Louisa's POV
"Louisa? Is that my real name?" I asked.
My wolf said, "Louisa Reeds from the Blade Ridge Pack. You take your mother's last name because your father denounced you when you were born."
I felt dizzy in my head. The overwhelming sunlight started to make me feel dazzled.
My world was turning upside down and I couldn't even sit up straight.
"Hold her. She's falling."
I heard the voice of Vincent.
A giant pair of hands grabbed me and lifted me up.
I saw Lucas' face flash in front of me. There was nothing but disgust on his motionless face.
"Get her some clothes and keep her warm. She's still adjusting to her new self," Vincent said. He pulled Lucas' cape to cover my head, so the sunlight didn't directly beam into my eyes.
"Lisa, I'm here," I heard Will's voice, "Please don't panic. I'm dressing you up. You're doing well. The bleeding has stopped and ... What are you doing?!"
As Will's voice started to get agitated, I felt that someone grabbed me at my waist.
I recognized the roughness in the grab.
"I'm taking her away." I hear Lucas' voice. "You two are fucking toxic. This fucking freak show ends now."
"She isn't leaving with you..." Will's voice was determined.
"Stop out of my way, kid, before I break your fucking back again," Lucas threatened.
"No!" Will shouted. "She stays with me!"
Lucas said, "Go away. Go find yourself another woman because this one is mine."
"No!" I felt like my arm was grabbed by a pair of tiny hands.
"Will, let go of her." I heard Vincent's voice.
"I won't let go of her, father! He's going to kill her! As soon as she leaves our sight, he's going to..."
Vincent explained patiently, "He can't kill her now. You've made her immortal. She's much stronger than before."
"No! I won't leave her!" Will's hands grabbed tightly on my arms.
"Let go of her! Little leech!" Lucas shouted.
A gentle breeze blew off the cape covering my head. I saw Lucian's handsome face emerge from the light. He looked concerned at me, trying to conceptualize what was happening.
I must have looked terrible. I tried to pull up the clothes on my chest.
"Finally, you're here!" Lucas said and shoved me at Lucian like a sack. "Thank you very much for showing up late! I can't handle this anymore. I'm allergic to fucking leeches. They made me paranoid."
Then, he walked off the scene as if he couldn't stand the stink of me.
Lucian held me in his arms, lowered his head, and looked closely at me.
"You've brought us too many troubles, Miss She-wolf," he said.
"I'm not the problem one. And you know that." I cleared my throat and said.
Lucian's sight dropped on Will.
"What's going on, little chap? Why are you crying like this?" Lucian asked.
"I'm not crying!" Will wiped the tears on his face and said, "Don't take her away from me!"
One of his hands was still holding my arm and the other one tried to push Lucian away from me.
Lucian grabbed his hand and lifted him up in the air like a little rabbit.
He still didn't want to let go of his hand.
"Don't hurt him!" I raised my voice. I felt a wave of nausea and started to retch.
Lucian patted my back and said, "Take it easy. Nobody's hurting anyone."
Will said, "It's normal to cough and retch. Your body is adjusting. You have to let it out."
At the same time, I felt that there was something stuck in my throat.
I curled up and started to retch violently.
In another wave of cough, something warm and bitter was coughed out of my mouth.
Then, I saw it, lying in a pool of dark paste blood.
The dimmed gleam of Alpha Zackery's ring.
I picked it up immediately. Then, I looked up and saw Lucian looking at me and Will in doubt.
He thought for a while and eventually decided to hold Will up in his arms as well.
It didn't take him any effort to hold both of us in his arms.
Will didn't protest. Instead, he swiftly wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled the cape around his head. He held me so tightly as if he was glued to my body.
I could sense that his body was burning like a little torch.
I immediately knew that the afternoon sun started to make him uncomfortable.
"Could we please go somewhere cooler?" I asked.
"Are you getting uncomfortable?" He frowned and asked, touching my forehead.
"No, it's not me. It's him." I pointed at Will.
Lucian sighed. The cold look in his eyes softened.
Holding both me and Will in his arms, he walked under a shade effortlessly.
Then, he lowered his head and asked in a gentle voice, "What's your name, little chap?"
"I'm not talking to you!" Will buried his head in my arms and said.
His body started to cool down.
Lucian explained patiently, "But if you want to come and stay with us, I have to know your name. I'm in charge of all the personnel on the Fire and Wind camp."
Will peeped through the gap of the cape and met Lucian's gaze.
He quickly closed the gap of the cape and hid his face underneath it.
"Are you Beta Lucian?" He asked in a snuffled voice.
"Yes, I am," Lucian replied. He pulled the cape to cover his limbs carefully.
What a thoughtful and gentle person he is! I thought to myself.
Will retracted his hands and legs like a small turtle. He was silent for a while and eventually said, "I'm Will."
"OK, Will. You can come along with us. Miss She-wolf might need your help to get adjusted to her new life. But you have to promise that you will stay with her all the time and you won't let anyone hurt her."
"Really?" Will poked his head out of the cape and asked. He looked terrified and excited at the same time.
"Yes. And your father can feel free to come with us as well," Lucian looked at Vincent and said.
Will turned his head to Vincent and looked at him with expectation.
"Can we go with them, Father? I want to stay with Lisa!" he begged.
Vincent narrowed his eyes and said, "I don't like werewolves, son. They have a very short temper and even a shorter life. Let's return to our castle and I'm sure Beta Lucian will take good care of Lisa."
Will covered his head with the cape again and said decisively, "No."
Vincent looked at Lucian and said, "Beta Lucian, you take after your mother's pretty look and your father's wicked charm. But now you're making a very dangerous offer, just like what they did in the past."
"Count Swans," Lucian said in a detached voice, "I appreciate your kind accomplishment and honest advice. My parents talked about you all the time when they were alive. They said you were a sensible, wise, and noble lord."
Vincent chuckled and said, "They only met me in daylight. That's why they only see the brighter side of me."
"They chose to see the brighter side of you, Count Swans," Lucian said and got on the horse, "Now, if you could excuse me, I have to bring Miss She-wolf to Alpha Zackery's carriage before he gets really disturbed and paranoid."
I lowered my head and saw Will hanging on me like a little sloth. I had to hold him tightly in my arms to make him sit in front of me on horseback.
"I will take care of your son and make sure no one breaks his back again. You're welcome to join us at the lake. But please make a less extravagant entrance. As far as I know, some of the Excellencies at the site will faint if they see bloody mist or flying nocturnal mammals."
Vincent smirked and said, "Ah, crispy vintage ancient blood. Dreadful like poison and tastes like chalk."
Then, he evaporated in a mist of blood.
Lucian lowered his head and looked at Will.
"Your father has terrible taste in jokes." He said while gently stroking his head.
"I'm not talking to you," Will said in a muffled voice.
"OK, he isn't talking. How about you, Miss She-wolf? I can tell you're very different now. I guess it must have something to do with the vampire boy in your arms and the ring in your hand. Tell me about what happened. I need all the details and it's very important that you tell me everything," he said.