All Chapters of Arrange Marriage With Alpha Lucus : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The sunlight peeking through the cracks of the drapes was what finally broke through Lucus restless sleep. He groaned as the bright light caused his head to pound, with the taste of bile and stale alcohol still present on his tongue."Are you finally awake?"Lucus cracked an eye open to find Zia staring at him from across the room."There's a glass of water and aspirin on the dresser next to you. When you're ready to talk, come out."With that, she walked out of the room, leaving Lucus to collect himself as memories from the night before filtered through his aching head. Sighing, he took the aspirin and downed the glass of water before trudging to the bathroom. Feeling slightly more alive after a quick shower, he threw on sweats and a shirt before going out to the living area of the hotel suite he had booked. Zia was seated on the small island of the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee as she munched on a muffin. Lucus grabbed a mug and poured herself a cup from the still-full coffee pot

Getting bored and tired of running back and forth, Clary trudged up to where the two were sitting and wrapped her arms around Emma."I'm hungry, mommy. Can we eat something?""Sure sweetheart. Why don't you go dry your legs off with your towel, and I'll set up our spot?"As Clary followed her instructions, Emma and Lucus worked together to set up their beach towels and an umbrella for shade. As Emma pulled out some sandwiches and a bowl of mixed fruit, Lucus pulled out some drinks from the little lunchbox that Emma had brought and placed them next to the food. It hit Emma briefly how, despite their time apart, they still worked well together, filling in what the other had missed. The observation shocked her, as she felt old emotions make themselves known in her head. But along with the nostalgia of love came the recollection of pain, and Emma grimaced, knowing their time together had resulted in more tears than joy."You okay?"Emma looked up to find Lucus staring at her in concern.F

"Did you want to eat dinner with us? If you don't have to be in the city right away, you're welcome to come with us.""I'd love to," Lucus finally said, giving in to the change in the talk. "So, you make dinner every night, right?""When I get home early enough at night, yes. When I'm at home, I try to cook.""Are you rarely at home?""Unfortunately, my job takes up a lot of my time."Lucus tried not to sound rude when he asked, "What does your typical schedule look like?"""I have classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, usually right after I drop Clary off at school. Then, Thursday through Friday, I have afternoon lessons that end around 8 p.m.""What about the cafe?""Mm, usually Thursday and Friday mornings until I have to go to the dance studio, then a full day on Saturdays.""Where is Clary most of the time at these times?"Emma stiffened when she heard Lucus annoyed voice. As she looked at the alpha, she put the plate of rolls on the table with a small clatter."When sh

Emma skimmed through a final checklist as she leaned against her car, making sure that she had everything covered before picking up Clary from Jasmine's apartment. Despite the trip only being for a day, it was the first time she had left town overnight since she had arrived there seven years ago. It was also the first trip she and Clary were taking together outside of the region, and she was both excited and anxious. The city was home to many fond memories but also recollections of pain and disappointment. This trip was a way of starting the journey of facing her past, and she was ready for it with her daughter by her side.Satisfied that she had everything she needed, she pulled out her phone and dialed the now-saved contact in her phone."Hey, where are you?""Hey Lucus. I'm about to pick up Clary right now. Hopefully we'll make it by around 8:30. Sorry, we're coming so late.""Not at all! Just drive safely and take all the time you need. I'm going to start cooking, so the food will

When Emma shared her story with Jasmine, she managed to do so with a few tears and controlled emotions. But sitting with Zia, her best friend since last year, and talking about how she had spent her time since they had said goodbye at the train station took a lot out of her. Emma started to cry as she described her first time walking into the basement apartment she had called ahead for, and she didn't stop crying until she caught him up with the conversation she and Lucus had had last night."But honestly, Zia, I was so lonely. I wanted to give up and call you or go back to you so many times during the first two years. It was only during the third year that I finally started to settle down.""Is that why you sent me that letter so much later? Because that's when you became okay?""Yeah, I didn't want to lie to you. I felt so ashamed.""There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just so happy you're here.""I know I still owe you your money. I wanted to pay it back with interest, so I'll ge