Chp 57
914 Words
Lucien POV
I sat on the carved obsidian chair in my chamber, the flames in the hearth dancing like the madness bubbling under my skin. The moonlight was gone now, replaced by the shadowed whispers of night.
A soft knock came from the far door.
“Enter,” I said, already knowing who it was.
A man stepped in quietly, dressed in worn traveler's clothes, his head bowed. He shut the door behind him and stood stiffly. I planted one of mine men in the Moon Mansion months ago, when I first sensed the tide of betrayal rising.
“Well?” I asked, not bothering to stand. “Speak.”
He kept his voice low. “My Lord. Demyan has returned.”
My jaw flexed.
“He arrived just two days ago. Alone.”
I leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Alone? Are you sure?”
“Yes, my Lord. No one accompanied him. His Beta and Gamma are with him again, but… no outsider. No woman.”
My lips slowly curled into a smirk.
So, he left her behind.
Interesting.
“And his father?” I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from the mouths of others.
The spy nodded. “Sick. Weak. Word among the staff is that he can barely move. Demyan’s presence has caused a stir. Some believe he’s preparing to take the title… others believe he returned for something else.”
My eyes glinted.
Someone.
“Did he look agitated?” I asked, more sharply now.
The man hesitated. “Restless, yes. Focused. He met with his father in private. No one was allowed inside.”
Of course not. Secrets within secrets.
But the important part the girl… wasn’t with him.
So he left her.
Or perhaps she stayed behind willingly.
Either way, the fire inside me twisted with dark delight.
Demyan might have thought distance would protect her, or him, or both.
But distance only gives me room to move.
And I will.
I stood slowly, walking toward the window, the horizon soaked in stars and shadows.
“Keep watching him,” I said. “Tell me if anything… unusual things happen. If he sends letters. If someone new arrives. Anything.”
The spy bowed deeply. “Yes, my Lord.”
My reflection in the glass, scarred, hardened, dangerous.
He returned alone.
That means the girl is vulnerable.
And if I can get to her… Demyan will finally feel what I’ve felt my whole life.
Powerless and that, that will be the beginning of my revenge.
The spy hadn’t finished. His hesitance made me arch a brow, already knowing something more intriguing was about to slip past his lips.
“Well?” I asked, my voice smooth but dangerous.
The man shifted nervously before stepping closer. “There’s… something else, my Lord. Something I only found out through one of the healer maids.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Speak.”
He gulped. “Demyan is in heat.”
A stillness washed over me, sharp and icy before the amusement bloomed like wildfire.
“In heat… now?”
The man nodded quickly. “Yes, my Lord. That’s why he is going to seclude himself in the east wing, the old moon chamber. No servants are allowed in. He only allows his Gamma or Beta to leave food and drink near the door.”
A laugh escaped me, low and triumphant.
“Oh, Demyan,” I whispered, almost affectionately. “How poetic. Strong and untouchable in public, but burning and helpless in the shadows.”
My smirk deepened.
The man continued, “He’s nearing the peak. The healer said if he doesn’t mate… it will worsen. Could even be fatal.”
My fingers drummed on the edge of the chair, already calculating.
“And he’s chosen solitude over submission.” My grin sharpened into something far more lethal. “So prideful. Always the noble beast… even when he’s crawling inside.”
The spy remained still as I leaned forward.
“I want you to prepare something. An aphrodisiac. Strong enough to intensify the heat. Mix it into his drink.”
The man blinked. “But, my Lord—”
I cut him off. “Not too much. Just enough to push him past reason. Even if he dies in that room I don't care it would be better for me. Slip it into the wine that’s left outside his room. And once he enters…” I raised a finger, tapping it in the air like punctuation, “you bolt the door from the outside.”
The man’s face paled.
“Let him feel what it’s like to beg for something… and not have it,” I murmured. “He made me crawl in the dirt, bleeding for worth I never had in my father’s eyes. He took everything, respect, pride… even left me this.”
I grazed the scar on my face lightly.
“Now, I’ll leave him with something too: desperation.”
The man swallowed. “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good,” I said with a chilling calm. “Do it before his Beta or Gamma catches on. They’re clever. But you’re already inside. Move silently.”
The man bowed again before disappearing into the shadows.
I turned to the fire once more, the orange glow catching the silver of my eyes.
Demyan, the mighty Alpha Prince, burning in heat… with no escape.
I could already taste his downfall. And I wasn’t even finished yet.
- Writer
