161 Three Days Apart
Lucian
I woke at four, the sky still wrapped in shadows and silence. The room was dim, the faintest outline of Mara’s sleeping form curled beside me, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm I knew by heart. I hated to disturb her, but I knew she’d never forgive me if I left without a word
Leaning in, I pressed a kiss to her lips, gentle, lingering
She stirred, groaned softly, and blinked herself into awareness. “Are you ready?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
I nodded. “I just wanted to say goodbye. You can go back to sleep, darling.”
But Mara was already swinging her legs over the bed, shaking her head. Determined as always
I heard the bathroom tap run, then the familiar sound of her gargling. I couldn’t help but chuckle. Even half-asleep, she
wouldn’t let me leave with morning breath being the last thing I remembered. A minute later, she returned, fresh-faced, hair tousled, and beautiful in a way that always caught me off guard.
“Three days?” she asked.
“Yes. Just three, I confirmed, drawing her into my arms. She wrapped herself around me like she was trying to memorise
the feel of me.
We hadn’t spent this much time apart in a while, not since the last mission. But this time, I wasn’t heading into battle, just
into uncertainty. No looming danget, no dread Shill, the thought of leaving her gnawed at me
I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her scent like it could keep me grounded while I was away. She kissed the base of
my throat, warm and lingering. Then I felt her hand slip something into my jeans pocket.
I pulled back slightly and arched a brow. “What was that?
Her eyes sparkled. “Check it when you’re alone,” she whispered lips curving into a knowing smile.
I already had a suspicion, and the thought made my heart ache and swell at the same time.
“Three days, Lucian,” she warned, voice teasing but serious. “Or I’ll come looking for you. And we both know you don’t
want that.”
I laughed, the sound soft against the weight of goodbye. We kissed again, deep, slow, and full of everything we couldn’t
say in words. And as much as I wanted to pull her back into bed and lose myself in her one last time, the clock was
merciless.
I had to go.
I picked up my bag, slinging it over my shoulder as Mara trailed behind me, her presence warm and quiet. When we reached the living room, I spotted Tiffany cradling Emma while Darian leaned in to kiss her tiny forehead. The tenderness in his gaze made me smile.
My brother was growing into fatherhood in a way I hadn’t expected. There was a steadiness in him now, a softness that came only with love. I made a mental note to bring up the wedding when we got back-maybe even help them find a place of their own. They deserved that kind of beginning.
Denis arrived just in time, pulling up with his usual calm efficiency. We headed straight to Steel Corp, where the company chopper awaited us. Darian slumped into the backseat, barely keeping his eyes open.
“Emma kept us up all night he murmured, rubbing his face. “We thought something was wrong. Turned out, she was just
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pissed off about something. Knocked out the moment I laid her on my chest.”
“That girl’s going to be a proper daddy’s girl,” Denis chuckled from the front, and I laughed softly.
Darian mumbled something about needing five more hours of sleep and drifted off, his head tilted against the window. I admired the quiet devotion behind his exhaustion. He was trying-really trying.
Denis would be flying us himself. It was safer that way. Fewer questions, fewer eyes. Rowan knew the full plan and would report directly to Mara while I was gone. I trusted him. With Mara involved, I had to.
By 7:30 AM, we touched down in Neev.
A few locals were already gathered at the helipad, ready to receive us. Their expressions were polite but curious. I stepped out and took in the surroundings-and was surprised.
Neev wasn’t the backward outpost people made it out to be. It was lush, vibrant—an emerald city cocooned in mist and
quiet charm. The air was fresh, and the sky above us stretched out in an unbroken sweep of soft blue. Nature seemed to
move at its own pace here, slow and measured. Serene. It made sense now why people called it peaceful.
We checked into our hotel shortly after, greeted by an overly eager receptionist and a handful of female staff who clearly
found us intriguing. Their flirtatious smiles followed us all the way to the lift. I didn’t encourage them-I wasn’t in the
mood, and neither were the others.
As the door to our suite clicked shut behind us, I finally let out a breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding.
“Thank God,” I muttered.
No prying eyes. No forced small talk. Just the three of us-and the task ahead.
