CHAPTER 005

“Come on, Lucia. You ’re moving like a damn snail.”

Lucia quickly ducked as a pinch nearly severed her head off. It did reach her shoulder though, and she winced in pain, pushed back a couple steps.

"Don't get cocky. I'm just warming up" She gasped as she ducked under another punch.

Rhea stood in front of her, attacking without a single pause. But she still and the time to brush her dark hair to the side with a smirk.

"You’ve been warning up for two years, sweetie. Time to get a punch in."

Lucia moved back, circling around as she thought about the best way to land a hit on Rhea. Then she saw a loophole, Boom!— she landed a punch on her jaw.

Rhea groaned and then kicked her lips with an excited smile. "You hit me!"

"Of course I did. You've been hitting me!" Lucia protested.

Before she finished her words, Rhea attacked again, this time with more force than before. Lucia found herself ducking and dodging her blows. In the entire pack, Rhea was the best at close combat. She could even rival Dante easily without breaking a sweat. So, she'd always been the one to mentor Lucia.

But the thing was... she was so damn strong!

"Oh stop running. Are you scared of me?"

Lucia chuckled, blowing her hair out of her face. "Me? Scared of you? Is that a joke?"

Without warning, she attacked, aiming a solid punch at Rhea’s jaw. Surely, this had to land.

But before she could land it, Rhea sidestepped with ease, catching her wrist and twisting it just enough to make her yelp in pain. 

She let go and Lucia immediately send a sharp kick that was easily deflected. She felt her leg being grabbed and before she knew it, her back was on the floor.

She blinked, looking up at Rhea who dropped a towel on her face.

"You're getting better. But you're still too slow." She said, walking off.

Lucia pulled the towel off her face and wiped her sweat

“Maybe you’re just too fast,” Lucia muttered, rubbing her wrist.

Rhea chuckled. "Don't start giving excuses. And don't you want to pin the love of your life on the floor one day? I can teach you how."

"He's not the love of my life. Stop saying that."

"Oh~ But I didnt call names, did I? How do you know who I was talking about?"

Lucia decided to ignore Rhea. But deep down, she knew it was true.

She fell for Dante.

Two years of her being in his ‘pack’ made her much closer to him than she had been when she was just the daughter of his boss. And maybe she was just a foolish love sick idiot but she found herself drawn to him every single day.

Sometimes, she would even feel a weak mate bind pulling her to him. But she knew it was impossible. Matteo was her mate. Going back in time wouldn't change that.

It also wouldn't change the hatred in her heart and her desire for revenge. So whatever she felt for Dante, she kept it hidden. 

Besides... she won't be here for long.

"Okay, stop being so glum. Its your birthday, smile a little." Rhea suddenly cut in with a sigh.

Lucia looked up, surprised. "Wait, what?"

"Nothing, keep up!"

Lucia dodged swiftly, Rhea’s hit inches away from her face. She immediately forgot whatever she just said and squared up. "You know you're cheating, right?"

"Girl, stop making excuses and throw and actual punch."

The two went at it for hours and by the time they stopped, the skies were wlrrady dark and the moon was already out. 

Lucia took a deep breath, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead. She walked into the house along with Rhea listening to her comolaon about one of the guys in the pack.

"And then he said, he didn't want me to help. But I could obviously do a better job than—"

Lucia paused as soon as she entered into the main room, her mouth falling open immediately.

A small, ugly looking cake sat in the center of the room, a tiny candle placed on top. The rouges were gathered around some looking a but too excited while others looked like they were dragged into this. She looked at Dante who stood in a corner a little pink birthday hat on his head.

“What’s all this?” Lucia asked when she finally found her voice.

"What does it fucking look like? It's your birthday." Rhea asked as she pushed her forwards with her shoulders.

Then she cleared her throat and snapped. And Lucia saw the most confusing scene she'd ever seen.

"Happy birthday to you.... happy—"

Lucia could barely register the confusing caphony of voices. Why were they all.... tone deaf?

She watched them butcher the birthday song and Rhea stepped forward with the cake. She looked down at the crude ‘20’ drawn on the cake with icing sugar.

"Make a wish and blow out the candle.... quick, it's windy here..."

Unable to think of anything to wish for, she just blew the candle out and looked up at Rhea. "I'm done."

"Are you sure you wished for anything? That was too quick." someone from the group said.

"She's not actually a kid, Greg...."

"But she still has to..."

Lucia chest tightened as she looked at them. She sniffed, feeling like her eyes were about to water.

"Guys.... I don't know what to say..."

“‘Thank you’ works,” Dante called from the corner, a warm smile on his face. “Or, if you’re feeling generous, you could cry. That’d be entertaining.”

Lucia rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Well, thanks guys. You don't have to do this, i—"

"Yeah, yeah, we get. You're cold blooded, no emotions. Now come eat cake." Rhea cut in, shoving a huge slice of the cake to her.

Later, Lucia found herself sitting outside with Dante. They sat in silence for a while, sharing the last few bites of the cake.

"You guys are really nice to me..." she said quietly after a while.

Dante turned to look at her with a amused look. "Nice? I thought I'd at least get an ‘amazing’ after all my hard work."

Lucia snorted. "Come on... you stood and a. Order and said one sentence."

They both laughed at her words. She looked sideways at Dante, his amber eyes reflecting the moonlight.

She really did... love this man. But she couldn't be with him.

"Well, I have to say, you're always so glum that it's nice to see you happy for once, kid."

Lucia went silent. Kid. He always called her that. But in reality, he was barely even 6 years older than her.

For a moment, she wanted to tell him everything, how she felt, how he meant more tha she ever thought he would. But even if she did. 

He wouldn't understand a lot of it because he had no memory from the past life. So it was no use.

So she just sighed, looking away from hia face as she forced a smile. "Well, I'll try to do that more."

He stared at her for a moment before ruffling her hair. "Good."

He put his hand into his pocket and brought something out. She watched him take her hand and slowly slip something on her wrist.

"A bracelet..." Lucia exclaimed softly as she stared at the reddish, gold woven bracelet wrapped around her wrist.

"Your birthday gift. Happy birthday, Lucia."

---

"Ugh..."

Lucia groaned under her breath as she kicked a wall, creeping through the halls. She paused, staying silent for a while, hoping no one comes out.

After a while, there was no response, only a faint curse from a far away room.

When the house went silent again, she moved again, quickly finding her way downstairs, noiseless, while masking her scent. She claimed out through a window and stared up at the window of Dante’s room. Her hand unconsciously went to the new bracelet wrapped om her wrist.

She had to do this. She just hoped that when she was done, it wouldn't be too late.

With a deep breath, she stepped back and turned away as she ran into the forest without looking back. When everything had ended, she'll come back.

Behind her, a man stood on the balcony watching the running figure. He stared at her for a while before sighing.

"She's still so stubborn...."

For a moment, he pondered between chasing her snd letting go. But he knew she would not want to stay, she had her own battles to fight.

So he turned round and went back in.

"Lucia, just don't take that long."