°•○♡Chapter 2~The Arrest

“What are you going to do? Will you tell him?” Mira’s gentle voice broke through my thoughts. Before I could give her a reply, the door to my room opened.

Mira quickly rose to her feet as Lucien entered.

“Leave us” He commanded in the same cold voice he always used when I was present.

Mira gave me a soft sympathetic look before she walked out. Lucien closed the door behind her.

He stood in the center of my room with his arms crossed as his eyes scanned the torn fabric and the drying blood on my sleeve from where Selene’s assault had left a burn. There was no anger in his eyes, not even concern. Just cold, unreadable stillness.

"You should be more careful who you provoke" he said flatly.

I clenched my fists at his words. Like I was the one who ever provoked Selene. She was a witch who relished in my torture and Lucien knew it. Yet, for some reason, I was always to blame when she hurt me.

"I didn’t provoke her. She burnt me during a simple sparring match. Don't act like you weren't there"

Lucien’s jaw twitched. He turned his back to me before walking slowly towards the window. The sunlight peeking through cast golden streaks of light on his dark hair.

I remembered running my fingers through that hair once. I remembered his warm laughter, and the feeling of being safe.

But those days were long gone now.

"You live under my roof, Aria," he said quietly, still not looking at me. "Don’t make things worse for yourself. Especially if it's your way of getting my attention"

I laughed bitterly. "Right. Because being your prisoner isn’t bad enough. And why would I want your attention? Selene makes me pay for every glance you send my way"

He finally turned, his eyes narrowing at me. "No one’s keeping you here" he said, ignoring my question.

That stung more than I expected. But did I really have a choice? I knew Selene resented me and she wouldn’t let me just leave in one piece. Her rogues would probably rip me apart before I reached the gates.

"Don’t pretend like I have choices, Lucien”

He didn’t argue that. Just stared at me.

And for a moment, in that silence, something flickered in his gaze. Regret? Memory? I couldn’t tell. But it was gone too quickly, replaced by the familiar coldness he wore like armor.

"Then stay out of her way. That’s the only advice I have for you."

He walked past me, his shoulder brushing mine.

“What did I ever do to you? Why do you resent me so much, Lucien?” I cried out desperately.

Lucien paused, turning to me again. His eyes were colder as they looked at me, making me stumble back onto the bed. Lucien placed his hands on either side of me as he spoke.

“You know what you did”

“No… I don't”

“The fact that you keep pretending to be some Saint is what pisses me off the most. You deserve whatever you get”

He stood straight, his eyes filled with contempt. Something stirred within me as he walked away. One final try, my last hope.

"Lucien"

He paused.

I should’ve said it, right then and there. I should’ve told him the truth, that I was pregnant with his child

But my voice caught in my throat. I was fixed in place, frozen by fear. What if he accused me of lying? What if he thought I was trying to trap him? Or worse, what if he still didn’t care after I told him?

He waited a split second and then stepped out, closing the door behind him without so much as another glance at me.

That night, I made up my mind.

No more fear. No more silence.

I was going to tell him.

♡♡~♡♡

My heart was pounding like a drum against my chest. The halls were quiet, and dimly lit. Most of the court and pack was asleep.

I walked quietly towards Lucien's room. But before I could reach the main staircase, I heard heavy footsteps approaching me.

And then I heard it.

"Seize her!" The voice echoed throughout the halls.

A dozen guards appeared. At first, I thought they were after someone else, until I saw the shackles.

"What—what’s going on?" I backed away, holding my hands up. "What is this?"

"You are under arrest," one of them said sharply. "By order of the High Council and Alpha Lucien himself."

My blood ran cold.

"What?" My voice broke. "There must be some mistake… I-I didn’t do anything—"

"You are charged with treason and the attempted murder of Lady Selene."

"No… No, that’s not true!" I shouted. "I’ve barely even seen her since—"

A slap cut me off. One of the guards struck me across the face and shoved me to my knees.

Pain exploded along my cheek, but it was nothing compared to the grappling fear which gripped me.

"Bind her," another said. "And take her to the eastern dungeons. The king has ordered a full confession by sunrise”

I fought and screamed as I was dragged off. "Lucien wouldn’t—he wouldn’t order this! He knows me! I—"

“Shut up!” The guard who had hit me the first time yelled, hitting me again across my face.

My wrists were bound so tightly that I lost feeling in my fingers almost instantly. The cold stone floors scraped my knees as they dragged me through corridors I didn’t even recognize.

And then I was tossed into the dark.

“No… no please no—”

The cell door slammed shut behind me, plunging everything into cold,silent, darkness.

I curled up against the damp wall, arms trembling, bile burning the back of my throat.

How? How had this happened so fast?

I hadn’t even told him about…

The baby.

Oh god. The baby.

I instinctively clutched my stomach, trying to steady my breath. I was alone. Trapped. And worse—betrayed by the man whose child was inside me.

They would torture me… bleed a confession out of me for something I had no knowledge of.

I didn’t care about my own life anymore, but the child growing inside me?

I had to protect it.

Even if it killed me.