The Woman Who Hates Me
977 Words
The room fell into a heavy silence.
The woman’s eyes burned into me, sharp and unwelcoming.
“She’s mine.”
Lucien’s words still echoed in my head.
Mine.
Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.
The woman stepped further into the room, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
Elegant. Composed.
But the tension in her gaze was unmistakable.
“Since when?” she asked, her voice calm—but laced with something darker.
Lucien didn’t even look at her.
“That’s none of your concern, Selene.”
Selene.
So that was her name.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she quickly masked it with a small smile.
“Of course,” she said smoothly.
But her eyes flickered back to me.
Judging. Measuring.
Dismissing.
“And you are?” she asked, finally addressing me directly.
My throat felt dry.
“Isabella,” I replied quietly.
Her brows lifted slightly.
“Isabella,” she repeated, as if testing the name.
Then her gaze dropped briefly—taking in my appearance, my position on the bed.
And I saw it.
The slight curl of her lips.
Disapproval.
“How… unfortunate,” she murmured.
My fingers clenched slightly.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, my voice firmer this time.
Her eyes snapped back to mine.
For a moment, the polite mask slipped.
Revealing something sharp.
Something cruel.
“It means,” she said slowly, “that girls like you don’t usually end up here.”
Girls like me.
My chest tightened.
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” I repeated.
Before she could answer—
“Enough.”
Lucien’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Cold. Final.
Selene stiffened slightly.
“But Alpha—”
“I said enough.”
Silence.
Heavy and suffocating.
For a moment, it looked like she wanted to argue.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she straightened, her composure returning.
“Very well,” she said softly.
Then she turned back to me.
And this time—
Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Welcome to the pack, Isabella.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Because there was nothing welcoming about it.
She turned and walked toward the door.
But just before she left—
She paused.
“Be careful,” she added lightly, glancing over her shoulder.
“Not everyone here is kind to… outsiders.”
Then she was gone.
The door clicked shut behind her.
The silence that followed felt different.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
“She doesn’t like me,” I muttered.
Lucien let out a quiet huff, almost amused.
“She doesn’t like anyone.”
I frowned.
“That didn’t feel like ‘anyone.’ That felt personal.”
His expression didn’t change.
But something in his eyes darkened slightly.
“She’ll get over it.”
I wasn’t so sure.
I wrapped my arms around myself slightly.
“This place… I don’t belong here.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Lucien’s gaze snapped to mine.
“And where exactly do you belong?” he asked.
I hesitated.
Because for the first time…
I didn’t have an answer.
Not my old pack.
Not anymore.
Not after what happened.
“I…” My voice faltered.
“I don’t know.”
Silence.
Then—
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
“You belong where you’re valued,” he said.
My heart skipped.
“And right now…”
He stopped right in front of me.
Close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from his body.
“…that’s here.”
My breath caught.
“Lucien—”
“You’re under my protection,” he continued.
“No one touches you. No one disrespects you.”
His voice dropped lower.
Darker.
“Not even her.”
Something in my chest fluttered.
Confusing.
Overwhelming.
Dangerous.
“I don’t need your protection,” I said softly, even though my voice lacked conviction.
One corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Before I could respond—
A sudden sharp pain shot through my chest again.
I gasped, clutching at myself as I doubled over.
“Ah—!”
The bond.
Again.
Stronger this time.
More painful.
Lucien reacted instantly.
His arm wrapped around me, steadying me before I could fall.
“Still hurting?” he muttered.
I nodded weakly, unable to speak.
My entire body trembled.
“Damn him,” Lucien growled under his breath.
His hand moved to my back, pulling me closer.
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
Warmth.
A strange, soothing warmth spread through my body from where he touched me.
The pain… started to fade.
I blinked in shock.
“What…?”
My breathing slowly steadied.
The unbearable ache in my chest eased, like something was calming it.
Like something was… fixing it.
Lucien watched me closely.
“You feel that?” he asked.
I nodded slowly.
“Yes…”
My voice was barely above a whisper.
“What did you do?”
His gaze didn’t leave mine.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said.
“Your body is responding on its own.”
My heart skipped.
Responding… to him?
“That’s not possible,” I whispered.
But deep down—
I knew it was.
Because the pain only faded when he touched me.
Silence filled the room again.
This time, it felt different.
Charged.
Intimate.
Unavoidable.
Lucien’s hand lingered on my back.
His touch steady.
Grounding.
Dangerous.
“Get some rest,” he said finally, his voice softer now.
“You’ll need it.”
“For what?” I asked.
A faint, knowing look crossed his face.
“For everything that’s coming.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Because something told me—
This was only the beginning.
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