Chapter 31

I am walking in the woods once again, little and confused. I remember this well. The taste of fear is burning low in my throat. I look around, screaming my voice out. I am tired and thirsty and hungry. I see her figure, almost phantom-like. She is beautiful, my mother. Without a thought, I chased after her, my hands outstretched.

She seems to drift away like smoke, within reach but never close enough…

“Lucien… Lucien… Lucien!”

The soft voice and the insistent shaking and prodding forces me from my sleep with a gasp. I look into Corrigan's worried eyes and reality sets in slowly. I recognize the clothes thrown about in the room, the dim lighting provided by the bedside lamp and the faint scent of sex still hanging in the air.

I see the worry in Corrigan's eyes even in the dim lighting. The way her eyes searched mine with pity as she said,

“Are you okay?” She asks.

Pity. That damned emotion. I hate the smell of that.

You fell for it last night, Caesar whispers, obviously enjoying this. I scowl, wanting him to fuck off and needing Corrigan to go away.

It was in the air last night too, but that hadn’t really mattered once she had spread her legs like some pagan feast. Then, everything had gone south. Will, self-control, thinking ability, blood flow…

Well, everything but one thing…

I heave out a breath. I am really pathetic, aren't I?

“Lucien…” she begins.

“I'm fine.” I say with more force than necessary. She seems a bit hurt but she goes on.

“You were having a nightmare.” She says.

I push off the bed, sitting at its edge. “I know when I'm having a nightmare but thanks for the obvious observation.” I say.

“You don't have to be so insecure about it, Lucien.” She says, touching my shoulder. I don't want to look at her face, scared of what I will see there. Scared of what exactly I will be forced to feel because of it. My fists clench on my lap. “It was a bad dream.” She says in a soothing voice.

I know the feeling of shame when it washes over me. Embarrassment that she had to see me that way. It makes me irrational.

I grab her wrist in a grip I know must be bruising and I pull her close, turning so her naked breasts brushes against my chest. I feel the stirring of sexual desire but I stamp it down. She looks confused and does not pull away and somehow, this angers me more.

“You're speaking to me like I’m a boy.

Why don't you come over here and comfort me like I'm a man?” I sneer, pushing her legs apart cruelly and touching her. Despite her confusion, I can feel her growing wet.

“Or do I need to shed a few tears to get you off?”

She gasps and pushes me away, obviously offended and hurt. I am still covered in the haze of anger so I pull her even closer by the hair, ignoring her growing resentment.

“The pity sex could work once, Corrigan. But twice is pathetic.” I slant her a smile. “If you want me, just ask.”

“Don’t bother.” She grounds out. “It won't happen again.”

I let go of her, leisurely picking my clothes up from the floor, even though I feel like I have fallen into a pot so deep that I could not possibly go any lower. I put on my clothes deftly, my eyes never leaving her face.

She has her eyes averted from me and I can tell she is hurt by what I said. I swallow, doing the buttons on my trousers.

“Corrigan.” I say. She does not lift her head. “Corrigan.” I repeat, my voice is firmer this time. She stiffens but does not look up.

“Look at me.” I say softly. She looks up.

“Did you need something, Lucien?” she says, her voice devoid of emotion.

“Corrigan…” I begin.

“Then leave.” She says. I nod, getting the message. As I walk back out the door, I see her settling back into bed and throwing the covers over herself, her little shoulders shaking slightly. I know that any attempt I make at comforting her will be frowned upon so I turn the knob and walk out.

Breakfast is silent and uncomfortable, lacking the usual luster of her voice and animated conversation. She is not smiling like normal, chatting about almost everything, from the food to her performances to basically everything under the sun.

I had no idea how much I enjoyed it till today, when she was cold and quiet, talking to the staff but ignoring me. The staff seems to notice this and I know they are sending me looks that I pretend not to notice, eating doggedly like nothing had happened earlier this morning.

“I’ll be playing tonight.” She says, her voice almost inaudible.

“It is a weekend, Corrigan. Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” I say, making my voice as conversational as possible.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” She says softly.

I bite back a groan. This is not going well at all.

“A call for the Alpha?” I heard a member of staff say. I motion for the phone to be brought to me and I pick up the call.

“What?” I snap, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Well, I’llbe damned,” Cormac’s drawl fills my ears and I roll my eyes. “aren't we feisty this morning?”

I scowl.

“What do you want, Cormac?” I say, tired of the bullshit already.

“What did you do to Corrigan?” Cormac asks.

I want to scream; “how do you know I'm at fault?” but I don't because Corrigan's face had come up at the sound of Cormac’s name and she is looking at me now. I heave a deep breath when she looks down at her plate.

“Just talk.” I say.“I got a reply from the Black Crest pack. They will be paying you a visit at the Hotel tonight.” Vietnam says.

“They?” I echo.

“The Alpha and a few important members of his pack.” Cognac says. I nod even though he can't see me.

“I will have some reservations made for them.” I say.

“Alright then. I'll begin training.” Cormac says

“You do that.” I reply dryly.

“And, Lucien?” He calls. I scowl

“What?”

“Apologize to Corrigan.” He says

With that, he hangs up the phone.

Third Person POV.

“Remind me again why I have to accompany you to this alliance meeting.” Evelyn says, folding her arms moodily at the backseat of the car beside Alec.

Xavier looks in the rearview mirror as he sits beside the driver in the front passenger seat, waiting for Alec to control her.

For all of Evelyn’s twenty three years, Xavier can swear she acts like a moody child. He knows Alec will not control her.

He never does. He seems to believe she is so fragile and frail and that

even the tiniest scolding would break her.

Xavier is not sure it will not.

Of course, she is sickly and gets thrown down by almost anything and everything. Xavier thinks she would have better been born as a human, so her weakness would be justified, but here they were, pandering to her every wish.

She has done everything. Rejected her mate, raised hell all over the place, has more scandals in her back pocket than could fit in most people’s lives, yet Alec seems to think she is still his perfect, innocent sister. Apparently, only strangers can see how much of a bitch she is. She flips her black hair away from her face impatiently with carefully manicured hands, Waiting for Alec’s answer.

“One day, darling, you’re going to have to become Luna of a pack. You need practice.” Alec says, his eyes glued to the tablet he held in his hands.

So, until Alec’s money bought Evelyn an Alpha with more power than sense and less willpower than sense, she would follow them on diplomatic missions to help her learn how to manipulate and twist her poor mate around her manicured pinky.

Nothing but the best for his baby sister, of course.

Xavier saw the driver shift uncomfortably and knew they were sharing a similar train of thought. It comforted him.

“We’re going to a hotel, darling. I’m sure you won’t get bored.” Xavier sees Evelyn’s cat green eyes light up.

“Really?” she asks, obviously excited.

Alec nods. Her face falls again. “Ugh. I have no one to talk to over there.”

Xavier rolls his eyes. Severe world problems, that.

“I’m sure you’ll like some of the guests.” Alec says pleasantly.“Especially the Alpha.”

Xavier is tempted to remind Alec that Lucien is in no way like the boy toys that Evelyn is used to but he holds his tongue. She’ll find that out soon enough.

“What is there to like about a stuck up old man?” she asks.

“He’s actually quite young.” Alec says, looking at Evelyn. “I think you two will get along quite well.”

Xavier doesn’t think so.