NORA’S POV
I was in the middle of preparing a new batch of herbs when Mira looked up from her work and smiled at me.
“You seem lighter today,” she said.
“More at peace.”
I paused, with a jar of dried lavender in my hands, and considered her words.
She was right.
I did feel lighter.
The past few days had been good for me.
Working at the clinic had given me purpose, something to focus on other than the chaos in my head.
“I think I am finally finding my footing,” I said, smiling back.
“It feels good to be useful again.”
Mira nodded approvingly, and said, “That is what healing does.
It reminds you that you have something to offer the world.
And you, Nora, have a lot to offer.”
I felt a warmth spread through my chest.
“Thank you, Mira.
That means more than you know.” I beamed at her
Then the door to the clinic opened, and Lily walked in, with a bright smile on her face.
She waved at me and made her way over.
“Mom!
I thought I would come see you,” she said happily, wrapping her arms around me.
I hugged her back, feeling a rush of love and guilt.
I had been so focused on avoiding Lucian and burying myself in work that I had not been spending as much time with her as I should have.
“It is so good to see you, sweetheart,” I said with with a bright smile on my face.
Then I pulled back to look at her.
“How are you?”
“I am good,” she said.
“I have been exploring the palace.
It is so big!
And I met some of the other kids.
They are nice.”
I smiled, with relief washing over me and said softly, “I am glad you are making friends.”
Then Lily tilted her head, studying me, and said suddenly, “You look happy, Mom.
Really happy.
I have not seen you like this in a long time.”
I felt a lump form in my throat.
“I am trying, Lily.
I am trying to be better.” I smiled at her.
“You do not have to try,” she said softly.
“You just have to be you.
That is enough.”
I pulled her into another hug, and held her tight.
She was growing up so fast, and she was already wiser than I was.
I promised myself I would spend more time with her, make sure she knew how much she meant to me.
The day ended, and I walked through the palace, with my mind still drifting to Lily’s words.
I was so lost in thought that I did not see him until it was too late.
Lucian.
He was standing in the middle of the hallway, with his silver-gray eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart stop.
He looked like he had been waiting for me.
I tried to walk past him, to pretend I had not seen him, but he stepped into my path, and blocked my way.
“Nora,” he said, his voice sounding low and urgent.
“I need to speak with you.”
I shook my head, trying push him out of my way and said hurriedly, “I have nothing to say to you.”
“It is not about us,” he said quickly.
“It is about Lord Harry.”
I froze.
“What about him?”
Lucian clenched his jaw tight and replied with an edge in his voice.
“I overheard him talking with Lord Christian and Lord Williams.
They were mocking you.
Laughing at you.”
I felt the blood drain from my face, and managed to stammer, “What are you talking about?”
“Lord Harry admitted he was only being nice to you because of my mother,” Lucian said, his voice hard.
“He is using you to get a position in the court.
He said he had to force himself to smile when he was with you.”
I stared at him, with my heart pounding violently in chest and shook my head.
That is not true.
He was kind to me.
He was—”
“He was lying to you,” Lucian cut in.
“They were all lying to you.
They called you names, Nora.
They laughed at your weight.
Lord Christian said he was not going to keep himself pure to end up in bed with a woman twice his size.”
The words hit me like a slap.
I felt my knees weaken, my stomach churn.
I had trusted Lord Harry.
I had thought he was kind, genuine, a good man.
And all along, he had been laughing at me behind my back.
I felt sick.
Humiliated.
Furious.
But instead of crumbling, I looked at Lucian, my voice cold and steady.
“So what?
Should I be grateful and fall into your arms because you saved me?
Or should I agree to be your plaything?”
Lucian blinked, clearly taken aback.
“Nora, that is not—”
I held up my hand, cutting him off, and said calmly, “Look at me properly, Lucian.
One, they were right.
I am not their typical slim beauty.
Two, in case you have not realized it yet, I am older than you.
So please, remove your head from the clouds.”
He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine and whispered with hurt in voice.
“Is this what you really think of me?
