Chapter 43: Chapter 43; I love being a rogue

Alina’s POV

"Lucian," the rogue growled as he slowly loosened his grip on my neck.

The moment his hand left my throat, I shoved him away with all my strength. He hissed at me and lunged forward again.

"I said let her go!" Lucian roared.

His fist connected hard with the rogue’s face, sending him flying backward. Lucian turned to me instantly, his eyes filled with worry.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.

I was still breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling fast. My hands trembled as I touched my sore neck.

"I... I’m fine," I stuttered.

If he hadn’t come when he did, I don’t know what would’ve happened. I would probably be dead right now.

"What are you doing, Lucian?" the rogue said, confusion clear in his voice as he pushed himself up. "She is a trespasser. She can’t be here."

"I brought her here," Lucian snapped, annoyance flashing across his face. "So you can’t lay a single hand on her."

"You brought an omega here?" The rogue looked shocked. "How is this possible? No outsiders are allowed. You made that rule yourself."

"Go back inside, Daniel," Lucian ordered. "And stop asking me useless questions." He turned to me, his tone softening. "Let’s go, Alina."

I nodded quietly. Before I could even take a step, Lucian lifted me up effortlessly into his arms and carried me back inside the house.

As soon as we reached the room, he gently placed me on the bed. He didn’t shout. He didn’t ask why I tried to run. He simply walked over to the counter, grabbed the first aid kit, and came back.

That was when I noticed my legs. They were badly scraped and bleeding from the jump.

Lucian knelt down in front of me without a word and started cleaning my wounds carefully. His touch was surprisingly gentle. When he finished, he looked up at me with a small smile.

"All done," he said softly.

I stared at him, surprised. "You aren’t mad that I tried to escape?"

He shook his head, still smiling. "No. There is nothing you could do that would make me mad at you, Alina. You are always going to be perfect to me."

My heart squeezed at his words. He stood up and added, "I’ll go make another meal for you and clean up the mess. Stay here."

Once he walked out, I let out a long, heavy sigh. I didn’t have my phone. There was no way to contact anyone.

Leo...

I hope he’s safe. Aiden is his father — he’ll protect his son. But Emily... she hates me. And that means she probably hates Leo too. If she tries to hurt him, I will never forgive myself. I’ll make sure she pays for laying a hand on my son.

A few minutes later, Lucian returned with a tray. On it were toasted bread and scrambled eggs.

"I’m not the best cook," he said, looking a little shy, "but I promise to get you something better in the morning. It’s too late for takeout now."

He handed me the tray. I took it and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He gave me the cutest nod in return.

I took a bite of the toast. It was warm and actually tasted good. Hunger took over, and I ate every single bite on the tray.

"Have this," Lucian said, handing me a glass of orange juice.

I took it and drank every drop, the cool liquid soothing my dry throat. He sat on the couch across from me and faced me directly. The room grew quiet. His eyes stayed locked on me, intense and unwavering.

"Is there anything you want to ask about me?" he said softly. "Get to know me better?"

There was something I wanted to know. I wasn’t jealous... or at least I told myself I wasn’t. I just needed to understand.

"What’s your relationship with Emily?" I asked, watching his reaction closely.

He clearly wasn’t expecting that question. His eyes widened slightly for a second before he recovered.

"I mean, if you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine," I added quickly.

Lucian leaned back a little. "We were fuck buddies," he said bluntly. "She wanted to have sex with me after a fight she had with Aiden, just to piss him off. And after that... we kept doing it."

"Still?" I asked, raising my left brow.

"Oh, not still," he said immediately, shaking his head. "I don’t do that with her anymore."

I stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "I thought she loved Aiden."

A sharp, jagged laugh escaped him. "Emily doesn’t love anyone. She only cares about herself — what she can lose or gain. Aiden is just too dumb to realize it. But honestly... I’m glad he didn’t. How else would I be able to be with the love of my life if he was smart enough to never let you go?"

A smirk played on his lips as he said those words. My stomach did a strange flip.

"Do you like being a rogue?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Of course," he answered without hesitation. "It’s freedom. I love every moment of it. I don’t have to live by anyone’s rules."

I hesitated before asking the next question. "Why do you guys hate us so much?"

The smile on his face slowly faded away. His expression turned serious.

"I don’t hate you, Alina. You are special to me," he said, his voice softening. "But yes... we do hate the rest of the world. Because every one of us here has a story. We were wrongly judged and crucified without anyone giving us a fair chance to explain ourselves."

I swallowed hard. "What were you accused of?"

"Killing an alpha," he replied, a smirk creeping back onto his lips. "I was accused of killing an alpha and his entire family."

He said it with no remorse in his tone.

My heart beat faster. "Did you do it?"

Lucian looked straight into my eyes, that same smirk still playing on his lips.

"What do you think?" he asked.