Lycan King's Regret: Punished The Wrong Daughter

Arabella Toussaint:

On our way back, I still found myself smiling whenever Vanessa’s shocked face popped into my head. Maybe I had gone a little too far with that threat, but nah, she deserved it.

Alpha Chris had offered us snacks before we left, but Lucien declined before I could even decide if I wanted anything. And now I was starving.

I leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes. Once we reached the palace, I would ask someone to send a light sandwich to my room. That should be enough. My thoughts slowly went back to what had happened today.

The strange sparks. My father and Vikki being unable to move. And then somehow, with one touch, I had released them. Something was definitely happening to me, and there was only one person I trusted to help me figure it out.

Maya.

I needed to talk to her.

My eyes flew open when the car suddenly came to a stop. I looked sideways and found Lucien already watching me. "What?"

Instead of answering, he nodded toward something outside. I followed his gaze and found a small diner. It wasn’t very crowded at this hour, with only a few cars parked outside.

I looked back at him questioningly. Lucien shrugged. "I thought you must be hungry." Before I could say anything, he was already out of the car.

I watched him walk around the front and come to my side. A second later, my door opened, and he held out his hand. I really didn’t feel like moving. My whole body was tired, and the seat had become far too comfortable.

Still, ignoring his outstretched hand somehow felt rude. I placed my hand in his and tried to get out when something pulled me back.

I looked down at my seat belt and sighed. I immediately reached for it, but Lucien was faster. My hand bumped into his. "I’ve got it." He muttered, bending toward me.

His face was suddenly so close to mine... way too close.

His arm reached across my body for the buckle, and I caught his familiar scent. Why was my heart suddenly beating like this? With his Lycan hearing, I was sure he could easily hear it. I forced my eyes down, but that only made me notice how close his chest was.

Bad idea. I looked up again, and man. Lucien wasn’t looking at the buckle anymore. His golden eyes were on me. For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

Heat slowly climbed into my cheeks, and I realized I was holding his hand. Had he always looked at me like that?

Click. The seat belt came free, but Lucien remained there for another second. His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes, and my breath caught. Then, just as suddenly, he straightened and stepped back.

The cold air rushed into the space where he had been, and I blinked. Lucien held my hand as if absolutely nothing had happened and waited for me to get out.

We are here to eat. I tried to remind myself. I stepped out of the car, hoping the night was dark enough to hide my stupidly warm face.

***

The diner was small but cozy, and for some reason, it immediately made me think of YaRa Café. I wondered what everyone was doing right now.

Toby was probably complaining about something while Talia must have asked him to shut up. And Maya...

Standing there, I sighed. I really needed to call her.

Being away from the café for only a few days shouldn’t have felt this strange. For three years, that place had been my home. I knew which table wobbled, which coffee machine needed an extra kick in the morning, and exactly how loud the lunch rush would get. I missed it.

I missed my friends.

A yawn started creeping up on me, and I quickly pressed my lips together, trying to swallow it. Too late.

Lucien did notice.

"Eat something." He pulled out a chair for me. "You can’t go to sleep on an empty stomach." I nodded and sat down. "I was planning to order a sandwich after reaching the palace."

"I know."

My eyes lifted to him as I curved my lips down. "How would you know?"

He casually picked up his phone and started scrolling. "I saw your face when I refused the snacks."

Oh, shit! Had he noticed that? Before I could think much about it, a waitress approached our table with two menus. Her eyes were completely fixed on Lucien.

"Good evening." She placed my menu down without even looking at me. "Can I get you something to drink?"

I glanced toward another waitress standing near the counter who was also staring at Lucien.

Lucien, meanwhile, seemed completely unaware of the attention he was getting. He was studying the menu like nothing else around him existed.

Did women stare at him so often that this was just normal for him?

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fries and juice. Lucien chose steak and coffee. Once the waitress left, I rested my elbows on the table and looked around.

The place was quieter than YaRa. And for some reason, my chest suddenly felt a little heavy. "When are we going back to the palace?" I asked.

"As soon as you’re done eating."

I nodded. For a while, neither of us said anything. Strangely, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. When our food arrived, I picked up my sandwich and took a huge bite. Goddess, I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until then.

Lucien glanced at me. "How is it?"

"Mm-hmm." I swallowed before speaking again. "Better than dungeon food."

Lucien paused with his coffee halfway to his mouth and gave me a long look. I innocently reached for a fry. Thank the Goddess he didn’t comment on that, and we ate quietly after that.

After everything that had happened today, my mind refused to stay quiet. I looked at him across the table. He was cutting into his steak, completely focused on his plate.

I reached for another fry, but my mind returned to the strange sparks from earlier. Whatever had happened at Blackthorn wasn’t normal. And somehow, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to stop there.

What I didn’t know was that the night wasn’t over with its surprises yet. Before morning, I was going to have a lot more to worry about than a few strange sparks.