93 (Lucian’s POV) Pondering
Lucian
I tried not to show it, but disappointment clung to me like a second skin.
I’d hoped we’d find a name, a face-someone-to hold accountable. But instead, all we’d done was remove Martha from the equation. The real threat was still out there, invisible and deadly.
Chase.
The ghost.
Someone with a vendetta serious enough to wipe out an entire bloodline. My bloodline.
I sat at the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, staring at nothing. My mind chased possibilities it couldn’t catch.
Whoever Chase was, he had to be an Alpha. Only an Alpha would aim that high-only someone with power, ambition, and a twisted sense of balance. Revenge of this magnitude didn’t come from slighted subordinates. It came from equals.
Rivals. Enemies.
And that narrowed the list in the wrong direction: outward. Wide. Scattered.
My father wasn’t a man known for shady dealings. If anything, he was fair to a fault. His only crime was marrying Martha- a woman who, as it turned out, had been bleeding him dry to keep her own secrets buried. So what the hell had Vander
taken from this man?
Whatever it was, it wasn’t an object. It was something personal. Something painful. The kind of loss that doesn’t fade
with time. A mate? A pack? A legacy?
I didn’t know.
I didn’t like not knowing.
Behind me, I felt the bed shift, and then Mara’s arms slid around my chest, warm and grounding. She knelt behind me and pressed her body to my back, her lips brushing my neck.
“You shouldn’t overthink things, Lucian,” she murmured, her hands moving slowly across my chest. “You and Darian will talk to your father tomorrow. He’ll shed light on it.”
I covered her hand with mine, grateful for her presence.
“I think you need to be there,” I said quietly.
She kissed my neck again, but her tone was measured. “Lucian, your father might not open up with me in the room. He’ll
hold back. You know that.”
She was right, and I hated that she was. But still, the idea of going into this conversation without her sharp mind, without
her calming presence, unsettled me.
Her voice was gentle, but direct. “Just find out if he ever used money or power to pressure someone-especially an Alpha. Someone who lost something precious. The way Chase moves, the way he plans-it all screams Alpha.”
Her lips grazed the back of my ear, and I let out a low groan. She knew what she was doing. Mara’s touch was never just physical. She healed something deeper in me every time.
“I’m warning you,” I said with a half-smile, “you’re going to get sore at this rate.”
She didn’t stop.
1/3
93 (Lucian’s POV) Pondering
+8 Points
Just because we get a toothache from too much candy…” she whispered, nibbling gently at my earlobe, “doesn’t mean we
stop eating it.”
I turned to her, cupped her face, and kissed her-deep, slow, aching. She moaned softly, her hands already peeling my shirt away as I tugged at the hem of her nightgown.
“I want you to take your time tonight,” she whispered between kisses. “Don’t rush. We have all night.”
And we did.
So I took my time.
Because Mara wasn’t just my mate-she was the balm to every storm I couldn’t control.
We went wild that night. No other way to put it. It was the kind of night that blurred into the early hours-the kind that left us breathless, tangled in sheets, and completely spent. I didn’t wake up until eight.
Mara was still asleep, curled peacefully under the covers, her hair fanned across the pillow. I didn’t want to wake her.
I showered, dressed, and prepped for the day. Before I left, I messaged Mary to forward some of my work to Mara-sent her Mara’s number, too, in case anything needed urgent attention.
I was adjusting my cufflinks when she finally stirred.
“You got ready without me?” she murmured, pouting slightly.
I smiled, leaned down, and kissed her cheek-lightly. I knew better than to risk a full kiss before brushing.
“I’ve got to catch Father and Darian,” I said. “Best to speak with them right after breakfast.”
She nodded sleepily, then gave me a teasing smile. “Guess I’ll just wander around waiting for you to come back.”
I chuckled. “Not quite. Mary’s forwarding my work to you. I told her to call you directly if anything comes up. You can work
from the home office today.”
Her face lit up. Mara never did well with idleness-she liked being useful. Involved.
“Are you going to be gone all day?” she asked softly.
There it was-that hint of loneliness she tried to hide.
“No, darling,” I said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Once I’m done, I’m coming home. Straight to you. I promise.”
I hesitated, then added, “Actually, if you can get ready quickly, we can go together. You’ll join me at the mansion, and
afterward we can stop by the office.”
She frowned. “What about the work Mary’s sending me?”
I smiled. “We’ll deal with it when we get there.”
That was all she needed to hear.
She darted into the bathroom and was back out in fifteen minutes-dressed in a flowing, loose-fit dress. I knew exactly
why she chose it, and I couldn’t help but grin.
I pulled her close and nibbled at her ear.
“At this rate, you’ll be too sore to walk.”
She moaned, whispering, “I heal fast.”
That was nearly enough to make me forget where we were supposed to be going, but I forced myself to let go. If we didn’t leave now, we’d be missing breakfast and everything else that followed.
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93 (tucian’s POV) Pondering
We rushed downstairs, greeted the Clearwaters on our way out, and stepped into the car-ready to face whatever the
morning would bring.
48 Ports
<94 (Lucian’s POV) Breakfast Again
