Chapter 36

Lucy and Marie worked in silence, their brooms scraping the dust-covered floor of the room meant for Aiden. The air was thick with the scent of neglect, cobwebs clinging to the corners like the room had been forgotten for years. They swept and scrubbed, the grime gradually giving way to a cleaner, fresher space. The old wooden floors began to gleam under their efforts, and the room slowly transformed from a forgotten corner of the pack house into something worthy of the Lycan Prince.

Lucy sighed, a loud whisper that echoed in the room. Marie nodded her head. “We're almost done,” she said with a rasped breath. Lucy smiled agreeing with Marie. 

“I really need a good night's sleep after this, not awaiting Aiden's arrival.” Lucy yawned, trying to cover her mouth with the back of her hand. 

Marie rushed to her in an attempt to shut her up. Lucy discontinued from yawning, her hand hung in the air as she furrowed her eyebrows trying to catch a glimpse of Marie's action. 

“Marie, are you okay?” 

“Of course, and why not… You should know that Aiden's name is far beyond our mouth. No one must hear you speak his name that way.” 

Lucy mused at first but bursted into laughter. She paused for a moment, took a glance at Marie and laughed a second time. “You don't mean to say that, Marie.” She clicked her tongue.

“Come on, Lucy, I'm serious. What if the Alpha passes by or some Leo's guards… they reference the name a lot… you'll be punished.”

“I see… let's get over with this work already.” Lucy muttered. The name Leo struck her mind like a thundering bolt. She hated to hear that name as to what the name had brought her- pain, sorrow, fear of losing what she thought was hers. And all she could feel now was anger and resentment towards the name. 

Lucy soon sat on the cold floor, her back leaning against the wall as she stared blankly ahead. The room, now clean and orderly, was entirely different from the emotions swirling inside her. Her thoughts kept circling back to Leo, replaying the scene over and over in her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment that Leo's name brought.

She knew Leo had helped her–he was the one who had ordered Ethan to call Katherine when she needed it the most. But the way he had acted when he saw her, as if she didn't even exist, it made her question everything. How could he claim to care, to have had a hand in saving her, and then stand there with that cold indifference? It didn't make sense. At least some explanation would have suffice.

``He’s not my mate,`` she thought bitterly, the words echoing in her mind. ``He can't be. How could he be, when he acts like this?``

But then the doubt crept in. Could it be because of Isabella? Was she somehow controlling him, Influencing the way he thought and felt? Lucy had seen the way Isabella looked at Leo, the way she moved around him, always seeking attention. But would Leo really let her control him like that? Would he let Isabella dictate how he treated her?

``It can't be because of Isabella,`` Lucy whispered to herself, trying to convince her what. But uncertainty gnawed at her. If it wasn't Isabella, then what was it? Why did Leo seem so distant if he still cares about her to an extent that he saved her? And why did it hurt so much?

She buried her face in her hands, trying to push away the overwhelming tide of emotions. She didn't have time for this–not now. Not when everything was at stake. She had to find her mate, the one person who could truly help her, who could unlock her wolf and save her from this curse. Time was running out, and every second wasted brought her closer to a fate she couldn't even fully comprehend.

But how could she find her mate? All odds were clearly against Leo, he couldn't have been the one. Her thoughts spiraled deeper, making her feel like she was sinking into a dark abyss. The idea that Leo wasn't her mate, that he could never be, both relieved and terrified her. What if her real mate was out there, somewhere in the pack, waiting for her? What if she never found him in time?

Lost in these thoughts, she didn't even notice when Marie approached her. Marie had noticed how she threw her broom to the ground and sat all by herself. She had waited for some moment whether she would come around but it turned out that she was wrong and had decided to comfort her.

 The touch on Lucy's shoulder startled her, jolting her out of her reverie. Lucy gasped, her head snapping up to look at Marie, who was watching her with concern. 

“Lucy,” Marie said softly, her voice filled with gentle care. “You're shaking. Are you okay?”

Lucy blinked, trying to pull herself back to the present. She hadn't even realized how deeply her thoughts had consumed her. Her hands trembled slightly as she clasped them together, trying to steady herself.

“I'm .. I'm fine,” she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. She could see doubt in Marie's eyes, but she didn't know how to explain what she was feeling. “I just… I can't stop thinking about everything. About what's going to happen to me.” 

Marie, who already had a guess of what was going through Lucy's mind, knelt beside her, her gaze steady and warm. “You don't have to go through this alone, Lucy. We're in this together.” She paused and directed her eyes to something only she knew before she eventually continued.

“I know you don't trust me that much because of what I put you through but that I owe you, Lucy… We'll figure it out, okay?” 

Lucy forces a smile at Marie's words and nodded, though the weight on her cheT didn't lift. “I understand but what if I never find him, Marie? What if I'm running out of time? Leo is clearly not my mate and I guess I've been wrong the whole time.” She bite one side of her lips.

“How can you be so sure about that… we can't conclude about that for now.” 

“Yes, I can… I can feel it… he's not the one and my mate is out there… And all my thoughts now are what if I never find him in time.” 

Marie sighed, sitting back on her heels. “I wish I had the answer, Lucy. But I do know this–you’re stronger than you think.” 

Lucy raised a brow and laughed off her words. 

“I'm serious, Lucy… remember how you confronted the guard, you helped me that day… you were not scared. More reason I admire you, your courage in the presence of fear.” 

Lucy could only stare at her as she gulped. 

“So, whether Leo is your mate or not, you'll find strength to get through this. And when the time comes, you'll find your true mate. We just have to keep going, one step at a time.”

Lucy looked at Marie, gratitude welling up inside her. She didn't know what to say but her words were like a calming balm rubbed around her heart. “Thank you, Marie.”

Marie smiled, a flicker of warmth in the cold, uncertain world they found themselves in. “Remember, we're in this together?… you have me and you have Katherine.”

“Yeah, so now, we just have to deal with Aiden.” 

“Yes, Aiden we have to deal with.” Marie immediately responded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Lucy, you can't just mention his name like that.” She added, as she looked around the room. 

“No one's here… why are you scared?” Lucy questioned

But just as Marie was about to respond, the door burst open with a loud bang, startling both of them.