Chapter 26
(Lily’s POV)
Lucien looked like a mess.
His face was swollen, one eye nearly shut, and his skin had lost all color. Blood was dried at the corner of his lips, but still, when the healer, Nurse Imra, told everyone to step out so she could treat him, he turned his head slightly and gave me a crooked smile.
“I’ll be fine,” he rasped. “Strongest guy in the room, remember?”
That made me blink away the sting in my eyes.
I nodded slowly, but I didn’t feel reassured. Even Dev, Aria, and Tobe, who stood behind me looked worried. The few students who had followed Lucien to the clinic earlier were already waiting outside.
Still, I took a step closer. “You sure?”
Lucien’s lips twitched, trying to form another joke. “I’ve survived worse. Though I might have some broken ribs this time but it’ll heal in no time.”
I wanted to say that it was taking too long for him to heal, which made sense, given how weak his hybrid was.
My head was still ringing from everything that had happened. Ragnar’s fury, Zelda’s intervention, the blood… the chaos.
But strangely, neither Ravena nor Vaelith were upset.
“Our mate is strong,” Ravena purred in my mind.
“Possessive, too,” Vaelith added, almost dreamily. “The way he tore through Lucien’s beast…”
I froze. What?
Ravena’s voice was soft, pleased. “He couldn’t bear seeing us close to someone else. Isn’t that thrilling?”
“It is extremely sexy,” Vaelith whispered, and I nearly choked on my breath.
“You two are insane,” I muttered, “He nearly killed Lucien.”
Still, they didn’t stop. They went on and on about Zion, about Ragnar, and how strong he is. It was Ravena’s kind of talk… but Vaelith?
She was the cold one. The cruel one. I didn’t expect her to be…. so smitten.
“He looked divine, covered in blood,” Vaelith purred.
I was too stunned to respond.
I rubbed my temple, my head was pounding. “I can’t deal with you both right now,” I muttered, only to hear a soft sniff nearby.
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Her shoulders trembled.
It felt… odd.
Why was Aria this upset?
I glanced back at Lucien, then at Aria again. She hadn’t even looked at me since we got here. Was she crying because of the fight, or because of him?
Tobe caught me staring and offered a small, tight smile.
My stomach twisted. I didn’t know what I was feeling anymore.
Still, I forced it down. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the time… There and then I made a promise to myself, to do better for Lucien. We had to be more convincing because if people were going to believe in “us,” I had to start believing too.
Tobe and Aria left first. As they walked out, I caught something. A look between Aria and Lucien.
It was soft, and tender. It was just for a moment… or maybe, I’m just being paranoid.
Dev and I followed them. We had come in separate cars, and Aria and Tobe got into one, while Dev and I headed for his car.
The sun had started to dip, casting orange streaks across the sky. Dev opened the car door for me, and I slipped in, letting out a tired breath.
He looked so unusually radiant.
“You’ve been smiling a lot lately,” I said, side–eyeing him. “What’s going on with you?”
He shrugged innocently. “What? A guy can’t be happy?”
I nudged his arm playfully. “Dev. Spill.”
He grinned but said nothing.
“I’ll bite your arm.”
“Fine, fine!” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I met her.”
I blinked. “Your mate?”
He nodded, and was almost shy about it.
“But… I thought you said you didn’t find her. At Sienna’s party, remember? You told us she left too quickly before you meet her.”
His grin deepened. “I did say that. But I saw her again, and this time… I didn’t let her go.”
I stared at him, mouth open. “Dev! That’s so amazing! You better introduce us soon.”
He chuckled. “Oh, you know her already.”
could
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12.36
Chapter 26
That made me pause.
“Huh?”
But he only smirked and started the engine.
***
X
+20
Three days had passed since the school remained closed. It was an emergency break, and I knew they needed time to rebuild the destroyed buildings in the school.
That morning, Aunt Lamia had called to check up on me and remind me that I’d be returning home. “You’re coming back today. Don’t forget,” she’d added with a smile.
After the call, I went to lean over the balcony. Dev, Tobe, and Aria were down by the pool, laughing and splashing water at each other like little kids. For a moment, I just watched them, enjoying their laughter ring in my ears.
I headed downstairs and walked outside. “So, guys. I just got off the phone with my Aunt. It’s official, I’m leaving today and I just want to say thank you for everyth…” I was saying when Aria interrupted.
“You’re not leaving yet,” She grinned.
“What?”
Before I could react, Tobe swooped behind me and lifted me easily. I shrieked as he tossed me into the water.
“TOBE!”
Dev and Aria jumped in after, laughing hysterically.
I came up, coughing and gasping. “You guys are insane!”
“Admit it, you love us,” Dev said, splashing me again.
And yes, I love them… Even with everything going wrong, I had something good here. People who cared about me.
We stayed in the pool for a while, laughing like nothing else mattered.
Eventually, I dried off and changed. When I returned with my bags, Tobe was already waiting, keys in hand.
“I’ll drive you,” he said simply.
The ride was quiet at first. The sky had turned gray with low clouds. The road stretched ahead, flanked by trees and houses we barely noticed. I turned to him. “Tobe… is Aria okay?”
His hands tightened on the wheel. “She’s… fine. But whatever’s bothering her, it’s not my place to say.”
I nodded in understanding. “Alright.”
When we got to my house, he pulled over gently. I turned to him, grateful. “Thanks for everything.”
He smiled. “You’re family, Lily. That’s what we do.”
We hugged warmly.
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12:36 Wed, Jul 30
X
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Chapter 26
Then I turned toward the front door, and it opened before I could knock. Aunt Lamia stood there, beaming. “You’re here! Come in, come in. I have good news!”
I followed her in, soaked in the warmth of the home I had missed.
+20)
“What’s going on?” I asked.
She turned to me, eyes twinkling. “The King and Queen have invited you to stay at the palace for a few weeks.”
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AD
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