Chapter 177 CHAPTER 177

Chapter 177 CHAPTER 177
Kaleb's POV

Our eyes met, and in that instant, I saw there was no innocence in hers. Mischief danced behind her gaze as she held mine without the slightest hesitation. Something in her expression made my instincts stir, sharpening my awareness of just how close we were.

She pressed her body against mine, seemingly unconcerned by our awkward position. Instead of pulling away or showing even the slightest discomfort, she remained there, her eyes locked on mine as though she were deliberately testing my resolve. My muscles tensed instinctively, caught between the urge to move away and the strange pull that kept me rooted exactly where I was.

I was losing it, and I probably would have lost control completely if I hadn't felt my wolf stir beneath the surface, holding me back and reminding me that she was not my mate. That quiet resistance was enough to break through the haze clouding my judgment.

I pushed Lucy away gently and put some distance between us.

“What are you doing, Lucy?” I asked, my voice strained.

She frowned, her expression shifting from confidence to irritation.

“You don't have to pretend, Kaleb. I know you want me too.”

I pushed myself farther away and straightened, forcing my shoulders to relax even though my body was still tense. I refused to meet her eyes for a moment, gathering enough control to make sure there was no uncertainty in my voice when I spoke.

“What happened earlier was a mistake, Lucy.” I finally looked at her, my expression firm. “I don't want you.”

She giggled. It was such an innocent, almost fearful sound that it unsettled me more than if she had laughed outright. Her eyes remained fixed on mine, searching my face as though she were trying to find an answer I was refusing to give her.

“Is it because of Lydia?” she asked. “You’re scared of breaking her heart?”

“What has come over you, Lucy?” I asked.

I pushed myself completely away from her and stood up from the couch. My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin, reacting to the turmoil inside me, but I forced myself to ignore it.

“I have to leave,” I said.

I turned toward the racks of clothes, suddenly unable to stand being there another second.

“Take as many clothes as you want and put them on my tab.”

With that, I walked away from the boutique as quickly as I could without breaking into a run. The moment I stepped outside, the air hit my face, but it did little to clear my thoughts.

I was consumed by guilt.

I had betrayed both my friend, Marcus, and my fiancée, Lydia. The weight of what I had done pressed heavily against my chest, and every instinct told me to get as far away from them as possible.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I ran. Not literally—not yet. I simply started avoiding them. I stopped seeking them out, kept my conversations brief, and found excuses to disappear whenever either of them was around. If what had happened between Lucy and me had truly been a mistake, then perhaps distancing myself from everyone would make the guilt easier to bear.

But that was the problem. It hadn't felt like a mistake. I felt something for Lucy, and whatever it was, it wasn't pure. It wasn't something I could justify or pretend was harmless. It was betrayal.

At the end of the council meeting one day, the head of the council, Rodrick, stopped me before I could leave.

We spoke for a while about pack politics, though it was unusual for Rodrick to approach me outside the council chamber. He usually kept our interactions formal and brief, so his sudden interest in having a private conversation immediately put me on edge.

Then, without warning, he changed the subject.

“I heard Lucy has been coming to the mansion regularly to see your friend.”

I nodded, though a small crease formed between my brows. I couldn't help wondering how Rodrick knew about Lucy's visits in the first place.

“Did she tell you she's betrothed to me?”

I froze.

“Lucy is betrothed to you?” I asked, unable to hide my shock.

“Yes.” He gave a slow nod, his expression hardening. “And I find it really uncomfortable that she's spending so much time with you and your friend.”

I nodded slowly, though confusion churned in my mind.

Lucy had never once mentioned being betrothed to Rodrick. As far as I knew, she and Marcus were growing closer, and if the way they interacted was anything to go by, they were probably even planning to get married.

The memory of what had happened between Lucy and me at the boutique flashed through my mind. My stomach tightened, and my wolf shifted restlessly beneath my skin, as though it could sense the danger in the conversation.

“I didn't know she was betrothed to you,” I admitted. “But Lucy and Marcus seem close. From what I've seen, they may even be planning to get married.”

The moment I said it, something changed in his face. His jaw tightened, and a dangerous stillness settled over him. His eyes darkened as he stared at me, and for a brief moment, I caught the unmistakable flash of anger in his expression. He said nothing. He simply turned and walked away.

I watched him go, my instincts warning me that I had just stepped into something far more complicated than a simple disagreement between pack members.

When Lucy came the next day, I decided it was time to confront her. She was in her usual high spirits, behaving as though nothing had happened between us. In fact, the moment she saw me, her face brightened with a happy smile.

“Kaleb!” she greeted me cheerfully. “It’s been a while.”

It had only been about a week since the incident at the boutique, but the memory was still painfully fresh in my mind. The guilt and sense of betrayal continued to gnaw at my soul, refusing to fade no matter how hard I tried to bury it.

“I need to have a word with you, Lucy,” I said.

Her smile widened immediately, and I had the distinct feeling that she was expecting something entirely different from what I intended to say.

That was exactly why I led the conversation into an open space.

I couldn't trust her. More importantly, I couldn't completely trust myself.

The memory of how easily things had spiraled out of control between us was still too fresh, and I had no intention of allowing a repeat of what had happened before. My wolf remained unusually alert beneath the surface, responding to the tension I was trying desperately to keep hidden.

I stopped and turned to face her.

“Why didn't you tell me you were betrothed to the head of the council?”

The brightness disappeared from her face.

“Who told you that?” she asked.

“That isn't the answer to my question,” I replied.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, her expression becoming defensive.

“I don't love him,” she said. “And I don't want to marry him. Marcus is the one I love.”

I stared at her, more confused than before. She made absolutely no sense to me. She was betrothed to Rodrick. She claimed to be in love with Marcus. Yet she had also tried to seduce me.

I couldn't understand what she wanted or what game she was playing. Perhaps even Lucy herself didn't know what she wanted. But whatever her plan was, I had no intention of allowing myself to become entangled in it again.

My jaw tightened as I studied her.

“What did you mean by what you did the other day?” I asked.

She remained quiet for a while. Then she smiled. It was a mischievous smile, the kind that carried far more meaning than words ever could. Something about it made my instincts sharpen, and I immediately reminded myself why I had chosen to speak to her out in the open.

“I was just testing you,” she said.

“Testing me?” I asked, my brows drawing together. “What does that even mean?”

She shrugged as though the answer were obvious.

“It’s simple. I was testing you because I knew you wanted me, and I wanted to prove it to both of us.”

Before I could respond, she stepped forward. My heart immediately began to race. I could feel the rapid pounding in my chest, each beat becoming more difficult to ignore. My wolf stirred beneath the surface, restless and alert, but I remained rooted where I stood.

She didn't stop after taking one step. She took another. Then another. And I did nothing. I didn't step back. I didn't raise a hand to stop her. Soon, only inches separated us.

I could feel the warmth of her breath against my face and catch the subtle scent of her cologne. Every instinct in me became painfully aware of how close she was. If I leaned forward, even slightly, I could kiss her. But I didn't.

I forced myself to remain still, fighting against the dangerous pull of the moment and the thoughts threatening to cloud my judgment. Then, suddenly, someone stepped into the room. It was Lydia.

Her eyes widened the moment she saw us standing so close together. For a brief second, she froze, staring from Lucy to me as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Then she let out a sharp, startled whistle.

“Lydia…wait!” I called.

But she had already turned and ran out of the room. I stood there for a moment, my stomach sinking as the reality of what she must have assumed settled heavily over me.