20. Lucas
20
Lucas
Gasping in pain, I fold over onto my desk and wonder what is going on. I was working on a proposal for expanding the packlands and perfectly fine, when this pain came crashing onto me. It feels like my heart is shattering into millions of pieces, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
“Hey Lucas, I have the—” My door bursts open and Simon walks in, his eyes meeting mine.
“H-help,” I whimper, unable to say anything else as pain courses through me. Lucas shuts my door and races to my side, helping me off of my desk and chair to lie on the floor.
“I linked Kurt. He should know what to do,” Simon states, as he watches me curl into a ball. The door to my office opens and shuts again before Beta Kurt rounds the corner of my desk. My neck burns as the betrayal mark begins to glow, and Beta Kurt lets out a curse after his eyes scan my prone body.
“It’s Kaylee. She is finally letting the pain of rejection and banishment course through her,” Beta Kurt explains, bending down and hefting me onto his shoulders.
“Simon, we need to get Lucas to his room. Can you make sure the halls are clear? Because if Ramos sees this, he will try to kill Lucas. Any sign of weakness to that bastard is one that will be eradicated quickly.” Shocked by Beta Kurt’s words, I try to push myself off of him, but the pain stabs at me and I curl even more onto his shoulder, keeping myself from screaming.
“Why his room?” Simon asks, grabbing a blanket and covering my body.
“Because his room is soundproof. His mother knew the type of person Ramos is, and asked me to soundproof the room that eventually became Lucas’ so that he could be himself away from Ramos, before she was killed.” Killed. My mother was killed. I want to ask more, but another stabbing pain captures my attention. Simon is gone, and time ticks by until I hear his voice.
[All clear.] A link between Beta Kurt, Simon, and I is opened.
[Good. Let me know if Ramos leaves his office,] Beta Kurt replies as he carries me out of the office. I am glad Simon covered my body. If anyone takes a look at the security footage from the cameras in the halls, it will look like Kurt is carrying a she-wolf to my room and not me.
I stay silent while trembling with pain before the familiar scent of my room hits me. Beta Kurt lays me onto my bed as Simon comes inside, shutting and locking the door.
“How long will this last?” my friend asks, as Beta Kurt moves to light a fire in my fireplace.
“However long Kaylee goes through this.” His voice is grim as he gets the fire going, the room warming me and my body.
“I have been keeping an eye on Lucas for this very reason, to make sure that when Kaylee finally confronts the pain, I can get him to safety. What Lucas is going through is only a tenth of what Kaylee is going through. It’s the bond breaking, and shattering, and fighting to be put back together, mixed with the pain of being banished from a pack she should have been Luna of.” I shudder at these words. Kaylee is in worse condition, and I am the cause of this.
“Will she die from this?” I croak, my eyes meeting Simon’s and noticing that he was about to ask the same question.
“I don’t know. Kaylee is strong, but the pain she is dealing with can kill her if she keeps fighting it,” Beta Kurt growls out in frustration, running a hand through his hair.
“But judging from the pain you are in, she is accepting it and letting it run its course. Someone who has been through the pain must be coaching her. A male, judging by the pain you are in.” I growl as Beta Kurt finishes his explanation. Kaylee is mine. How dare another male touch her!
“Growl all you want, Lucas, but you rejected her. Just know that if that male wasn’t there coaching her, Kaylee would definitely have been dead by now,” Beta Kurt growls back, his harsh words silencing me. He is right though. Kaylee would have kept fighting this pain. Would not have accepted it until her end. Tears fall from my eyes, and my resolve starts breaking further. I did what I did for the pack. I will marry Marilyn soon.
But I want Kaylee.
She is mine, my mate. The goddess paired her with me, and I now know that rejecting her was the biggest mistake I made. But I need to bide my time. Beta Kurt told me not to trust Marilyn and my father, and at first, I didn’t believe his words. Now, knowing that he is helping me through this and protecting me from my father, I know that his words are true. Fire engulfs my heart and I scream, my body arching as if I am possessed. Simon is there, holding my hands above my head, and I realize my nails have turned to claws.
“I need your help. Both of you,” I manage to gasp out as soon as the pain backs away. Simon keeps a hold of my arms, and I am happy for it. I can’t self-mutilate at this crucial time.
“I need to find a way to break this engagement or leave Oak Fur to find her. To find my Kaylee,” I continue, my words being cut off as another shot of pain zips through my bones. I feel like they’ve shattered, but Kurt reassures me that it’s the residual pain Kaylee is going through. Kaylee. I did this to her. I will have a lot to make up to her.
“We will help you, Lucas. But just know that once you turn your back on your father’s orders, he will try to kill you,” Kurt states, looking into my eyes as another lull of painlessness fills me. I take this time to run his words through my mind as I catch my breath. He is right. If I refuse to marry Marilyn, my father will kill me, and make it look like an accident to appease Nathaniel Cross.
“I know. But I don’t care,” I state, resolved to do what is right for the first time since that incident years ago.
“Good. I will get in contact with the alpha of Ivory Fangs and ask her to help me bring wolves from Oak Fur there.” Kurt smiles, pride filling his eyes.
“Ivory Fangs?” Simon asks, and Kurt laughs, turning to my friend.
“You know it as Silver Paw. Today, the new alpha and her Luan were initiated into the pack, and they were asked to change the name. I would call your friend Lilac for more details in a few days’ time.” Kurt winks at Simon, and I feel like I am missing something. Simon never told me he met a she-wolf.
“Will they take Kaylee and me in, if we can’t return to Oak Fur?” I ask, Simon looking at Kurt with a look of shock and understanding, while I feel left out.
“I have a feeling they will.” Relieved by Kurt’s words, I lay back and wait for the next wave of pain to wash over me. For Kaylee, I will do anything to make things right.
“Kurt,” I whimper, as another wave of pain hits me.
“Yes?” he asks, looking down at me as he takes a seat on my bed.
“When everything is said and done, and everyone is safely in Ivory Fangs, will you tell me what really happened to my mother?” I ask, wincing and curling into myself as pain rips through my heart.
“Of course I will. But Kaylee will have to be there when I do, because it involves her too.”