Wrong Bride, Wrong Mate

Chapter 17: The night I healed her

Alpha Delano's pov

Leaving Lucia in the garden yesterday without her seeing me was like a great miracle. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her eyes in my direction.

Thankfully, Oin, my wolf was not asleep. He quickly made me invisible and I teleported back to my chambers.

In my chambers, I couldn't help but think about her throughout the night. I can remember when I felt her in sorrow a few days ago through some sort of mind-linking with her. I was surprised when that happened because I haven't marked her as my mate then but that damn thing was happening, but quickly, I teleported to where Oin led me to, that's to the slave quarters.

She was lying half dead on the floor. All her bodies were badly injured and cold. I was shocked and a part of me pitied her little body there and it was midnight already.

I wondered what she had done to the slave mistress, Madam Betty, for her to punish her this way.

She was also locked outside, in the playground, under the cold dew. I looked around immediately, checking if there was anyone there but there wasn't a soul.

Immediately, I surged into my healing power and placed it on her. Her wounds started healing up quickly. She started shifting from side to side, wincing in her sleep as the healing process went on.

After a few minutes, all the wounds on her body cleared up. There, she started returning to life and I knew I shouldn't stay there and see me. She might get scared, so I turned into my invisible form and sat on the pavement, watching her jerk up from her sleep.

She stood up weakly and started moving to the entrance gate but later revised and started walking out of the gate.

Where exactly was she going to? I asked myself and started following her behind.

She came out of the pack and started moving towards the hills. Maybe she had been here before.

I followed her till she got to a large tree, there she laid down and slept off.

I scoffed at her innocence. I couldn't bring myself to imagine her story and how she found herself in this kind of situation. She must have gone through a lot for her to be this brave to sleep under a tree without fear of anyone harming her at all.

I couldn't go home that night. I pretended and stayed in my invisible form till the next morning when she returned back to the palace.

Surprised when a group of slaves entered the palace this afternoon. My eyes through the midst of them if I would see Lucia, and behold, our eyes met.

Immediately, she shyly shifted her gaze from mine. I scoffed.

What was she thinking exactly? I scoffed again as I looked at how disorganized she felt in my presence.

My eyes darted to a figure passing through the passage. Oh! It was Nora, my stepmother. She entered the palace, I tried extending some greetings but she ignored me and moved away. I could see the disgusted look all over her face and movement.

Since my mom, Luna Elara died without any trace, Dad went further to remarry. He brought her into the house and in her first three years of staying with us, she was very nice and cool.

At that time, I was about eight years old, not until she became pregnant, that her character started changing. She wasn't the beloved stepmom I normally boast of in school.

She was becoming something else. All her attention was now focused on her child, and she became so rude and stubborn to everyone.

After she gave birth, it was a male child. Darius. I became very fond of him, taking him as my younger brother without any envy of her.

We were cool until he got to fifteen years old, there, Father had started talking about handing over his throne to me. That's the Alpha's title.

There, Luna Nora started calling Darius whenever I was with him to move away from me. Darius used to disobey her sometimes, but after the time Father took me to war, I returned and noticed that Darius had started avoiding me.

I knew it was all because of what his mom must have fed him with. He started creating scenes where we would be always quarreling and fighting.

I'd always be trying to resolve our issues but Luna Nora would come adding more insults to injury.

Even as Dad died and the throne was to be handed over to me, Darius caused a lot of trouble then and traveled to God knows where.

I haven't seen or come across him at all since then. I had just heard the news that he was in a nearby pack which I hadn't seen.

But his mother, Luna Nora has been here all through. Some days, she would be jovial and play with her servants, maids, just everyone around.

Some days, she would be so angry and furious, neglecting everyone the moment she comes across you. That's why I didn't bother or look at her face as she looked at me like that.

It may be because of her usual mood swings.

Seems like Lucia saw the way Luna Nora behaved to me and she started looking at her with a steady gaze.

Luna Nora also turned her face to Lucia and they paused at a place, staring at each other's eyes, maintaining eye contact.

It also caused the attention of everyone in the place to look at them. Murmurs started erupting from the other slaves, pointing at them.

It was becoming an eyesore and I became inconvenienced to the extent that I cleared my throat, shifting everyone's attention to me, why can’t they just mind their business?

"You all should continue with cleaning the palace. What are you staring at?" I barked at them and immediately, they all resumed their duty at once.