His Christmas Mate

Chapter 17

_Aria's POV_

Lucien stayed with me the whole night. He did not leave my side. He held me close. The blanket was wrapped around both of us and his arms stayed firm around my shoulders as if he thought I might fall apart if he let go.

At first, I could not stop shaking. My body felt cold inside, even though his warmth pressed around me like a shield. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the man’s face again. I felt his hands again. I heard his laugh, rough and cruel, echoing in my ears. My breath came in short bursts and sometimes I felt as if my lungs could not work.

Lucien did not speak much. He just held me. He kept murmuring soft words in my ears.

“You are okay now.”

“You are safe.”

“I’m here.”

Little by little, the terror inside me loosened. I let my cheek rest against his chest. His heartbeat was steady and slow. It was the one calm thing in the whole night. My fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt and I did not have the strength to let go.

I must have fallen asleep while listening to his heartbeat. The fear drained me and at some point, my body gave up. I slipped into a deep sleep without knowing when it happened.

When I woke the next morning, the room was quiet. The lamps were low. The snow outside made the world look pale and calm, like nothing terrible had touched the night.

But the first thing I saw was Lucien.

I was still in his arms. His hold was strong but gentle as if he had not moved at all through the whole night. His face was close to mine. His dark eyes were open and he was looking at me as if he had been awake for hours.

“Good morning,” he said softly.

My throat felt tight. “Good morning,” I whispered.

He lifted a hand and brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face. His eyes searched mine with worry.

“How are you?” he asked.

I swallowed. My voice shook a little. “I’m… fine.” The answer came out small and unsure but I tried to sound brave.

He watched me for a moment, as if deciding whether he believed me or not. Then he nodded slowly, but his eyes stayed sharp, like he was studying every tiny change in my face.

“What happened last night,” he said, “should never happen again.”

I looked down. My hands tugged at the blanket on my lap. “I know,” I said quietly.

He sat up straighter, his expression darkening. “There is a reason the rogue was able to come straight to you,” he said. “He was able to locate your room because he sniffed you out.”

My head snapped up. “What?” I asked. “Sniffed me?”

“Yes. Humans and werewolves do not carry the same scent. Rogues can smell the difference from very far away. Once they catch it, they can follow it like a trail.”

I stared at him, stunned. “So… he found me because I’m human?”

“Yes,” Lucien said quietly. “Your scent stood out. You were easy to track. And now that you are here, in a pack full of werewolves, your human scent draws attention. It attracts rogues. It tells them you are vulnerable. It tells them you are different.”

A sharp ache formed in my chest.

“So the fight yesterday… all of this… was because of me?” My voice cracked on the last word. The guilt rushed over me like cold water.

Lucien’s eyes softened, as if he sensed how the words struck me. “No,” he said firmly. “This is not your fault. You did not do anything intentionally.”

“But I...” I began.

He cut me off gently. “Aria, listen to me. I would never blame you for something like this. You were attacked. You were hurt. None of this is on you.”

He placed his hand over mine. “But we do need to take precautions. For your safety. For the safety of the pack. As long as you stay human, rogues will be drawn to you like a magnet. And this will put everyone in danger.”

I turned my face away and stared at the broken window. I remembered the glass shattering. The cold air rushing in. The wolf landing on the rug. The terror. The helplessness.

I remembered the screams outside.

People fighting. People risking their lives.

All because of me.

My stomach twisted painfully. “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I whispered. A shaking breath slipped out. “I really didn’t. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”

Lucien moved closer. “I know. And no one blames you. But now we have to protect everyone. Including you.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. “What… what do we do?”

His gaze locked on mine. “You need to undergo the transformation as soon as possible.”

My heart stilled. “The… transformation?”

“Yes,” he said. “If you become a werewolf, your scent will change. The rogues will not be able to track you in the same way. You will blend in with us. You will not be seen as prey. You will not be an easy target.”

I tried to breathe normally but the words tangled inside my chest.

He continued gently, “The transformation will take time. Your wolf will not awaken right away. But the sooner we start, the sooner you will be safe.”

I looked down at my hands. They trembled slightly.

Could I really become a werewolf?

Could I really do something like that?

I thought of the people here; the warriors, the women who cooked meals, the young ones who played in the snow in the mornings. They had taken me in. They had given me food, a room and warmth.

And last night, they had fought for me.

I didn’t want to be the reason any of them got hurt again.

I took a slow breath and asked, “If I become a werewolf… I won’t have to eat raw meat, right?”

Lucien blinked, then stared at me for a long second. Then, he laughed.

“No, Aria,” he said while shaking his head. “It’s not like in the movies. You can eat normal food. You can live normally. You’ll just have a wolf inside you. You will be able to shift. You will be stronger and faster. Your senses will sharpen. But nothing… strange or horrible like eating raw meat.”

A weak and embarrassed breath left my lips. “Oh. Good.”

He smiled at me.

I took another breath. My heart hammered as if it knew the weight of my next words.

“Okay,” I said quietly. “Fine. I will do the transformation. This is best for everyone.”

Lucien’s face lit up the moment the words left my mouth. His eyes brightened with something that looked like victory and relief at the same time.

“You have taken the right decision, Aria,” he said. “I will start preparing the ritual immediately. Once you become one of us, your life will change. You will be safer. Stronger. And you will see… everything will become more interesting.”

He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

My skin burned where his lips touched.

He rose to his feet with a smooth movement. “I will go and do the needful. Stay here and rest. I will come back soon.”

I watched him walk toward the door, tall and calm, as if the whole world bent around his steps.

But just before he left, he paused and looked at me over his shoulder. His eyes were dark and unreadable.

“Everything will be different soon,” he said.

Then, he stepped out of the room.

And I was left sitting there in the quiet, wrapped in a blanket, with the broken window behind me…

and the weight of my decision pressing on my chest.

Everything would change.

Everything.