Chapter 50: Chapter 50: I will get her back

Lucian’s POV

Alina is still here. The thought hit me like a punch. I was sure Boca had kept her away.

"You both should please stop," she cried. Her voice broke, and I shoved Aiden back without thinking. I rushed to her side and pulled her close. "You promised you wouldn’t fight," she added. Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Alina, you shouldn’t be here," I said, my chest tight. "You need to leave this place right now."

Before I could finish, Aiden’s hand clamped onto my shoulder. He yanked me backward so hard I flew across the room, but I landed on my feet. My eyes locked on him. No way am I letting him take her.

"Don’t you dare touch her!" I growled. I leaped at him, fists flying. My claws slashed across his body, but he shoved me off and slammed me to the ground.

"I will kill myself if you both don’t stop!" Alina screamed.

We both froze and turned to her. My stomach dropped. She held a sharp knife against her neck, the blade already pressing into her skin.

"I promise I will split my neck open if you don’t stop," she said, voice shaking but steady. "That’s a warning."

"Okay, fine," I said quickly, my hands raised. "I’ll stop. Just... drop that. Please."

"Lucian is right," Aiden added, his face pale. "Drop it."

She watched us for a second, then slowly lowered the knife and let it fall to the floor.

"You both don’t need to fight, okay?" Her voice was calmer now, but her hands still trembled.

"Alina, I can’t let him take you away," I said. The words came out rough and possessive.

"No one is taking me away," she replied. Relief washed over me for a split second—until she added, "I’m going with him."

My eyes widened. "Alina, you can’t do this." My fists clenched so tight my knuckles ached. "You can’t go with him."

"You have to trust me, Lucian." Her gaze softened. "I have to go. Leo is still there. My son... he’s important to me." She turned to Aiden. "If I go with you, will you end this? Will you stop the fighting?"

"Yes," he answered. "So come with me." He stretched his hand toward her.

My wolf surged forward. I shoved him back hard. "You can’t take her! Never!"

"Lucian..." Alina called softly. She stepped closer and took my hand, her fingers warm against my skin. She reached up and gently caressed my face. "You trust me, right? And you obey me, right?"

I swallowed hard. "I do trust you. But it’s him I don’t trust." My voice came out low and fierce, the obsession burning in every word.

"You need to trust me when I say nothing will happen, okay?" Alina said softly. "I know what I’m doing." She gave me a warm smile that made my chest ache. "Just obey me like you always do and let me go."

"But if they try—"

"I won’t let them make me their slave. I promise." Her eyes were steady, full of determination. "And I know you won’t be too far from me. I want this fight to end now, so please... let me go."

I searched her face. She was set on this, and the memory of that knife against her neck still burned in my mind. I couldn’t risk her hurting herself.

"Okay... fine," I said at last, my voice heavy. "You can go with him."

"I knew you would understand me." She smiled again.

I forced a smile back, but it didn’t reach my eyes.

"The fight is over," I growled to my men. They slowly retreated, eyes wary.

I turned to Aiden. He stood clutching his ribs, breathing hard. "I promise this won’t be our last fight," I said, my tone cold and hard. "If you lay a single hand on Alina, I will break you."

Aiden scoffed, but I didn’t wait for his reply. I stepped close to Alina, cupped her face, and pressed a deep kiss to her lips.

"Bye for now," I whispered against her mouth.

I turned and ran. The shift tore through me mid-stride, bones cracking, fur ripping out. I landed on all fours and howled—a raw, painful sound that echoed through the trees. My paws pounded the ground faster and faster, but my heart stayed behind with her.

This wasn’t the plan. I didn’t want her there. But what choice did I have?

***

"What do you mean my sister went with him?" Boca roared. Anger twisted his face as he smashed a chair against the wall, then hurled a lamp across the room. Glass shattered everywhere. "You were supposed to protect her!"

"Alina told me to trust her... and I do," I said quietly.

Boca spun toward me, eyes blazing. "You know how wicked that man is! You know what he’s capable of, and you still let my sister go with him?" His voice cracked with fury. "What if something bad happens? Who’s going to be responsible for that?"

"Nothing will happen. I assure you." I kept my voice firm. "I let her go so she could reach her son. We’ll go back there soon. And when we do, we’ll burn that place to ashes. They’ll all come crashing down."

I clenched my jaw, staring into the distance.

I’ll be back for you, Alina.

Boca paced the room like a caged animal, his chest heaving. Broken pieces of wood and glass crunched under his boots with every step.

"I still don’t like this," he muttered. "Not one bit."

I stayed quiet for a moment, staring out the cracked window into the dark forest. My body still ached from the fight, but the real pain sat deep in my chest.

"Neither do I," I admitted. "Every second she’s with him feels like knives in my gut. But she made her choice. And she was ready to spill her own blood to make us stop." I turned to face him. "I won’t let her down. We give her time to reach Leo. Then we strike."

Boca stopped pacing and looked at me, his eyes still burning with anger. "And if he touches her before then?"

My claws slipped out without me meaning to. I retracted them slowly. "Then I’ll rip his throat out the moment I see him. No warnings. No mercy."

A heavy silence filled the room. I walked over to the table and unrolled the old map we kept of Aiden’s territory. My finger pressed hard on the main building marked in red.