CHAPTER 12

*First Person's Perspective*

~Enise~

I walked through the hotel lobby, my heels clicking against the polished floor, echoing in the otherwise quiet space. The atmosphere felt cold, and the tension in the air seemed to hang around me like a heavy cloud. I was already dreading the conversation that awaited me. I had no idea what Lucian was going to say, but I couldn’t ignore the unease that settled in the pit of my stomach. Something must have gone wrong. From the way he sounded, I knew something must have gone south

I was here to meet him, and yet I wasn’t sure what kind of conversation we would have. When the elevator doors opened, I found him waiting for me in his usual spot by the window, his back to me as he stared out at the city skyline. The dim light from the room cast long shadows on his face, making him look almost unreadable.

“Lucian,” I said softly as I approached, trying to keep my voice steady.

He turned around, his lips curling into a half-smile as he nodded toward the chair in front of him. “Enise. I'm glad you could make it.”

I took a seat without another word, my nerves running wild. Something was different about him today, and I could feel it in the air. The weight of the silence between us only grew, and I was starting to wonder if I’d made a mistake by coming here at all.

Lucian seemed to sense my unease, his gaze sharpening. “I know you have a lot of questions. I know you're pissed, but please, you need to hear me out first, " he said, almost reading my mind. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how things have played, and I just need to tell you everything as it is now .”

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant. I’d already heard so much that didn’t make sense

“Out with it already, Lucian, I’m listening,” I said, crossing my arms, though the gesture was more to shield myself than to show any kind of defiance.

He didn’t hesitate. “It was me. I’m the one who prompted Alpha Slade to do all of this.” My brows furrowed, and I could feel sudden rage surging through me

“What do you mean, you prompted him?” I asked, my voice high and steady

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “With Clarissa’s help, I cast a spell on Slade. I made him do what I wanted him to. He’s been under my control this whole time, Enise. Everything that’s been happening, all the chaos… it’s all been planned by me.”

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. This wasn’t the person I thought I knew. This wasn’t the man I had been working with. How could he have done something like that?

“You’re telling me… you’ve been controlling Slade? You made him kill people?” I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the idea.

Lucian nodded slowly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “No, no, Enise, I didn't make him kill anyone. You know me, I would..."

"No, I don't, I thought I did, but it turns out that I don't." My voice firm as I cut him off

"Why would you do such a thing?" I continued, the pitch of my voice growing higher with each word I say. He wanted to say something but then decided to hold it in

"Did you really put a spell on him?" I asked, still finding it hard to believe. "Yes," he answered with his head bent low

"And now he does whatever I tell him. He’s been following my every command, no questions asked. I’m the one who made him act the way he has.”

I leaned back in my chair, shaking my head in disbelief. “Why, Lucian? Why would you do that?” I asked this question for the umpteenth time

He met my eyes, his expression serious. “It was part of the plan. I wanted to make Lucas miserable. I wanted him to feel like he had lost control of everything—his pack, his life. And I knew that Slade was the way to do it. If I could control him, I could break Lucas down.”

I felt a surge of anger rise within me. I had come here thinking we would finally have an honest conversation, but this wasn’t what I’d expected. This wasn’t how I imagined things turning out.

“I don’t care about Lucas,” I snapped, my hands gripping the armrests of my chair. “But I don’t want any part of this. I never wanted anyone to die, Lucian. I didn’t agree to any of this.”

His gaze softened, and I could see a flicker of something like regret in his eyes. “I know you didn’t. I never intended for things to go this far. But we’re so close to breaking him to seeing him fall apart. We can’t stop now.”

“No,” I said, standing up, the anger bubbling to the surface. “This isn’t what I signed up for. You’re talking about killing people, Lucian. You’re talking about bloodshed and destruction. I don’t want that. I never wanted that.”

Lucian stood up, his face darkening with frustration. “I understand that you’re angry, but you don’t get it. This is the only way to make sure that Lucas and his pack will never be a threat again. We have to break him down, take everything from him. It’s the only way to make him feel what we’ve all felt. The only way to make him pay for everything he’s done.”

I was seething now, my fists clenched at my sides. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Everything I thought I understood about this situation had just been flipped upside down.

“I don’t want to be part of your plan anymore,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’ve gone too far. I can’t keep helping you if this is the price.”

Lucian’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected this reaction from me. He took a step toward me, his voice softening. “Enise, please. Don’t walk away from this. I’ll stop, I promise. No more killing. I won’t make him kill anyone else. Just... please stay. We’re so close to our goal.” *Scoffs*

Close? We're not even halfway there yet, and someone already lost their life.

I shook my head, my resolve hardening. “No, Lucian. This isn’t me. I won’t be part of this anymore.”

I turned to leave, my heart pounding in my chest. But as I reached for the door, Lucian’s hand shot out, grabbing my arm and stopping me in my tracks.

“Enise, I’m sorry,” he said urgently, his voice now tinged with desperation. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I swear I won’t hurt anyone again. I’ll make it right. Just... don’t leave. Don’t walk away from this now.”

For a moment, I stood there, staring at his hand, gripping my arm. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, torn between the need to get out of this situation and the part of me that still felt loyal to him. But the damage was done.

“I need to think,” I said quietly, pulling my arm free. “I need space. And I need you to stop with all of this. I can’t keep going down this path with you.”

With that, I walked out, leaving Lucian standing there, silently watching me leave.