Meeting Lucien

Amelia turned to see a tall, muscular man standing behind her, his eyes blazing with anger. He had dark hair and piercing blue eyes, He was clad in rough leather and furs, and a faint scent of earth and pine surrounded him.

The men hesitated for a moment, but then they laughed and began to walk towards him, clearly not intimidated.

"Who do you think you are?" one of the men sneered.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, walking past them, and then he gently helped Amelia to her feet. He picked up her basket and handed it back to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, his voice soft and kind.

Amelia nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never felt so grateful to a stranger in her life. not like she met many strangers, she was always locked inside.

The man turned back slowly and glared at the group of men. "I said… Leave her alone," he repeated with his voice low and menacing as his eyes glowed yellow.

The men exchanged nervous glances and stepped back, they looked like they had seen ghosts and Amelia was puzzled by the scene, but then she understood what had happened. They looked at the stranger one more time before scattering, leaving Amelia and the stranger alone in the street

Amelia stood there, staring at the handsome stranger who had just saved her from the bullies. He had a strong build, with chiseled features and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through her. She couldn't help but feel grateful to him.

"Thank you," she breathed, as she gathered her composure. "I don't know what I would have done without your help." She chuckled softly

The stranger smiled, revealing a set of pearly white teeth that made Amelia's heart skip a beat. "No problem at all," he replied. "I couldn't just stand there and watch them bully you like that."

He extended his hand towards her. "My name is Lucien," he introduced himself. "And you are?"

Amelia hesitated for a moment before answering. She knew her stepfather had warned her about revealing her identity to any werewolf, and she knew the consequences of disobeying him could be dire, and she could tell from Lucian's scent that he was one. But there was something about him that made her want to trust him; maybe it was because he saved her.

"I'm Amelia," she replied, finally taking his hand. "Thank you, again."

Lucian smiled at her, and Amelia felt her heart flutter. There was something about him that drew her in, but she knew that she couldn't let her guard down completely. He was still a stranger to her and the village; if he had scared those men away with just the changing color of his eyes, then he must be dangerous, just like every other werewolf; of course except for poor wolfless Amelia.

Lucian's smile widened. "It's nice to meet you, Amelia. I'm sorry to have met you under such unpleasant circumstances, but I'm glad I was able to help." Lucian began. "I think I would like to get to know you better, do you mind?"

Amelia hesitated. She knew that if she agreed, Lucian might come looking for her at her stepfather’s house, and she couldn't risk revealing her identity to anyone. But there was something about Lucian that made her want to take the risk.

"I'm sorry," she replied, shaking her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Lucian's expression fell slightly, but he quickly recovered. “No it is alright, moreover I have duties to attend to. King Darius had sent me here to fetch a girl, so I should leave now. But when my job is done, you have my word that I shall come seeking you, Princess.” He chuckled.

Amelia smiled and nodded, she watched as he turned to leave, feeling a pang of regret in her chest. She knew that she had made the safe decision, but she couldn't help but wonder what might have been if she had said yes.

Just as he took a few steps away, Amelia frowned, feeling a sudden sense of curiosity. "King Darius? Who is he?" she asked. "And what does he want in our village?" she quickly added.

Lucian paused and turned back, he was caught unawares by her curiosity and he hesitated, his expression growing serious. "I am sorry Princess, but I can't say," he said, putting up a small smile.

Amelia’s countenance dropped in disappointment. “You are only saying that to get back at me, aren’t you” she whined, like she had known this man for like forever.

Lucian burst into laughter from her reaction. "Of course not, I am not that petty,” he admitted with a smile. “I can't tell you because It's not in my place to reveal the King’s secrets." He answered truthfully.

“Okay, but this King Darius, who is he?” she asked out of genuine curiosity. She had no idea why she was interested in this information, she just knew she had heard the name mentioned a few times before but she lived in isolation so she knew nothing about him.

Lucian glared at her silently, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips and then he answered. "Let's just say that he's the most powerful werewolf in the world," he replied enigmatically. "And he wouldn’t like his assignment delayed, so I better be going. But you should expect me, Princess, because I will most certainly return for you." He teased as he walked away.

Amelia blushed as she watched him leave. "Goodbye, Lucian," she called out after him, her voice barely above a whisper. He was like a character, straight out of a romance novel, but she knew better than to be carried away

Lucian turned back to her, he had clearly heard her with his enhanced hearing. "Don't say goodbye, Amelia," he replied. "We'll definitely meet again, beautiful one. I promise."

Amelia stood there, her heart pounding in her chest and her mind racing with questions as she watched him disappear. She was acting like a naïve girl right now but that was exactly what she was. Her cheeks were still flushed over the fact that he called her beautiful- no one had ever called her beautiful.

At the same time, Amelia was curious. Who was King Darius? And if he was indeed the most powerful werewolf in the land, like Lucian had mentioned, what does he seek in their small village, which was mostly populated by humans?

She couldn't shake the feeling that something big was about to happen, something that would change everything. Too bad she wouldn’t find out from her tiny room where she would be locked in for the rest of the day. Now she had to return to her stepfather, but not until she had replaced the ruined items, she just didn’t know how!!

To be continued!!