Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Lucifer
Five years.
For five years, I'd thought about what I'd say if I saw her again. I'd apologize. Tell her I was wrong. Beg her to forgive me. I'd imagined a thousand scenarios—her crying, screaming at me, hitting me.
I never imagined this.
She just sat there, watching me like I was a stranger.
I'd followed Liam's scent to this fast-food joint, and she was the first thing I saw. Crouched in front of Liam, hand on his shoulder, saying something. Sunlight streamed through the window, catching in her hair like liquid gold.
Then she turned. Saw me.
My breath stopped.
Lily and bay leaf slammed into me—stronger than I remembered, more real. It cut through everything else in that place—fried food, bleach, the crowd's sweat—drove straight into my lungs, into every cell in my body.
My wolf surged up, snarling.
Mate.
I'd searched for her for five years.
Five years combing every corner of Silver pine, the neighboring cities, even risking the human districts. I'd checked every record, questioned everyone who might've seen her.
She'd vanished.
And now she stood right in front of me.
She rose, instinctively shielding the little girl behind her. The girl peeked out—gray eyes rimmed with pale gold.
My heart lurched.
My daughter.
Elena's daughter. Our daughter.
"Elena." My voice came out rough. "Can we talk?"
She didn't answer. Just looked at me with that calm that terrified me.
Liam stepped between us. "Your Majesty." His tone was ice. "What do you want?"
"Liam, go home." I didn't take my eyes off Elena.
"I won't—"
"Liam." Elena's hand touched his shoulder. "Wait here with Anya, okay? I need to talk to your father."
Liam glanced between us, then nodded.
Elena bent to whisper something to the little girl—Anya—who nodded and took Liam's hand. Then Elena headed for the door.
I followed.
The street bustled with people, sunlight harsh. My car sat nearby, Marcus beside it. He opened the rear door when he saw us.
"Get in," I said.
Elena looked at the car, then back at the restaurant. Hesitated. Finally climbed in. I slid in beside her. Marcus shut the door, moved to the driver's seat, but didn't start the engine.
Silence.
I turned to her. She leaned against her door, body angled away, keeping distance. Her hands gripped her knees, knuckles white.
"Are you okay?" First thing I could think to say.
She looked at me, mouth curving—not a smile. Mockery.
"What do you think?"
My throat closed.
"Elena, I—"
"What do you want to say?" She cut me off, flat. "That you searched for five years? That you're sorry? That you were wrong?"
I opened my mouth. Every word drove needles into my heart.
"Yes." Finally. "I was wrong. Five years ago, I shouldn't have—"
"Shouldn't have thrown me out?" She took over. Same flat tone. "Shouldn't have told everyone I wasn't your mate? Shouldn't have left me kneeling in the rain, begging you to believe me?"
Each word cut like a blade.
"I'm sorry." My voice strained. "Elena, I'm sorry. I was—"
"You were what?" She turned, amber eyes boring into me. "You didn't believe me. You thought I was a liar. A half-blood!"
"That's not—"
"Then what?" Her voice rose, then dropped again. "Lucifer, do you know what happened after that day?"
My hands clenched.
"My mother threw me out." Each word precise. "Said I was a mistake. That I'd disgraced the Gray name. Then I ran to the hospital alone, with the wounds you left in my body."
My breathing quickened.
"I gave birth to Anya alone." She kept going. "Afterward, the nurses said they had to report a half-blood birth. So I took her and climbed out the window."
"Elena—"
"I didn't know where to go." Her voice shook. "I just knew if they caught us, Anya would die. So I ran. Kept running. Until I reached Silverthread Kingdom."
She paused, drew a deep breath.
"I opened a fragrance shop. Raised Anya alone. Built a business alone. Survived every night alone." She looked at me. "You know how I spent those five years?"
My hands trembled.
"I'm sorry." Only thing I could say. "I'm sorry, Elena."
"Does your sorry fix anything?" She turned away. "Five years, Lucifer. Five years."
Silence again. I stared at her profile, her trembling lashes. I wanted to reach for her, pull her close, tell her I'd searched every day, regretted every moment, thought of her constantly.
I didn't dare.
"Elena, give me a chance." My voice barely there, shaking. "Let me make it right."
She looked at me. Something flashed in her eyes, then vanished.
"Make it right?" She repeated. "How?"
"I can—" I breathed in. "I can take care of you. Both of you. You and Anya. I can give you the best life, the best—"
"I don't need it." She cut me off. Firm. "Lucifer, I'm used to this now. Used to being alone. Used to living without you."
The words hit like ice water.
My wolf howled.
"Elena—"
"And Anya doesn't need you either." She continued. "I've raised her for five years. She doesn't know you. Doesn't need to know you."
I reached for her. She pulled back. My hand hung in the air.
"Please." I heard the begging in my voice. "Elena, at least let me see her. Let me—"
"She doesn't need a father who threw her mother away." Elena opened the door. "We're leaving."
"Elena!"
She was already out. I watched her walk back to the restaurant, back straight, not looking back.
My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles went white.
Marcus glanced at me in the rear view mirror. Said nothing.
"Have someone follow her." My voice tight. "Don't let her notice. I need to know where she's staying."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I took a deep breath and got out.
Inside the restaurant, Elena held Anya's hand, heading out. Liam followed. Anya looked up at her, saying something softly. Elena bent and lifted her.
Liam saw me. His expression went cold.
"Liam," I called him.
He glanced at Elena. She nodded. Liam bit his lip, then walked over.
"Go home," I said.
"I don't want to."
"Liam—"
"I want to go with her." He looked at me, eyes red. "I want to stay with my mother."
My heart clenched.
"Liam, you're Hale's heir. You can't—"
"I don't care!" His voice rose. "I don't care about any of it! I just want to be with my mother!"
People stared. I breathed in and pushed down the surge of emotion.
"Liam, go home." My voice went cold, dropped to a warning. "That's an order."
He looked at me and wiped his tears roughly. But he turned and followed me to the car.
At the car, he looked back. Elena stood at the restaurant entrance, holding Anya, watching us. Her eyes full of sadness and longing—for Liam. Because when our gazes met, hers went cold. She turned away.
Our daughter, Anya, rested her head on Elena's shoulder. She looked at me curiously. My lips moved. I watched them disappear around the corner, fingers clenching tighter.
Liam got in, pressed against the door, face to the window. Expressionless but clearly holding something back.
I sat in the back and breathed in deeply.
"Marcus, drive." My usual cold tone returned.
"Yes."
The engine started. We pulled into traffic. I checked the rear view mirror—Liam still staring out, jaw tight. My wolf felt like it had lost half its life. Collapsed in my consciousness, whimpering.
Mate, my wolf moaned.
The car stopped. Liam bolted out. I got out, watched him go, told Marcus:
"Dig up everything on Elena from these years. Every detail."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
I walked inside—my base in the human district. Sat in the study, eyes closed. Half an hour later, my phone buzzed. Marcus's file.
I opened it and read line by line.
Elena Windsor. Owner of a fragrance shop, Windsor Fragrances, in Rivervale, Silverthread Kingdom.
Five years in business, thriving, well-known in Silverthread Kingdom.
Recently returned to Silver pine, planning a new store.
Location secured on a commercial corner. Currently negotiating with suppliers.
My finger stopped on "negotiating."
She was staying in Silver pine.
My pulse quickened.
That meant I still had a chance.
I looked out the window. Sunset bleeding gold and red across the sky.
I won't give up, Elena.
Not this time.
Never again.