Chapter 49: Why Me?

Olivia’s POV

​The heavy, ragged sound of Lucas’s breathing slowly began to change. His chest stopped heaving so violently, his clenched fists relaxed against the sheets, and his glowing gold eyes finally closed. Within minutes, the drug seemed to force his exhausted body into a deep, unconscious sleep right in the middle of my bed.

​I stood beside the mattress, holding my torn nightdress tightly around my chest and staring at him in complete disbelief. He was asleep. On my bed. Of course he was. Apparently, teleporting into his brother’s wife’s bedroom, nearly losing control of himself, and then passing out on her bed was a perfectly reasonable way for the Alpha King to spend his night.

​Panic surged through me all over again as my eyes darted to the clock on my nightstand. 1:15 AM. Then another terrifying thought hit me. Lucian. What if Lucian decided that right now was the perfect time to teleport into my room? My stomach dropped. Lucian had a habit of appearing out of nowhere whenever he felt like it. If he walked in right now and saw his brother sleeping on my bed while I stood beside him with my nightdress torn to shreds, no amount of explaining would save my life.

​I could already imagine what he would see. Lucas asleep on my bed. Me standing there half-dressed. My torn nightdress. Wonderful. We would both be dead before sunrise.

​Moving as quietly as possible, I grabbed my thickest robe, slipped my arms through the sleeves, and tied the belt tightly around my waist. Then, instead of getting back under the covers—because absolutely not—I walked over to the armchair in the corner of the room, pulled my knees up to my chest, and sat there staring at him. I couldn’t sleep. Not in a situation like this.

​I watched the subtle rise and fall of his chest. He really had been drugged. I had seen it in his eyes and in the way he had struggled against whatever was controlling him. But one question refused to leave me alone. Why me?

​Out of every place in this world, why on earth had he come to me? A man like Lucas, an Alpha King, wealthy, powerful, and ridiculously handsome, must have dozens of women interested in him. Surely there had to be someone in his life. A lover. A girlfriend. Someone. So why hadn’t his magic sent him to her? Why hadn’t he ended up in the bed of someone who actually belonged in his world?

​Unless...

​No. I immediately stopped that thought. I was absolutely not going down that road tonight.

​I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, but that maddening feeling crept back into my mind anyway. Familiarity. It was the same lingering sensation from the Forbidden Forest, the same strange pull that made my skin prickle whenever Lucas was close. It was like a memory trying to break through a thick wall of fog, whispering that I knew the press of his lips, the weight of his hands, and the scent of his skin long before I ever set foot in this mansion.

​Then there was Lucian. His kiss at the pool had felt strangely familiar too, and both brothers carried the exact same damn tattoo. Apparently, being confused about one brother wasn’t enough for my chaotic life. No. I needed two brothers, two familiar kisses, one royal family tattoo, and absolutely no useful memories to explain any of it. Perfect.

​I leaned my head back against the cushion, turning the puzzle over and over in my mind until my eyes eventually grew heavy.

​At around 3:00 AM, a soft movement from the bed snapped me awake. My eyes flew open to find Lucas slowly sitting up, his brow furrowed in confusion as he looked around the unfamiliar room. The golden glow in his eyes was completely gone, replaced by his usual sharp green gaze. Thank the Moon Goddess for small mercies.

​He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a few seconds, rubbing his temples with one hand while I remained completely still in the armchair.

​Eventually, his gaze found me in the dim light, and his brows pulled together. Then his eyes dropped to the robe wrapped tightly around my body.

​I watched the exact moment everything came rushing back to him. Lucas froze. His hand slowly dropped from his forehead, and he closed his eyes. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

​He slowly turned his head and met my eyes. For a long, painful moment, neither of us spoke.

​"I am so sorry," Lucas finally said. His voice was quiet and rough, but there was no mistaking the sincerity in it.

​I remained silent, watching him closely from across the room.

​"I was drugged," he added, his jaw tightening as though admitting it physically pained him.

​"You’re an Alpha King," I finally said, my voice flat. "How does an Alpha King get drugged?"

​He let out a harsh breath and looked down at his hands. "It’s complicated."

​Of course it was. Everything involving this family seemed to be complicated.

​"Are you going to tell me what happened?" I pressed.

​Lucas hesitated. "Not tonight."

​I stared at him for a moment before nodding once. Fine. It wasn’t as though I was short on mysteries in my life anyway.

​Without another word, he stood from the bed and adjusted his wrinkled suit jacket. I immediately stood too, keeping my distance as my hand instinctively tightened around the sash of my robe. Lucas noticed, and something shifted in his expression. Guilt. His gaze briefly dropped to my robe before immediately returning to my face.

​"I would never have done that if I had been myself," he said quietly.

​"I know."

​His green eyes searched mine for a moment. "Can we just..." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking strangely uncomfortable for a man who normally carried himself as though the entire world belonged to him. "Can we act like this never happened?"

​A wave of pure relief washed over me. "Yes," I said quickly, not needing even a second to think about it. "I would love that."

​He nodded once. "Good."

​"Very good." I nodded back.

​Another awkward silence filled the room. Lucas looked like he wanted to say something else, and his eyes remained on me for a second longer than necessary. For a moment, I thought he might change his mind and tell me what had happened. Instead, he stepped back.

​"Goodnight, Annabel."

​"Goodnight, Alpha Lucas."

​A faint crackle of magic filled the air, and in a flash of light, he vanished.

​The room fell silent again, and I stared at the empty space where he had been standing before rolling my eyes.

​"Unbelievable."

​Apparently, doors were merely decorations to these people.

​I walked over and threw myself back onto the mattress, but the moment my face hit the pillow, his scent surrounded me. Sandalwood and fresh mint lingered across my sheets, and before I could stop myself, I breathed it in.

​Damn it. Why did I love the way he smelled so much?

​I closed my eyes and breathed it in again before I could stop myself, only for my eyes to immediately open again. No. Absolutely not.

​"Olivia, stop," I whispered to myself.

​I already had far too many problems. I was pretending to be a dead princess, married to the enemy Alpha, trying to avoid Lucian’s growing suspicions, searching for my missing mother, wondering what had really happened to the real Annabel, dealing with Owen’s sudden disappearance, and trying to figure out whether Lucian, Lucas, or someone else in their family was the stranger from four years ago. I did not need to add being attracted to my fake husband’s brother to that list. My life was already overcrowded.

​I dragged my pillow to the far side of the bed, wrapped my arms around it, and squeezed my eyes shut. Sleep, Olivia. Just sleep.

​By the time morning finally came, sunlight was streaming through the curtains, and I woke to the soft sound of birds outside my window. For several peaceful seconds, I lay there without moving, enjoying that rare moment when my mind was completely blank.

​Then Lucas’s scent hit me. Sandalwood and mint still lingered on my pillow, and my eyes opened.

​Right. Last night had actually happened.

​"You’re finally awake."

​My entire body froze. That was a woman’s voice.

​I slowly turned my head toward the other side of the room, and my heart nearly stopped.

​Lady Rebecca was sitting on the couch, watching me.