Chapter 70: End The Marriage

Lucian’s POV

​I hadn’t expected that. My eyes moved between them as I tried to figure out where this was going. "What about it?" I asked.

​"The war ended six months ago," my father said calmly. "Your marriage to Kenneth’s daughter was part of the agreement that brought peace between the Full Moon and Blood Moon Packs. At the time, it was necessary. Both sides needed something strong enough to prevent another attack."

​"I know why I married her, Dad," I replied.

​"I know you do," he said. "But six months have passed. Both packs are rebuilding, trade has resumed, and neither side has broken the treaty. There are other ways to make sure that peace continues. Your marriage doesn’t have to remain one of them forever."

​I stared at him for several seconds before turning toward my mother. She was watching me carefully, and suddenly, I had a very good idea of where this conversation was going. "You want me to end my marriage," I said with a frown.

​Neither of them answered, but they didn’t need to. Their silence told me everything.

​A humorless laugh escaped me as I leaned back against the couch. "You called me all the way here for this?" I asked.

​"We called you because it’s important," my mother replied.

​"Important to whom?" I questioned.

​"To you," she answered without hesitation. "Whether you want to admit it or not."

​My jaw tightened. I wasn’t sure I liked where this conversation was heading, but apparently, I wasn’t leaving until they said whatever they had called me here to say. "I’m listening," I told her.

​"You never wanted this marriage, Lucian," my mother continued. "Annabel didn’t choose it either. You married her because of a war neither of you could undo. You hated her before you even met her because of who her father was."

​"Hated," I repeated quietly.

​My mother went silent, and so did my father. It took me less than a second to realize my mistake.

​My mother tilted her head slightly. "Past tense?" she asked.

​Fuck. Of course she would notice that.

​"I know what I said," I replied coldly.

​"I’m sure you do," my mother said, and the look in her eyes told me she had already noticed far more than I wanted her to.

​"Darling," my father warned quietly.

​My mother glanced at him before returning her attention to me. "You didn’t marry Annabel because you wanted a wife," she continued. "You married Kenneth’s daughter because you wanted to punish her for what her father had done."

​"And I did," I replied with a frown.

​It was a lie. I had planned to punish her. Hell, before Annabel arrived, I had spent weeks telling myself exactly what I would do once Kenneth’s precious daughter was under my roof. I would make her regret ever stepping into my territory. I would make sure she understood exactly what her father had taken from my family and what his actions had cost mine.

​But then she arrived, and somehow, none of the things I had planned ever happened. I had been cold to her, kept my distance, and made it clear that I never wanted the marriage, but I had never truly punished her the way I had intended to. Somewhere along the way, without even realizing when it happened, I had stopped looking at her and seeing Kenneth’s daughter. I had started seeing Annabel.

​My father’s expression hardened slightly. "For how long, Lucian?" he asked. "How long do you intend to keep punishing a woman for crimes you know aren’t hers?"

​I studied him carefully. "What exactly are you suggesting?" I asked.

​"That the treaty can be changed," my father answered. "The marriage agreement can be removed while the rest remains in place. Kenneth can be made to agree to terms that guarantee peace without requiring you and Annabel to spend the rest of your lives together."

​I couldn’t explain why those words irritated me. Perhaps it was because they were discussing my marriage as if ending it were nothing more than removing a line from a document. Then again, wasn’t that exactly what I had once believed it was? A treaty. An agreement. Nothing more. Apparently, hearing someone else describe it that way was far more irritating than it should have been.

​"And what happens if Kenneth refuses?" I asked.

​"He won’t," my father answered, his expression barely changing.

​There was a quiet certainty in his voice that reminded me exactly who I was speaking to. My father might no longer carry the title of Alpha King, but years away from the throne hadn’t made him any less dangerous when the situation demanded it.

​I turned my attention back to my mother. "Is that your only reason?" I asked.

​"No," she replied.

​Of course it wasn’t.

​My mother finally reached for my father’s hand, and his fingers immediately closed around hers. It was the first time either of them had touched since I arrived.

​"I don’t think this marriage is good for either of you," she explained. "There is too much anger surrounding it. Too much pain. Too much blood between your families."

​"Annabel had nothing to do with the war," I replied immediately.

​The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and silence filled the room. My mother’s eyes remained fixed on mine while my father slowly leaned back against the couch. I clenched my jaw when I realized how quickly I had defended her.

