Chapter 58

[ 1,073 words ]

Lucien Volkov:

“How is she?” I didn’t turn around when I heard Lilith’s gentle voice and just nodded my head.

She was out of danger; her wounds had healed. The silver was not enough to kill her but only enough to make her suffer.

Lilith came to stand beside me, her eyes resting on Arabella’s sleeping form. For a long moment we stood there in silence, then at last I decided to speak.

“Why did she do it?” I asked quietly, “She didn’t tell me about… this fight.”

“Fight?” Lilith chuckled sarcastically, “Are you telling me that she allowed this attack?”

I, at last, removed my eyes from Arabella’s face and turned to look at Lilith, “When I left the palace, my heart wasn’t at ease. Zorro was restless. I felt something was wrong, and still I decided to leave her behind.”

“Seems like a suicide!” Lilith shrugged, shaking her head.

“What did you say?” I held her shoulders but Lilith didn’t back off.

“We both don’t know what is going on inside her head. But you need to make her trust you, silly. She might not be happy here.”

Arabella wasn’t happy? But why? Now she was living in my room, safe from all the abuse. Away from my family.

” This means you’ll take back your mark? ” The way she had excitedly asked me over dinner and then the hope in her hazel eyes died as soon as I said no.

“You still haven’t earned her trust, Lucien. Did you notice the sky this morning?” Lilith asked me, “Her injuries were meant to reach your eyes, Lucien. You need to do something, or she will slip off your grip.”

Slip off my grip? A chill ran down my back.

If the sun didn’t rise this morning, did that have something to do with Arabella?

Just like that night, a star had guided me straight to her.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt mate bond stir. My heartbeat picked up.

“She’s waking up,” I whispered and saw her fluttering eyelashes. After stepping closer, I gently brushed a loose strand of her hair away from her face. Then I leaned down and pressed a light kiss against her forehead.

“I’ll be back,” I turned to look at Lilith, “Can you stay with her?”

She nodded at me, “Sure. Where are you going?”

I gave her a faint smile, “Just need to settle a score.”

***

By the time I reached the training grounds, I had already made up my mind.

Mother and Aliya were standing there, and Jasmine was telling them something with suppressed excitement. When she finished speaking, they laughed. However, when they noticed me, their smiles disappeared.

Mother decided to walk towards me first, “Hey, son. Is everything alright?” She reached for my arm, but I stepped back before she could touch me. My eyes stayed on Jasmine’s face.

“Care to explain what happened this morning, Head Warrior?” I asked her in a clipped tone.

She blinked, trying to act nonchalant, “What do you mean… Your Highness?”

“I asked you first, Head Warrior. Or have you forgotten how I hate a question in answer to my question?”

For the first time, I saw the confidence in her eyes falter as she forced a smile, “This morning… nothing happened,” she said, looking at Aliya and then at my mother’s face, “I was asleep. You can ask Helena if you want and …”

Poor girl. She never got the chance to finish. I went to her in a flash as I gripped her throat. My eyes were blazing when I spoke, “Lie and be ready for my wrath,” I said silkily.

Suddenly the training ground fell silent as every warrior turned to look at us.

“Brother!” Aliya gasped and rushed forward, but Bradley stepped in front of us, blocking her way.

“Lucien! What are you doing?” My mother screamed.

Jasmine’s eyes were wide in shock. Both her hands wrapped around my wrist as she tried to pry my fingers away from her throat.

It was a failed attempt. She might be the head warrior, but I was the fucking king. I slowly lifted her and smiled when I saw her feet leaving the ground. She was kicking at the air, her face turning red as she struggled to breathe.

“Lucien, sweetheart. Stop! You’ll kill her!” My mother’s voice cracked as she tried to warn me. I didn’t even look at her. My gaze never left Jasmine.

“One last chance,” I hissed, “Tell me what happened and I might spare you.”

Poor girl. She tried to speak, but only a choked sound escaped her lips.

I didn’t let her go. Instead, I swung my arm and threw her across the training ground. Her body hit the ground hard and rolled over the dirt.

I saw her coughing badly, as one of her hands gripped her throat and she tried to push herself up. She had barely lifted her head and pushed herself on one knee when I was already in front of her again. I grabbed her by the throat and yanked her up.

“Lucien!” I heard my mother’s panicked voice again. Aliya also cried, trying to stop me. But neither of them mattered. All I could see was Arabella’s body covered in silver wounds.

Rage flooded every vein in my body as Zorro tried to come forward. I slammed Jasmine back into the ground. A cry escaped her lips.

I hauled her up again and threw her away as though she weighed nothing. She crashed into the dirt and lay there for a few seconds.

Blood had spread across her warrior uniform, but I didn’t care. What was she thinking when she tried to harm my mate? How dare she raise her hand on her?

I went to her and held her by her uniform shirt. I dragged her across the dirt and was about to slam her limp body into the ground once more when a weak voice cut through the chaos and the familiar scent of limes hit my nostrils.

“Stop!”

I went still and slowly looked over my shoulder. Jasmine was still hanging from my grip when my eyes landed on Arabella. She was still wearing her hospital gown and was leaning into Lilith.

What was she doing here?

She took a shaky step towards me; her breathing was uneven, “Put her down, Your Highness. Let her go,” she whispered.

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