Chapter 20
Lucian’s POV
“Alpha Lucian,” Stasia greeted me with warmth and respect, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“You know you can just call me Lucian,” I said, and she smiled back, opening the door
wider for me to enter. I handed her the flowers, and she placed them in a vase with care.
Watching her, I felt a tug of familiarity, comfort, even a tinge of sentimentality. Stasia was my first, though she didn’t know it.
After the reports about Scarlett’s so–called lifestyle, I’d sought out Stasia and had never truly left her side since. I could have claimed her by now, but something had always held
me back, something that told me to wait.
While the three of us–Clay, Maxwell, and I–were open to sharing a mate, it was clear
early on that Stasia wouldn’t be that person. We’d tried once, and Clay and Maxwell
regretted it immediately, feeling nothing more than a platonic loyalty toward her.
Their lack of interest hadn’t stopped me from keeping her close; maybe it was my disdain for Scarlett’s bloodline, or maybe it was the simplicity and reliability Stasia brought into my life.
I had taken comfort in her arms when the bond with Scarlett had started eating away at me, even though my friends had since stopped sharing her. Now, with Scarlett between us I feared it would drive a rift between us that would only grow.
“Have you rejected her?” Stasia asked directly, her voice laced with a mixture of hope and anxiety. She moved closer, her dress subtly revealing her cleavage and legs, clearly trying to ignite something between us, but my body remained unresponsive. I knew why, even though I hated it.
“No,” I admitted, and her face fell, her eyes filling with unshed tears.
“Why?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly. I let out a long sigh, bracing myself,
“We need the magic, Stasia,” I explained, hoping she’d understand. But her face crumpled; and she began to cry, the sound tearing through the quiet of the room.
1/3
5:14 pm
Chapter 20
“What will happen to me?” she sobbed, each word raw and vulnerable.
“That’s why I came here,” I said, struggling to find the words that would reassure her, though they felt hollow even to me. Rejection wasn’t simple or painless, and I hadn’t fully reconciled with how much Stasia would be affected by it.
As her tears fell, I could see the realization dawning in her eyes, the same realization that had haunted me: that Scarlett, unwanted and complicated as she was, still held something over me, and nothing I said could make that truth disappear.
“I intend to claim her along with the others, take the magic, and leave her for you,” I told Stasia, my voice steady. She looked at me, her expression shifting from shock to tentative
relief.
“What?” she whispered, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.
“Yes, Stasia. I’ll claim the magic, and then I’ll be done with her. Move in with me,” I added, hoping this plan would put her mind at ease. “The others might eventually see things my way and leave her too, but I can’t guarantee that.” She nodded slowly, wiping her tears, and then a determined look crossed her face.
“If I come, I want to stay in your room. I want her to hear us,” Stasia said, her tone firm. I understood the desire, the need to assert her place in my life. It was a way to show Scarlett exactly how it felt to be replaced. Part of me relished the thought of her feeling that same sting of betrayal.
“As long as you’re prepared for the rumors and how people will talk about my behavior, I’m fine with it,” I replied. She smiled, a bit of her confidence returning.
“Have you eaten?” she asked, her voice softening.
I nodded, though I could see she wanted to do more than simply chat. “Let me take care of you then,” she said, moving closer, but I found myself backing away. The truth was, my body just wasn’t responding the way it used to, and I didn’t want her to notice.
“I’ve got work to do,” I said, offering a quick kiss before leaving. Her face fell slightly, but I couldn’t linger, not when my head was tangled with thoughts of what lay ahead.
Returning to the apartment, I found Scarlett sprawled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with an empty bottle of vodka on the floor beside her. From her soft, slightly uneven
2/3
Chapter 20
breathing, it was clear she was drunk and completely passed out. I sighed, feeling a
strange mix of frustration and something I couldn’t quite name.
Gently, I adjusted her on the couch so she wouldn’t roll off, picking up the bottle and tossing it in the trash. She looked peaceful, oddly vulnerable, and without thinking, I slid
her socks back on to keep her feet warm. My fingers brushed her skin, and a surge of
desire hit me, raw and undeniable. I forced myself to pull away, but it was a struggle. Knowing she’d been with others was enough to make me fight back the urge, reminding
myself why I needed to stay distant.
I left her there, retreating to my room, trying to ignore the gnawing pull I felt toward her
Chapter Comments
Tanya Gordon
I think Lucian will start giving into the pull.
View 1 Comment >
POST COMMENT
4
← SHARE
3/3
