Chapter 16: She’s Hiding Something

Lucian’s POV

​I stared at my mother for several seconds, trying to make sense of what she had just said.

​"What are you talking about, Mother?"

​"You heard me." Her voice was quiet, but the serious look on her face told me she meant every word. "Send Princess Annabel back to the Blood Moon Pack."

​A sharp, bitter scoff escaped my lips. Yesterday, my mother had stared at Annabel as though she had seen a ghost. She had called her her before quickly claiming she had mistaken her for someone else. Now, less than a day later, she wanted me to send Annabel away.

​Something was wrong. Very wrong.

​"You want me to send Annabel back?"

​"Yes."

​"Why?"

​She hesitated. There it was.

​"Mother."

​She reached out to touch my arm, her eyes pleading. "Lucian, you trust me, don’t you?"

​I looked down at her hand before meeting her eyes again. "That depends on what you’re about to say."

​"I am your mother."

​"I am aware."

​Her lips pressed together. "Then trust me. Just trust me and send her back. You cannot be with that woman."

​A sharp, humorless scoff escaped my lips as I pulled back slightly. "Be with her? Mother, I didn’t plan to be with her. She isn’t here to be my cherished bride. She is here for punishment. She is paying for the blood her pack spilled."

​"You don’t get it!" my mother snapped softly, her usual composure cracking for a split second as her eyes darted toward the empty corridor. "Just send her back!"

​"Give me a good reason, Mother," I growled, my jaw clenching as my Alpha aura flared. "There is something you know that you are not telling me. I saw the way you looked at Annabel yesterday. The moment you saw her unconscious, you froze. You said, It’s her. Then you suddenly claimed you had mistaken her for someone else. Something is fishy, and I am not a fool."

​"It was a mistake," she pleaded, her hands trembling against her dress. "Lucian, please, just trust me."

​"No," I cut her off sharply. "And now you’re asking whether I’ve touched her before telling me to send her away. Something is going on, Mother, and you’re not telling me what it is."

​Her face tightened. "I’m trying to protect you."

​"From what? Annabel?"

​She didn’t answer. My patience was running thin.

​"What exactly am I supposed to be afraid of?"

​"It’s not that simple."

​"It sounds very simple to me. You want her gone. I want to know why."

​"Lucian, please." She lowered her voice. "For once, don’t ask questions. Just trust me and send her back."

​I stared at her. She really expected me to do that? Send Kenneth’s daughter back—the same woman I had vowed to make miserable—simply because my mother told me to trust her?

​No.

​I loved my mother, but I wasn’t a child anymore. I was the Alpha of this pack, and I didn’t make decisions blindly. If she wanted Annabel gone, she would have to give me a damn good reason.

​"You want me to send her away?" I asked.

​"Yes."

​"Fine. Give me a reason. Tell me exactly what you know about Annabel, and I’ll consider sending her back today."

​She stared at me without speaking. I nodded slowly. Exactly what I expected.

​"Until then, she stays."

​"Lucian."

​"This conversation is over."

​I turned on my heel and walked away.

​"Son, please," she called out. I stopped but didn’t look back. "The longer she stays here, the more complicated this will become."

​My jaw tightened. "Then I suggest you tell me the truth before it does."

​I walked away. Enough had happened this morning. I had planned to run through the woods, clear my head, and start my day like I always did. Instead, I had found Annabel sleeping on a freezing floor, discovered that my own guards had ignored her, ordered a maid whipped and thrown off my pack territory, and now my mother was hiding something from me. Wonderful. And it wasn’t even breakfast yet.

​The air in the house was thick, suffocating, and irritating. Instead of going out to the woods for my run as I had originally planned, I changed my mind. I turned around and took the stairs straight up to my private quarters.

​By the time I reached my room, irritation was crawling beneath my skin. I pushed the heavy doors shut behind me and walked straight toward the bar cabinet near the window. I pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Six in the morning was early for whiskey. I didn’t care. I poured a heavy splash into a crystal glass and downed it in one long, burning gulp. The burn traveled down my throat, but it did nothing to quiet my thoughts.

​My mother knew something. I was certain of it. The question was what. And what the hell did it have to do with Annabel?

​I poured myself another drink but didn’t touch it. Instead, I stood there staring at the glass.

​It’s her.

​Those had been Mother’s exact words when she first saw Annabel. Who had she thought Annabel was? And why was she suddenly so desperate to keep us apart?

​I picked up the glass and emptied it with a heavy thud. There was definitely something up with my mother. There was a secret she was hiding, a dark truth she was keeping buried, and I was going to get to the bottom of it whether she wanted me to or not.

​I stripped off my sweatpants, took a quick shower, and dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, keeping up the image of the ruthless Alpha who controlled everything in his territory. Once I was ready, I headed downstairs to the dining hall for breakfast.

​The grand table was set. My older brother, Lucas, was already seated, cutting into his meal, and my mother sat at the head of the table, staring absently at her tea. Neither looked particularly happy to see me. Good. The feeling was mutual.

​"Morning, little brother," Lucas greeted, lifting his cup.

​I pulled out my chair at the head of the table. "Don’t start."

​He smiled. "Rough morning?"

​I ignored him. Breakfast was already laid across the table. Eggs, bread, meat, fruits, tea, and several other things I had no interest in. I reached for my coffee.

​That was when I noticed the empty chair. Annabel’s chair.