Chapter 4

The forest around me seemed to close in as I strolled through it, my senses alert and my training evident in my every move. I am no longer a naive girl, a dreamer and a lover. I have come a long way since those days. I had honed my skills and could shift with ease. I had grown into a stronger, more capable version of myself. Or so I liked to believe.

"Liar," Crystal chimed in, her voice a persistent whisper in my mind. I had come to appreciate her presence, even if she was the one to burst my self-assured bubble. "I want to kick her," I thought, but dared not voice it aloud.

"I can defend myself," I argued back, albeit in my mind.

"Not against him," Crystal replied with that ever-present honesty. I closed my eyes, battling against the inner turmoil that had plagued me for three long years.

"Well, it's a good thing I'll never have to," I retorted with a hint of uncertainty that made my voice waver.

As I continued my solitary walk, my internal battle raged on. My steps quickened, each one echoing with the determination that I would not give in to my doubts. He would not return. He couldn't. He shouldn't.

Then, as if to answer my inner worries, I heard a voice. It's like whispering in my head, but not my thoughts.

"Lucien".

I gasped as if the world had stopped when I turned to him. He stood in front of me, his presence was so real, so vivid as a dream. He looked the same, yet different. He had grown stronger and more refined, and his clothes exuded a quiet sophistication that spoke of a life beyond exile.

"Do I get to kiss the bride?" he said sardonically, tilting his head to meet my gaze. I scanned the area, panic gripping me. Why was no one else here?

"Lucien" I breathed out his name…. My eyes wandered to a distant area and I saw shadowy figures. They looked scary and somewhat demonic. Whatever they were, I'm sure they were with Lucien. "I have to be safe because I don't trust him."

"You should never have come back," I told him, my voice trembling as I held his intense gaze.

Lucien moved closer, and I instinctively took a step back. He cornered me against a tree, our bodies so close that I could feel the heat radiating from him. Bravery and stupidity warred within me. Going against Lucien was the latter, and it screamed for my self-preservation.

"To my pack?" Lucien asked a hint of amusement in his voice. "Dante is a joke to other packs."

I hesitated, unable to meet his piercing grey eyes. He saw my hesitation and chuckled.

"You know," he said, his tone dripping with knowing, "you know."

I raised my chin a fraction, summoning my courage. "Leave before Dante finds out you came. I won't tell anyone you were here, but I can't protect you if Dante discovers it."

Lucien stepped back, a mocking smile on his face. "Go tell the groom I paid a visit," he said, turning to leave. "Tell him I'll be back for the celebration tonight."

But before he walked away, he approached me once more. "And tell him he had a beautiful, passionate bride and a lovely property. Every garden deserves a serpent, doesn't it?" With that he disappeared into the woods, leaving me to handle the storm of emotions he created. Later, in the study, I poured myself a glass of whiskey and tried to get rid of the confusion and anger that was swirling inside me.

The door opened and Dante entered in a wedding dress. His arms hugged my back, but his touch was tired.

"Why are your panties tied?" Dante asked as I turned into his arms.

"Did you know that it is bad for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?" I said, using that as an excuse to get out of his grasp.

"I can't believe my luck," whispered, his breath warm against my ear. I moved away from him and separated between us. I decided to go straight to the point.

"Did you know the pack is in financial ruin?" I asked, studying his reaction closely. His eyes flickered with discomfort as he reached for the whiskey bottle I had just used.

"You have quite the alcohol limit, darling," he remarked, trying to divert the conversation.

But I wasn't going to let him evade the truth.

"I answer to no one. I won't start with you," Dante retorted coldly.

"Oh, that's huge!" I replied sarcastically. "Just throw your ridiculous money into the mix, shall we?" His eyes darkened, he shifted his weight and tried to scare me with his charm. But compared to Lucien, he looked like a petrified child. I circled him, wondering how right it was to think of Lucien at that moment. But the effect of Lucien's return on me was undeniable. Dante, however, was still and unyielding, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He walked towards me and I stepped back, but he followed. He grabbed a hand by my hair and pulled my head back, his anger coming out in waves.

"You smell him on you," she whispered. I bit my lower lip, panicked, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. But it was too late; Dante knew Lucien's scent and caught me in a web of lies and secrets.

"Where is he?" Dante demanded, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"Gone," I choked out, my voice trembling.

Dante let go of my hair and stood there running his fingers through his hair thinking of his next move. "He'll be back," he said at the end of his low, evil voice. And when he does I'm ready.