hapter 148
Chapter 148
The city had long begun to quiet, its vibrant hum softening into a low murmur.
Shopkeepers closed their shutters one by one, the glow of their lanterns dimming, leaving only the streetlamps casting golden halos onto the cobblestones.
Midnight had settled over France, and with it came the hush of winding alleys and empty squares.
It was just us.
Francesco’s hand enveloped mine as we strolled through the deserted streets, our footsteps unhurried, echoing faintly against stone walls that had stood longer than either of us had been alive.
My body was tired from the day’s excitement, from laughter and exploration, but my heart… my heart was too full to sleep.
We walked close, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine, close enough that I could feel his warmth seeping through the cool night air. He didn’t release me once.
Even when he teased me for slowing to admire another display window, even when I pulled him toward a quiet fountain just to trail my fingers in the water, he held me as if letting go was unthinkable.
There was a softness in him tonight. It was in the way he bent slightly to catch my words even though he could hear everything, in the way his thumb rubbed slow circles against my skin. A softness that belonged only to these hours when the world had gone to sleep and no one was left to watch us.
“Do you realize,” he murmured, lowering his head until his lips nearly brushed the shell of my ear, “that I have waited more than a year to walk beside you like this? To laugh with you? To hold your hand with nothing standing in between?”
The weight of his voice pressed against my heart.
I leaned into him instinctively, letting my head rest against his upper arm.
He was solid, a wall of strength and heat, and yet with me he always melted into something gentle.
“And do you realize,” I whispered back, unable to keep the smile from my lips, “that I thought I’d never have this at all?”
He slowed, tugging me closer until his arm wrapped firmly around my waist, and then he pressed a lingering kiss against the top of my head.
The kind of kiss that always made my knees weaken.
The kind of kiss that carried longing, apology, and devotion all at once.
We must have looked like lovers lost in their own world, and perhaps we were.
Passing strangers glanced at us–at the tall, broad man with features so striking they almost seemed carved, and at the small woman tucked into his side, face lit with joy–and I didn’t miss the envy flickering in their eyes.
But tonight, I didn’t care about being seen.
For once, I wasn’t the witch dangerous girl hiding in shadows or the rejected mate trying to rebuild herself. I was just Ellaine, walking hand in hand with the man who had waited for me, searched for me, and now held me as though he would never let go
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Chapter 148
again.
It would have been perfect.
If not for the faint tug in the back of my mind, the subtle itch that told me we weren’t as alone as it appeared.
At first, I ignored it.
It wasn’t unusual for strangers to linger, perhaps curious, perhaps envious.
But as the hours stretched and the streets emptied further, the feeling sharpened. The scent of night carried with it something else -a thread of familiarity.
Francesco felt it too.
His grip on me never faltered, but I noticed the way his eyes flicked to reflections in glass, the way his shoulders straightened, alert beneath his calm exterior.
We didn’t speak of it. Not yet. Instead, we walked on, pretending, savoring these last stolen moments of peace.
Until the silence around us grew heavy, until there was no one left in the square except us and the shadows we knew weren’t just shadows.
And then, we stopped.
Francesco turned with me, our steps slowing as though in perfect rehearsal, and when we faced the empty stretch of alley, a smile tugged at my lips.
“Get out,” I said clearly, my voice carrying across the still air. “We both know you’re there… Audrey. Marlow.”
For a moment, nothing.
Just the flicker of lamplight, the quiet rustle of night.
Then, two figures emerged from the dark, and my heart squeezed with both exasperation and affection.
Audrey, tall and sharp–eyed, her expression torn between guilt and pride. And Marlow, shifting uncomfortably as though caught in the act of doing something forbidden.
Francesco chuckled, low and rich, shaking his head. “I should have known we couldn’t run from you two. The best trackers in my kingdom,” he said, almost proudly.
“My king…” Marlow began, bowing his head, but Francesco lifted a hand.
“Francesco,” he corrected firmly. “Call me Francesco while we’re here.”
The horror that swept across their faces was so immediate, so comical, that I had to bite back a laugh.
The idea of addressing their Alpha King so casually clearly hadn’t once crossed their minds.
