Lucian’s POVI could tell from her inability to stand still that she was drunk and uneasy, which could be justified, but Ella didn’t take it that way; she cried till I carried her to her tent.“There there, calm down,” I said while patting her back. She didn’t want me to place her on the bed, so she held on tight, unwilling to let go. A sigh escaped my lips. I didn’t sign up for this, but I had to. “Your mom didn’t mean to yell at you, Princess; she’s not feeling too good; don’t worry; you will be fine; don’t be sad." I had no experience with children, and everything I did felt like it was a mistake, but somehow this mistake of mine happened to soften her heart, and I felt her body calm in my embrace. Her loud cry turned to a muffled whimper, then a series of hiccups.Soon I felt the tightness of her grip loosen around my neck, so I took it as an opportunity to lay her down on the bed; she was already fast asleep and mildly snoring. I had no idea why I smiled, but I felt a little spar
Lucian’s POVOne of the wolves I had sent alongside Joan walked up to me.“The queen said she wouldn’t make a deal with a man who isn’t courageous enough to show his face without a mask,” he muttered beside me. A low growl escaped my lips; my appearance had nothing to do with her decision.“The feast is over!” I yelled at the top of my voice; the sound of drums and claps was overshadowed by the lingering sound of murmur.“Go back to your tents, and stay safe!” I concluded before walking out of the ceremony, then towards the healer ward.The Fae queen. She was a widowed Luna whose husband had died in battle, leaving her to take care of the pack in his absence. She had a lot of vacant lands at her disposal, all thanks to her deceased husband, who had secured a lot of land in his tenure as Alpha. Her pack was famous for its vacant and fertile land. But she lacked the necessary population to make a pack grow, so I confided in her concerning my desire to expand my territory I told her I
Selene’s POV My eyes fluttered open gently; the room was awkwardly bright and spinning.I blinked a few times, then noticed something weird: a pair of eyes staring down at me, totally unmoving; it leaned close to me. I jerked up from the bed in shock, thereby pushing the intruder out of the way.“Wow!” I exclaimed.Finally regaining myself, I lessened my breathing pace, then I stared beside me to see Ella on the floor; she had been staring at me all along.“Oh baby, what are you doing? Why were you standing there? I would have hurt you; are you okay?” I pulled her close, then placed a kiss on her forehead. She leaned away from my hug.“I am fine, mummy. I came to see how you were doing, then I saw you talking in your sleep; you were having a nightmare, and you called Daddy’s name,” she said. heart skipped a beat.Only the goddess knew what exactly she had heard because I had just relived my biggest trauma. In my mind, I was still in the cage. My hands were pinned to the wall by a k
Selene’s POVShe giggled before retreating.Yeah, they were dating. I had thought so too. She was vibrant, beautiful, and brimming with youthful energy. And he was basically a walking hormone. The way he stroked her hair could only mean they were close. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to ignore the strange bitterness in my chest.Emily’s words had filled in the missing pieces. Joan. She had to be the woman he was calling for that night—the one he begged not to leave when he woke up, disoriented and vulnerable. The dots connected with painful clarity.He must’ve thought it was her that night. Of course he did. Who else could it have been? And now Joan was back, in the flesh, smiling as if she’d never been gone. He probably thought the whole thing was a bad dream, just some figment of his subconscious.But it wasn’t.The realization sent panic clawing at my throat. If they were together—if they’d always been together—should I tell him the truth? Should I confess that it wasn’t his dre
Lucian’s POVThe meeting had just ended. I was trying to get a clear vision of what to do next. The people should be preparing against winter, which meant we needed to hunt more now to create coats against the cold, and we needed to make more tents and stores for our produce; the rest of the vacant lands could be used for harvest while it was still fertile.That was why I needed to extend the reach of my pack because more rogues would come for shelter and I needed to have enough food to give them. “This part is good for our next hunt; what do you think?” Joan said as she leaned in. I checked the part of the map she had just marked; it was indeed a perfect spot for a hunt, but the most dangerous. “We need our strongest wolves to hunt with us; there’s a possibility of being attacked by multiple bears; that's their habitat .”“Well, we have you; you are the strongest wolf in the pack. With you, I don’t think we need to fear.” She whispered as she weaved my hair backward. I thought abo
Lucian’s POV The more I stayed inside, the more I felt entrapped in the little pace of mine, so I walked out to take some air and probably let my wolf out in the wild. When I walked out, the first person to catch my attention was the little girl playing with sand just beside my quarters. She must have sensed me staring because she glanced back at me. Her smile broadened then she dusted her arms on her clothes then ran towards me. I subconsciously smiled back at her, when she came towards me, pulled her then tossed her up. She giggled innocently when I caught her. “Uncle Lucian!” She screamed amidst her laughter, her hands tugging on my beard gently before she pulled me in for a hug, she was a bundle of joy. “How are you doing Uncle Lucian?!” “I am fine Ella, you looked really busy when I saw you over there, what were you doing?” “Baking” she blurted, “baking like mummy” she concluded. “Why don’t you go back to baking, I want to take a stroll down the stream, I will see you
