STARLETTE
Today was the day. The day Lucius would finally be freed from the shackles binding his wolf. After today, I would stop hiding and tell Maximus everything, regardless of the consequences. I only hoped and prayed that he would trust me again. What gave me some comfort was the knowledge that Lucius had no desire for the throne. So, there wouldn’t be any conflict over the crown once his wolf was released.
When it was ten minutes before the time we had agreed to meet Amelia in the woods, I grabbed the compass she had given me and asked Bella to mind-link Lucius, reminding him of our arrangement. Fortunately, this time, he didn’t shut her out like he had before.
We met at the entrance to the woods and walked together in silence.
“Where are you taking me?” Lucius asked, his tone curious. “What is it that you couldn’t say back at the pack house?”
“You haven’t told him yet?” Bella asked, clearly surprised.
“Shhh.” I put a finger to my lips, silencing her.
I turned to Lucius and shrugged. “It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise?” He repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Tell me.”
“If I tell you now, it won’t be a surprise anymore, will it?”
He sighed in frustration. “Okay.”
I followed the compass, hoping Amelia hadn’t deceived us. As we ventured deeper into the woods, the compass suddenly began ticking loudly, and panic surged through me.
“Why is it doing that?” Bella asked, alarmed.
“What’s going on?” Lucius questioned, his voice tense.
“I-I don’t know,” I stammered, my words trailing off as we entered a small clearing in the woods. Amelia came into view, and the loud tick suddenly stopped.
A wide smile spread across her face. “It’s so nice to see you again,” she said, stepping forward.
Lucius immediately moved in front of me, pushing me backward protectively. His stance was tense, his voice a low growl. “Who are you?”
Amelia halted, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Is this the friend you’re helping?”
I sighed and gently tapped Lucius on the shoulder. “It’s fine. I know her. I invited her here.”
Lucius turned to me, confusion and suspicion clouding his eyes. “A witch? You brought a witch here? Why? What are you doing with her? And how do you even know a witch?”
I smiled slightly, trying to calm him. “Which question do you want me to answer first?”
“All of them,” he replied instantly, his voice hard.
“Well,” I exhaled, mustering a smile as I prepared to share the good news.
“I’m waiting,” he said, growing impatient.
I exhaled again. “After I found out about your wolf, I went into the library and did some research with Bella. I learnt that freeing a wolf from its prison requires a witch. As it was a witch who bound it in the first place.”
“And?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with my explanation.
“I remembered meeting a witch a few years ago, so I went to their lands to find her. I asked her to help, and she agreed. That’s why we’re here now.” I intentionally left out the part where Bella and I had nearly been executed by the clan’s elder.
For a good twenty seconds, Lucius didn’t say anything; he just kept staring at me in disbelief, as if I were mad.
“Starlette, you’ve lost your mind,” he said flatly.
I raised a brow at him.
“You went to the witches’ lands? Do you even understand how much they hate wolves? You could’ve been killed!” he snapped, his voice sharp with anger.
“I know,” I replied softly, trying to sound innocent. “But I wasn’t. I’m alive, aren’t I?”
“Was that where you went when you lied about going to Star Claw?” he demanded.
I nodded.
“We can play twenty questions later,” Amelia interrupted, her tone growing impatient. “Let’s get this over with.”
Lucius shot her a wary glance, his eyes narrowing. “Why should I trust you, witch?”
Amelia’s gaze shifted to me. “I guess your friend here doesn’t want to be saved after all.”
“Lucius,” I sighed. “I trust her with my life.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “I’m not going through with this.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Why not?”
“Because I never asked you to free my wolf,” he replied coldly.
“But it’s what you want, isn’t it? I owe you this much, Lucius. You didn’t have to ask.”
“What makes you think I want this?” he asked, his voice rising in frustration. “I don’t. I never have. Do you think I didn’t know how to find a witch who could break the curse? Of course, I knew. But I never tried. Want to know why?”
“Because I don’t want to be the Alpha King. If my wolf is released, it’s only a matter of time before a conflict arises, and I’ll be expected to rule. I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid that. Maximus loves being king, and I don’t want to take that from him. You asked why I hate him? I don’t. I love my brother, even though I don’t always show it.”
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up inside me. “You could just refuse! No one can force you to take the throne!”
He shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”
“You’ll never find a mate without your wolf,” I reminded him.
“I don’t care,” he said firmly.
My temper flared, and I took a step closer to him. “Do you have any idea what I went through to bring Amelia here?”
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I can’t.”
Suddenly, a group of warriors emerged from the shadows, surrounding us. Maximus appeared with Kade and Tom by his side. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Maximus hurled something at Amelia, and within seconds, her wrists were bound in shackles.
Amelia chanted a spell, trying to break free, but the cuffs held fast. Panic filled her eyes as she realised the magic-nullifying properties of the restraints.
Fear tightened around my chest, and my heart raced. Things were not looking good. At all.