Unable to resist, I let out a soft chuckle anyway.
“How did you find us?” I asked, curiosity bubbling despite myself.
Chapter 148
22 Aug PUL
Marlow rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his hair falling into his eyes. “You used your human card, my king–Francesco P corrected quickly, tripping over the name.
Francesco cursed under his breath, and I could see the frustration flash across his face. Of course. His Beta, Information traveled fast, faster than even he could anticipate.
Before either of us could scold them further, something changed.
What…..
The air shifted.
A scent, sharp and unmistakable, swept over us, cutting through the crisp night.
My breath caught, and in the same heartbeat, all four of us stilled.
Another werewolf.
Not one. Four.
Golden eyes gleamed in the shadows, catching the lamplight like burning embers. They stepped into view, their presence new warrior, their attention fixed unerringly on Francesco.
Instinct took over.
Audrey and Marlow stood in defends instantly, while the young werewolves kneeling, their heads bowed. The kind of submission reserved for higher rank. My pulse raced, but I remained by Francesco’s side, my hand still in his.
“When we heard there was the scent of a powerful werewolf in the human world,” one of them spoke, his voice respectful, carrying authority. He seemed to be the leader. “We never thought we would meet the King Lycaon himself.”
My chest tightened.
Even here.
Even across borders, strangers recognized him.
Francesco’s jaw clenched, but his tone remained calm, steady. “I did not know there was a werewolf territory so close to this place. I apologize if my presence has alarmed you. I mean no threat.”
The four exchanged hurried glances before shaking their heads rapidly. “No–no, we would never think of you as a threat, King Lycaon.”
I heard the sigh escape him, quiet but heavy, and my heart ached.
He had wanted this trip to be ours, hidden from duty, from eyes that judged and recognized.
Yet here, too, his identity shone too brightly to be ignored.
Then, a voice broke the silence–young, uncertain, and trembling with hope.
“Are you here… to help us, King Alpha?”
The youngest among them had spoken, and the way his elder immediately shoved his elbow told me it wasn’t a question he was
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supposed to ask.
Aug
But the word lingered.
Help?
I glanced up at Francesco, then at Audrey and Marlow.
None of us had heard of trouble in France, no whispers of threats crossing borders. Yet here was a plea, raw and desperate, spoken before it could be swallowed.
Francesco’s eyes met mine, silent communication passing between us, before shifting to Marlow. A single nod.
“Yes,” Marlow spoke smoothly, his tone authoritative yet measured. “Take us to your Alpha. We will listen.”
The relief on the young wolf’s face was immediate, almost radiant.
The leader gave a sharp nod, and together they motioned for us to follow.
As we began to walk, Audrey fell into step beside me, her expression softer now despite the earlier tension.
“You know, Luna,” she muttered, her voice pitched low enough that only I could hear, “I want to hit you for thinking you could leave me behind. But again, looks like no matter where you go, you can’t escape who you are. A Luna. And an Alpha.”
Her words sank into me, bittersweet.
I smiled faintly, glancing at her. “At least here, no one looks at me with accusation in their eyes. No one thinks I’m a threat just for existing.”
Audrey’s gaze softened. “They were foolish. Afraid of what they didn’t understand. But you-” she shook her head with quiet conviction, “–you were never the threat. You were always the answer.”
Her words tugged at something deep inside me, and before I could reply, Francesco’s arm slid around my back, pulling me against his side. His warmth, his silent support, steadied me.
“So,” I whispered, glancing between the three of them, “have you decided to join us then?”
Francesco’s lips brushed against my temple as he answered, his voice carrying a trace of humor. “Marlow insisted on ensuring our safety. And Audrey agreed. The kingdom is empty without us, they said.”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head in disbelief. “The trip I thought would be just the two of us…” I muttered, though there was no true anger in my voice. “…has turned into yet another adventure.”
And though part of me longed for the solitude we had hoped for, another part–the part that knew what it meant to belong- recognized the truth. Wherever we went, whoever we met, we could never escape what we were.
A King.
A Luna.
And now, perhaps, something far larger waiting just beyond the horizon.
