovering just behind her.
"We've finished today's lesson," she said, her voice quiet and professional.
After saying our goodbyes to Leo and arranging the next tutoring session, I walked with Tori toward the front door.
Arabella followed, her eyes dancing with amusement.
"I should get you home," I said to Tori, reaching for my car keys.
Arabella leaned close to me as Tori stepped outside, whispering with undisguised mirth, "It's like watching a romance between a loli and an old man."
I shot her a warning glare, but she only grinned wider.
"You've practically become her personal chauffeur," she continued, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
"Good night, Arabella," I said coldly, closing the door on her knowing smile.
The drive to the dormitory was quiet, with Tori staring out the window for most of the journey.
When we arrived, I pulled up directly in front of the entrance and put the car in park.
"Thank you for the ride," Tori said politely, already reaching for the door handle before I'd fully stopped the car.
I watched her disappear through the doors with a mixture of amusement and frustration.
Apparently, being someone's chauffeur doesn't earn much gratitude, I thought helplessly.
Duke huffed within me. She's scared.
Not scared, I corrected silently. Cautious. There's a difference.
Still, I remained parked until I saw a light come on in what I knew was her window, then finally drove away.