Chapter 2

Lucas, who never went shopping, pulled me along to the marketplace. He said that the wedding dress I wore did not fit and that he needed to order a new one for me.

I knew it was just an excuse for him to see Nara, but I did not care in the slightest.

As we stepped into the plaza, a burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

In the center of the commotion, Nara held up an apple and placed it on her head. There was an arrow already stuck in it.

Several scar-faced warriors from the pack surrounded her, using her as live target practice while drinking.

Her face was pale, and her delicate frame trembled slightly. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but none fell as she held them back with stubborn pride.

The moment Lucas saw her, he pressed his lips together, and every trace of his smile vanished. Gossip about Nara drifted through the crowd.

"Nara's family went bankrupt. They couldn't afford to fund her world tour, so she came crawling back in shame."

"Can you believe it? She's selling things on the street for cash. She doesn't even care about her life anymore."

Someone noticed our entrance and, instead of holding back, raised their voice even louder.

"Nara, look! Lucas is here! If you want money, just go and beg him!"

"He loves you so much. Sleeping with him a few more times has to be better than being used as target practice."

Nara's eyes froze when she saw Lucas. Whether it was panic or humiliation, her tears finally spilled.

Lucas held a cigarette in one hand and wrapped the other arm around my shoulders. "Watch your mouths. If Elena gets upset, you lot are asking for a beating."

Everyone burst out laughing, loudly offering their apologies to me in a mocking mess of voices.

Seeing that Lucas did not seem to care, the archer tossed his bow aside and grabbed Nara, leaning in toward her neck. "You smell amazing! Nara, it seems like Lucas is done with you. My heart truly bleeds for you. But that works out just fine for me. I can take over. Just name your price and spend the night with me…"

At this moment, Lucas took a long, hard drag from his cigarette, his expression growing darker by the second.

Nara's pale face flushed red, and her tears fell harder. "No… Don't do this…"

"What do you want, then? This? Or this? Or this?"

The man's hands began to roam where they should not.

"Let me go!" Nara struggled, her eyes frantic as she looked at Lucas.

"My body and soul belong to one person only. No one else has the right to claim me! Even if he doesn't want me anymore, I'll never change my mind!"

There was a crack from Lucas' hand on my shoulder as the metal ornament on my gown was crushed in his grip.

The crowd fell silent.

Only the man who was still drunk on Nara's beauty failed to notice the change in the atmosphere. He held Nara even tighter and spat out the words, "Quit acting like some chaste saint. Everyone knows you'd do anything for money—"

Nara shook her head and sobbed out the words, "That's not true! It's not!"

As the situation spiraled out of control, someone stepped forward, trying to pull them apart. A sharp metallic ringing was produced the moment Lucas drew the sword at his waist.

"That's enough!" he shouted, his voice sharp like a wolf whose territory had been invaded. "Take your filthy hands off her. Touch her again! Try me."

The blade gleamed coldly in the air, its tip pointed directly at the man, ready to plunge at any moment.

This kind of scene would damage Lucas' image as the leader of the pack. I quickly reached out and gently pressed down on his hand, whispering for him to lower the sword.

However, Lucas suddenly turned, shook off my hand, and questioned in a low, furious voice, "Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

In the next second, Nara ran toward him while sobbing and threw her arms around him. "I knew it. I knew you'd never abandon me! Lucas, I've missed you. Every single day, I just wanted to come back to your side…"

Lucas hesitated only for a moment before he finally wrapped his arms around her.