​Fuck. Apparently, tonight was going to be a long night.

​"We know that," my father finally said.

​"Do you?" I challenged.

​"Yes," my mother replied. "I don’t blame Annabel for her father’s crimes, Lucian. She didn’t shoot Lillian. She didn’t order Blood Moon warriors into battle. She didn’t start the war."

​"Then why are we talking about her like she’s responsible for any of it?" I asked.

​"We aren’t," my mother replied.

​"It sounds like you are," I pointed out.

​My mother’s expression softened. "Understanding that Annabel is innocent doesn’t erase what happened six months ago," she said gently. "Your sister is still unconscious because of Kenneth. Six months later, and we still don’t know when she’ll open her eyes. You can separate Annabel from her father now, and I’m glad you can. But can you promise me that what happened will never come between the two of you?"

​I didn’t answer. How could I? Six months ago, I had held my little sister in my arms while her blood covered my hands. I could still remember how light her body had felt and the fear that she would die before I could get her to safety. Those memories didn’t disappear simply because I had started seeing Kenneth’s daughter differently.

​My father was the one who finally broke the silence. "There’s something else," he said.

​"What?" I asked, looking at him.

​"You’re getting attached to her," my father answered, holding my gaze.

​My expression hardened immediately. "I’m not," I said flatly.

​My mother raised an eyebrow. "You can lie to yourself if you want, Lucian, but don’t lie to us," she said.

​"I’m not lying," I replied firmly.

​"You protect her," my mother pointed out.

​"She’s my wife. Of course she’s under my protection," I replied.

​"You worry about her," she continued.

​"She’s living under my roof. What exactly do you expect me to do, ignore her?" I asked.

​"You left everything and teleported hundreds of miles because you heard she was in danger," my mother reminded me.

​My jaw tightened. How the hell had they even heard about that already? "There was a fire," I replied. "My wife was trapped inside it. What exactly was I supposed to do, leave her there?"

​"And there were hundreds of other people at that festival," my mother replied. "But I doubt any of them were the reason you teleported home."

​I stared at her, and she stared right back without looking away. Apparently, I had forgotten how irritatingly observant my mother could be.

​"You’re imagining things," I said flatly.

​"Am I?" she challenged.

​"Yes," I answered without hesitation.

​"Then ending the marriage shouldn’t be difficult," my father said before my mother could continue.

​My eyes narrowed as I turned toward him. "Whether I end my marriage or not has nothing to do with whether I’m attached to her," I replied coldly.

​"Then what does it have to do with?" my father asked calmly.

​"The fact that it’s my marriage," I answered, holding his gaze. "And I’ll decide what happens to it."

​My father didn’t look away. "And we’re telling you to think carefully before you make that decision," he replied.

​For several seconds, neither of us said anything. My father might no longer be Alpha King, but he had never been a man I could intimidate with a look, and I wasn’t foolish enough to try. Still, he knew me well enough to understand that I wasn’t going to end my marriage simply because someone told me it would be better for me.

​My mother squeezed my father’s hand before looking back at me. "Your father and I know what it means to choose someone, Lucian," she said. "We chose each other. We’ve fought, made mistakes, hurt each other, forgiven each other, and somehow we’re still here."

​My father lifted her hand and pressed a brief kiss against her fingers. I nearly rolled my eyes. Apparently, the serious mood hadn’t completely cured them.

​"Don’t start," my mother warned when she noticed my expression.

​"I didn’t say anything," I replied.

​"You didn’t have to," she said.

​My father almost smiled, but it disappeared quickly as my mother’s expression became serious again.

​"This is what we want for you," she continued. "Not necessarily what your father and I have, because I’m not sure the world could survive another relationship like ours."

​"What’s that supposed to mean?" my father asked, turning to look at her.

​My mother ignored him and kept her attention on me. "I mean a marriage you actually choose," she explained. "A woman you choose because you want her beside you, not because two packs needed a way to stop killing each other."

​I remained silent, unsure why the thought of choosing another woman bothered me as much as it did.

​"You deserve that," my father added. "And so does Annabel."

​Something uncomfortable settled in my chest at his words. For the first time since the conversation began, I didn’t have an immediate answer.

​My father held my gaze, his expression becoming completely serious.

​"As the head of this family, I’ve made my decision," he said firmly. "We are annulling this marriage, Lucian."