Lucas' POV
"OK," I replied, "What shall I do?"
My wolf said, "You're going to take up those clothes on the bed and walk very slowly to her. And you'll stop in her vicinity, not too far, not too close, to give her some space. Then, you'll stand there and smile at her and ask if she minds getting dressed and going on a hunting trip with you."
"I don't do smile." I scratched my head.
"It's not that hard, try to relax. Let the muscles on your face relax a bit," he said.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and tried to pull a smiling face.
"How do I look?" I asked my wolf.
"You look like a serial killer on the run who has just killed an innocent girl."
"How's that a bad thing?" I frowned.
"OK, move to her and stop snarling at the mirror. You've already scared the shit out of her now." My wolf sighed and said.
I buckled up my pants and grabbed the clothes from the bed.
Then, I started to approach the she-wolf, very slowly, very quietly...
Like all the top predators do when they try to approach their prey.
She looked at me in absolute horror and drew back.
"Don't come closer," she said in a terrified voice. Her big eyes were full of fear and detestation.
"OK, enough. Now you're just being creepy. You've scared her again," my wolf said.
"Hey, I did exactly the same thing you asked me to do!" I protest.
My wolf said, "Alright, let's try it again. Stop right here and looked into her eyes with affection."
"Affect... Fuck, what doe that word even mean?"
"You love wines, right?" my wolf asked.
"Yeah."
"Imagine you're looking at a bottle of fine wine. The curve of the bottle. The mellow tanning taste that lingers on the tips of your tongue," he said.
I tried very hard to imagine this bony little girl in a bottle of wine, but I don't see the resemblance at all.
"What do you want from me?! Go away!" the she-wolf covered her head with her hands.
My wolf commented, "OK, fine. You're looking greedy and horny. She's scared again. What a disaster. You know what? Why don't you start drinking? I don't mind you killing Lucian accidentally while hunting. I'm just saying."
OK. I'm done with this. I'm so fed up with a fucking voice telling me what to do.
I walked straight at the little she-wolf and pulled her up from the bed.
The blanket dropped on the bed and she was completely naked in front of me.
"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" She protested.
I held her tightly in my arms like a doll, lowered my head, and stared at her.
I said as softly as I could, "I'm going on a hunting trip. I need you to come with me. If you're good and stay out of trouble, I'll bring the fucking warlock back and I'll stop torturing him. Later today, I'll buy you a lot of overpriced jewelry in the fucking auction, so you can dance with me beautifully at tonight's Grand Ball."
Louisa's POV
I looked at Lucas.
I couldn't see Finn in his eyes, but he did sound a bit different.
But I just couldn't believe a man who had just declared to kill me.
Maybe he wanted to kill me during the hunting trip.
But if he could stop torturing Darren, even for one minute, I still would like to take my chance.
"I don't want your jewelry, but I can go on hunting with you. You need to stop the imprint right now and... I need you to put me down," I struggled and said.
Lucas put me back on the bed.
I took up the clothes in his hands and put them up.
The dark purple suede hunting suit fit perfectly on me.
I looked at my shattered image in the broken mirror. The pants made my legs look longer and enhance my waistline. I tied my long blond hair up and put on a soft woolen beret. I looked a bit boyish but slim and sleek.
Lucas said on the edge of the bed and looked at me.
The look in his eyes was misleading.
I didn't think he was appreciating my new look, but at least I didn't see any hatred, either.
"I have already stopped the imprint. Later, I'll bring you to the cottage to pick that warlock up," he said.
"I want to go pick him up first and then go on hunting," I said.
I couldn't wait to see Darren. I didn't want Vincent, Will, and Colt to worry about me.
Lucas stood up and grabbed me from behind.
"I am the one who arranges our itinerary. All you have to do is tag along." He looked at our reflection in the mirror, adjusted my beret hat, and continued, "A lot of girls are dying for this opportunity to come hunting with me, but you'll be the one who rides with me."
"I can ride my own horse," I said.
Lucas smirked and said, "Last time I chained you up to a pole and you managed to run away from me with another wolf. Do you think I'll put you on a horse so that you can run away from me again?"
"I don't want to ride with you..." I lowered my head and whispered.
"Why?" He lifted my chin and asked.
I frowned and said, "Because other girls will be jealous of me, and when you're away, they will hurt me..."
He lowered his head and drew himself closer to me.
"How about this?" he said. "You ride with me today and I'll take you with me everywhere I go, so no one will have any opportunities to hurt you."
I felt fluttered by his sudden expression of tenderness.
I saw in the mirror that I was blushing like a glowing tomato.
It wasn't fair.
I couldn't deal with the tenderness coming from Lucas. When his voice became softened and mellow, his eyes laid on me, entangling with my hair, lingering on my skin. I had his full attention and it almost felt like there weren't any other girls in the world.
I was almost about to nod, but I knew I couldn't let him have his way.
He could talk his sweet talk and pretend to be a gentle lover, but it wouldn't change the fact that he didn't respect me.
It certainly wouldn't change the concrete fact that he wanted to kill me.
I bit my lips and eventually said, "If you don't want me to ride my own horse, I'll ride with Lucian. And I need to see Darren as soon as possible. I have put my foot down and I have no intention of negotiating with you."