Louisa's POV
No. This can't be it. I don't want this. Alpha Zackery is... kissing me... with Lucas watching?!
I didn't think twice.
I used all my efforts to push him away, wiping my mouth and ...
I slapped Alpha Zackery's face in a panic.
I couldn't believe I did it, but I really did it.
I slapped a Lycan.
I slapped one of the most powerful people in this Kingdom.
...I slapped the King's stepbrother.
The entire ballroom, once a dancefloor of Elysium, became a deadly silent graveyard.
Alpha Zackery stared at me with surprise. He didn't move, didn't say anything, but I could tell he was melting down inside.
Zabel approached, followed by soldiers from the Wind Winders Pack.
Lucas and Lucian approached, followed by their soldiers.
Will stepped in front of me and got ready to fight, with Snow snarling at everyone on his shoulder.
The tension in this ballroom escalated so quickly that people started to draw back as a receding tide.
I couldn't bear the mounting pressure anymore, so I grabbed Will, pushed people away, and ran towards the only exit I could see. It was behind a curtain.
I didn't care what was behind that curtain. I just wanted to get out of this ballroom, because it was literally killing me.
As I pushed the door open and charged out at full speed, I felt my feet stepping in the air.
Then, I realized it wasn't an exit. Instead, it was a French window... located on the 5th floor.
The window crashed into thousands of pieces of crystal.
I floated in the air in a parabola and eventually smashed into the ground heavily with my back hitting the ground first.
My mind was blank for a while.
Then, a wave of bitter, warm blood welled up in my throat. I had to cough it out because otherwise, I would choke on it.
But I couldn't feel the rest of my body below my chest.
I looked up at the night sky. It was dark already.
The dim starlight became dazzling in front of my eyes.
Then, I saw the blurry image of Will's face. His mouth was moving as if he was saying something. But I couldn't hear it, because my head was buzzing.
Some liquid dropped on my face. I knew it was Will's teardrop.
I wanted to lift my hands and touch his face, but I couldn't.
Then, I passed out.
Lucas' POV
Fuck.
This fucking ball is doomed. So is this fucking world.
I walked out of the Grand Hall.
Lucian was standing in front of the entrance, waiting for me.
He looked calm and reserved, so there must be some bad shit going on.
"Where is she?" I asked.
"She's lying on the ground," he replied.
I frowned and asked, "Why don't you move her somewhere else? Do you want everyone in the ballroom to see her being smashed like a meat pie? She's not a fucking road kill!"
"I can't move her, Luke," Lucian said.
"What the fuck do you mean that you can't move her?" I asked.
I wanted to walk further, but Lucian blocked me.
"Don't, Luke," he said.
"My woman has just fallen from the fucking fifth floor. I have to see her," I said.
"She's in bad condition, but she's recovering now. I asked some soldiers to cover her. You need to give her some time and privacy," Lucian said.
"And you should have brought her to the ball! Not that fucking psychopath!" I shouted at him with anger.
"Yes, I should have," Lucian said briefly.
He had that kind of look on his face again. A mixture of affliction and sorrow.
I immediately realized that he was feeling guilty about what had happened.
Fuck, I shouldn't have barked at him like a dog.
I held him in my arms and said, "Lucian. You know what I mean. I've been an asshole to you these days because there are just too many things going on at the same time. Those fucking ambassadors are driving me crazy. Listen, I don't like this any better than you do. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Shit happens all the time in our lives and all we can do is deal with it. That she-wolf made her point in front of everyone. She's mine and she has her unconditional loyalty to me. Let's give her another hour, she'll stand up and fucking dance with me again. And that fucking gigolo has learned his lessons. He wanted to provoke me by messing up with my woman, no the fucking joke is on him."
Lucian looked at me and said, "Luke, she's just a girl."
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I started to get the feeling that this whole conversation was heading south.
"She's such a genuine, innocent, kind, and smart girl, Luke. She's supposed to live her own ordinary life, a happy life, with a husband, children, and everything. But now, she's been through too much pain and difficulties in her life because of us. I really doubt the righteousness of our decision to get her involved in our plan in the first place," Lucian said.
I rubbed my forehead and said, "Lucian, what you need to know is that we didn't force her to stay. I offered my fucking rejection to her the other day and she didn't take it. It's her choice to stay with us."
"But that's because she loves you and she expects you to love her back," Lucian said. "She didn't know what we were going to do with her."
I held both of Lucian's shoulders and said, "Listen to me, brother. I don't fucking like this conversation and I don't want to hear any of your doubts and sympathy on this fucking she-wolf. I don't give a fuck about what she is going through and what she's about to go through. She's born to be my mate for a fucking reason and if I need her to sacrifice for me, that's her fucking destiny. Now. Are you fucking with me on this one or not?"
"I'm with you, Luke, as always," Lucian looked away and said.
I shook his shoulders and said, "Look at me, brother. Tell me that you'll stay with me. Tell me that you'll never leave me."
Lucian looked at me and said, "I will stay with you and I will never leave you, Luke."
"Good. That's very good. That's exactly what I want to hear from you." I said and let him go.
"Now." I turned back and saw Zackery and Zabel walking out of the building with their soldiers, "Let's fucking get into business."