Walk With Me
1496 Words
After a thorough check-up in the infirmary, the healer wiped her hands and gave Talia a look that brooked no argument.
"Clean bill of health, mostly," she said, handing Talia a stack of fresh clothes. "But the shift tore some internal ligaments. No shifting for two nights. You heal fast, but don’t push it."
Talia nodded, retreating behind the curtain to dress. "And my sister?"
The healer paused. "She’s fine. She didn’t take the hit you did. That wolf of hers wouldn’t let me get close enough to check her thoroughly, but she's fine."
Talia froze, tunic halfway over her head. "Wolf? What wolf?"
But the healer was already bustling out the door. Talia pulled her shirt down, brows furrowing. Alina didn't have a wolf.
A knock rattled the frame, and before she could speak, the door opened.
King Lucian filled the doorway.
"What wolf?" Talia blurted out, her mind still on the healer’s comment.
Lucian chuckled, the sound low and rich. "May I come in?"
Oh my Goddess, Kaela groaned in Talia’s mind. This wolf is sexy! The spirit wolf was practically on her back, paws in the air, tongue lolling. His wolf’s name is Savage. I can feel him.
Focus, Kaela, Talia scolded.
Lucian stepped inside, hands raised in a gesture of peace. "I assume you mean the one hovering over your sister? That would be Casius. He is... very territorial when it comes to Alina. Or so the rumor mill goes."
Talia’s frown deepened. "Is she okay with the attention?"
Lucian sat on the edge of the empty gurney next to her. "I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She’s still a minor under my protection. I assigned her a chaperon, but it seems my Beta has decided to take the shift himself."
The air in the room seemed to vanish. He had washed the soot from his face and changed into fresh black dress slacks and a black shirt with the first three buttons loose. He smelled of rain and power. The sheer impact of him—height, muscle, and that dark, vibrating aura—hit Talia like a physical wave. His eyes were the most transparent blue she had ever seen.
Damn, Kaela purred. Please take that in, girlfriend, because I have never seen a finer specimen. I can’t wait to meet Savage.
Lucian’s eyes scanned her, assessing her recovery in a single glance. "Soldier," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Walk with me. We need to do a perimeter check."
Talia felt a flicker of unease, sharper than the comfort she had felt earlier. This wasn't a casual stroll. "Yes, Alpha."
They stepped out into the cool evening air. The moon was rising, painting the gravel paths in silver.
"Care to run?" Lucian asked, glancing at the tree line with a hunger in his eyes.
"I can't," Talia said, falling into step beside him. "Doctor's orders. No fur for two days."
"I know," Lucian said, slowing his long stride to match hers. "But I had to ask. The forest is loud tonight."
They walked in silence for a moment, moving away from the infirmary toward the edge of the outpost. The vegetation here was lush, vibrant in a way Talia wasn't used to.
"You defended this place well," Lucian said, breaking the silence. "But do not mistake this village for the kingdom."
He gestured to the valley stretching out below them, hidden in the shadows of the mountains.
"This is just an outpost," Lucian explained. "The main city, Obsidian Ridge, lies ten miles north. It is home to nearly one hundred thousand souls. My family has sworn to protect them for centuries. It is a fortress, a trade hub, and a home."
Talia blinked. "One hundred thousand?"
"It is a heavy burden," Lucian admitted. "And it requires strong shoulders to carry it. Which brings me to why we are walking."
He stopped and turned to face her. The moonlight cut across his sharp cheekbones.
"I have spoken with the Council. We want you and Alina to stay. Permanently."
Talia froze. "Stay? Here?"
"You are not outsiders, Talia. You are heritage-born. You belong here." He crossed his arms. "But I don't just want you to stay as a guest. I have a job for you."
"A job?"
"Lead Trainer," Lucian said firmly. "I need someone to run the recruits alongside Casius. He is my Beta, and he is currently stretched too thin trying to be my second-in-command and the drill sergeant. I need him by my side to run the politics of a hundred thousand people. I need you to sharpen the claws of my army."
Talia stared at him. "You want me to train your wolves?"
"I saw you fight today," Lucian said. "I saw you lead. You understand strategy. And more importantly, you understand men like Thomas. You know how our enemies think."
"Thomas," Talia said, the name leaving a bitter taste. "We were chosen mates. He used that against me."
"I know." Lucian’s voice dropped, becoming intimate, dangerous. "And that experience makes you valuable. You survived him. You see through the lies now."
He took a step closer. The air between them crackled.
"I will be frank, Talia. I am asking you to stay for the job, yes. But I am also asking for... other reasons."
Talia’s heart hammered against her ribs. "Other reasons?"
"I find myself very attracted to you," Lucian said. It wasn't a pickup line; it was a statement of fact, delivered with brutal Alpha honesty. "And I am in a precarious position. I have no heir."
He looked away, his jaw tightening. "A year ago, my mother and my chosen mate were on a diplomatic mission. They were ambushed. Kidnapped."
Talia’s breath hitched. "I heard rumors..."
"They were tortured for three days," Lucian said, his voice void of emotion, which was worse than shouting. "Held for ransom. When we finally found them... it was too late. My mate was pregnant. It was a boy."
"Lucian, I am so sorry," Talia whispered, her hand instinctively reaching out, then dropping.
"I buried three souls that day," he continued. "My father broke. He is a shell of a man now, waiting to die. He abdicated because he could not function. So the crown, the city, the protection of those hundred thousand people... it all falls to me."
He looked back at her, his eyes burning with intensity. "I cannot fail them. I need an heir. And I need a Luna who can stand in the fire. I cannot afford another weak Luna. I cannot have a partner who cannot protect herself, or our children."
Talia stiffened. "You call your dead mate weak?"
"I call the situation what it was," Lucian said coldly. "She was gentle. She was kind. And she died because she couldn't fight back. I won't make that mistake again."
Harsh, Kaela noted, her voice unusually serious. But he is right. He is a King first, a man second.
"That sounds like a business transaction," Talia said, her voice quiet. "What about love?"
Lucian laughed, a dark, humorless sound. "And what has love gotten you, Talia? Or me? Love got you betrayed by a forgery. Love got me a graveyard."
He stepped into her space, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him.
"I cannot afford to be a victim of love," he spat. "I need strength. I need loyalty. I need a partner who can hold the line."
Talia shook her head, stepping back, overwhelmed by the intensity of his offer. "You are offering me a position of power, Lucian. You are hinting at a life together. But you don't even know me. We met hours ago."
Lucian stopped. He turned fully toward her, blocking the moonlight.
"I don't need to know your history to know your metal, Talia. I watched you dive into a burning building for a child that wasn't yours. I watched Alina stand on her ground and catch falling pups with steady hands."
He reached out, his fingers hovering inches from her chin, heat radiating from his skin.
"I see your character—both yours and Alina's. Actions scream, Talia. Words whisper. And your actions today told me everything I need to know."
He leaned down, his face inches from hers.
"I know you feel the pull," he whispered. "I sense your wolf. She hasn't been telling you everything, has she? She and my wolf, Savage, have been having quite the conversation."
Talia’s eyes went wide. She turned her focus inward. Kaela?
Well, Kaela drawled, sounding entirely unrepentant. A wolf’s got to do what a wolf’s got to do. And honestly? I can’t wait to jump his wolf’s bones.
Traitor, Talia accused.
Lucian watched the internal battle on her face and smirked. It transformed his face, making him look younger, less haunted.
"Think about the job, Talia. Think about the home. We can figure out the rest later."
He held out a hand.
"Walk with me."
- Writer
