Drugged

Lily was too weak to turn toward the voice, yet something about it was achingly familiar, tugging at a feeling she couldn't quite grasp. It carried an undeniable authority, one that sent a hush rippling through the crowd.

"Alpha… Lucian!" Someone whispered, and at the sound of his name, Lily's eyes flew open. A shiver of fear coursed through her as recognition settled in.

Summoning what little strength she had left, she forced herself to turn her head and gasped. Those piercing blue eyes were locked onto her, intense and unreadable.

With every step he took, her heartbeat quickened, her body frozen in place. A voice in her mind urged her to look away, to avert her gaze before it was too late. But another part of her, a quiet whisper deep inside, told her she would regret it if she did. So she stared, taking in every detail, his commanding strides, the unreadable mask on his face, the way the very air seemed to bend to his presence.

She wished, just for a moment, that time would slow.

Reaching her side, Lucian finally tore his gaze from her and turned to Alpha Brian.

"I defiled her. I will claim her. Do you have any objections?" His hands slipped casually into his pockets, his voice unwavering, as if the decision had already been made.

Lily frowned. Why? Just minutes ago, he had nearly choked the life out of her, why was he suddenly stepping forward to take responsibility?

She should have felt relieved that she was no longer sentenced to die. Yet, something deep inside told her this was no salvation but a different kind of doom.

His eyes weren't the eyes of a man acting out of duty. There was something else there, something hidden beneath the surface. An ulterior motive.

Besides, what did he stand to gain from this? Marrying her brought no benefit to his pack, no power, no advantage. She would be a useless Luna to a man as ruthless as him.

This is worse than death, a quiet voice inside her whispered. She was stepping into the lion's den.

"I thought you wanted to marry my legitimate daughter. Why the sudden change?" Alpha Brian asked, his voice edged with suspicion. His gaze studied Lucian warily.

When Lucian had first proposed to marry Selena, Alpha Brian had been hesitant but refusing the alliance had never been an option. The pack's prosperity came first, and Lucian was not a man one could simply reject.

But now… now he was willing to cast aside the woman he had chosen and take an illegitimate daughter instead? One who could offer him nothing? It didn't make sense. And Alpha Brian didn't trust what he couldn't understand.

Lucian smirked. "What could be more honorable than taking responsibility for one's mistake? I see no reason for you to refuse me. If anything, you should be grateful, for I would be doing your family a favor by erasing your stain."

His tone was casual, but his words were a blade. He made sure to emphasize on the fact that she was a mistake, a stain no one wanted and he was accepting. 

Lily flinched at his words, but she couldn't deny the truth in them. She was nothing but a burden, a stain on everyone who crossed her path. If not for her, he would still be happily engaged to her step-sister. Even if she begged for forgiveness, what could she possibly say?

The last thing she remembered was drinking the water one of the maids had given her after she finished serving the guests. Then… nothing. A blank void where her memories should have been. It was as if time had simply skipped forward, straight to the moment she woke in Alpha Lucian's bed.

Wait. Could that have been when it happened? Was she… drugged?

But what kind of drug? She had no way of knowing. Her stepmother had denied her an education, leaving her ignorant of things even children younger than her understood.

Before she could dwell further, Alpha Brian's voice cut through her thoughts.

"I have no objections. You have my permission and this pack's permission to claim her."

Lily stiffened. She had expected this outcome, but now that it was real, now that the words had been spoken, devastation settled deep in her bones.

"I will have everything arranged in my pack. If there is anything else to discuss, speak now," Lucian declared.

"She is yours," Alpha Brian confirmed, and at that, the room erupted into noise once more.

Alpha Williams, who had been silently observing, let a small smile curl on his lips. "Now I am intrigued," he murmured.

Lucian ignored them all. Instead, he turned his gaze to Lily, who immediately averted her eyes and shrank away. A frown creased his brow. 'This pathetic girl… ruined my plans?' He thought, finding nothing special about her. 

Without warning, he scooped her into his arms. Lily gasped, instinctively clutching his arm for balance.

"Do not touch me," he ordered coldly.

She flinched and quickly withdrew her hands, folding them in her lap as she lowered her gaze.

Lucian carried her out of the courtroom, his steps steady and unhurried, before stopping outside where several cars awaited them.

"Alpha, we are ready to depart," a voice announced.

Lily barely heard it. She remained rigid in Lucian's arms, too afraid to move, too afraid to even hope he would set her down soon.

"There will be no stops. Inform the pack of our arrival," Lucian commanded before moving again.

A moment later, she felt herself being placed against something soft. Only then, when his presence was no longer hovering over her, did she dare to open her eyes.

She was inside a car.

Before she could take in her surroundings, the door on the other side swung open, and Lucian stepped in. She stiffened and quickly turned her face away, pressing herself against the seat as if she could disappear into it.

Her heart pounded wildly, each beat hammering against her ribs. The air felt thick, suffocating, as if it were closing in around her.

"Start the car," Lucian ordered.

The engine roared to life, and Lily exhaled a quiet breath. For now, she had escaped death.

Now that she had been given a second chance, she would do what she had always done, fade into the background.

She would survive by being invisible. It had worked before… even if not for long.