CHAPTER THREE
1119 Words
Sienna~
The word echoed through my mind so loudly I gasped. Lucian’s sword stopped midair. His lips parted slightly, his whole body freezing like he’d just hit an invisible wall.
He’d heard it too.
For a moment, neither of us moved. The noise around us faded, and it felt like the air itself was holding still. His eyes stayed on mine, searching.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe. My knees went weak, and deep inside, what felt like my wolf stirred wildly as I lost myself in his eyes for the first time in what felt like forever. Whatever this was, it was real, stronger than anything I’d ever felt for Adrian.
“Alpha?” someone whispered behind him.
Lucian didn’t answer. The sword slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a dull clang.
“She’s bewitched him!” one guard shouted. “The witch has cursed him!”
They moved to attack me, but Lucian’s stern tone stopped them.
“Stand down.”
Every man froze.
“She comes with me,” he said firmly and no one dared to argue.
The men exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing as two of them stepped forward to grab me, one shoving me hard enough that I stumbled.
Before I could fall, Lucian caught my arm.
“Touch her again,” he said, voice low and sharp, “and you’ll lose the hand you used.”
The guard’s face drained of color. He bowed immediately and stepped back.
His hand was warm, gentle enough to make my heart skip. It was nothing like what I'd heard of this ‘beast’.
We walked through the wide marble hall, the air tense. Servants paused to bow, their eyes darting to me before quickly looking away. The silence that followed made my skin prickle.
For years, the rogues who built Blackstone had been known for their wealth and the city they’d created out of nothing—led by Alpha Lucian after being cast out of Whitestone. Everything about the place screamed power, like it existed just to remind anyone who walked in who really ruled here.
He noticed my fascination.
“It’s a lot to take in,” he said, his tone cool but softer than before. “Let's get you settled first.”
“Is… is this all yours?” I asked before I could stop myself.
He glanced at me, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Every corner,” he said, then paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well… I guess it’s kind of yours too now.”
Something fluttered in my chest. I looked away, pretending to examine the floor.
We walked through what felt like an endless maze of halls until he stopped at a set of tall double doors and pushed them open. My jaw fell. The room inside was huge. Red velvet drapes, silk sheets with the kind of bed that looked like it could swallow you whole.
“Have some rest,” he said. “You’ve been through enough tonight. The healer’s on.”
His eyes lingered on me a moment longer, and my pulse jumped.
Then it hit me. “My babies,” I blurted, my eyes widening. “The twins… they’re still—”
“I’ll arrange for them to be brought here by morning,” he reassured and relief washed through me so fast my body felt light.
“Thank you,” I breathed.
He nodded, but his eyes stayed on me a moment too long, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he blinked. Then he forced himself to look away and walked out, leaving like he had to escape before something in him slipped.
I felt so awkward alone in the room, it was too quiet, too perfect. I sat on the edge of the bed, running my fingers over the silk, unsure how to exist in a place so far from everything I knew.
After a while, a knock came in and I jumped. Lucian. He’d come back.
My heart fluttered as I rushed to the door, but the hallway was empty. I frowned, about to close it, when something on the floor caught my eye. A folded note with my name scrawled across it in an awfully familiar handwriting.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
I picked it up, hands trembling.
‘So, you think you’ve found happiness? You can't hide behind your new Alpha forever? Come for your little brats yourself, Sienna. No company. Or I’ll make sure you never see them again.’
Two tufts of hair fell from the fold—one light, one dark. My stomach twisted. I staggered back, clutching them to my chest.
Adrian.
My mind went blank for a moment, then panic rushed in all at once. I had to leave at once.
I scanned the room desperately. The door was useless, guards would be stationed outside. But the window…
I stared at the window, almost laughing through . I’d done this before, back when I used to sneak out to meet Adrian. The irony twisted in my chest.
I pushed it open. Cold air hit my face as I looked down, weighing my chances. I spotted the cracks and ledges I needed, and my body moved on instinct. My fingers scraped against the stone, burning, but I didn’t stop. By the time I dropped to the ground, my breath was sharp, my hands scraped and bleeding.
I moved through the shadows, careful to stay low, every step guided by old habits from nights I’d snuck out before. My heart pounded as I slid past the guards and made it to the outer gates. Somehow, I made it past the patrols and into the main road.
The address on the bottom of the note was a familiar old road. It was where we used to meet as teenagers, back when I believed the world started and ended with him.
The memory made my stomach turn, but the thought of my babies kept me going.
By the time I reached the road, the night had grown heavy and quiet. My breath shook as I whispered, “Adrian?”
No response. Just the wind brushing through the trees.
Then a sound came from behind me, the crunch of leaves. Before I could turn, a heavy bag went over my head and a hand clamped hard over my mouth. I twisted and kicked, but rough ropes bit into my wrists before I could even process what was happening.
Then his scent hit me. Adrian.
“Miss me?” I felt his hot breath against my neck.
My knees gave out and I blacked out.
- Writer
