Chapter 5: One Mistake

AMAYA

The cold breeze brushed against my skin, making me sneeze violently.

Gosh, I’m freezing.

"Here, wear this," Lucien said, handing me his jacket.

My brows furrowed as I stared at him through the darkness.

"Take it. You need it more than I do."

I swallowed hard and reached for the jacket, slipping it on. It smelled like everything I had caught a whiff of earlier—smoke, alcohol, and his cologne.

This was so strange. He was wearing only a thin white arm-less shirt, yet he had given me his jacket.

"Let’s get going," he said, dropping his half-smoked cigarette and crushing it under his boot.

I quickly scrambled to my feet.

When he reached out to take my hand, my breath hitched and I jerked it behind my back. Why was he suddenly being nice to me? He shouldn’t forget what we were: enemies.

"We aren’t close, Lucien. Don’t push your luck," I said firmly.

He only chuckled, slipping his hands into his pockets.

The moonlight followed us as we walked back in silence. I just hoped Ronan wasn’t outside yet. He was definitely going to make a scene—especially if he saw me wearing Lucien’s jacket.

"Amaya!" A familiar voice called from down the street, as if summoned by my very thoughts.

My entire body froze. I quickly tore off Lucien’s jacket and thrust it back at him.

He chuckled softly. "What? Scared of what they’ll think?"

They? What was he talking about?

Before I could process his words, a large group of people rounded the corner. My heart stopped. It wasn’t just Ronan—almost the entire Moonfire squad from Blackthorn was here.

"What the hell?" Ronan yelled, charging straight toward Lucien.

"No, Brother, wait!" I threw myself between them, panting hard. "Please, Lucien didn’t harm me! He saved me!"

Everyone gasped, clearly unconvinced. It sounded absurd—how could an enemy save you? But that was exactly what had happened.

Lucien, however, just let out a dark chuckle. "Really? Why are you lying to your brother?"

The entire crowd went dead silent, exchanging confused glances.

I stared at him in utter disbelief. Ronan’s eyes were burning, his wolf rising dangerously close to the surface. My fists tightened at my sides. What the hell was wrong with Lucien? I knew he enjoyed getting under Ronan’s skin, but this was my reputation he was playing with.

"Lucien, what are you talking about? Nothing happened between us!" I blurted out, trying my best to keep my voice steady.

He shrugged carelessly. "I never said anything happened. You just didn't tell your brother what happened, or how careless he was."

Ronan’s fury vanished in an instant. He turned to me, his eyes frantically scanning my body. "What’s wrong, Amaya? What happened to you? Are you hurt?"

Lucien clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "You’re so unlucky to have him as an older brother," he said coldly, stepping past the crowd and leaving everyone speechless.

For the first time, his words seemed to hit Ronan differently. Not with anger, and not with his usual competitive pride—this time, it struck his responsibility as an Alpha and as my big brother.

I quickly took his hand. "Brother, it wasn't your fault. I was waiting in the car when I saw a group of guys harassing a girl, so I tried to help. I really didn’t know they would turn on me."

"Look at them. They’re rogues from the neighboring village," Luis’s voice cut in, causing the crowd to shift. He and a few of the other guys had quickly dragged them down and forced them onto their knees before Ronan.

"Alpha Ronan, we didn’t know she was your sister," one of the rogues pleaded desperately.

"And the girl who came to inform us—where is she?" Ronan demanded.

"She’s from the Nightblood Pack. She already headed home," one of Ronan’s teammates answered.

A small smile touched my lips. I had assumed she abandoned me, but she had actually run off to find help.

"Take them to the pack dungeon. I’ll deal with them later," Ronan ordered coldly. He pulled off his own heavy jacket, wrapped it around my shoulders, and guided me toward the car so we could head home.

On the drive back, Ronan couldn’t stop apologizing, consumed by guilt. But of course, he couldn't let the ride end without asking the one question I had been dreading.

"Did Lucien touch you inappropriately?"

The question made something shift deep inside me. My mind involuntarily drifted back to that dark alley—Lucien’s hand warm against my waist, his jacket draped over my freezing shoulders, the steady way he had shielded me from danger.

I forcefully shook the thought away. Why am I even thinking about this? That was just how playboys acted. I had seen him with enough girls at school to know he probably treated all of them the same way. There was no point in searching for a deeper meaning in his actions.

When we finally arrived home, the entire house was silent. Mother and Father were already asleep.

Ronan grabbed my hand and led me straight to his room.

"What’s wrong, Brother?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled a small velvet box from the top shelf. "Take this, Amaya. I’ve been wanting to give it to you."

My brows furrowed. "What do you want?"

I knew him too well—his sudden generosity, especially without a special occasion, always came with a motive.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. "Amaya, please don’t let Mother or Father find out about what happened tonight. I’ll be dead. Please."

Ah. Now it all makes sense.

Six years ago, shortly after Ronan got his wolf, he went for a run with his friends and left me behind. I had decided to wander up to the mountain by myself and ended up tumbling down into the valley. Father had been furious. He hit Ronan and warned him that if he ever failed to protect me again, there would be severe consequences. Ever since that day, Ronan had taken my safety with absolute seriousness, even forcing me into self-defense classes. He was terrified Father would hold him accountable again.

Honestly, though, I should have been the one hoping our parents never found out about tonight. Because if they ever discovered I had been alone in the dark with Lucien... I was the one who would be in real trouble.