Chapter 48

Lucy stood in the doorway, she looked smaller somehow, shoulders set as if bracing herself against the weight of all those gazes that followed her every movement. Isabella, standing at her side, held her firmly, almost like someone who was to be condemned.

Leo's gaze was fixed on her, his posture rigid, thoughts stirring like a tempest in his mind. She doesn't deserve this. The words rattled through him like a drumbeat. He'd once cast her aside, let her drift from his life as if she meant nothing. 

She's my mate, he thought, feeling the weight of that reality hit him with a familiar, unwanted pain. And now I can't even shield her from what's coming.

The memory of his father's words flashed through his mind. Alpha Eric's cold decree: Lucy would be disciplined. Her status as a mere servant made it difficult to stand up for her in front of his father. Leo found himself helpless, his own standing stripped away, his fists clenched to hide the tremor in his hands.

Why did I let it come to this? Regret twisted deep in his chest, but he buried it, setting his jaw. I thought I was protecting her. But he'd only hurt her instead, leaving her to drift away.

Right beside Leo, was Aiden. He stood with his gaze steady on Lucy. It was a look, almost foreign in its softness, something so different from the fierce, unyielding wolf that others saw. This girl—this maid? barely able to accept what had happened. She's my mate? It was a word that felt absurd and magnificent all at once. 

It was something ancient that had locked them together in a bond he hadn't been able to understand.

But why had the Moon Goddess chosen her? She, a servant, bound to the house, someone meant to remain unseen? His entire life had been a series of planned steps, alliances forged in strength and family honor. But this… this was destiny's doing. A soul that met him like fire meeting wood, one that sparked something he hadn't even realized he'd been missing.

Aiden's lips pressed together. His declaration of her punishment had been a ruse, a mere excuse to call her into his presence, to see her standing here before him, tangible and real. It was the only way he could bring her to him without sounding and looking suspicious.

Lucy's gaze flickered between them, uncertainty etched across her face, her usual composure shaken. She hadn't asked to be here , hadn't asked for any of this—the choice that felt so far out of her reach. And now, under the scrutiny of two men bound to the same house for the main time but separated by chams of rivalry, she felt as though her fate were slipping further and further beyond her control.

Isabella gave her hand a gentle squeeze, grounding her as she propelled her forward with force, so she took the steps she took. They both walked towards the both men and soon stopped right at their front. 

She glanced up at Aiden, his gaze was unreadable but focused, almost solemn as he watched her. There was something in his eyes she couldn't quite name—was it softness? Regret? Whatever it was, it seemed to steady herself somehow, reminding her that she was more than just a maidservant.

Leo's fists were still clenched. She deserves better than this, he thought, every inch of him itching to pull her out of the room, to break free from the constraints of his father's judgment. But he knew his place. He could not change what had already been decided, not when his Father's decree had been spoken.

When Lucy finally looked at him, just for a heartbeat, the regret that he'd swallowed for so long broke the surface, flaring in his gaze. I could have done more, he thought, his chest tight with words he would never say aloud. I could have kept you safe.

Aiden soon broke the silence that longed amongst them. “Leo,” Aiden's voice was a low murmur, almost lost to the hall’s high, shadowed ceiling. He straightened, shifting his gaze to Leo. There was a slight difference in his tone that made both Leo and Isabella glance up sharply. “I need a moment alone with her.”

Leo's jaw tightened, an instinctive protectiveness flaring in his eyes as he looked between Aiden and Lucy. “You've got your orders, Aiden,” he tilted his head, words clipped. “Father's decree isn't a free pass for anything you want. Don't make this into something it's not.”

Aiden didn't flinch, his expression steady as he met Leo's warning look. “I don't intend to do anything beyond what's necessary, Leo,” he replied, his voice calm. “I only need to do what is necessary. That's all.”

Isabella, her hand still resting lightly on Lucy's shoulder, glanced up at Leo, silently assessing the tension brewing the two men. Her gaze softened as she looked at Lucy, giving her a reassuring squeeze before she took a small step back, leaving Lucy standing on her own in the open space of the hall. 

She nodded once to Aiden and then turned, her footsteps echoing as she made her way out of the hall.

Leo lingered, hesitation tightening his posture as he glared at Aiden. There was a spark of anger. He took a slow step forward, his gaze narrowed, voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Don't do more than yourself, remember? You're just a visitor here,” he muttered, a warning laced with an edge of threat, his eyes darkening with restrained anger.

With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps heavy as they reached down the hall, leaving Aiden and Lucy alone.

The silence settled around them, filling the space like an invisible wall. Lucy's eyes stayed fixed on the floor, her posture guarded, shoulders drawn in as if bracing against the weight of his stare. She didn't want to be here, her heartbeat a rapid flutter in her chest, yet something kept her rooted to the spot. She was aware of him, intensely, as if every breath he took sent ripples through the hall.

Aiden took a careful step closer, his gaze never leaving her and finally, after a long silence, he spoke, his voice soft. “What's your name?”

Lucy swallowed hard but could not still dare herself to look at his face. “Lu… Lucy.* She bowed her head, her eyes closed.

“Lucy… Indeed, the name suits you, Lucy.”

The sound of her name broke through her silence and she looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time. His expression was softer than she expected, the usual intensity tempered by something else—something gentle, like a vulnerability he hadn't allowed her to see begore.

“Lucy, I meant no harm,” he said, his tone low. “When I spoke of punishment. It wasn't…. It wasn't my intent to frighten you.”

Her gaze flickered, unsure of how to respond, the memory of his words still vivid in her mind. “Then why say it at all?” She whispered, barely meeting his gaze. “If you didn't mean it, why bring me here?” Her voice was low like she had to muster every courage to question him.

Aiden was silent and didn't respond immediately. The weight of her words seemed to hang heavy between them. Lucy's eyes shifted downward, the barest tremble in her hands betraying her calm facade. She felt like a wire stretched taut, her heart beating a rhythm she could not control.

Aiden paused, taking in her question as if searching for the right answer. Why did I bring her here? he thought, the truth coiling deep in his chest, elusive but undeniable. He didn't want to admit the simple, messy reality that he had wanted to see her, that he'd felt drawn to her from the first moment he'd realized what she was to him. But he also knew too well that he couldn't tell her that, not here, not now. Yet, he would have to tell her.

He watched her closely, his gaze unyielding yet oddly tender. There was something in his look that seemed to understand herz a softness that didn't match the stories she'd heard.

He took a slow step forward, his voice low. “Lucy,” he said again, her name lingering on his lips as if testing the sound, as if it were new to him, too. “Do you know who I am?”

She swallowed, feeling her pulse race as she lifted her eyes to meet his. The room felt suddenly too small, her skin prickling with unawareness. She nodded slowly, the motion restrained and she could barely find her voice.

“Yes,” she managed, her voice a whisper. “I… I know who you are.”

There was a pause as he tilted his head, studying her face. “And what have you heard about me?”

Lucy hesitated, her eyes flickering as her fingers twisted in front of her. She didn't want to answer, didn't want to admit the things she had been told—the tales of ruthlessness, of someone cold and unfeeling. But she couldn't ignore his question. He wanted the truth.

“That… that you're ruthless,” she murmured, her words fragile like something precious and breakable. “That you don't care about people. That you're… cold.” She could feel her cheeks warm under his steady gaze. “I… I only know what people say.”

Aiden's expression softened, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “And do you believe all that?”

Lucy raised her head to notice him at the sound of his question.