Louisa's POV
Rustling sound. That was the only sound I heard in oblivion.
Then, the rustling sound was replaced by a muffled male voice.
"Wake up, Louisa. He needs your help." I heard my wolf's voice.
I struggled to open my eyes and saw Alpha Zackery and Lucas standing in front of me.
They were talking about something.
My head was buzzing so loudly that I couldn't hear them clearly.
I looked aside and saw Darren lying on the ground, curling up in pain. He had already lost consciousness.
I shook my head and tried to sit up, but I immediately felt the pain coming from my hand.
It was burnt so severely that it charred. I bit my lips so I didn't cry out loud. The good thing was, the pain offset the buzzing sound in my head, so I could hear what they were talking about.
"... I walk out of this stable with your woman in my arms and you can't do anything about it. So why don't you stop talking guff and give me a number?"
That was Alpha Zackery's voice.
Is he... trying to buy me from Lucas?
Lucas explained as patiently as he could, "Your Excellency, I've got loads of slaves piling up in the dungeon. I would like to inform you that you can take anyone you want except her."
"Why is this girl so special to you?" Alpha Zackery asked. "Could it be possible that there's a certain bond between you two?"
Lucas stared at him and didn't say anything.
"Ah-ha, she's your mate, just like what I expected." Alpha Zackery said in a casual voice. Then, he gave his command, "Reject her, name a price and I'll take her away."
I lifted my and wiped the blood off my face, so it wouldn't blur my view. I saw Lucas standing there, looking at me.
When our eyes met, my eyes started to well up. I knew what he would do. He would walk to me, state my full name and use whatever he could come up with to force me to take his rejection. He might beat me, torture me, threaten me with my Darren and my father's life. He didn't need a Lycan's order to reject me. He wanted to reject me from the moment he saw me for the first time.
This is it. I thought to myself.
I closed my eyes, like a prisoner on death row, waiting for my sentence of execution. Tears streamed down my cheeks. All I could see in my mind was the detest and abhorrence in his eyes.
Then, I heard Lucas' voice, decisive and blunt -
"No."
I opened my eyes because I couldn't believe what I'd just heard.
What did he just say? Did he say "no" to a Lycan?
"Are you disobeying me?" Alpha Zackery asked.
Lucas shrugged and said, "She's mine, Your Excellency. She lives and dies with me till death do us apart."
I felt like I was struck by a thunderbolt.
What did he mean? I wasn't sure if that was a mating vow or a death threat.
"So, you're disobeying me." Alpha Zackery said.
I could tell that he was really mad by the smothering anger brewing in his piercing blue eyes. However, he still appeared to be quite reserved. I had never seen anyone who could be so relaxed while standing in front of Lucas, let alone threatening him like this.
Lucas, on the other hand, didn't look intimidated by Alpha Zackery, but he did look pretty agitated. Alpha Zackery had been pushing his buttons and I could see the light of a murderer in his eyes.
Was he literally thinking about killing a Lycan, a royalty... for my sake? It didn't feel like something that he would do.
I was nothing to him.
He abhorred me.
Lucas held his temper and said, "Your Excellency, I've done everything to serve your brother His Majesty the King, but I haven't had any opportunities to plead my allegiance to you..."
"So now I grant you the opportunity by offering me this woman." Alpha Zackery said and pointed at me.
Lucas didn't say anything. He was standing there like a rigid statue.
I didn't know what he was wavering over. How I wished I could get into his mind and know his real thoughts.
Eventually, he walked towards me, pulled me up from the ground, and held me in his arms.
"I'm going to reject you by the order of His Excellency, Louisa Reeds. Are you ready to take my rejection?" He stared at me and asked. I knew he was trying to keep his voice devoid of emotion, but his eyes betrayed him.
The dark cloud of sadness was gathering in his navy blue eyes, suggesting a fearful storm of passion was impending.
His marvelous face was right in front of me.
Was he going to kill me? Or was he going to kiss me? I really couldn't tell.
I looked at Alpha Zackery, who was looking at me with a strange expression on his face as if he was struck by something blunt in the face.
Lucas held my face in his giant hand and forced me to look at him.
"For fuck's sake, Louisa, I'm talking to you. Look at me." He said in a dry voice.
His eyes were glittering with something sparkling.
Was that... tears of fear?
Was he... asking for my help?
His sudden expression of vulnerability made me overwhelmed. I suddenly remembered what Lucian said -
"He needs you to take up the responsibility of being his mate and love him unconditionally."
"Only your love can redeem him."
At that very moment, I knew what I should do.
"Lucas..." I whispered while wrapping my arms around his neck. "I will not accept your rejection. I will never leave you. Wherever you go, I will follow. I know you're capable of loving anyone. I also know I'm too weak and stupid to be your Luna. But I'm working very hard and I'm really trying. Lucas, I want nothing from you except your respect and love. I..."
I paused because I was choking on my blood and tears. I wiped some of them off my face and swallowed the rest of them into my throat.
Then, I drew myself closer to Lucas and pressed my lips against his.
One deep, long, passionate kiss was worth thousands of words. Since he might reject and kill me for doing this to him, I kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
That was supposed to be the last chip in my pocket and I gave it to him without a second thought.
At that moment, I wasn't afraid of anything anymore. Maybe it was because of the transformation. Maybe it was because of love.
I didn't know and I didn't care.
An immortal might exist in this world for a thousand years. And I knew if I hadn't kissed him and let him know my heart at that moment, there would be a thousand years of remorse and a thousand years too long.
I got a lot of love in my heart. If he couldn't generate any in the void of his chest, I just didn't mind sharing it with him.