Leah's POV
No one ever told me what death feels like. Being a Lycan, we expect to live to a hundred years without a second thought about our mortality. But I tasted the bitter sting of death that fateful day.
As the world spiraled into a chaotic blur, Jalin's face contorted, his voice echoing in my mind. "Do. What. You. Are. Told," he chanted, and then darkness consumed me.
The next thing I knew, a deafening bang jolted me awake. Light pierced my eyes as I struggled to regain my senses. Tears blurred my vision as I gasped desperately for air, feeling the grip of enormous hands lifting me up.
"Leah, I'm here. You're safe with me now," a familiar voice reassured.
"Lu... Lucas?" I reached out, my voice weak.
"Yes, Leah. It's me." He held my hand, pressing a gentle kiss to it.
"What happened?" I asked, shaking my head, trying to piece together the fragments of my memory. As my vision cleared, I saw soldiers filling the room.
"Why are there soldiers on my grandfather's carpet, Lucas?" My voice trembled as I surveyed the scene. "Where's Jalin? Where's Leo?"
"They're gone, Leah. They tried to hurt you, but they're gone now."
I clutched Lucas' collar, desperation seizing me. "Did you kill them?!"
Lucas' expression was pained. "I'm not a killer," he replied coldly. "Jalin escaped, and Leo is in my custody. Your brother... he's different."
A whirlwind of pain and confusion clouded my mind, and a horrible realization dawned on me. "Finn... he's in danger! You have to get to the lake house and save him! Troy's going to—"
Disappointment flickered in his eyes as I mentioned another man's name. "I've got it under control. Jorah is there. No one will harm Finn. Now, calm down, Leah."
I glanced down and saw a knife in my hand, unaware of when I had picked it up. I dropped it, and the soldiers swiftly collected it. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.
Muttering incoherently, I collapsed onto the bed. "I need to see Leo now," I said, rubbing my temples.
"I don't think that's a good idea. He hasn't spoken to anyone."
"He'll talk to me." I clenched my fists as I stood and headed out.
"Leah..." Lucas reached for my arm, trying to stop me.
I pushed his hand away and continued walking forward. “I need to see Leo.”
Lucas stepped in my path, his arms open, a look of concern on his face. “Leah, I really don't think you should see him now,” he said. “Come to me. You're shaking all over.”
The soldiers blocked my way. Lucas pulled me into his arms. He was right—I was shivering. I hadn't even realized it. The warmth of his chest seeped into me, and memories of everything that had passed between us flooded my mind. Grievance, sadness, anger, and hatred twisted and entangled in my chest.
“Where have you been?” I sobbed, trying to push him away, but he wouldn’t let me. Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Where have you been?! Whenever I need you, you're not there! You are never there! I hate you more than anyone in this world!”
After all these years, I was finally letting it all out. I was so mad at him. Of course I was. The only thing I ever wanted from him was his attention, but it was the one thing he couldn’t give me. But at the same time, I had never stopped loving him. I thought our connection was just physical, but it wasn’t. I deeply cared about him. He was my mate, and that was why I was madly in love with him.
"I'm so sorry, Leah," Lucas said, his voice muffled as he buried his face in my hair. "I will never leave you again."
I looked up into his eyes and saw the gray hairs on his head. My heart broke. He hadn’t recovered from my rejection. He looked worse than ever. Then I noticed the scar on his cheek, still bleeding. He hadn’t been able to heal himself. I lifted my hand and touched his face.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
Lucas frowned. “I couldn’t stop Jalin. He knocked me down and got away. If it was in the past, I could have easily...”
I put a finger over his lips. “Thank you for saving my life, Lucas,” I said gently. “Thank you for not giving up on us.”
“How could I?” he whispered, moving closer.
I lifted my head and kissed the wound on his face. He held my head, pressing his lips to mine with such passion and depth it almost made me cry. The Moon Goddess was right; Lucas was my second chance. I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him with all my devotion, but I couldn’t. How could I kiss him when I was pregnant with another man’s child? The thought made me sick. Eventually, I pushed him away, and it hurt us both. The pain was like being stabbed by a knife.
“Lucas, we've been through a lot lately. With everything going on, I can't...” I said in a low voice.
“I understand, Leah. You don’t have to explain anything to me,” he said. “Just know that you have my full understanding and support. I will do everything to make up for what I’ve done. I have patience.”
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. As he spoke, the wound on his face closed up. Lucas noticed it too—he touched his face and smirked, “It’s as good as new now.”
“I can still tell the difference,” I said, touching his face and immediately biting my lips. No matter how hard I resisted, the bond between us was still there. I could never stop caring about him. Lucas lowered his head and held me close. A wave of warmth spread through my chest, the attention and affection I had always wanted from him now too late.
A soldier stepped forward, worry etched on his face. He saluted and said, “Alpha Lucas, His Highness Leonard has just woken up...”
“So?” Lucas frowned.
“Alpha Lucas... His Majesty has arrived. And he demands to see His Highness Leonard.”
My heart sank. Why is my father here?