Jenderal Tiran Itu Suamiku

The first time Ariana met him, she decided he was the most arrogant man she had ever encountered.

The second time, she saved his life.

And by the third time, she would begin to understand that some mistakes did not look like mistakes until it was too late.

The coffee was still hot when Ariana walked out of the café.She had spent the better part of the afternoon listening to her mother’s complaints about her increasingly late nights, and the last thing she needed was another lecture waiting for her at home. For once, she wanted a quiet evening, a decent cup of coffee, and a little peace.Blackthorn, unfortunately, had other plans.

She was halfway through checking a message on her phone when the café door swung open behind her. At the same moment, a tall man stepped out of a black car parked directly in front of the entrance.Neither saw the other in time.The collision was immediate.

Ariana’s coffee tipped forward, spilling across the front of his immaculate black shirt. The cup slipped from her fingers and struck the pavement, splashing the remaining liquid across his shoes.

For one suspended second, neither of them moved. Then Ariana looked up. And up.

The man standing before her was extraordinarily tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed with the kind of precision that suggested he had never tolerated anything less than perfection. His black hair was brushed away from his forehead, revealing sharp cheekbones, a straight nose, and a jaw that looked permanently set against the world.His eyes were a startling shade of grey. They were fixed on the coffee spreading across his shirt. Ariana’s stomach sank.

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry.”

She reached instinctively for a napkin, but he caught her wrist before she could touch him.

“Don’t.”

The single word was quiet. That made it worse. Ariana looked at his hand around her wrist, then slowly raised her eyes to his face.

“I’m trying to help.”

“And I’m telling you not to touch me.”

He released her.

She took a breath, determined not to let his tone turn an accident into something worse.

“I didn’t see you coming out of the car. It was an accident, and I’ve apologised.”

His gaze moved from her face to the ruined shirt.

“Do you have any idea what this costs?”

Ariana stared at him.

“No, actually. I don’t make a habit of studying the price tags on strangers’ clothes.”

His expression hardened.

“You think this is amusing?”

“No. I think you’re making an unnecessarily large problem out of something that was clearly an accident.”

He took one step closer. Most people would have retreated. Ariana didn’t. Up close, he was even more intimidating. There was something unsettling about the stillness of his body, the controlled way he moved, and the absolute certainty in his expression. He looked like a man who rarely heard the word no—and never from someone he considered beneath him.

“You’ll pay for the shirt,” he said.

Ariana’s eyebrows rose.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

She glanced at the stain, then back at him.

“Fine. Give me the bill, and I’ll pay for the cleaning.”

“The cleaning?”

“Yes. Unless you’d prefer to burn the shirt and hold a funeral for it.”

His eyes narrowed.

For the first time, something dangerous flickered beneath his composure. Ariana knew she was pushing her luck. She could have softened her tone, apologised again, and left the encounter behind her. But something about the way he spoke to her made her unwilling to offer him another inch.

“I apologised,” she continued. “I offered to make it right. If you want something more than that, you’ll have to explain what, exactly, you expect me to do.”

He studied her for a long moment. Then his gaze dropped briefly to her mouth before returning to her eyes. It was a small movement, but she noticed it.

“I expect you to learn to watch where you’re going.”

Ariana’s face cooled.

“And I expect you to learn that not everyone who crosses your path is one of your employees.”

Silence settled between them.

Behind the man, the driver had stepped out of the car. He looked from the stained shirt to Ariana, then seemed to think better of whatever he had been about to say.

The stranger didn’t look away from her.

“What is your name?”

The question caught her off guard.

“Why?”

“Because I’d like to know the name of the person who has just ruined my afternoon.”

Ariana lifted her chin.

“Ariana.”

He repeated it, almost thoughtfully.

“Ariana.”

“And yours?”

For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer.

Then he said, “Lucien.”

He offered nothing more. Of course he didn’t. Ariana bent to retrieve her bag, which had fallen during the collision.

“Well, Lucien, I’m sorry about your shirt. I hope the rest of your afternoon improves.”

She turned to leave.

“Ariana.”

