Chapter 39 039

Chapter 39 039

Lucien's POV

I pulled away from her.

Every part of me screamed to stay, to finish what we had started, but the mindlink from Shark was still echoing in my head. A human. In my territory. During a time when I was supposed to be dead.

This was not a coincidence.

I walked to the bathroom, my jaw clenched so tight as The cold water helped clear my head as I washed the remaining traces of poison from my skin.

My reflection stared back at me from the mirror and for a second I saw what Claire must have seen earlier. The red eyes, The veins and The monster which I truly was.

She had called out to me anyway.

Footsteps sounded behind me in the chamber and I knew Claire was leaving.

“Claire!” I called and heard her halted in her step.

"You are not permitted to leave until I say so"

I growled and then I realized the sound of my voice might have sounded too harsh to her.

"Do not leave me" I added, softer this time.

I finished washing quickly and grabbed clean clothes. When I stepped back into the chamber, she was standing near the door, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked small suddenly. Fragile in a way that made something protective flare up in my chest.

"Follow me." I ordered and began walking towards the door.

She nodded and fell into step behind me as I headed out. We walked through the corridors in silence, my mind already running through scenarios. Who was stupid enough to cross into my territory? What did they want? Were there more of them?

This didn't sit well with me as I try to understand why a human would suddenly come to my chamber despite all they have heard of me.

I had worked for years to keep the humans in check, to make sure they understood the boundaries, their place in this society and to maintain the fragile peace that kept both our kinds from tearing each other apart.

But humans were greedy and Always wanting more. Always pushing to see how far they could go before someone pushed back.

If I did not make an example now, they would think I was weak. They would come again. And again. Until one day they decided they did not need to respect the boundaries at all.

A revolt would be the end of everything.

I felt Claire's eyes on me as She kept glancing over, probably wondering what I was thinking. The silence must have been getting to her because finally she spoke.

"What will you do to the human?"

"The sentence is the same as it always is," I said without looking at her. "They will be killed."

I heard her sharp intake of breath. Felt her fear spike even though I was not looking at her and she suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

I stopped walking and turned to face her as my eyes locked with hers.

Her eyes were wide, that fear written all over her face. She looked at me like I had just told her I was going to burn down an orphanage.

"They have not done anything wrong," she said quietly.

Despite the fact that she was finding her way into my heart and not to mention, she was also human. That wasn't going to make me become weak to all humans. "They came into my territory."

"But—"

"Whatever gave them the nerve to cross that boundary means they will do it again if I do not act." My voice came out harsher than I meant it to. "And one day, they will not just cross. They will revolt. They will decide they want what we have and they will try to take it by force."

She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. Her gaze dropped to the floor.

I turned and kept walking. She followed but the space between us was a lot farther now. As if she was too scared to walk side by side with me.

The yard came into view as I could see the Torches that lined the perimeter, with the guards surrounding everywhere.

The humans should be aware right now regarding how much security and how tight they always are in my castle, yet they dare storm in like they were not aware of the risk.

Shark stood near the center with Austin beside him. Between them, kneeling on the ground with his hands bound behind his back, was a human man.

He looked young, Maybe mid-twenties. Dark hair that fell across his forehead. His clothes were torn and dirty like he had been running through the woods. Blood dripped from a cut above his eyebrow.

Shark looked up as I approached. "My lord. We found him near the eastern border, trying to scale the wall."

I moved closer, studying the human. He kept his head down but I could see his shoulders shaking in fear and I was glad about that because he should be afraid.

"What is your name?" I asked but his head was still buried to the ground.

The human did not answer.

"I said, what is your name?" I growled, in an attempt to frighten him.

But there was still nothing from him.

My hand moved to my side, ready to signal Shark to make him talk, when A scream had immediately interrupted it all.

“Ahh!!”

High and piercing and coming from right behind me.

I spun around, my body already moving into a defensive stance, looking for the threat. But there was nothing. Just Claire standing there with her hand over her mouth and her eyes locked on the human prisoner with so much surprise in them.

What

Before I could finish the thought, she was running.

Straight toward the human.

She dropped to her knees in front of him and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him against her.

"Silas!"

The name came out broken, choked with tears.

My brain stuttered to a stop.

Silas?

The human finally lifted his head and I saw his face clearly for the first time. Saw the way his eyes went wide when he saw Claire. Saw the relief that washed over his features.

"Claire?" His voice cracked. "Oh god, Claire, I thought—"

She was crying now, her face buried in his shoulder, her arms wrapped so tight around him like she was afraid he would disappear.

And I just stood there, frozen, watching this reunion happen right in front of me while my mind tried to catch up with what I was seeing.

She knew him.

Claire knew this human who had broken into my territory and now it didn't look good for me.