Nine—Lucien the brave(4)

Chapter Nine—Lucien the brave(4)

I stared at him for a minute. Lucien had jet black hair, his eyes were golden under the sunlight that shone through the windows of his room, but i could still spot the red hue that surrounded it. Lucien was handsome, breathtaking even, i was seated right across him and it made me nervous.

“Don’t be nervous.” He said, almost like he could read my mind perfectly, “Do I make you nervous?”

Something had changed inside of me. I couldn’t look at him in the eye the first time we met, now i was gawking like a squawk and had the courage to speak up more which was a huge difference from how meek I was before.

“You wished to kill me.” I said curtly.

His brow arched, “It was in the moment. My hands were tied.”

He was lying, with that wide grin on his face i knew he was a great liar. The Alphas weren’t just leaders, they were political figures who played a game and i was just starting to realize it. I just couldn’t decipher what my role in their game was.

“What is my trial?” I asked.

Lucien’s brow arched, then the usual smirk followed, “Eat up, chosen one.”

“No.” I shook my head, “What is my trial?”

“You’re an impatient one, I see.” He muttered, popping a berry into his mouth, “You should be honored that I’m inviting you to my room. Most women in my pack would drool at the chance.”

I wasn’t most women. I was a young Luna who’d been cursed with the responsibility of bringing the three packs together, cursed with the punishment of three trials which would result in my death if I failed. I needed to prepare for whatever it was he had in store.

“I just want to pass the trial.” I replied, “That’s all.”

“There’s no need to hurry.” He said, “The events of your trial will be discussed with you in due time. For now, I want to know more about you Luna.”

I frowned, “You don’t remember my name, do you?”

“I don’t.”

“It’s Ivy.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful Luna. I’ll make sure to not forget it again.” He smiled.

There was something different about him, I couldn’t quite place a finger on it but I knew he was playing at something. He was nice, not only was he nice but he was fraternizing with I which he almost agreed to killing just days ago.

I wasn’t too familiar with the dealings of mates who wanted each other, but I knew obvious wooing when I saw one. I gulped hard at the sudden realization of what was happening, unsure as to why the Alpha would want a malnourished lass like me.

“Eat up, Ivy.” He said after a minute of awkward silence.

“I’m not hungry.” I replied.

My stomach gurgled, a dead giveaway. I nipped my bottom lip in shame, looking up at him to see embarrassment written all over his face.

“You should eat.” He chuckled softly, “The other Alpha’s won’t be as welcoming as I am. Nik probably will, Atlas would simply opt to killing you on the spot.”

I hesitated for a moment, then I reluctantly grabbed a piece of dried meat on the plate right in front of me and nibbled.

“Good girl.” He murmured.

My heart thumped again. Lucien had a way with words, so suave that I couldn’t tell what his real intentions with me were.

“So.” He broke the silence once more, “Tell me about yourself, Ivy. What’s your life at the Oasis?”

I simply shrugged, “I’m a healer.”

“A healer?” He sounded surprised, eyes lighting up and everything, “Do you have powers??”

I frowned. The people of the oasis weren’t know for having actual powers, hence why we were controlled by the three packs. According to legend, an old priestess with a grievance towards an injustice placed a curse on the land and the people in it. Most of us couldn’t even transform, hence why I was just a simple healer who worked with medicinal herbs.

“No.” I shook my head, “I work with herbs.”

Lucien’s brow arched, I could see the disappointment in his eyes despite how much he tried to mask it. I wanted him to say it to my face, call me a failure and probably send me back home…or kill me.

Instead he poured me a cup of tea, “There’s an aching mole on my back. Perhaps you could help me check it out, the healers we have here are useless.”

My heart did that thumping thing again, it was starting to get annoying. I nodded, trying to suppress the smile that was tugging at the corner of my lips.

“Does the mark hurt?” He asked when the silence grew between us again, “I touched it last night and I heard you squeal.”

I nodded, “I don’t know what it means.”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He said as he rose to his feet.

I shot up to my feet, “Tell me. Please.”

He smiled, “So so impatient, my darling Luna. I’ll be back, you can decide to leave your door open if you want, I’ll explain to you in detail once I return tonight.”

The old maid from last night walked into the room unannounced as he said his last words. He bid me goodbye, my heart it’s usual just from the way he looked at me before leaving. I sank right back into my chair and let out a deep breath.

“Pathetic.” I heard the maid say.

My head shot up now, “Excuse me?”

“You’re here for a trial.” She snorted, “Don’t let the Alpha distract you.”

Now I was frowning, “I don’t under—

“You really don’t know who Lucien is do you?”