Louisa's POV
I stood outside Lucas' tent and I was petrified.
I couldn't believe what I had just heard.
My father was still alive!
Lucas and Lucian wanted to bring him back and killed him!
Then, they would kill me!
I covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream out.
I didn't dare to make any sound.
Just when I was about to turn back and run away, I bumped into someone.
I looked up and saw it was Alpha Zackery and his attaché.
He was holding a pair of high heels in his hands. That looked quite usual for a Lycan.
He smiled at me and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, young lady. I saw you left them in the dining hall, so I wanted to give them back to you."
"Thank you..." I whispered and took those shoes in a panic.
Lucian walked out of the tent and saw me with Alpha Zackery.
"Lucian, it's been a long time since we met in person," Alpha Zackery smiled.
Lucian looked at him and replied with a reserved smile, "Alpha Zackery, Your Excellency, it's a pleasure to meet you again. May I ask under what capacity you're showing up at my tent?"
I could tell Lucian didn't like Alpha Zackery. There's nothing but distance and coldness in his eyes.
Alpha Zackery didn't seem to notice Lucian's indifference.
He said, "I'm escorting this young lady back to Alpha Lucas' tent. A southern gentleman never leaves such a lovely young lady alone and walks off a party."
Lucian pulled me to his side and replied, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your chivalrous deed. I guess I'll take it from here."
"Are you going on the hunting trip with us?" Alpha Zackery asked.
"Yes, Your Excellency, I'm obliged to do so," Lucian replied.
"You used to be a very good hunter. The best in our school, actually. I can't wait to see you hunting." Alpha Zackery said with admiration.
Lucian said, "I won't participate in hunting. I will be taking care of Alpha's hounds and fetching his catch. That's it. Now, if Your Excellency doesn't mind, I have other duties to perform."
Then, Lucian almost pulled me into the tent, where Alpha Lucas was standing in front of a broken mirror, putting on his cape.
There was a mess in the tent. It seemed that someone had just thrown a tantrum at this place.
"Come here, she-wolf." He said without looking at me.
I remained still. I didn't want to get anywhere closer to a man who had just declared to kill me.
"Do you want me to go there?" Lucas turned his head towards me and asked.
Lucian slightly pushed me forward.
Soldiers came in and out of the tent, cleaning up the mess.
Some of them brought some clothes to the bed and walked off quickly.
Before I knew it, there were only two of us remaining in the tent.
Everything was back to normal, except for that broken mirror.
Lucas grabbed my arm and pulled me in front of him. He turned me around and let me face the mirror.
I saw Lucas' shattered image in the shards of mirrors.
I saw my shattered face, written all over with fear.
He lowered his head to get closer to my neck.
The way he sniffed my hair made me gasp with fright.
"You've made me very mad, little she-wolf." He whispered next to my ear.
"Please let go of me..." I murmured.
The tension in the room was so thick that I could cut it with a knife.
Was he going to force me to have sex with him again?
I knew I was making love with Finn last night because the way he treated me was so gentle and patient.
Lucas used his teeth to gently bite my earlobe while stroking his cheek against my neck, which made me get goosebumps all over.
I didn't know what was in his twisted mind.
Had I done something wrong to cross him again?
Yes, of course. My existence was a mistake. Why did I even bother to ask myself a question like that?
His hands moved all the way from my loins towards my shoulders. Then, he peeled off my dress and made me stand in front of the mirror, completely naked.
When his hand slid across the branding mark on my chest, I shivered.
He straightened my back, lifted my chin, and forced me to look at our reflections in the mirror.
"We've still got some time before the hunting trip and I believe that we still have some unsolved issues," he said.
"Please let go of me. I don't want this..." I protested, but he grabbed my neck from behind.
"I could easily break your neck. This is the fastest way to kill a person. But that wouldn't be fair. You've caused too much trouble for me. A quick death would be too merciful for you. You have to suffer before I take your life away."
His creepy voice made me terrified, but I still managed to remain calm.
He wouldn't dare to kill me like this. He just wanted to frighten me.
Lucas picked up a shard of mirror and used it to cut across my chest.
Blood exuded from the wound. I bit my lips.
"I want to make you feel very, very painful, she-wolf. If only I could imprint you like the way I do to that fucking warlock. Your fucking vampire friend can't put him into sleep permanently. Eventually, he has to be woken and face his punishment."
"Stop hurting him," I said in a trembling voice.
Lucas lifted the mirror shard against my neck and said, "I'm hurting you, but you're begging for mercy for someone else. Why do you care so much about that fucking warlock? He has betrayed you. He wanted to kill you."
"I don't believe you. He's a gentle spirit and he's my friend. Say whatever you want, but I have faith in him..."
"You have to face the fucking reality, she-wolf!" Lucas threw the shard of mirror on the floor and let it be smashed into pieces.
I covered my face and said emotionally, "What if I don't want to face reality?! What if I want to be cheated by him?! The way he treated me, even if it was all made up, I still want it to be true! I have... I have never had a brother in my life and my father abandoned me! I wish I could be loved unconditionally by someone like him! His love for me... It's so precious that it has to be true!"
Lucas turned me to face him and looked down at me, "Only fucking cowards avoid facing the truth. That's why both you and fucking warlock are unbelievably pathetic."
I looked up into his eyes and said, "Really? Darren has been through everything and I could still see love and hope in his eyes. And when I look into your eyes, I..."
I stopped. I couldn't continue and turned my head away.
"What can you see, she-wolf?" Lucas lifted my chin and forced me to look at him again.
"What the fuck can you see?" He drew himself closer and asked even more desperately, shaking my shoulders. I was almost lifted in the air by him.
My body stopped trembling.
I looked into his eyes and replied, "I can see nothing but fear. You're afraid of me. And that's why you want to kill me. So, who's the coward here, Lucas?"