Chapter 3:
1053 Words
Lucian:
I stood by the window, staring into the darkness outside. The moon shone brightly tonight, casting a silvery light over the distant forest, but I couldn't find peace.
I returned to my desk dejectedly but couldn't focus on the documents before me.
My breath had been unsteady since I saw her again - Freya of Nightshade.
Why did she suddenly appear here?
This coincidence was too suspicious.
A month ago, she vanished after that night, leaving me seething with rage and drowning in unanswered questions. I had someone investigate, but Nightshade was a secretive pack, and Freya was like a ghost, leaving no trace. As time passed, I almost forgot about her.
But now, she was in my territory, looking so miserable.
The door to the room rang a few times, and I regained my composure.
"Come in," I said, my voice hoarse than usual.
Lion walked in, his face still cold as ever, but I noticed a rare hesitation in his eyes.
"How is she?"
Lion straightened his back and reported. "The doctor checked her over. It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious. She'll recover in a few days."
I nodded. Deep inside, I felt a little relieved.
But Lion still hadn't left.
I narrowed my eyes. "What else?"
Lion hesitated before speaking. "She's… pregnant."
The air in the room froze solid.
I stared at Lion, sure I had misheard.
"What?" My voice was low and dangerous.
Lion took a deep breath and repeated. "She's pregnant, about a month."
I felt my heart tighten. A violent wave crashed through my chest, sending fragments of memories spiraling through my mind like a relentless storm.
-A month ago-
The loud music and dim lights filled the bar.
I hadn't planned on going to that party, but for some reason, I was there. Sitting on the second floor, I lazily observed the chaotic crowd below, passing by the unfamiliar faces without concern.
I happened to see her.
A girl with striking platinum blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes stood there, her gaze hazy as if she had lost control.
Immediately, I realized she was drugged.
She staggered through the crowd, trying to escape but unable to walk straight. A few people standing nearby looked at her with hungry eyes, waiting for her to lose her sanity.
I could have stopped them. I could have helped that poor girl. But I didn't.
She wasn't mine.
I stood up, left the bar, and went straight to my private room. I didn't have time to waste on irrelevant things.
I walked into the room, took off my jacket, poured myself a glass of wine, and planned to rest before Lion came to report on his work.
But only a few minutes later, the door to the room burst open as someone pushed it forcefully.
Noticing the strange smell, I immediately turned around, preparing to attack the intruder, but I stopped.
It was her.
The girl under the bar.
She stood there, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed, her body trembling as if she was trying to fight off the fever burning inside.
Her plump red lips parted as if she wanted to say something, looking extremely seductive.
I frowned, intending to ask her how she got in there, but as soon as I opened my mouth, a scent suddenly hit me.
It was a fresh and strange scent I had never felt before.
My wolf – Ryan, howled. 'Mate!'
I froze.
No way!
But I can not deny it; my instincts screamed.
She was my mate.
I felt my whole body burning; the strings of control that had always been strong in me suddenly wavered.
She stumbled closer, her misty blue eyes looking at me as if I were the only thing she could hold on to.
"I'm so hot…" She whispered. Her voice was like a fire that swept through my nerves.
I tried to stay awake, but when she touched me. Everything collapsed.
...
When I woke up the following day, she slept soundly beside me. I lay there for a long time, looking at her face, a strange feeling rising in my heart.
I'm not the type to let anyone into my life easily.
But this woman did.
I heard Lion's footsteps approaching. With a reluctant sigh, I got out of bed, put on my coat, and stepped outside to discuss work with him. I had no idea she disappeared in just a brief moment of distraction.
When I returned, the bed was empty. The window stood wide open. The woman from last night was gone—without a single trace.
I was angry, not just because she left, but because I didn't even know who she was.
It took me almost a week to learn her identity - Freya Ashford of Nightshade.
A Nightshade werewolf suddenly appeared in my territory, drugged, and accidentally rushed into my room.
Everything was too coincidental.
And I didn't believe in coincidences.
-Now-
Lion had followed me since I was little and quickly grasped my abnormality. Hesitant, he asked, 'Alpha, is... that girl?'
Lion's voice pulled me back to reality.
I took a deep breath, suppressing the emotions that were rising.
Freya Ashford was pregnant with my child. My intuition told me.
A feeling of chaos filled my heart. Part of me wanted to believe that this was a setup and that she had some plot.
But another part was the primal desire that was rising. I couldn't deny that I was attracted to Freya from the first time I saw her. No matter how often I denied it, my body and instincts had accepted her.
But I couldn't trust her easily.
Not now.
I would keep her, not for love, but for the child in her belly.
And I would find out the truth.
Whether she wanted it or not.
"Find out more about why she was here."
Lion nodded and left, the door closing behind him, leaving me alone in the large room.
The air seemed to thicken.
I could no longer contain the storm raging inside me.
Bang!
My hand slammed down on the table, sending the documents flying, the wine glass swaying and tipping over, amber liquid splattered across the glass. My jaw clenched, my breathing heavy. "Freya, I hope this is just a coincidence."
- Writer
