Chapter 72: The Truth About That Night

Lucian’s POV

​Annabel stared at me. For several seconds, she didn’t say anything. "What?" she finally asked.

​"You heard me," I replied, stepping further into the room. "Tomorrow, we’re exchanging vows and completing the marriage rites."

​She pushed the blanket away and climbed out of bed, her fear instantly giving way to anger. "No, Alpha Lucian."

​My expression hardened slightly. "No?"

​"No," she repeated, standing across from me. "We are not having a wedding tomorrow."

​I took a few steps toward her, stopping when only a small distance remained between us. "Why? You are already my wife according to the treaty. I simply want us to perform the proper rites."

​"Because there is no reason to!" she argued, holding her ground. "We’re already married according to the treaty. Let’s leave it that way."

​"That doesn’t answer my question."

​Annabel let out a breath and folded her arms. "Fine. We don’t even like each other, Lucian. Why would we stand before the Moon Goddess and make vows we don’t mean?"

​Something about how easily she said it irritated me.

​She continued before I could answer. "This arrangement doesn’t have to last forever. One day, you might meet your mate, or maybe you’ll find someone you actually want to marry. When that happens, we can end this agreement and you can marry her. It will be easier this way."

​I stared at her. Apparently, everyone had decided tonight was the perfect night to discuss the end of my marriage—first my parents, then Lucas, and now my own wife.

​I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer and keeping my voice low as I stared into her eyes. "Is that what you want, Annabel? Are you already planning to leave this marriage?"

​Annabel pulled against my hold, her eyes flashing. "Yes! If I could end this marriage right now, I would!"

​"Never," I growled, my voice dark and low as my jaw tightened and my hold on her reinforced. "You’re not leaving."

​"Alpha Lucian! You can’t force me to stay married to you forever!"

​"Watch me," I spat.

​Before she could argue further, I pulled her against my chest and brought my lips down onto hers. Annabel immediately shoved against my chest with all her strength and broke the kiss.

​"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, panting heavily.

​I stared down at her, breathing hard. Then I reached for her again, pulled her against me, and kissed her. For a moment, she froze, but then her hands gripped the front of my shirt and she kissed me back with the same anger I could still feel burning between us. The kiss was rough and heated, neither of us willing to be the first to pull away.

​Then Annabel suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing. She tore her mouth away from mine and shoved me back.

​Before I could say a word, her palm struck my cheek.

​The sharp slap echoed through the room. I slowly turned my face back toward her, stunned into silence.

​"What do you take me for?" she demanded, breathing hard as she stared straight into my eyes. "A slut?"

​My expression immediately hardened. "A slut?" I repeated. "You’re my wife."

​Annabel gave a bitter scoff. "Your wife?" she repeated. "Is that what I was the morning after you slept with me? Because you left me alone in that bed, then sat across from me at breakfast and told me what happened between us was normal because we were married."

​I went silent, guilt choking me.

​"You disappeared for four days after that, Lucian," she continued, her voice shaking with anger. "You acted like that night meant absolutely nothing to you. And now you suddenly appear in my bedroom, tell me we’re having a wedding tomorrow, and kiss me whenever you feel like it?"

​Her eyes were beginning to tear up, but she didn’t look away.

​"Do you even know what you did to me, Lucian?" she asked, and the anger in her voice finally cracked.

​I froze. There was something about the way she said those words that made every trace of anger inside me disappear. For the first time since this argument started, I stopped thinking about what I wanted and actually looked at her.

​Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother wiping them away this time. "That was only the second time I’d ever had sex," she continued quietly. "And honestly, it felt like my first. The first time it happened, I wasn’t completely myself. Everything from that night is unclear, and there are parts I can barely remember."

​My stomach tightened. What the hell did she mean by that? Had she been drunk? Drugged? Had someone taken advantage of her while she wasn’t fully aware of what was happening? The thought of someone touching her when she wasn’t completely aware of what was happening sent a sudden rush of anger through me, but I forced it down. A hundred questions filled my head, but looking at her face, I knew this wasn’t the time to demand answers.

​"So what happened between us..." Her voice broke slightly. "That was my first real experience, Lucian. The first time I was completely there. The first time I knew exactly what I was doing and actually chose it."

​Fuck. Guilt hit me harder than her slap had.

​"And to you, it was nothing," she whispered. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, but more tears immediately replaced them. "You made me feel worthless!" she snapped. "And even if it meant nothing to you, couldn’t you have pretended for one morning? Couldn’t you have stayed until I woke up? Couldn’t you have acted like it meant something instead of sitting across from me at breakfast and telling me that married people have sex and it’s normal?"

​I couldn’t answer. Every word she said made the guilt inside me worse because there was nothing I could say that would change what I had done.

​Annabel quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks again and looked away from me. "Alpha Lucian, please leave."

​She turned toward the bed, but I couldn’t let her walk away believing that. Before she could take another step, I reached out and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, pulling her back against my chest from behind. I buried my face in the curve of her neck, inhaling her scent as her entire body went rigid against mine.