Louisa's POV
Lucas' cold voice floated in the air.
I saw thousands of snowflakes swirling in the cold north wind in his eyes.
At that very moment, I realized that he wasn't the one that I'd been waiting for all these years.
"Lucas," I said in a low, quiet voice, "Do you want me to accept your rejection?"
"No," he said decisively. "I want you to stay with me and love me unconditionally."
I looked at him.
Slow as the winter snow, the tears drifted from my eyes.
I took off the Ring from my neck and put it aside, so he could feel what kind of pain I was going through.
"Even though it hurts me like this?" I wept silently, feeling a thousand knives stabbing into my chest.
Lucas sighed, picked up the Ring, and put it back on my neck.
He took a long pause and said, "I've changed my mind. I won't sell the warlock to his deadbeat uncle, so he won't be taken to the slave market. Since I'm done with him, he'll be reassigned a post as your personal guard, and I won't lay a hand on you or him in the future. That's it. You have my words."
I looked at Lucas and frowned.
Did he just... compromise with me?
"Why are you still unhappy, little nymph? You'll still be my breeder who lives in the Luna Tent. I'll make you pregnant and you'll be the mother of my children." Lucas said.
I lowered my head and looked at Darren. His pale, handsome face was fragile. I knew he wouldn't last a day in a slave market.
"OK," I said.
"OK? That's it? Do you know how many girls are fucking dying to be my breeder? No 'Thank you, Alpha'? Not even a quick peck on the lips?" Lucas frowned.
"No," I answered briefly. "And it's time for you to live. I want to stay with Darren and take care of him. When he can walk, I'll take him back to the Luna Tent..."
I didn't finish the sentence before Lucas sucked my lips into his mouth.
It was a long, passionate kiss.
I felt that he wanted to suck away my breath and pressed me into his chest, so we could be one.
"I only ask you a fucking question to be polite," He took a pause and whispered. "I kiss my woman whenever I feel like doing so."
After Lucas left, I felt much relieved.
It felt as if the stone that had lodged in my chest had been lifted eventually.
I sat next to Darren and carefully wiped the blood smear on his face and chest.
Tears were still falling down from my eyes, but I knew they were tears of joy.
"Darren," I whispered, "I would never ever let anyone hurt you again."
"Zowie guacamole!" I heard a voice from the entrance of the tent. "Finally. I've been looking for you everywhere and those soldiers are horrible! They talk like horses. I literally don't understand a word of what they're neighing about. "
Colt?!
I lifted my eyes and saw Colt stumbling into the tent on crutches.
"Colt! You're here! How're your legs?"
"My legs are fine. It's my back that's killing me. But thank you for asking anyway," he said.
"Ah!!!" he exclaimed. "Why are you covered in blood?! Why is Darren lying on the bed?! Why is he covered in blood?!"
He looked as if he was about to faint.
I held him in my arms and said, "Shhh. He has just been through an operation and he's sleeping. Don't wake him up. It will be painful."
"Painful? No way!" Colt's eyes widened as he threw his crutches and threw himself into the bed with Darren, "Oh, no! You look as white as paper! Why are there so many bruises on your handsome face? Are you going to die? Please don't die without me! Please take me with you..."
I couldn't stop Colt. I knew he had to have his moment. There was nothing I could do other than wait for him to pass this episode.
At that moment, Darren woke up.
When he saw Colt crying and wailing next to him, he looked hopelessly at me and whispered in a shallow voice, "Could you please take him away from me? He's too noisy."
Colt heard Darren's voice and lifted his head quickly.
"Ah! You're alive! This is the miracle of love! This must be it!" Colt exclaimed with his hands covering his forehead.
"I might need some water," Darren said in a quiet voice.
"OK! I'll fetch you water! What kind of water do you want? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Colt said.
"The far-away kind," Darren replied with a wry. "You can go out of the tent and turn left, then turn left again and you'll see the main gate of the camp. And then you keep walking until you see a river, where you can get some water."
"OK! No problem! Anything you want, bro! Left and left. I got it! Right away!" Colt rushed out of the tent without taking his crutches.
I snickered and poured him a glass of water from the water bottle on the nightstand.
Then, I carefully lifted his head up from the pillow and poured some water into his chapped lips.
"Colt's back seems to be recovered," I pointed at the crutches and said.
Darren smiled and said, "That's some good news."
"I've got some more good news to share with you," I said.
"I've heard it. Thank you, Louisa. Thank you for not giving up on me." Darren said in a trembling voice.
"And I'm sorry for stabbing you." I lowered my head.
Darren held my hand and said, "No. I'm the one who's supposed to apologize. I'm sorry for getting you involved in all this..."
"Can I give you a hug?" I asked. I desperately needed someone to hug me.
"Yes, of course. Come here," he said.
I sat on the edge of the bed, carefully curled up next to him while placing my head on top of his arm. He pulled the blanket up and covered me up.
I felt so safe and warm leaning against his body.
I rolled over, so I could press my head closer to his chest.
The beating of his heart was hypnotizing.
Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Colt's voice again -
"Zowie guacamole! I forgot to ask, which left should I take first, the first one or the second one? Oh... I can't believe you guys are hugging out without me. I want a hug as well!"
"Don't come closer," Darren warned him.
"Come on! I fell from a roof and broke my back! A hug from a warlock will relieve my pain!" Colt whinnied.
"There's no such thing."
"Please..." Colt begged.
"No."
"If you hug me, I'll be quiet for 15 minutes."
"30 minutes." Darren narrowed his eyes.
"OK. Deal!" Colt said with excitement and bounced onto the bed, hugging me and Darren from behind.
"This feels sooooo good!" Colt said.
"One more word I'll kick you off the bed," Darren said.
"It will break my back and it will be really painful!"
"Tell me about it. I've just been through an operation without anesthesia."
"Really? On a scale of one to ten, how painful is it?"
"Like, 20."
"That bad, huh?"
"Uh-huh."
In their conversation, I fell asleep. I felt so exhausted, yet so relieved at the same time.
In my dream, I saw Lucas again. But this time, Finn was on his side, smiling at me.