Louisa's POV
"So what do you want me to do, Lucian? Do you want me to pretend that he isn't a ruthless killer and fall in love with him? To turn a blind eye and pretend that I don't see that he's sleeping with other women? To get used to being assaulted, threatened, chained, raped, tortured, and abused? Is that what you want me to do? Is that the salvation that he needs?" I couldn't hold it anymore and finally let it all out.
Lucian looked at me and said, "He needs you to take up the responsibility of being his mate and love him unconditionally. I have given him all my love and devotion, but I can't save him, Lisa. He's weathering in front of me, but I can't help him. Then you showed up and you have brought us hope. But it turned out that there's nothing on your mind except killing him. Please, Lisa. Give him another chance and try harder this time. I'll encourage him to be on his best behavior. Try to look at him without judgment and bias. He does bad things. Yes, he does. But he only does it to get back at those people who have hurt him. He is troubled and tortured deep down in his heart. Only your love can redeem him."
"But what about me?! What about what I want?! I don't want to be his attachment and follow him everywhere..."
Lucian sighed and said, "You aren't supposed to be his attachment. You're his mate, his Luna, and his better half. You might never be able to change him, but you can make a difference."
He turned back and pointed at the soldiers behind us.
"Take a look at them," he said.
I turned my head and saw those soldiers marching forward with strength and vigor.
Lucian raised his hand. They halted at once.
When Lucian slightly moved his hand, they continued to march forward.
"Do you see it?" Lucian lowered his head and looked at me. "A hundred soldiers move as one. That's unity. That's power. When you have absolute power, you can destroy mountains, alter the path of a river, conquer a city or ruin a nation. You will become invincible, so whenever you go, people follow. There's something larger than life, something more majestic and fascinating than fighting against your own fate. When you get hold of it, you'll find peace. By that time and by that time only, you'll be set free."
Lucian's voice resembled the chanting of my nanny, the old Shaman in the Crimson Tribe. I used to get lost in her chanting, picturing the countless adventurous voyages our ancestors used to take. I knew the name of the Kings like the back of my hands. At the same time, I couldn't help but ask why there never was a Queen.
At that time, the old Shaman looked at me, with tears in her eyes and trembling lips.
"All Kings were made by their Lunas. That's why there never was a Queen."
"But why didn't those women make themselves Queen?" I asked.
I remembered her answer -
"Yes, why didn't they?"
My blood was boiling when I recalled that scene. My whole body couldn't stop shivering.
In tremor, I heard Uma's voice in my mind again.
"Before your mother passed away, she told me that you were born to someone's Luna."
"We can't change our destiny. No matter how hard we fight against our fate, we can't change a thing."
I got lost in my memory and was pulled back to reality by Lucian's voice.
"Are you cold? Why are you trembling?"
"No. I guess I'm just too... overwhelmed," I replied. "Thank you for talking to me today. I guess I know what I'm supposed to do now. Could you please bring me to Lucas?"
Lucian said, "OK... But you have to promise me that you won't stab him with the thing that's in your pocket or anything."
"I promise," I said.
Lucian patted the back of the horse and picked up the pace to get next to Lucas.
"What?" Lucas frowned.
"She wants to ride with you," Lucian said.
"What?!" Lucas looked at me with surprise.
"She won't stab you and she won't bite," Lucian said.
Lucas thought for a while. Then, he stretched out his arms and pulled me into his arms dubiously.
Lucian rode off. When I looked up at Lucas, I saw the familiar kind smile on his face.
It seemed that Finn had temporarily taken over.
"Lisa, you're trembling. Are you scared? Sick?" He kissed my hair and whispered next to my ear.
His hands were all over me as if he was striking a match.
"Could you please let Lucas hold me?" I turned my head and looked up at him.
"You want Lucas to hold you? With this pair of arms?" He lowered his head and frowned.
"Yes," I replied. I couldn't think of anyone holding others with anything other than their arms, though.
He looked a bit confused for a while.
Then, his hands were frozen. His eyes became icy cold again. I knew Lucas was back.
He stared at me and said, "I don't want to fucking hold you. You're not supposed to fucking ask me to do anything."
"Why don't you give it a try? It's not that difficult. Wrap your arms around me just like this." I demonstrated to him with my hands by wrapping an invisible body in the air.
"Fuck. My life was so good before you showed up." Lucas looked up at the sky and sighed.
Then, he pulled his cape forward and wrapped it around me before pulling me against his chest.
I felt happy that I finally managed to force him to do something that he really didn't want to do.
At the same time, I couldn't help but press my cheek against his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
It was steady at first, but then, it started to accelerate.
I took a deep breath in his arms.
He smelt like a mixture of leather, grass, and wood. It reminded me of the day when I was out hunting, I saw a buck rubbing its neck against the bark of a pine tree.
I remembered his muscular body, marvelous horns, and the scent of muscularity in the air.
Feeling dozed, I took another deep breath.
"Are you sniffing me, you creepy little thing?" Lucas asked with annoyance.
I looked up at him and my forehead touched his lips.
My face started to get burnt by his glare. I lowered my head and buried my face under the cape.
Then, I felt it.
He took off my beret hat and pressed lips gently against my hair.
It was so itchy, but I had nowhere to hide. I was stuck between his giant body and the edge of the saddle.
I became so embarrassed. So I shook my head and said, "Don't do that. It's so itchy."
"What? You can fucking sniff me but I can't sniff you back?" His deep voice was just next to my ear.
His breath was tickling my earlobes.
I melted. My whole body changed into a puddle of mud.
"Look at me, you fucking little nymph," he commanded.
"I need a minute," I buried my head deeper in the cape.
"I'm going to kiss you and I don't do waiting." He lifted my chin and looked me in the eyes.
His dark ocean blue eyes were filled with passionate fire.
At the same time, I felt overwhelmed with waves of happiness and...
For the first time in my life, I felt complete.
It felt like I was a wheel of cheese that finally found its missing wedge.
My heart missed a beat when he lowered his head and approached me.
I dodged and shifted, trying to push him away, turning my head from side to side, but he kept staring at me and approaching. His giant hands were steady, holding me fast.
Finally, I stopped struggling and submitted to him.
My heart skipped a bit when he pressed his lips on mine.
I felt I was hit by a lightning or something.
I must have been hypnotized. I thought to myself.
"That's called love." I heard my wolf's voice in my mind.