He’s A Prisoner

Elena’s POV

I didn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his mouth against mine. It was ridiculous, worse than ridiculous. I had walked into the Lancaster house knowing exactly who he was.

A conqueror, and a dangerous murderer. The man who had destroyed my family. Yet somehow, the thing keeping me awake wasn’t the thought of what he had done. I was fucking fucked sideways. 

The memory of how he had kissed me kept replaying in my head. I should have slapped him across his face and run to exfoliate my mouth with soap!

There was a knock on the door, and I turned my head towards it.

“Mrs. Black?” 

I stared at the woman standing outside. It took me a second to realize she was talking to me. That name, regarding me, sounded so wrong to my very being. 

“Elena, please.” 

She smiled sheepishly, a flush on her cheeks. She was cute. 

"Oh, I can't call you that." She said, her voice raspy, not looking at me. I stretched my limbs and sat up, looking at the servant with rosy cheeks and short curly hair. 

“The Emperor Alpha wants you downstairs.” She informed me and rushed into the en-suite bathroom. I entered after her.

Thirty minutes later, I was showered and changed into new clothes, a simple tank top and skinny jeans. I didn't bother asking why there was a full walk in closet in the bedroom with beautiful clothes, shoes, and jewelry.

I followed Lucy through the house. My house, I reminded myself. That thought still felt strange. I couldn't help but stare, the paintings my father had collected were still hanging on the walls. My mother’s favorite vase was sitting on the console table. Everuthing was the same.

Clearly, the house was maintained and well taken care of. From what I know, he recently just started staying in here. Why hasn't he erased us yet? I didn’t know how to feel about that. 

We reached the main hall, the doors were open, and I heard voices being carried from outside the inner grounds. I stepped through the door and stopped.

There were Alphas everywhere. At least ten of them, dressed in dark suits, surrounded by Lucian’s warriors. They looked serious, as if they were in some sort of gang, like guards on duty, waiting. Waiting for their master.

Loretta came over to me.

“Morning, wife.” She said, trying to mimic Lucian's deep, low voice. I gave her a playful glare, and she laughed, her hand pressing against her mouth. 

“Sorry.”

Her eyes moved over me.

“Did you sleep?” She asked seriously. 

“No.”

“Neither did I.” We sighed and leaned our heads against each other. We were of the same height. 

The alphas who were muttering suddenly went silent. I knew why before I saw him. I turned my head and saw Lucian walking out of the house. He was wearing a dark suit, no tie. His sleeves were buttoned neatly at his wrists, and his expression was so calm that it made everything around colder.

The Alphas straightened and lowered their heads, no doubt he was the most potent of them, which was odd because he wasn't the oldest. 

This was the first time I had seen him among the Alphas he commanded. Lucian Black was the Emperor Alpha. People didn't fear him because he spent over fifteen years conquering packs in the Northwest and winning. He carried an aura that one was born with, not crafted. 

“You’re refusing to withdraw your men from the eastern border of the city.” He said in a monotone. 

The Alpha's eyes darkened with anger and answered, “That territory belongs to me, I'm alpha and I refuse to resurrender it like these idiots!"

Lucian nodded.

“You lost your territory to me months ago." His voice was still calm, but there was impatience to it now.

“I refuse to bow to you,” The Alpha spat, glowering at my husband, even daring to lift his chin in defiance. I grunted, this wouldn't end well for him.

“I won’t take orders from a man who stole half this region!"

Lucian’s expression didn’t change.

“The region was divided between twelve Alphas when I came here.”

He stared at each of them, and not everyone met his gaze. 

“How many are left?”

No one answered. Lucian looked back at the man.

The other packs Lucian had conquered, and they had surrendered their territories without further resistance.

My eyes moved across the men surrounding us. Four Alphas still commanded their own territories, but none of them stood independently anymore. They had kept their titles, their packs, and some authority over their lands, but ultimately, they answered to Lucian.

The other eight had been stripped of theirs, their packs placed under commanders loyal to the Emperor Alpha.

