Alina's POV I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I could taste copper, forcing myself not to curse after him. His tall frame cut through the noon haze, the sound of his boots fading into the muted thud of the training ground beyond. Every step he took away from me was a deliberate dismissal, a reminder that here, I was nothing more than a nuisance to be tolerated. My fingers twitched with the urge to fling some sharp insult at his back, but I knew he would only feed off it; he was the kind of man who thrived on provocation.Instead, I turned on my heel and walked toward my room, each step brisk, precise, like I was stomping down every curse that begged to claw its way out of my throat.Inside, I stripped out of my current clothes and pulled on the armor I had chosen for today, not metal or leather, but my own kind of shield. Loose dark pants that allowed movement yet swallowed my shape, and a black turtleneck that clung only enough to remind me of my body without revealing it. The f
Alina's POV The mall was nothing like the cozy but suffocating corridors of the packhouse. It rose in bright glass and metal, spilling light everywhere, buzzing with chatter and the faint hum of music from overhead speakers. The air smelled faintly of perfume, leather, and fried food. For once, I could breathe without feeling Lucian’s shadow somewhere nearby.I wasn’t here for luxury. I was here for the distance. A few hours without seeing him felt like oxygen after being underwater.Lily walked beside me, her eyes darting from storefront to storefront with a mix of curiosity and excitement. After a few minutes, she finally broke the silence.“Are you still mad at Alpha Lucian?” she asked softly, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. “Because of… what he did to me?”I didn’t even slow my pace. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, cutting off the thread before it could unravel into something messy.She hesitated, then said, “You shouldn’t be offended. Whatever happened… it wa
Alina's POV Something in my sleep shifted.A ripple in the still waters of my subconscious.It was faint at first, like the prickling awareness you get when the wind changes direction, but it grew sharper, threading unease through my dreams. My breathing slowed. My skin hummed with that uncanny sense of being watched.And then it hit me.That scent. Strong. Familiar. Impossible to mistake.Lucian.I didn’t need to see him to know it. It was the kind of scent that clung to your senses long after he’d gone; dark, grounding, with an edge of something that lingered too long in your chest.But he couldn’t be here. Could he?I stirred awake, pulse jumping, bracing myself to see him looming over me, maybe with that cold, undecipherable stare, maybe with the smirk he wore when he wanted to unsettle me.Except… there was no one.The room lay still. The duvet rose and fell with my breath. My eyes swept the shadows, scanning corners, the chair by the window, the dim outline of the desk. All em
Lucian's POV Steam curled from my skin as I stepped out of the shower, droplets clinging stubbornly to my hair before sliding down my neck. The scent of soap lingered in the air, faintly sweet and sharp, mixing with the damp heat of the room. I grabbed the towel from the rack, dragging it across my shoulders, my chest, and down my arms, feeling the warmth drain from my skin too quickly.By the time I pulled on loose sweatpants, the room was cooler, quieter, almost unnervingly so. I laid down on the bed, head sinking into the pillow, letting the darkness press in around me.Sleep didn’t come.I turned onto my side, then onto my back, then to the other side again. The sheets tangled around my legs like vines, restless and clinging. The ceiling above blurred in the shadows, but my mind refused to slow.And then, without meaning to, I imagined her.Alina.It was absurd and yet my mind painted her here, in this very room, her figure curled up on the other side of the bed, breathing slowly
Lucian’s POV She twisted in my grip, trying to wrench her arm free, her shoulders snapping against me like a snake striking quick, sharp, and ultimately useless against my hold.“Let go of me, Lucian!” she barked, the sound biting like frost on bare skin.I looked down at her, my brows pulling together, not in irritation at her stubbornness, but at the ridiculous, gnawing itch in my senses, the urge to lean in, to breathe in that maddening scent clinging to her hair. It was richer tonight, warmer, like dark honey melting in smoke. She thrashed harder, giving every ounce of her strength, but she was only a match trying to burn down a mountain.She stopped, chest rising fast, and hissed through clenched teeth, “Let. Me. Go.”I smirked, hating that I couldn’t see her face from this angle, couldn’t watch it flush with that delicious blend of fury and frustration I’d grown addicted to.“What’s with your attitude all the damn time?” I said, my voice low, controlled. “Stop acting so capric
Alina’s POV Lily’s breaths came in soft, uneven puffs, her thin frame trembling beneath the heavy wool blanket. Her small room smelled faintly of dried herbs and firewood, but it wasn’t enough to chase away the cold clinging to her skin. She lay curled on the small bed as though trying to make herself smaller than the pain in her body.I sat beside her, rubbing warmth into her chilled hands. Her skin felt like it had been carved from the very ice Lucian had made her kneel on.“Lily,” I murmured, my voice barely above the crackle of the fire, “I’m sorry you had to go through punishing because of me.”Her lashes fluttered, and she shook her head weakly. “No, Luna, I’m fine.”I gave her a look, soft but pointed, the kind meant to peel away lies without a single word.She sighed, her lips quirking into the faintest smile. “I’m fine, Alina.”I didn’t believe her. The words were paper-thin, collapsing under the weight of the truth.Turning toward the fireplace, I stoked it higher, feeding