Selene’s POVHis wolf had its eyes fixed on mine, and I found myself standing still and unable to move. I had seen his wolf from afar, and I knew he had a strange wolf compared to most wolves I had seen, but lucians wolf was half my height.His fur was as dark as night, and under the warm sun, his bright brown eyes glimmered. And as it walked toward me, I froze on a spot, drawn to it’s foreign charm. It got close enough to rub its nose on my clothes like it was sniffing me. It must be because it was the first time meeting me in person. “Thanks for bringing her back safely.” I whispered to show my appreciation, but his reaction was unexpected. His wolf shifted back, and Lucian stood before me with a frown on his face. “Get out of my way." His shoulder slammed on mine before he aggressively walked away. This little action had everyone staring at him and murmuring to themselves as he walked into the house. I, on the other hand, was still suffering the pain the impact of his shoulder h
Selene’s POVHis eyes were fixed on mine as his body towered over me, but I stood with confidence, not letting his attitude break me, but the closeness between us took me back to memory lane.Once, when he wasn’t such an overbearing wolf, he was a boy attending the same language school as me. He had the brightest smile and the calmest voice. I only attended classes because I was certain he was going to be there, and I could hear him speak.One special day, we had collided and fell unto each other; it was the closest we were to each other after years of growing in the same pack and the day he spoke directly with me. Time had stopped, and I found myself falling for his big brown eyes and his facial harmony.We stood up together and he helped me dust my body."Sorry, I bumped into you.” He said. He stretched his hands, and he placed a kiss on my hand. “My name is Lucian.”Now fastforward to the present. He had his hands wrapped around my neck, his teeth clenching hard against each other;
Selene POV Lucian stood before me with a plate of food. His face was less grumpy and soft. I didn't know if he was acting or just being good to me for goodness sake."Here, eat this. You missed your lunch which shouldn't have been." He dropped the plate in front of me, his tone strict."I thought you promised to eat properly from now on? You shouldn't go back on your words, Selene. It is not good for your health to skip meals," he scolded."Did you come here to give me food or argue with me because I feel you came for the latter.""Don't turn this into a fight, Selene. You did wrong by skipping your meal. I have every right to be angry at you for neglecting what's important to you.""I didn't do it on purpose. It's not like I had a choice..." I defended myself but he cut me off with a slam on the table."You had a choice, Selene. We agreed that no matter what, you will stick to your eating routine for efficient training. Don't give me that excuse of not having a choice," he muttered
SELENE'S POVAs I sat in my quarters, surrounded by the comforting scent of old books and the soft glow of candlelight, I was deeply engrossed in the pages of my worn leather-bound book of herb remedies, the intricate illustrations and detailed descriptions of various plants and their medicinal properties a soothing balm for my frazzled nerves. The sound of a gentle knock at the door broke the spell, and I looked up to see Donald, a member of our pack, standing in the entrance, a small, neatly wrapped package clutched in his hand. He smiled hesitantly, his eyes crinkling at the corners, as he approached me. "Selene, I brought you something," he said, his voice low and rough, as he held out the package. "I made it myself. It's a scent leg cream. I thought you might find it useful."I took the package from him, feeling a surge of gratitude and appreciation for his thoughtful gesture. "Thank you, Donald," I said, my voice sincere. "That's very kind of you." As I unwrapped the package,
Selena's POV “After the interlude with Lucian I went to tend to the nightingale flowers. As the days went by they required more care which was a little bit tasking thus by the time I got home,I fell head first into the warm,cozy comfiness of my bed. I was having a weird dream where I was able to actually best Lucian in the training field! I really loved the surprised look on his face and was just about to tease him when a loud knock on my door jolted me out of my sweet dream. “Who was that now?" Grumbling,I grudgingly rose up from my bed with my eyes still heavy with sleep. Opening the door I was surprised to discover Lucian at the door. It was still early morning with the sky still dull. Heck,the sun was not even out yet!However,with one look I knew why he was here, dressed up in training gear he was here to call me out for my usual training. “Come in.” I said as I turned back inside but before I could go far he spoke up. “No need for that,I came her so that we can