She stopped, though she couldn’t explain why. When she looked back, he was still standing beside the car, his stained shirt doing little to diminish the authority he carried so effortlessly.

“If we meet again,” he said, “try not to make such a memorable entrance.”

Ariana held his gaze.

“If we meet again, try not to stand in the path of someone carrying hot coffee.”

For a moment, neither spoke. Then she walked away. Lucien watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

His driver approached cautiously.

“Shall I have the shirt replaced, Alpha?”

Lucien looked down at the stain.

“No.”

The driver hesitated.

“Sir?”

Lucien’s eyes lifted towards the street where Ariana had disappeared.

“Find out who she is.”

“Is there a problem?”

Lucien’s expression turned cold.

“Did I ask you a question?”

“No, Alpha.”

The driver immediately returned to the car.

Lucien remained where he was, his jaw tightening as he recalled the look in Ariana’s eyes. She had been nervous when the coffee spilled, but she hadn’t remained intimidated. Even after realising how angry he was, she had refused to bend to his authority. It irritated him more than it should have.

He had met thousands of people over the course of his long life. He knew how to frighten them, how to command them, and how to make them look away. Yet a human woman with a cup of coffee had managed to leave him standing on a pavement, thinking about her. He despised the feeling. And he had no intention of seeing her again.

Unfortunately, fate had already begun to arrange their next encounter.

Three nights later, Ariana was driving home when her car began making a strange noise. She frowned and glanced at the dashboard.

“Please, not tonight.”

The engine sputtered before finally giving up a few minutes later. Ariana pulled onto the narrow roadside and tried restarting it. Nothing happened. She stared at the steering wheel. Of all the evenings for her car to develop a problem, it had chosen the one night she was already running late.

Her phone had only twelve per cent battery, and there was barely any traffic along the road. Beyond the headlights, the forest stretched into darkness, its towering trees forming a thick wall along either side.

Blackthorn was unsettling at night.

Ariana had grown up hearing stories about strange creatures roaming the woods, but she had always dismissed them as attempts to frighten children into staying indoors. Now, standing beside her useless car, she wasn’t feeling particularly brave. She opened the bonnet, stared at the engine for several seconds, and promptly realised she had no idea what she was looking at.

“Wonderful,” she muttered.

She was reaching for her phone when a sound came from the trees.

A low groan.

Ariana froze.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

She looked towards the road, hoping someone would pass, but the street remained empty. Then the sound came again. This time, it was unmistakably human. Against her better judgement, she switched on her phone’s torch and walked towards the trees.

“Is somebody there?”

A few steps beyond the roadside, she found a man leaning against a tree. Her heart nearly stopped. He wore a black shirt, now torn and stained with blood. One hand was pressed against his side, and his breathing was uneven. His head hung forward, but when her torchlight fell across his face, he slowly lifted it.

Grey eyes met hers.

Ariana recognised him immediately.

“Lucien?”

His expression changed.

“You.”

She stared at him.

“Are you following me?”

He looked almost offended.

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“You’re bleeding, and that’s the first thing you say to me?”

“Leave.”

Ariana lowered her torch, studying his condition. There was blood on his hands, his shirt, and the ground beneath him. Whatever had injured him had done considerable damage.

“What happened?”

“None of your concern.”

“Have you been attacked?”

His eyes flashed.

“I said leave.”

Ariana should have listened to him. Something about his appearance, the unnatural intensity of his gaze, and the sheer hostility in his voice warned her that she was dealing with a man she didn’t understand. But she couldn’t walk away from someone who might die without help.

“Can you stand?”

“I don’t need your help.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

Lucien pushed himself away from the tree. For a moment, he managed to stand straight, but his knees weakened almost immediately. Ariana caught his arm before he fell.

His entire body stiffened.

“Let go of me.”

“Stop fighting me!”

She tightened her grip, trying to support his weight.

“I’m not leaving you here. There’s an old cabin nearby. You can sit down while I figure out what to do.”

His gaze moved to her face. For the first time since she had found him, he seemed to be studying her rather than dismissing her.

