Chapter 6

You were destined for me, perhaps as a punishment

—Fyodor Dostoevsky

LUCIEN

I’d faced coups, rogue attacks, and near-death. But somehow, one stubborn human with vanilla shampoo had me spiraling.

The meeting dragged on about rogue attacks, territory disputes, cross-pack alliances, the usual chaos of werewolf politics but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Between my fingers, I twirled the bracelet she didn’t realize she’d dropped. Four days since her scent clung to it, and still, it taunted me faintly, fading, but enough to drive my wolf mad with hunger.

The room was packed with wolves from different territories. Some former alphas, some current.

My father sat two chairs down, silent but watchful. Darius was three seats away looking relaxed,cocky and insufferably at ease like he didn’t know I was one heartbeat away from tearing his throat out.

How dare he?

Come into my pack… lay his hands on what was mine.

“Lucien,” Nyla's voice cut through the room like a blade dipped in amusement. “If you're done fondling that cheap bracelet and glaring holes into Darius, maybe you’d like to actually contribute?”

My gaze slid to the hybrid witch-wolf lounging at the far end of the table. I didn’t speak. Just stared until her smirk faltered and her chin dipped.

“Apologies, Alpha,” she murmured.

I nodded once, and turned to the elder who’d been speaking, gesturing for him to continue.

But my wolf still paced.

Still seething.

Still remembering the look on her face when Darius dragged her out of that cabin like a goddamn hero in a leather jacket.

“Lucien.”

Rowan’s voice didn’t reach me. Not through the white-hot haze building behind my eyes, or the way my claws refused to retract the longer I stared at Darius,seated three chairs down, contributing like he didn’t vanish for years after his mate’s death. Like he wasn’t now sniffing around what was mine.

Cousin. Brother. Traitor. At this point, it made no difference.

“You will put those claws away, boy,” my father snapped, his voice cutting clean through the room like a blade, “and focus on this meeting. You will not embarrass me by acting so unprofessional over a girl. Much less a human.”

He said the last word like a slur, like something bitter in his mouth. And for a moment, I nearly snapped back. Nearly.

But I knew better than to question Leonardo in front of a room full of Alphas and former kings.

I didn’t inherit this seat by disobedience.

The room was heavy with silence, but I didn’t need a mind reader to know what everyone was thinking.

A human being bonded to an omega was rare enough. But a human bonded to an alpha? That was an abomination.

It wasn’t surprising that word of Camellia being my mate had reached my father,especially after the spectacle days ago.

Now, tension gripped the room like a noose, every seated wolf too careful, too quiet, the weight of judgment pressing down on me.

“I was promised snacks.”

The voice came from the doorway, dry as dust and twice as old.

“I don’t even know why I was invited,this is clearly a dog convention.”

Kainan strolled in with the kind of arrogance only vampires with centuries of immortality could breed. Pale skin like polished bone, jet-black hair that fell over his eyes and a suit too clean for someone who clearly hadn't slept since the Renaissance.

The room stiffened the moment he slumped into the nearest chair like he owned it, legs crossed,boredom practically radiating off him.

“Someone call me when the bloodshed starts. Or at least when you start growling.”

He cast a lazy glance at me. “You look like you’re halfway there already.”

"That's not the point," I said through gritted teeth, forcing my tone to stay steady. I knew better than to challenge my father in front of a room full of Alphas, council heads, and delegates probably already questioning my ability to lead.

"We’ll talk about this later." He gave me that same dangerous smile that came right before discipline cloaked in fatherly disappointment. The one I’d learned to flinch from as a child. I still had the scar on my ribs from when I'd let a rogue escape during border training when I was twelve.

“Ohhh, so she’s the mate,” Nyla drawled, dragging every syllable like she was savoring wine.

“She’s the one who walked in on Caleb and me having sex. You're in for a lot of trouble with that one” Her smirk widened, proud and poisonous, like she knew something none of us did.

Enough.

“This meeting is officially adjourned,” I said sharply, voice cold. “Any objections can meet me outside.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I turned on my heel and stalked toward the door, the murmurs rising behind me like smoke.

“ I expect better snacks at council meetings" Damien’s voice trailed after me, followed by the distinct sound of him crunching loudly.

I needed to see her.

My wolf clawed beneath my skin, frantic, desperate as though the very act of staying still would rip me apart.

I didn’t fight it.Couldn’t.

The tailored suit clung too tightly, suffocating me with civility I no longer had the patience for.

Buttons popped, fabric tore, seams splitting apart like the illusion of control I’d barely held onto during that meeting.

Pain bloomed first, my bones cracking like dry twigs under skin stretched too tight, joints realigning with sickening pops.

My spine arched violently, claws tearing through skin that burned with the sudden rush of power.

My fingers reshaped, snapping into paws and fangs pressing through gums.

I collapsed forward, no longer human.

