Mia’s POV
Lucas barely hesitated. Like it was too obvious for me to ask.
“It’s a family trait,” he said smoothly, wiping the blood from his arm. His voice was too calm, too practiced. “Our blood carries healing properties for each other. It’s rare, but it’s something passed down through our lineage.”
I stared at him.
Lie.
I would’ve known about something like that. Damon would have mentioned it. My uncle would have told me.
But I didn’t call him out on it. Not yet.
Instead, I forced a small nod, pretending to consider it. “I’ve never heard of that before.”
Lucas smiled, but I saw the flicker of something behind his eyes-relief. He thought I believed him.
Good.
“Not many do,” he said, turning away slightly. “It’s a secret kept within the family.”
A secret. Convenient.
I looked down at his wound, the blood still fresh. “I don’t know if it’ll work,” I said cautiously. “But I can try.”
He immediately held out his arm, expectant. I bit the inside of my cheek.
Desperate.
Why was he so desperate?
I took a slow breath, lowering my gaze as I pressed my thumb against the sharp edge of my ring, just enough to break the skin. A small bead of blood welled up, and I reached for his arm.
But before I could touch him-
I let the wind carry the scent.
It was subtle, just a trickle of blood in the air. A test. A trap.
And Lucas failed.
His entire body stiffened. His nostrils flared, and for the briefest second, something hungry, primal flickered across his face.
I pulled back immediately, pretending I didn’t notice. “Are you sure this works?”
Lucas exhaled sharply, as if catching himself. “Just-try.”
I reached out again-this time, barely letting my blood brush against his wound.
It did nothing. Of course, it didn’t.
Lucas stared at it, frowning slightly.
I forced a sigh, shaking my head. “Maybe it only works with a stronger connection.”
His jaw ticked.
I stepped back, wiping my thumb against my sleeve. “Guess we’ll have to try again another time.”
Lucas nodded, but his movements were stiff, almost frustrated. “Yeah… maybe.”
I turned away so he wouldn’t see the smirk I barely contained.
He was lying. And now?
Now, I needed to find out who the hell he really was.
The moment I returned home, I headed straight for my room, locking the door behind me. My heart was still pounding, my mind racing through everything that had just happened.
Lucas wasn’t my brother. I was sure of it now.
Which meant I had been walking into a trap this whole time.
But why?
I pulled out my laptop, my fingers moving quickly as I began searching. Lucas, Golden Corral Pack, bloodline history. Anything I could find.
But it wasn’t enough. I needed someone who actually knew.
Damon.
He had been part of the family for years. If anyone would know about my supposed “twin brother,” it would be him.
I grabbed my phone, dialing his number.
He picked up on the first ring. “Mia?”
“Hey,” I said, keeping my voice light. “You busy?”
“No, why?”
I hesitated. “I wanted to ask you something about our family.”
There was a brief pause. “Alright,” he said carefully. “What about?”
I exhaled slowly, choosing my words. “Lucas.”
Silence.
I felt the shift through the phone, like a weight had dropped between us.
Finally, Damon spoke, his voice quiet.
“…What about him?”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. He wasn’t surprised. Which meant-
He knew something.
Damon hesitated for a moment before finally answering.
“Lucas is the Alpha of the Golden Corral Pack,” he said, his voice steady but laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “One of the strongest alphas out there.”
I frowned. “Then why have I never heard of him before?”
Damon sighed. “Because Lucas is… private. Very few people outside his pack know what he looks like. He doesn’t attend most public gatherings. Keeps to himself, stays out of pack politics unless necessary.”
Something in my chest tightened. Too many coincidences. Too many convenient explanations.
“So, no one really knows what he looks like?” I pressed.
Damon was quiet for a beat. “Not many. Even within his pack, only his inner circle sees him regularly. Some of them have never met him in person.”
My stomach twisted.
That meant that if someone wanted to impersonate him, they easily could.
“Why do you ask?” Damon finally questioned, suspicion creeping into his voice.
I forced a light chuckle. “Just curious.”
I could almost hear him frown. “Be careful, Mia. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Lucas isn’t someone you want to mess with.”
I swallowed hard. “Got it.”
After hanging up, I stared at the wall, my thoughts racing.
If the real Lucas was secretive, then the man I was with… who the hell was he?
And more importantly-what did he want with me?
I needed proof.
And if Damon didn’t have the answers, I had to find them myself.
The next night, I followed Lucas.
I told him I wasn’t feeling well, that I needed rest, and he left without pressing further.
But I didn’t go to sleep.
Instead, I slipped out of the estate, keeping my distance as I tailed his car.
I expected him to go somewhere normal-his supposed packhouse, a meeting with allies. Something an alpha would do.
But instead?
He drove into rogue territory.
I kept my breath steady, following carefully as he parked behind an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. I climbed onto the roof of a nearby building, keeping low as I watched him step out.
And then-they appeared.
Figures emerging from the shadows-rogues. At least a dozen of them.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Lucas didn’t flinch as they approached. He didn’t look uneasy or guarded. He looked familiar with them.
Like he belonged there.
I strained my ears, trying to pick up their conversation.
“Everything is going as planned,” Lucas murmured, his voice smooth, confident.
One of the rogues sneered. “And the girl?”
Lucas smirked. Smirked.