“Why?”

The question caught her off guard.

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

Ariana stared at him.

“Because you’re injured.”

“That isn’t a reason.”

“It is to me.”

For a moment, something unreadable crossed his face. Then the familiar coldness returned.

“You’re making a mistake.”

“Perhaps. But you’re still coming with me.”

The cabin belonged to Ariana’s family. It stood on a neglected piece of land at the edge of the forest, where her grandparents had once stored old furniture and household belongings. It hadn’t been used properly in years. Ariana helped Lucien inside and settled him on the old sofa. Dust rose around them, and the wooden floor creaked beneath their feet. She found a first-aid box in a cupboard and returned to his side.

“Let me see.”

Lucien glanced at the box.

“You’re not a doctor.”

“And you’re not in a position to be selective about your medical assistance.”

His mouth tightened, but he eventually moved his hand away from his side. Ariana drew in a sharp breath. The wound was deep, surrounded by bruised skin. Several other injuries crossed his shoulder and upper arm, and none looked as though they had been caused by an ordinary accident.

“What did this to you?”

“Something dangerous.”

“That’s helpful.”

“It’s the only answer you’re getting.”

She cleaned the wounds as carefully as she could, trying not to show how much the sight of the blood unsettled her. Lucien watched her. He was accustomed to people fearing him. Even among those who served him, few dared to question his decisions. Yet Ariana sat beside him, treating him with a mixture of concern and irritation, as though his survival were an inconvenience she had unwillingly accepted.

“You should have left me,” he said quietly.

Ariana looked up.

“Would you have preferred that?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m glad I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

For the first time, Lucien had no immediate response.

She finished dressing his wounds and sat back.

“You need a hospital.”

“No.”

“Lucien, those injuries are serious.”

“They’ll heal.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

His gaze held hers.

“Because they always do.”

Ariana frowned, but before she could question him further, headlights swept across the cabin windows. A vehicle stopped outside. Lucien’s expression changed instantly. He pushed himself upright despite the pain. A man entered moments later, dressed in dark clothing. The moment he saw Lucien, relief crossed his face.

“Alpha. We’ve been searching for you.”

Ariana went still.

“Alpha?”

The newcomer glanced at her, then immediately lowered his eyes.

“Your car is ready, sir.”

Lucien stood, looking considerably more composed than he had moments earlier. He turned towards Ariana.

“You’re coming with me.”

She stared at him.

“I’m sorry?”

“You helped me. I’ll make sure you get home safely.”

“I can get home by myself.”

“Your car is broken down in the middle of nowhere.”

Ariana opened her mouth, then closed it again. She hated that he had a point.

“Fine,” she said. “But I expect an explanation eventually.”

Lucien walked towards the door.

“Don’t expect too much.”

The drive took them deeper into the forest before the trees finally parted. An enormous iron gate stood ahead, flanked by stone pillars. Beyond it lay a sprawling estate, its grounds illuminated by discreet lights. At the centre stood a magnificent mansion built from dark stone, with tall windows, sweeping staircases, and an imposing entrance. Smaller buildings stood farther back, while several men patrolled the grounds.

Ariana stared through the window.

“Who lives here?”

Lucien glanced at her.

“I do.”

The gates opened. As the vehicle passed through, two men approached and bowed their heads.

“Alpha.”

Ariana slowly turned towards Lucien. The title was no longer a coincidence. Something about the way everyone deferred to him made her uneasy.

“What exactly are you?”

Lucien’s gaze settled on her. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he leaned back in his seat.

“Someone you would be wise to stay away from.”

Ariana looked at the enormous mansion, then at the man beside her. She had the sudden, uncomfortable feeling that she had wandered into something far beyond her understanding. And Lucien, watching her from the shadows of the car, knew the same thing. She had no idea what he was. She had no idea what hunted the forest. And she had no idea that the blood running through her veins carried a secret that creatures like him had spent centuries trying to find. For now, Ariana knew only one thing.

The arrogant stranger from the café had become the most mysterious man she had ever met. And she had a terrible feeling that this would not be their last encounter.