A Reunion
Chapter 103:
Lucien.
He stood there, tall and furious, every muscle drawn tight beneath torn clothes, his eyes burning molten gold. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, the air around him pulsing with dominance.
“Lucien,” she whispered. “You–”
He grabbed her wrist before she could finish, pressing her hand flat against his chest. His skin was hot, his heart hammering under her palm. “You left me,” he rasped, the words more accusation than statement. “I woke up and you were gone.”
Kael emerged from the trees a second later, blade drawn and ready, stopping dead when he saw who it was. “Oh, hell,” he muttered under his breath. “Of course it’s you.”
Lucien’s gaze flicked toward Kael, a quick flash of anger crossed his eyes but it was gone just as quickly and his gaze returned to Aria, “You should never have left the pack.”
Her throat tightened. “They told me to go.”
“And you listened?” he demanded, voice cracking on the last word. “After everything we’ve been through…after I almost–” His breath hitched, and he broke off, dragging a hand through his hair. His chest heaved as he took a step back, trying to cage the fury that rippled through his every muscle. “You should’ve waited for me.”
“I couldn’t,” she said softly. “You were hurt, Lucien. I didn’t even know if the next time something came after me, you'd be alive. The council…”
“The Council?” He laughed, bitter and sharp. “The Council answers to me.”
Kael sheathed his blade with a loud click. “Not when you’re unconscious, apparently,” he muttered.
Lucien’s head snapped toward him, his wolf barely restrained. “You have a lot to say for someone who was supposed to protect her.”
“Funny,” Kael shot back, stepping closer. “That’s exactly what I was doing.”
“By running away?” Lucien snarled.
“By staying alive long enough to keep her safe while you were too weak to even stand!”
The growl that ripped from Lucien’s chest made the air itself tremble. Aria stepped between them before either could make a move. “Enough!” Her voice cracked like a whip, sharp and commanding.
Both men froze.
Lucien’s breathing was harsh, Kael’s jaw clenched tight. They stared at each other like they were about to shift into their wolf forms and go for each other’s throats.
Aria looked between them, exhaling shakily. “You both need to stop before you wake the entire forest.”
Lucien’s gaze softened only when he looked back at her. “You shouldn’t be here, Aria. The Council…”
“I don’t care about the Council,” she interrupted. “I care about the people who keep trying to decide where I belong.”
Silence fell again, thick and heavy. Kael stood back, hand on his sword, watching them Starr at each other.
Finally, Lucien exhaled sharply, closing the distance between them in two strides. “I was terrified for you,” he admitted, his voice breaking.
That was all it took for the wall between them to break. Aria stepped forward, her hand brushing his chest. “I didn’t mean to.”
He caught her wrist and pulled her closer, his forehead resting against hers. “Don’t ever leave like that again,” he murmured, voice trembling.
She leaned into the touch, eyes glistening. “Then don’t make me have to.”
The forest seemed to exhale around them. Kael turned away, running a hand through his hair, and sighed loudly, “Well, that’s touching. Are you done now, or should I give you two a tent?”
Lucien shot him a glare. “Keep talking, and I might just tear your throat out.”
Kael smirked. “There’s the royal asshole I missed.”
Despite everything, Aria laughed softly at their familiar antics.
They didn’t speak much after that. Exhaustion had already started to sink into their bones. Night fell quickly after that. They found a small clearing not far from where they had met, half-hidden by brush and guarded by a cluster of stones, and made camp there.
Kael built a small fire while Lucien checked the perimeter. By the time the flames were steady, Aria was sitting on the ground, her back against a tree, eyes half-closed. Kael passed her a canteen, but she only managed a sip before sleep claimed her, exhaustion dragging her under.
Lucien watched her for a long time, expression unreadable, before finally sitting across from Kael, the tension between them, tangible.
Lucien turned toward him, expression unreadable. “You let her go.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t have a choice. Neither did she. You were unconscious, Lucien. She thought staying would put you in more danger.”
Lucien’s gaze met his. “Everyone has a choice.”
“Not when it comes to you,” Kael said. “She left because she thought staying would destroy you.”
Lucien’s laugh was low and humorless. “She thinks she’s the danger?”
“Maybe she’s right,” Kael snapped. “Every time she stays, something comes for her, and ultimately for you too.”
Lucien stepped closer. “And you think sending her away would fix that?”
“I think at the very least, it keeps her alive.”
Lucien’s eyes gleamed gold in the firelight. “Don’t speak like you know what's best for her.”
Kael met his glare evenly. “I don’t. But I know what she deserves. And it’s not this: being hunted, hated, or blamed for saving lives.”
The Alpha’s expression softened, barely, but enough for Kael to notice. “You’re not wrong,” Lucien said quietly. “But protecting her, is my responsibility.”
Kael didn’t reply and for a moment, neither spoke. Then Lucien exhaled sharply and turned away, raking a hand through his hair. His wolf still prowled under his skin, restless, snarling. He turned toward Aria, her sleeping form bathed in firelight, her features soft and unguarded for the first time in days. Something inside him eased — and then tensed again.
He lifted his head suddenly.
Kael noticed it too. “What is it?”
Lucien rose slowly, nostrils flaring. “Something’s here.”
Kael stood, reaching for his sword. “Did they send people after you?”
Lucien’s voice was low, grim. “No. I explicitly said no one was to come after me. It’s someone else.”