“Y-You can’t keep doing this!" He fumed, stumbling over his own words. Lucian stepped closer, eyes colder than ever. 

“I already did.” His voice sounded darker. The man’s eyes darted toward the other Alphas, but nobody moved to help him or speak out. They had all seen this before, and it ended the same way, the challenger died.  

“Lucian,” I called softly, trying to prevent a death. His eyes flicked toward me, and I shook my head no once.

I had never seen him look at me like that. He inhaled and exhaled, nodding to me once. My eyes widened slightly in surprise, he listened to me. The realization barely had time to settle before the Alpha lunged.

Lucian, but he was quicker. He extended his hand and grabbed the alpha by the throat. 

My breath got caught as his claws extended and dug into the old man's chest. The man grunted, pain visible on his face and eyes wide as Lucian pulled out his heart, and his body fell limp to the ground. 

I gasped, mouth was wide, I had expected it but it was still shocking. Lucian tossed it to the enormous black dog feet away from him, and the animal caught it and began to eat the heart. Bile rose in my throat, and Loretta grabbed my arm. We didn't move, just froze. 

Lucian calmly reached into his pocket and removed a handkerchief, wiping his hands slowly while looking at the alphas maliciously, and letting it drop atop the dead alpha's body. 

“Remove him. I don’t want my Elena looking at this,” he sneered. Two guards stepped forward, and the body disappeared as quickly as it had fallen. Lucian adjusted his cuff.

“Now, as for the other reason you're here." He said, his face relaxing. He had just killed a man, and continued his morning as if someone had spilled coffee on the floor.

His eyes found mine again, and my gaze narrowed. He walked toward me, and Trisha reluctantly released my arm.

“You look pale, dear." He noted, extending his hand towards me but I flinched away, he raised his hands in mock surrender. His face showed amusement, and I rammed punches at him.

“You just killed someone," I said bitterly, clenching my jaw. 

“He challenged my authority.” He said in that dead, emotionless tone of his 

“You could have spared him. You already took his territory!" 

Lucian’s eyes remained on mine, and he pretended to contemplate my words.

“Hmm, I could have. But if I spare every Alpha who challenges me, I won’t remain Emperor Alpha for very long.”

I glared harder at him, and he stepped closer.

“You’re afraid of me.”

I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't. I'd never said it out loud to him, but I was scared of him. His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth, and an unwanted memory of last night flashed through my mind.

Lucian tilted his head to the side, eyes cold, I shivered. He often looked at me with deep love and appreciation in his eyes, so this was new. 

“You should. Now come along,"

“My brother.” I barked, fist clenched, chest heaving. He stopped walking. He actually stopped, it took me back. My intentions for agreeing to marry him should have been a secret, but I was so lost.

I had searched the estate for clues since I arrived. I checked my father’s study, his library, old documents, and anything else that might tell me what happened to Julian, but I found nothing.

An older warrior who fought with my father during the attack had informed me that Dad made plans for Julian to leave the city, in order for him to come back later and kill Lucian in case they fell. He didn't have the exact location, but he believed that it must have been somewhere in this.

“Where is he?”

Lucian stared at me for several seconds and walked back toward me. He stopped so close that I had to tilt my head to look at him.

 "I knew you had an agenda for agreeing to marry me. You wanted to enter the house and search for clues, but when you found none, you had no choice but to reveal your intentions." A smirk, almost pleasant expression appeared on his face. 

All blood left my body as he explained my plan, that was it. He knew everything, Lucian saw everything. My heart was pulsing. What will he do?

Lucian raised hand and caressed my cheek softly with the back of his fingers, his touch so warm and gentle. 

"You knew,"

His eyes held mine. "I know everything."

"T-then...." my voice stumbled. 

“Your brother isn’t missing. He didn't disappear," he informed me. I stopped breathing. 

“He’s a prisoner.”

My blood ran cold. 

“Whose?” My voice was timid, throat clogged with something heavy. 

Lucian’s jaw tightened.

“Mine, dear."