That I want to use you as my plaything?”
I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and sharp in my ears.
“Am I wrong?
I know your reputation, Lucian.
The playboy Alpha.
I’ve seen pictures of your ex-lovers.
They were models.
Popular models.
So wake up!”
Then he reached for my hand, his voice softening.
“Nora, please—”
But I pulled away sharply and continued, “And finally, do you want to know the icing on the cake?
I am Greta’s friend.
Your mother’s friend.
And I am not the typical Lady your mother will want to see you with.
And to be honest, I would not blame her.”
I took a deep breath, to steady myself, and laughed, “Look, if it is fun you are after, I can introduce you to some hot ladies I know.
As long as you stay away from me and accept reality.”
Lucian stared at me, with an unreadable expression on his face and asked softly, “Is that what you really want?”
I crossed my arms tightly on my chest, to hold myself together and replied sharply, “What I want is to stop being treated like a joke.
First Trevor, then Lord Harry, and now you.
Do you have any idea how exhausting it is?
To constantly wonder if someone actually sees you or if they are just using you for entertainment?”
He clenched his jaw and said in a pleading voice.
“Nora, you are not a joke to me.
You have never been a joke to me.”
“Then what am I?” I demanded.
“A challenge?
A conquest?
Something to keep you entertained until you get bored?”
“You are just being unfair,” he said.
“What we had—”
“What did we have?” I cut him off.
“One night?
A few kisses?
That is not a relationship, Lucian.
That is not even a beginning.
It was a moment.
A moment that should not have happened.”
He flinched.
“I don’t believe you really think that.”
“You don’t know what I think,” I said softly.
He was quiet for a long moment, his eyes burning into mine.
Then he spoke finally, his voice low and rough.
“You think this is easy for me?
You think I wanted to chase you, to watch you push me away, to see you walk around with another man?
I have never felt this way about anyone.
And I don’t know what to do with it.”
I laughed, but there was no joy in it, and asked coldly, “And that is supposed to make me feel better?
That you are confused?
What do you want from me, Lucian?
Tell me.
What exactly do you want?”
He stepped closer, so close I could feel the heat of his body and whispered, “I want you.
I have wanted you since the moment I saw you.
And not because you are a challenge or a conquest.
Because you are you.
Because you make me feel something I have never felt before.”
I stared at him, with my heart pounding in my chest.
His words were beautiful.
They were everything I wanted to hear.
But they did not change anything.
“I am older than you,” I said edgily.
“I am your mother’s friend.
I am not the kind of woman an Alpha takes seriously.
You know that.
I know that.
So why are we still standing here, pretending this could be anything other than a disaster?”
Lucian’s jaw tightened as he whispered pleadingly, “Because I do not care about any of that.”
“Then you should,” I said, looking up at him in the eye.
“Because I do.”
I turned to walk away, but he caught my arm.
“Nora.”
“Let me go,” I said softly.
He released me immediately, and I walked away, but I only made it a few steps when his voice stopped me.
“So that’s it?” he called after me.
“You are just going to walk away?”
I stopped but did not turn and replied with a clear voice.
“There is nothing else to say.”
“Fine,” he said, his voice hollow.
“If that is what you really want, I wish you happiness.”
I turned to face him and said sharply, “Don’t be sarcastic.”
He laughed bitterly, and shrugged.
“Why would I be?
Since what we had meant nothing to you, then there is no need to force things.”
With that, he turned to leave, his back stiff, and his shoulders tense.
But then, I opened my mouth before I could stop myself and called out, “Lucian.”
He stopped but did not turn for a moment.
Then he looked back at me, his eyes cold, his voice even colder.
“It is Alpha,” he said.
“From now on.
Since you do not want to be my woman, then you are my subject.”
I felt the words cut me like a knife in my chest.
But I would not let him see me break.
“Fine!” I said, my voice steady.
He turned and walked away.
I turned and walked in the opposite direction.
And neither of us looked back.
Now, let us see if they can afford to really stay away from each other.
The forbidden tension is about to start…..!