Selena's POV Tonight's sky was breathtakingly mesmerizing! The twinkling stars in the clear sky were simply enthralling,coupled with the sharp chirping of crickets and the cool night breeze, it created an ambience that felt relaxing. Clear,cloudless nights like this were a dime in a dozen as most of the time clouds blotted out the sky. They were especially great for telling stories as they made the whole feeling more….immersive.Under one of the many Magnolia trees that littered the pack grounds an old man could be seen narrating a story to a bunch of kids. He was old Alfred one of the oldest members of the pack,once a great warrior an injury he received had made him feeble. Now he was a guardian of the younger generation guiding them forward.Clearing his throat he started his story. “ A very long time ago…”" How long ago pa Alfred?" One of the kids interrupted with a curious expression. " Hoho,long before even I was born, but let's get back to the story . So where
CHAPTER 115SELENE'S POVAs I stood amidst the bustling activity of our pack's farm, my eyes couldn't help but wander to the figure of Lucian, his muscles rippling beneath his sleeveless shirt as he labored to construct the new greenhouse. The sun beat down upon his back, casting a sheen of sweat across his skin, and I felt a flutter in my chest, a sensation that I promptly suppressed with a surge of irritation. Why must I always find myself drawn to him, even after the argument we had just shared? And to make matters worse, he had teased me mercilessly about my appetite that morning, his eyes glinting with amusement as he watched me devour my meal with gusto. I hated that he could still affect me so, that he could still make me feel like a foolish, lovesick child.Determined to put Lucian from my mind, I threw myself into my work, focusing intently on the task of planting the new crops. The feel of the cool, damp soil between my fingers was calming, and I lost myself in the simp
Chapter 114Lucian’s POV“Do you want more?” I asked Selene.“And I think you might want to slow down a bit Selene, the food is right here in this tent. No one's coming in to take it away from you.” She was taking in everything at a speed I feared greatly might end up requesting the presence of a healer.She glared at me. “Are you mocking me, Lucian?”I raised my hand in protest. “I wouldn't dare.” I thought to myself, I'm just trying to help, but I guess that's not how she sees it.She nodded, as if content with my reaction. “Better.”“And besides, what are you still doing here in my tent?” she added. “Waiting to see if you'd want more,”She scoffed. “I think I've had enough, thank you.” Her tone was polite, but I could sense the underlying tension.I nodded, feeling a pang of awkwardness rose in my chest. Was this ever going to end?“Alright, I'll leave you to rest then.” I stood up, my eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before I turned to leave.As I stepped out of the tent, I w
Lucian’s POV I was sharpening my dagger in my tent when I caught sight of Selene walking like she was being chased at the same time sniffing the air like a dog. I didn't know when I stood from my seat and followed her, my lips stretching into a smile of delight when she finally came to a stop in front of the royal kitchen. Cravings. She definitely had a craving. What solidified my resolve was the face she had made asking the chef for meatball subs with mozzarella cheese. I mean who asks for such weird combination and in the morning at that?I didn't want her to see me so I had kept a great distance between us, just watching the scene that was playing out between her and the chef. The chef…by the gods, the look on the chef's face was one I could kill to see again. The man looked like he was watching a patient from an asylum talk to him and couldn't believe his ears. Selene on the other hand didn't seem to care, she went on begging to have a portion even when it wasn't ready. He
Selene’s POV I woke with a start. My tongue felt sore and my body disoriented as I tried to stand to my feet. Today's supposed to be the first day of building my afrm but it felt like I'd been rammed into by a pack of rogues and left to die on my bed. Jeez, this definitely had to be the cons of being pregnant. But there’s no hella way I was letting that get to me. After I had left Lucian's room, I had drafted out the activities I was going to carry out today, more like pioneer since I was pregnant and couldn't really do much just for the safety of my baby. The first thing on my list was checking out some plots of land available in the pack to be sold, leased or rented. Thankfully, despite the bad blood between Lucian and I, he'd forwarded to me a list of persons with lands ready to be sold or leased so all I had to do was inspect and choose. Afterwards, I'll make payments, put up and ad for workers and if time permitted, start clearing if it was a bushy land. I pushed myself for
Selene's povMy joy knew no bounds knowing that Lucian was super willing to help me finally achieve my dream of owning a farm. The thought sent a thrill through me, so much so that I didn't know when I chuckled and did a happy dance as I trudged through the hallway. “Look at you, all happy huh?” My wolf teased. “Girl, who wouldn't be?” I retorted, chuckling the more as my mind wandered to my cooked up imagination of me standing in my own huge, long plot of land, sowing seeds into the soil alongside my workers. Surreal was an understatement of how the thought made me feel. But almost immediately, my reverie ended. Somehow my mind defiled my constraints and traveled back to the time when I had asked Lucian what was wrong with him and how he'd coldly told me off. I could feel my heart shattering into multiple pieces again as the scene replayed in my head again. Was I ever going to move past that? The cold looks in his eyes, the venom in his voice, the way he'd quickly rebuffed me,