Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Lucian
“You’re so desperate to be wanted that you’ll settle for the first person who shows you basic kindness.”
Why did I say that?
The shock in Astra’s eyes, the devastation…In that moment, all the laughter and warmth in those pretty, green eyes vanished, like a flame going out. Instead, I was looking into a chasm carved from years of grief.
Suddenly, the woman I had spent weeks with disappeared, replaced by a broken person who looked at me with tired acceptance. Like I was no different from her other abusers.
I should have told her I didn’t mean it.
I should have stopped her.
But she walked away, and I could smell the salt of her tears on the wind.
Three days I’ve been sitting on this goddamn hill, staring down at Turnville like some pathetic fool. The bag of coins Astra thrust at me burns in my pocket—seventeen silver pieces that somehow feel heavier than a king’s ransom.
My wolf paces restlessly inside my mind, agitated and miserable. It’s been snarling at me for days, furious that I let her leave. But what was I supposed to do? Ask her to come with me? And then what?
The question slipped out before I could stop it: “If I told you I loved you right now, would you marry me instead?” I meant it as a test, a way to prove she was settling for the first man who ever showed her any kindness.
But the words came out raw, desperate, and for a terrifying moment, they felt more real than anything I’d ever said.
When she hesitated—when I saw the confusion and uncertainty flash across her face—something in my chest exploded with an unknown emotion.
I don’t even know why I’m so eager to tie this woman to me.
She’s a latent wolf. Despite the laws protecting her kind, it’s obvious that she will be mistreated wherever she goes.
Except, in the capital, no one would dare lay a finger on her, not if it were known that she was under my protection.
I could give her a house, a large one, gift her an herb garden that the most powerful healers would be jealous of, and then we could—
We?
I don’t have a place in her life. Nor does she have one in mine.
I run my fingers through my hair, frustrated and angry.
She has a chance at happiness among the humans, so why do I care so much? Why does she matter to me? Why do her tears bother me?
She’s just another shifter among the millions that exist under me. I’m the crown prince. I have an engagement to finalize with Lady Zari. I have a kingdom to inherit and duties to fulfill. Why am I getting involved in the affairs of this one latent wolf?
Granted, she is a talented herbalist. She’s able to neutralize wolfsbane. That is an achievement every healer is still clambering for. She’s also good at creating antidotes. She’s an asset to the kingdom even if she doesn’t know it. If I were to keep her by my side because of that—
Even as the thought strikes me, I know it’s just an excuse.
I could always kill that human fiancé of hers. She’d be alone again, and then I could take her with me.
And do what?
I can’t seem to think beyond keeping her near me.
She makes me feel like I’m more than just a prince.
Being around her, watching her smile, it makes me feel like the sun is shining a little bit brighter, all my worries fading away.
When she tries to wheedle me into doing something, I can’t say no.
It’s impossible for me to deny her anything.
Since when am I, the terrifying crown prince of the Wolf Kingdom, so easily controlled?
I plucked herbs for her.
I gave her my shirt.
I pretended to be a mercenary so I could protect her.
I hunted for her.
Growling under my breath, I stare at the lights in the town below.
Why?
Why did I do all that? What was I expecting to happen?
My jaw tightens as I think of the way the light faded from her eyes.
Pathetic. Annoying. Desperate.
Did I really say those things to her?
“Fuck,” I mutter, shaking my head.
A large wolf emerges from the tree line behind me, padding silently through the underbrush. I don’t turn around.
“What do you want, Seth?”
He shifts into human form with a soft rustle of displaced air. “You’re in a charming mood, I see.”
“Don’t.” My voice comes out sharper than he deserves. “Just tell me what you found.”
He walks around to face me where I’m leaning against the ancient oak. I can feel his tension even before he speaks. Whatever he has found, it’s bad.
“Andrew Crew,” he begins without preamble. “You were right to be suspicious.”
I straighten slightly but maintain my position against the tree trunk. “What did you find?”
“He’s not just some herb shop owner.” Seth’s jaw is tight. “He’s a trafficker. Specializes in exotic animals—specifically, shifter children.”
My blood turns to ice. “What?”
“Seven years ago, the Moonridge Pack had five newborn pups kidnapped right out of their nursery. They completely vanished, without a trace.” Seth’s voice grows darker.
