Chapter 0011

—Ten Years Earlier—

Caspian was waiting outside when Lucian flew in, materializing into his natural form as he descended. Suspicion plagued him, however, upon seeing that Lucian had returned alone.

“Where is she?! Where’s Visenya?!” Caspian interrogated.

Lucian ignored Caspian’s question, glaring at him as he walked past. Caspian grabbed Lucian’s arm, but Lucian aggressively shrugged him off, slamming Caspian into the wall so hard it cracked on impact.

“Why don’t you go look for her? I’m sure she’s just dying for some alone time with you.” Lucian snapped grudgingly.

“Where is she, you bastard?!” Caspian pushed Lucian off of him and glanced in the direction of Tarragon Mountain. Without a second thought, he shifted into his wolf and raced off as fast as he could in search of her.

___

Visenya climbed down the mountain as carefully as she could. It was dark, eerie, and she had no wolf senses yet to guide her. She couldn’t even mind-link to anyone for help. She did as well as she could to push away the unwelcome thoughts about what dangers could be lurking out there.

As she took another step down, she lost her footing and slipped on a loose patch of gravel. She tumbled downhill a bit and acquired a nasty cut on her leg. She wiped the blood away with the bottom of her dress and worried about there being any vampires nearby. If they smelled her blood, she would be a goner for sure.

It was too dark, and she was so far up the mountain that she was completely unaware of how much further she had until she reached the bottom. She was scared, cold, and had already been climbing down for nearly an hour. She curled up on the ground, tears streaming down her face as a feeling of hopelessness settled in the pit of her stomach.

Then suddenly, the sound of footsteps caused her to jump, and she quickly huddled into the darkest corner she could find. She held her hand firmly over her mouth to prevent any noise from escaping. She trembled uncontrollably when it was apparent that the animal was sniffing her out. As it closed in on her, all she could do was shut her eyes and pray that it was a quick death.

“Visenya?” A voice called out.

Visenya’s eyes sprung open, and she saw Caspian crouched down beside her.

“Caspian?!” She exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “Is it really you?!”

“Shhh… it’s okay, Vee. I’m here.”

“I’m so sorry, Cas. I should have listened to you,” she sobbed. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright,” he said soothingly, trying desperately to console her.

___

Lucian sat brooding in his lair, the events of recent hours playing on a relentless loop in his mind. The weight of guilt pressed heavily upon him, an unrelenting burden for abandoning Visenya on the mountain. Pride had held him back from going back for her, a regret that now gnawed at his conscience.

He couldn’t shake the image of Caspian swooping in like a knight in shining armor, he the hero and Lucian the villain. In his frustration, he hurled a glass against the wall, watching it explode into shards.

Abruptly, Cheyenne barged into the room, a smug grin adorning her face. “Impressive display, cousin,” she applauded. “Initially, I questioned your sanity in offering that dog a ride on your back. But when I found out that you took her all the way up there just to abandon her… Damn, cousin! You’ve truly outdone yourself.”

Lucian shut his eyes tightly, grappling with the bitter truth of his actions. “Get lost, Cheyenne.”

"Well, somebody's grumpy!" Cheyenne exclaimed. "I just came here to inform you that your father demands your presence in the Common Room right away. The mutt's parents are pissed, so good luck with that," Cheyenne said before leaving, slamming the heavy metal door behind her.

Lucian realized that maybe, just maybe, he had messed up... really bad. He let his anger overrule his better judgment, and now he would have to face the consequences. How could Visenya even want to be anywhere near him after the stunt he pulled? Perhaps, he should start by swallowing his pride and apologizing to her. Apologizing was a huge deal for a self-righteous Dragon Lord like Lucian Damaris.

When he entered the Common Room, however, the fragile balance between reason and irrationality became blurred once again when he caught sight of Visenya nestled in Caspian's arms. His fists clenched at his side as he took in every detail: her head resting against Caspian's chest, as he gently stroked her hair.

His possessiveness over Visenya was growing by the millisecond, and he couldn't bear the thought of any man so much as laying a finger on her. However, as she lifted her head and cast a piercing glare at Lucian, his delicate ego suffered yet another blow. Her dress was dirty and torn at the hem, her hair slightly disheveled, and her eyes were red and swollen, a clear indication that she had been crying.

"How dare you leave my daughter up on that mountain!" King Ezra roared with fury in his eyes.

"Ezra, I said I would handle this!" Emperor Caden interjected. "Lucian, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I had to teach her a lesson," Lucian replied.

"A lesson?! She could have been attacked by Goddess knows what up there! She doesn't have a wolf, and you left her there vulnerable!" Sarai ranted.

"There isn't anything that could have attacked her! Vampires know better than to hunt on Dragon soil, and wild animals don't come within a hundred-mile radius of us!" Lucian exclaimed.

"Lucian, you better have a damn good explanation for why you left her there," the Emperor warned, his tone laced with authority.