Chapter 163

[ 1,054 words ]

Lucien’s pov:

Somehow, we ended up lying on a blanket in the garden, looking up at the night sky.

Arabella was beside me with one arm tucked beneath her head. Her broken flip-flops had been abandoned near the edge of the blanket, and the breeze occasionally moved the strands of hair around her face.

She looked beautiful lying there, especially when she wasn’t arguing with anyone or getting herself into trouble. There was something almost angelic about her face when she was this quiet.

The thought made me smile. There was nothing angelic about the woman lying beside me. Not after everything she had managed to do in one night.

Arabella must have felt me staring because she turned her head. Her eyes immediately narrowed when she noticed my smile. “What are you thinking about?”

I looked back at the sky before she could read too much from my face. “I was thinking about the lizard, the dragons, and everything else that has happened since you came back.” I paused, then glanced at her again. “Mostly, I’m wondering what else you’re capable of.”

She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on one elbow. “So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

I turned my head toward her. “That leaving you unsupervised was clearly a mistake.”

Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

I barely managed to keep a straight face. “I left you alone for three years, and somehow you came back more troublesome than before. In the next three years, you might destroy this kingdom.”

She shoved my shoulder. “Idiot.” I caught her hand before she could pull it back and kissed it. She tried to tug it free once, but I held on and rolled onto my side to face her. The teasing look on her face faded a little when I moved closer.

“You should be nicer to me,” I murmured. “I’m taking a considerable risk lying this close to you.”

Her lips curved. “Then move away, mister.”

“Not a chance.” Before she could come up with another smart answer, I leaned over and kissed her lips.

Her lips were warm and soft beneath mine, and for a few seconds, I forgot that I had only meant to tease her. I pulled away before the kiss could become anything more and rolled onto my back again.

Arabella remained quiet for a moment, then she nudged my side with her index finger. “You can’t just kiss me in the middle of an argument and pretend you won.”

I folded an arm behind my head and looked at her. “Why not? It worked.” The look she gave me made my smile widen.

“You’re impossible,” she muttered as she settled back beside me.

The garden grew quiet after that. I didn’t know what got into Arabella because after a few seconds, she moved closer until her head rested against my chest. I wrapped an arm around her without thinking much about it. I kept looking at the sky while my fingers moved lazily through the ends of her hair.

A few minutes later, I heard a faint sound. I frowned and looked down. She was snoring.

I almost laughed.

After everything she had dropped on me tonight…dragons, her wolf, someone poisoning her… Arabella had somehow fallen asleep as if she hadn’t just given me enough reasons to keep the entire palace awake.

I stayed still and watched her.

Her face was relaxed against my chest, and her lips were slightly parted as she slept. Looking at her like this brought back memories I had spent three years trying not to think about.

The way she used to look at me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention. The way her presence had started becoming familiar before I even realized it was happening. And then she had disappeared.

For three years, I had wondered where she was, what she was doing, and whether I would ever see her again. Now she was sleeping in my arms as though those three years had never happened.

My eyes dropped to her face again. My smile faded when I remembered the poison.

Careful not to disturb her, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I found Bradley’s number and called him. He answered after several rings.

“What?” His voice was heavy with sleep.

“Bradley, by tomorrow morning, I want a new chef brought into the palace and a separate kitchen set up solely for Arabella.”

The other end of the line went quiet, then I heard him shift. “For Goddess’ sake, Lucien. Do you know what time it is?”

“This is important, Beta.” Something in my voice must have reached him because he stopped complaining.

I looked down at Arabella again before lowering my voice. “From tomorrow morning onward, everything she eats or drinks will come from that kitchen. The chef answers directly to you, and no one else gets access to her food.”

Bradley was quiet for another second. When he spoke again, there was no sleepiness left in his voice. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain in the morning.” I tightened my arm slightly around her. “For now, just make sure it’s done.”

“Alright.” Bradley finally agreed, but before he could hang up, I stopped him. “One more thing. Not a word about this to anyone. Keep this between us. I don’t want anyone knowing about the separate kitchen until I figure out who’s been messing with her food.”

There was a brief pause before Bradley answered. “Understood. But don’t expect to keep it a secret for long. Everyone will notice that she’s getting special treatment from you. A separate chef and an entire kitchen just for her? People are going to ask questions, Lucien.”

“I don’t care if they know.” I said curtly, “Just make sure no one gets another chance to harm her.”

I ended the call and looked down at the woman curled up against my chest. I knew Arabella wouldn’t like being told what she could or couldn’t eat. She would probably argue with me the moment she found out.

But I needed her safe. I needed her wolf to get stronger and come back to her.

Until I knew who was behind this, I wasn’t taking any chances. Whoever wanted to harm Arabella would have to get past me first.

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