“The pack tracked them down eventually—found the children in cages, being prepared for sale to human collectors. Rich people who wanted exotic pets.”
“Why am I hearing about this for the first time?” I snarl, pushing myself off the tree. “Kidnapped pups should have been reported to the crown immediately.”
“The Moonridge Pack kept it under wraps,” Seth says grimly. “They didn’t want other packs knowing that humans had managed to infiltrate their most guarded place: the nursery. It would have made them look weak, vulnerable.”
Rage builds in my chest, hot and deadly. “You’re saying they hid information about child traffickers rather than face embarrassment? Tell me they at least killed whoever was responsible.”
“That’s where it gets interesting.” Seth’s expression darkens further. “The human who took them managed to slip away before they could capture him. Left the children behind when he realized he’d been found. The pack rescued the pups, but the trafficker vanished into thin air.”
“And?”
“They got a first name from one of his associates before they killed him.” Seth meets my eyes grimly.
“Andrew. He went completely underground after that. No trace, no scent trail to follow—just gone.” Seth spits into the dirt.
“And here’s the thing. Andrew Crew showed up in Turnville around the same time the other Andrew disappeared.
Same age, same description, same specialty in medicinal supplies. ”
The world starts to spin around me. Andrew. The same Andrew that Astra is with right now. The same Andrew who has been meeting with her for years, earning her trust, learning about her life.
“Same first name, Lucian. Has to be the same guy.”
“He knows what she is.” My hands clench into fists. “He knows what she is, Seth!” I stride past Seth, moving to the edge of the hill. “She told him. She trusted him with the truth about being a shifter. He’s been planning this for years.”
“Lucian—”
The pieces start falling into place with sickening clarity. “If Andrew was able to get into the Moonridge Pack’s nursery, it means he has good intel. That means he knows a lot more about shifters than any human should.” My voice grows darker. “There’s a reason why humans are kept away from us.”
Seth nods.
My mind races, putting together the horrifying picture. “As a latent shifter, Astra is useless to Andrew to sell to anybody. But if he realizes the significance of her bloodline as an alpha’s granddaughter, he may have other plans.” The realization hits me over the head. “Her children would be…”
“Pure-blooded,” Seth finishes grimly. “Worth a fortune to the right collectors.”
Shit. I rake both hands through my hair, pulling hard enough to hurt. This is worse than I thought.
“What’s your plan?” Seth asks carefully.
I open my mouth to answer, but before I can get a word out, something stops me dead in my tracks. My wolf, which has been pacing restlessly for days, suddenly goes completely still. Not calm—still. Like it’s holding its breath.
What the hell?
Then, there’s an abrupt pulse. A sudden, sharp sensation right in the center of my chest, like someone has grabbed my heart and squeezed. It’s so unexpected, so foreign, that I stumble backward.
“Lucian?” Seth’s voice sounds distant, muffled. “What’s wrong?”
I press my hand to my chest, confused and alarmed. What the fuck was that? I’ve never felt anything like it before. It’s not painful, exactly, but it’s not pleasant, either. It’s like something vital is being torn from me.
“I don’t know,” I start to say, but then it happens again.
This time, the pulse is stronger, more urgent. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.
My wolf explodes into motion inside my mind, snarling and clawing at the walls of my consciousness. It wants out. It wants out right now, and it’s furious that I’m not shifting. The animal is desperate, frantic in a way I’ve never experienced before.
“Lucian, what the hell is happening?” Seth moves toward me, concern written across his face.
The pulsing sensation occurs a third time. At this point, my wolf is angry. It is desperate to come out. Suddenly, I know. I know this is about Astra. Something is wrong with Astra.
The knowledge saps my strength, driving me to my knees. I don’t understand how, but I know it with absolute certainty. Every instinct I have is screaming that she needs help. That she’s in danger. That I need to get to her right away.
Another pulse. This one weaker, fainter. Whatever connection I’m feeling is starting to fade.
This terrifies me more than anything else.
“I have to go,” I say, already stripping off my shirt with shaking hands. “I have to get to her.”
“Lucian—”
“Now!” The word comes out as a snarl, my wolf’s desperation bleeding into my voice. “Something’s wrong!”