Chapter 11: Chapter 11: A mate between enemies

Lucian’s POV

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

She thrashed, her elbows digging into my ribs, but the resistance only made me pull her closer. I buried my face in the crook of her neck. Her scent hit me—a thick, narcotic sweetness that drowned out the smell of the pine and damp earth around us.

"Don’t you feel it too?" I whispered against her skin. She froze, her chest heaving once before her breath hitched and stayed trapped in her throat. "Don’t you hear my wolf calling for yours?"

For a heartbeat, she leaned into me, her head resting over the steady thrum of my heart. Then, the silence shattered.

"You fucking bastard!"

A hand shoved between us, the force tearing her out of my arms. Before I could steady my feet, a fist slammed into my jaw. The world tilted. A sharp, metallic tang bloomed across my tongue, and I spat a glob of crimson into the dirt.

I looked up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Aiden stood there, his knuckles white and his face drained of color. The shock in his eyes mirrored my own, but it vanished instantly, replaced by a snarl that curled his upper lip.

"How dare you touch my Luna!"

I blinked, the confusion slowing my pulse. My gaze drifted to her—Alina. The name felt as right as her scent. She looked as stunned as I felt, her eyes darting between us.

"Your Luna?" My voice dropped, growing low and dangerous. "She is your Luna?"

"No," she snapped. Her voice trembled, but her eyes were sharp as flint as she locked onto him. "I am not his Luna."

Aiden went rigid. He stared at her as if she’d just struck him. "Alina..."

"Congratulations on the engagement," she said, cutting through his plea. Her voice wavered at the edges like splintering glass. She tried to force her lips into a smile, but the corners only twitched and fell flat. "I’m happy you’re finally with the one you love."

She spun on her heel, her hair whipping behind her. She didn’t get two steps before Aiden’s hand clamped around her wrist.

"Wait—"

"Let her go." The growl tore out of my chest, vibrating in the air between us.

Aiden glanced back, his eyes flashing with a cold light. "I still find it hard to believe a scarred rogue like you has the nerve to show his face here. What happened to our deal? You were never supposed to come back."

I didn’t back down. I took a step forward—slow, deliberate, my boots heavy on the dry leaves.

"I go wherever my mate is."

The word hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.

Mate.

Aiden blinked, his mouth falling open as if the word were a foreign language. His grip on her wrist went limp. "What? Your mate? Alina can’t be your mate," he stammered, his irritation turning into a frantic, high-pitched edge.

I didn’t bother answering him. I turned my gaze to Alina. I let a small smile reach my lips, searching her eyes for a spark of recognition, but her face remained a mask of stone.

"Is he really your mate?" Aiden’s voice cracked the silence. The smile I’d held for her vanished, my lips pulling into a hard line.

"I don’t know if he is or not." Alina kept her gaze locked on mine, her eyes searching. "I was already mated to someone once. Maybe the Moon Goddess gave me another chance, but what do I know? I don’t have a wolf to give me answers."

I went rigid. No wolf?

Then what the hell was my own wolf howling at? The beast inside me was pacing, clawing at my ribs to get to her.

"I’m sorry if you feel a bond, but I’m not interested in being anyone’s mate anymore," she said, her tone turning to ice. She spun around, her boots crunching on the leaves as she walked away.

My feet moved before I could think, my instincts screaming at me to follow. I didn’t get two steps before Aiden’s hand clamped around my wrist, jerking me back with a violent snap.

"Let go of me," I growled. The sound started deep in my chest, a low vibration that bared my teeth.

"I don’t care what you think you feel, or what your wolf wants," Aiden hissed. He squeezed my wrist until the bone groaned. "Alina is off-limits."

A dark, jagged laugh broke from my throat. "Who the hell are you to order me? I’m not part of your pack."

"I don’t give a fuck, Lucian," he snapped, his voice dropping into a cold, predatory range. "Stay away from her."

"I’m an outcast, Aiden. A scarred rogue who answers to no one." I ripped my arm free with a shove that sent him stumbling back. "You don’t tell me what to do. Not anymore."

I stepped into his space, looming over him. My vision began to tunnel, the edges turning dark as my wolf pushed toward the surface. "You should be grateful I haven’t killed anyone yet," I whispered, my voice sounding like grinding stone.

Aiden’s hand drifted to the silver blade tucked into his belt. "I’m warning you. If you don’t back off, I’ll forget you were ever like a brother to me."

"A brother?" I let out another sharp, dry laugh. "We were never anything."

He opened his mouth to retort, but a woman’s voice sliced through the tension.

"Aiden?"

We both turned. Emily stood there, her eyes widening as they landed on me. "Lucian?"

My gaze swept over her elaborate ceremonial outfit, the heavy silks and shimmering details. A slow, mocking half-smile crept onto my face.

"I guess you finally got what you wanted, Emily," I said. "It would be a shame if you didn’t, after all that effort you put in."

She flinched, her hand flying to her chest. "Aiden, why is he still here? I’m scared," she whispered, cutting me off.

I couldn’t help but scoff at the performance.

"I’m leaving," I said, looking back at Aiden. I leaned in one last time, my voice steady and iron-hard. "You can lie to yourself all you want.. but my wolf already chose her. And I don’t walk away from what’s mine"Aiden’s face contorted, his knuckles turning white as he bunched his hands into fists. I didn’t wait for his response. I smirked and walked into the shadows of the trees.

karma didn’t come for him. I did.