And for the first time in years, I couldn’t tell if I’d won or lost.
Chapter 12
Lucas’s POVE
I had just retumed from a patrol along the southem ridge. A pointless exercise, honestly. The borders were tight, no scent trails out of place, but still I couldn’t shake the unease crawling along my spine
Maurine had asked me to keep her company that evening. She didn’t like to be alone. Claimed she had nightmares. So there I was, standing outside her private wing like some mute statue while she toyed with luxury in every form–draped in velvet, sipping wine, scrolling through expensive trinkets on her crystal tablet.
“Lucas,” her voice rang like silver bells, soft and sharp all at once. “Where is that worthless thing with my tea?”
She meant the rabbit hybrid she’d picked up last week. A small creature, no older than sixteen, with trembling ears and big brown eyes that avoided contact. Maurine had insisted the boy would be her personal servant–said she needed ‘someone delicate‘ to handle her things.I
“He’s probably getting it, Maurine,” I said carefully, trying to sound neutral,
Maurine sighed as though the weight of the world pressed upon her. “I told him two sugars and no lemon. If he messes it up again…” she trailed off.
Then the door creaked open.
The rabbit boy shuffled in, carrying a porcelain tray in both hands. I saw the tremble in his fingers before he even took a step. His fear saturated the air like wet moss. I could smell it.
“Miss,” the boy whispered, bowing his head. “Your tea“>
Maurine stood. Her expression soured before the cup even reached her lips.
“What is this?” she spat, sniffing it.
“It’s–it’s the jasmine you said yesterday-“8
“You imbecile!” she roared and the teacup went flying. Hot liquid splattered across the floor and the porcelain feet!
shattered near the boy’s
Then, like lightning, Maurine mised her hand and slapped the boy across the face. The sound echoed like a whipcrack.
I stiffened. My wolf rose, ears back, hackles prickling. The boy fell to his knees, whimpering, his cheek already swelling. “Enough!” I barked.!
Maurine tumed to me, eyes wide with faux innocence. “Lucas, don’t tell me you’re taking his side?“!
I stepped between them. My voice was low, but there was steel in it. “He’s just a kid “8
“He’s a slave,” Maurine hissed. “And a disobedient one at that. You know how these hybrids are–skittish and dumb. They need discipline. Discipline? My jaw clenched. No. This wasn’t the Maurine I remembered. The shy, kind–hearted she wolf always cast in Rebecca’s shadow. This this woman before me was callous, cruel, unrecognizable.
“He’s bleeding.” I said, glancing back at the boy. “He’s injured,”
“Barely” Maurine muttered, tossing her hand dismissively. “He’ll heal. He’s not even full–blooded.”
That was it!
“I’ll take care of it.” I said.t
Maurine yawned and stretched. “Fine. Do whatever you want. I’m going to bed. Have him scrub the floor after.”
As soon as she vanished into her chambers, I crouched beside the boy.!!
“Hey,” I said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Can you stand?”
He flinched at first, but slowly nodded. His eyes met mine for the briefest second. There was no defiance there–only the weary submission of someone who expected to be hurt.
I looked over my shoulder and mind–linked Reid. Come to the east wing. Bring a cloak. Quietly.
Within minutes, Reid materialized at the balcony, dropping in like a ghost from the moonlit shadows. His wolf form shimmered just beneath his skin–always ready, always watching
“What’s going on?” he asked, eyes locking onto the boy.!!
“He needs to be taken to Silvana Pack. We have healers there. He’s not safe here.“H
Reid blinked. “Alpha, are you sure? If Maurine finds out-”
“She won’t. I’ll cover it. Just go.”
Reid didn’t question me again. He wrapped the boy in a cloak and helped him up. He looked at me one last time, and for a moment, his lips parted like she wanted to say something. But no words come.
They disappeared into the night.
I shut the balcony doors and leaned against them, heart pounding–not from fear of being caught. But from the sick churn in my gut. What the hell had I been doing?
I had once painted Maurine in my mind as this delicate, misunderstood she wolf. The girl who had suffered under Rebecca’s coldness, the one who needed protection. But now…”
Now I saw something else.
8.13 AM
090
I now unice policy ivique in my umu da una chloit, manuçiƏIVUU DIE mun. me you my naU QULICIOU vivci ncuCULO & QUIuness, the one who needed protection. But now..
Now I saw something else.
The way she used others. The entitlement. The cruelty, masked in silk and smiles. I had convinced myself that Rebecca was the danger the manipulator–but the only one who had drawn blood tonight was Maurine.”
And worse? I helped her !
And fuck. I looked like a hypocrite for trying to save the boy when I didn’t even bat an eye when I asked my men to hurt Rebecca back then. So why the heck was I acting like a hero now? Her kindness must be rubbing on me.
Kindness? I didn’t even acknowledge it when she was still here.
I caught the rabbit boy like Maurine ordered me to. I carried out tasks that made my wolf restless in his cage. And all because I thought I was doing it for a bigger cause–for the mission. But when had that excuse stopped being noble and started sounding like a coward’s justification?
I rubbed my face, then pulled out my phone. I stared at Rebecca’s name in my contacts. Still no reply.
She didn’t want to hear anything from me that bad? Was she already in love with that almost dying man? The thought of Rebecca in love with another sent me into spiral.
Gone to marry a comatose Alpha whose fate was sealed with vampire hoodlum venom. Why would she do that?!
But suddenly, I realized–I didn’t know her at all. Not really. Just like I didn’t know Maurine. All my life, I had lived in shadows of assumptions. Guarding the wrong people. Trusting the wrong truths.
Ushoved my phone away and went to the window. The moon hung high, casting long, pale light across the Pack lands.
And for the first time in a long while.
I felt like I had done a terrible mistake.
