Louisa's POV
"Damn, what the f..."
I heard the exclamation of the soldiers.
The carriage stopped, and the door was opened again.
"What happened?" a soldier asked.
He took out his knife and pointed it at me in a panic.
I stared at them and didn't say anything.
Three soldiers came forward and took me out of the carriage.
They took me into a tent and disappeared.
After a few minutes, Lucian appeared at the entrance of the tent.
He was followed by several soldiers holding barrels of hot water and clothes.
I held up my knees and moved to the corner of the room.
"You're creating so many problems for me, she-wolf." He said as the soldiers poured the hot water into a bath.
"He tried to rape me. He created a problem and I solved it," I said.
Lucian walked to me and bent over.
He got too close to me, but I had nowhere to run.
"Something about you is different, little she-wolf. I guess Alpha's decision to let you wander around in the forest for a while really works out," he said.
I should have known it. I knew I wouldn't have been able to run away from them. It was his evil scheme. To give me some hope and take it away from me. That's what he had done to please his twisted sadistic mind.
"Now, let me take a closer look at you," he said and drew himself towards me.
I tried to push him away from me, but it was in vain.
"Take off your clothes," he said.
I bit my lips and lowered my head.
"Do you need my help?" he asked.
"Beta Lucian, please don't..." I whispered.
He waved his hands, so all soldiers walked off the tent.
Then, he pulled me up by my arms and peeled off my clothes.
I struggled violently.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" I tried to push him away.
He lifted me up, lowered his head, and said, "Listen, this isn't my job and I'm not enjoying this any better than you, but we're running out of maids recently. Please don't make my job complicated. I don't want to touch or hurt you. I just need you to get into the bath and clean yourself up. Alpha is coming and when he sees you drenched in blood, he will get very excited."
The way he held me reminded me of the day he took me away from my father's mansion.
I was lost in my thoughts. I knew he worked for Lucas all the time and he must have done numerous terrible things, but I couldn't believe a Prince Charming with such broad shoulders and firm arms would do anything evil.
Why did I have some unrealistic expectations of him? To wish that he could help me, or at least do something less cruel? Why couldn't I see his real heartless face underneath his graceful mask of royalty?
"What?" He must have detected something from my facial expression, which was why he looked at me with his sapphire eyes and asked softly.
The tenderness in his icy gaze made me feel hot and cold at the same time, especially when I realized that I wasn't wearing anything.
I bit my lips in grievance and turned my head away.
"You look like a good guy, but you help him to do very bad things. That makes you ten times worse than that big bad wolf," I whispered.
He put me into the hot, steamy bath gently and sat next to the bath, sprinkling water over my head absent-mindedly.
"I've known him for many years. He isn't a big bad wolf. He's just very sad and mad," he said.
Lucian did everything effortlessly and in a nonchalant way. He was so mysterious. I had never seen anyone more polarized and paradoxical than he was. It seemed that he was born a polite, pure, and graceful man, which were all the qualities of a prince. But the thing was, he had a spirit of tolerance and toughness at the same time, which was probably why he was able to stay by Lucas' side for so many years. I wished I could be more like him.
I submerged my head underneath the surface of the water.
My skin was burning and my face must have looked like a tomato. I didn't want him to see that.
I scrubbed and rubbed my hair and face. When I couldn't hold my breath anymore, I popped up from the water again.
He was still there, looking at me in contemplation.
He obviously had no intention of going away.
"Are you going to stay here until he comes?" I asked in a bubbled voice because half of my mouth was still in the water.
"Do you want me to?" he asked gently.
I had secretly wished he could stay with me because, in this camp, he was the only one that was powerful enough to protect me and wouldn't hurt me.
I didn't know how he knew about what was on my mind, though.
"Is he going to kill me?" I asked.
"He can't kill you," Lucian said.
"But eventually he will," I bit my lips. "As soon as he knows my name, he will kill me."
"My advice to you. Stay away from troubles, because whenever you feel distressed or painful, he will feel it as well. He doesn't like feeling distressed or painful. When he gets upset, innocent people get killed."
"Innocent? I guess everyone is guilty in his eyes because being weak is a sin and killing them is the last mercy he granted them."
"You talk like someone else, she-wolf."
"Beta Lucian, there must be some mistakes, because Finn's my mate. Not Alpha Lucas."
"How are you so sure about it?"
"Because I mated with him in the woods the other day. The way he touched and kissed me, I knew it was him..."
"A werewolf can only have one mate," Lucian said.
I looked at him with surprise.
"What are you trying to say?" I licked my chapped lips.
He didn't say anything and stood up.
At the same time, I heard the sound of steps coming from outside.
"It was him in the woods the other night, she-wolf," Lucian said.
Then, he walked off the tent, leaving me petrified in the bath.
"Alpha, she's ready now." I heard Lucian's voice.
I turned back and held the edge of the bath.
There he was, walking into the tent with minimum waste and maximum joy.
Alpha Lucas of the White Walkers.
My mate.
My destiny.
My death.