Chapter 24: The Weight of Destiny

Sophia's heart pounded as she rode beside Lucian through the dense, moonlit forest. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, and the eerie glow of the witch's woods cast shifting shadows around them. Every sound—branches snapping, distant howls—kept her on edge, but Lucian remained calm, his grip on the reins firm.

She glanced at him, his chiseled features unreadable. His jaw was tight, his midnight-black hair tousled by the wind, his crimson eyes scanning the surroundings with sharp precision. The tension between them was palpable. She had seen the way his gaze lingered on her, how he struggled between restraint and possession.

Sophia swallowed, trying to make sense of everything. "Lucian," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "why are we going through here? Can't you just teleport us?"

Lucian's gaze flickered to her before returning to the path ahead. "Teleporting directly into my kingdom would leave a trace. We're being followed. I can sense them."

A chill crawled up Sophia's spine. "Who?"

"Sean's men. Maybe Audrey's spies as well. They won't stop until they have you."

Her stomach twisted at the mention of her stepbrother. Sean—her supposed brother—wanted her, not as a sibling, but as a means to the throne. The thought made her sick.

Lucian suddenly pulled his horse to a stop and dismounted with a swift grace. "We rest here for a moment."

Sophia hesitated before following his lead, her legs shaking slightly as she dismounted. Lucian took her hand, steadying her, his touch sending warmth through her skin. She looked up at him, searching his face for something—answers, reassurance.

"Do you trust me, Sophia?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

She swallowed. Did she? Everything about him was overwhelming—his presence, his power, his intensity. He had been watching her long before she knew he existed, yet he had also protected her from the moment they met.

"I... I don't know," she admitted.

Lucian's lips pressed into a thin line. He stepped closer, and she instinctively stepped back, only to find herself trapped against the bark of an ancient tree. He lifted a hand, his fingers brushing against her cheek, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to look into his eyes.

"You will," he said softly, almost like a promise.

Sophia's breath hitched. The space between them was suffocating, yet she didn't want to move. She could feel the heat radiating from his body, the way his muscles tensed as if he were barely holding himself back.

Lucian closed his eyes for a moment before pulling away. "Rest. I'll keep watch."

Disoriented, Sophia exhaled shakily, stepping away from the tree. She sank onto a patch of moss, wrapping her arms around her knees. The truth was, a part of her already did trust him, but it scared her. Because trusting Lucian meant accepting her fate.

She was the lost fae princess. A goddess's descendant.

She would never be just Sophia again.

A rustling noise broke the silence, and Lucian was instantly on alert. He pulled Sophia to her feet, pressing her behind him as figures emerged from the darkness.

Three men, clad in dark armor, their eyes glowing an eerie shade of green. Fae warriors.

Sean's men.

"Give us the girl, vampire," one of them sneered. "She belongs to Prince Sean."

Sophia's hands clenched. Belonged? As if she were an object to be handed over.

Lucian's laugh was cold, deadly. "You think you can take her from me?" His voice dropped into something darker. "Try."

The men lunged, and in a flash, Lucian was upon them.

The first soldier barely had time to react before Lucian's claws slashed through his chest, sending him flying into a tree. The second swung a blade, but Lucian caught his wrist, snapping it effortlessly before sinking his fangs into the man's throat.

The third hesitated. He met Lucian's gaze, and in an instant, his body stiffened. His pupils dilated, his breathing ragged. Compulsion.

"Go back to Sean," Lucian commanded. "Tell him that if he wants Sophia, he'll have to rip her from my cold, dead hands."

The man trembled, then turned and ran into the darkness.

Lucian exhaled, his chest rising and falling as he turned back to Sophia. His face was smeared with blood, his eyes burning with something she couldn't decipher.

Sophia felt her heart hammering against her ribs. The display of power, the sheer brutality—she should have been terrified. But she wasn't.

Instead, heat curled in her belly.

Lucian stepped toward her, slow and deliberate. "You are mine," he said, his voice rough. "And I will kill anyone who tries to take you."

Sophia's breath shuddered. His possessiveness should have angered her, but all she could focus on was the fire in his eyes, the raw intensity in his voice.

For the first time, she felt something shift inside her. A pull, a recognition.

Maybe she had always been his.

Maybe she was just waiting to remember it

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