The rain soaked into thick black fur while my snout lifted to the sky. My vision sharpened, colors fading to instinct. I didn’t need language anymore,just scent.

My paws slammed against the earth, faster than thought and reason,driven by instinct,ache,need. My wolf and I were chasing the only thing that tethered us to this world of chaos.

Her.

—---------

I watched from the hill that sloped just above her apartment building , a shadow cloaked in trees and twilight. Up there, I had the perfect view. Her living room lights were on, casting a warm glow through the curtains, just enough for my wolf eyes to see her crouched beside her younger sister, both of them laughing as they pieced together a puzzle on the rug.

The apartment itself was neat with a clean balcony lined with dying plants, windows framed in dull brown wood, and one of those little wind chimes that humans swore brought peace. The kind of space built for safety, not reality.

My gaze drifted to the dining table where a stack of envelopes sat untouched — bills, probably.

My wolf growled low, irritated. We’d handle that. She shouldn't have to worry about mundane shit anymore.

Something shifted, a strange pull in the air.

A tall man lingered just beyond the building, dressed too casually for the hour. His body language screamed danger. He didn’t move like a neighbor or wait like a friend. He hovered near her door, eyes darting, fingers twitching.

My wolf tensed, muscles coiling. We watched, the both of us fully alert as the man stepped forward and rang the bell repeatedly.

She opened the door casually, like there wasn’t potential danger standing two feet away.

We definitely have to work on your survival instincts camellia.

Her brows furrowed as she stared at the man, arms crossing under her chest a way that made her boobs push up like an optical trap.

And just like that, my IQ dropped 10 points.

My wolf tensed beneath my skin, claws itching against the earth, every muscle taut as I watched him lean closer to her.

I perked up, ears attuned to every word they spoke.

“You don’t get to show up here anymore,” she said, firm, one hand already reaching for the door.

“Come on, Cam,” the man rasped, desperation thick in his voice. “I just need some money. I’m still your father. You won't let your own blood sleep in the gutters now,would you?.”

Oh. We both had shitty dads? A match made in trauma heaven.

She shook her head, jaw tight with disgust as she reached to grab the door again. But the bastard moved first,grabbing a fistful of her hair.

My body moved before my thoughts could catch up.A guttural growl tore from my throat as I launched myself forward, the world narrowing to the sound of her gasp and his filthy hand reaching for her.

There was no time for logic, just the thunder of paws against earth and the snap of bone giving way beneath my teeth.

His scream split the air as I clamped down, hard, on the offending hand,the one he dared to raise against her. Blood burst onto my tongue, warm and metallic, but all I could taste was territorial rage.

He stumbled back, clutching his mangled hand, blood dripping between his fingers as he hissed through clenched teeth.

“Fucking... ass neighborhood,” he muttered, limping away like the sidewalk had wronged him personally.

He turned his head slightly to look at her one more time but I didn't give him the chance. I bared my teeth and snarled low in my throat.

He flinched , disappearing into the shadows with a trail of muttered curses and blood.

I turned to look at camellia,her eyes were wide, pupils blown with shock, flicking between my massive frame and the blood dripping from my fangs.

She crouched down slowly,hesitation clear in every breath. One hand stretched out toward me, trembling slightly, like she was negotiating with her own instincts. “H-hi big guy,” she said gently I was nearly five feet tall in wolf form, all fur and muscle, but I leaned into her touch the moment her fingers brushed against me. My wolf practically melted, sniffing her hand and rubbing his oversized head against her arm like a clingy toddler.

She giggled at his antics, petting his head like I wasn’t a whole apex predator seconds ago.

“Someone’s a big softie, huh?”

Great. First she sees me bite a man, now I’m sitting here leaning into head pats like an oversized Labradoodle with anger issues.

If my ancestors could see me now, they’d disown me from the bloodline.

Still, I let her. Because apparently, I’m that guy now. The kind that ruins a suit and runs to her in the rain,mauls her dad, and melts into a puddle at the hands of a woman wearing fuzzy socks with avocados on them.

I stepped back only after my wolf had soaked up every drop of her affection like a shameless cuddle addict.

She looked up at me, eyes wide and her expression a mixture of soft, unsure and a little cautious.

She was dressed in literal home wear, mismatched socks and hair that looked like it'd been wrestling with her pillow five minutes ago yet somehow, she still looked like temptation sculpted by the gods.

But still, the problem remained.

She was human.

Flesh-and-blood fragile. Bound by rules and realities my world didn't respect. The kind of woman who deserved flowers and brunch dates, not ancient curses and supernatural politics that could get her killed before the appetizer.

“You’re in a lot of trouble with this one,” Nyla’s voice from the meeting echoed like a prophecy I was now too deep in to outrun.

And maybe she was right.

Because looking at Camellia now?

Letting go didn’t even feel like an option,it felt like the start of a war I was willing to burn everything for.