Lucas detected a fruity, mouthwatering aroma that made him restless. He couldn't concentrate on the workout. He sniffed the air, looking around the training ground. All he saw were warriors practicing combat.
"What are you looking at?" Zane asked. He became curious, looking at his serious look. He wanted to know what had piqued his interest.
Lucas did not respond. He continued to look around, sniffing the air.
"Are you okay, buddy?" Zane tapped him on the shoulder, frowning.
"She is here." That's what he said before rushing away.
"Who? Lucas…"
Lucas didn't stop. He sniffed and ran towards the source of the smell. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw Cecilia approaching the packhouse. His lips curled involuntarily into a smile as he stepped toward her. When he saw her stop on the track, he also ceased his steps.
Lub-Dub-Lub-Dub-Lub-Dub…
His heart pounded inside his ribcage.
He became enthralled with her beauty and smell. He wanted to take her in his arms and proclaim his love. But all he did was stare at her, smiling stupidly.
However, his smile began to wane as he saw her puzzled look. Her face soon turned gloomy, and her eyes clouded with rage.
Lucas frowned, dumbfounded at the quick change in her expression. His heart dropped to his stomach when he realized she was not happy.
His wolf whined in agony.
He stood there speechless as she dashed into the house. He ran after her.
"Lucas…" Zane's voice from behind made him halt his steps.
He watched her walk into the kitchen, his heart trembling with trepidation. He was afraid she would reject him.
"Why did you come back all of a sudden?" Zane asked. He followed his gaze, only to see a few servants cleaning the hall. "What is the matter?" He grew worried, looking at his pale face.
"She is not happy with me," Lucas mumbled.
"Who?"
"My mate."
"Is she here?" Zane looked into the kitchen and saw a young woman with Linde. He craned his neck to look for Eleanor, but she was not there. "Has she come alone? Where is Eleanor?"
"I don't know," Lucas grumbled and dashed away.
"Lucas…" Before Zane could stop him, Lucas ran farther away from him. "Shit…" he cursed and returned his focus to the kitchen, wondering why Eleanor had not come.
"Is she mad at me?" He mumbled, his eyes clouded with worry. He proceeded to his room sullenly.
In the kitchen…
"Good morning, Cecilia," Linde greeted her with a smile. "How is your mother?"
Cecilia regarded her with a squint. She heard Linde treating Eleanor the wrong way. She was also aware of her scathing remarks about Eleanor. The fake smile on her face added to her fury.
"I am not Eleanor," she snarled. "Your phony smile and sweet words will not win me over. You can't make me do whatever you want. Anyway, I am not here to work. I came to inform Alpha that Eleanor is not well. So, don't expect me to help you in the kitchen."
She turned to leave but paused and looked back at her. "If you mess with me or Eleanor, you can't have the herbs for free."
She strode out of the kitchen, her lips quirking into a mischievous grin.
Linde felt a flash of irritation. She couldn't take it when a young lady humiliated her. She cupped her fist with the other hand and glared at her retreating form.
She liked Cecilia because of Valeria's friendly nature. She became happy to see her. But Cecilia's hostile attitude infuriated her. She blamed Eleanor for the whole thing.
"Eleanor is a bitch. She has no qualms about slandering me. Let her come. I will put her in her place." She slammed her fist into her palm.
Cecilia came to the backyard and inhaled the fresh air deeply. She instantly froze as she smelled the same musky scent that she had detected earlier when she had entered the packhouse premises. The smell made her intoxicated and restless at the same time.
She slowly twirled as she looked around. Her wandering gaze settled on Lucas, who stood beside a tree, staring at her. She skipped a few beats in a row, her stomach knotting. She had a strong desire to rush to him and hug him tightly. But at the same time, she felt the need to hide from him. These contradictory feelings made her uneasy.
She turned around to flee.
Lucas ran over to her with lightning speed and grabbed her wrist.
"Get off of me," she yelled, yanking her hand back. She took a quick step back.
"Why? I know you can feel it."
Cecilia grew restless, a cold sweat forming on her brow. Her breathing quickened.
"Are you going to reject me?" Lucas asked, his heart trembling with trepidation.
"No…" Cecilia exclaimed almost immediately.
"Then why are you upset with me?" Lucas inched towards her.
"Because I feel guilty." Cecilia hung her head down, her face pale in shame. She didn't want to admit that she had a crush on Zane and fantasized about him. She felt she had betrayed her mate.
"What makes you feel guilty?"
"It's all because of you," she barked, glaring at him.
"Because of me!" Lucas directed his fingers towards himself, dumbfounded.
"Yes… You moron." She smacked him across the arm.
"Ouch…" Lucas wrinkled his brow and took a step back, rubbing his arm. He couldn't figure out why she became violent suddenly.
"You scumbag… I will thrash you until you bleed." She kept slapping him across the arms and chest.
"Alright." Lucas grabbed her hands and drew her in closer. He took her in his arms in an instant.
"Let go of me." She twisted her body.
"Calm down, darling," he cooed.
Cecilia stopped wriggling after a while, her arms gradually wrapping around his waist.
Lucas smiled and hugged her tighter. "Care to tell me why you are so mad at me."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She pouted, giving him an unpleasant look.
"You were only 15 when I found out about it," Lucas murmured, his gaze full of love when he looked down at her. "You didn't feel the bond. I didn't want to scare you."
He reached out to push a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "I have been waiting for you to turn 18 and feel the bond. But I am quite surprised." He squinted at her. "Your birthday is next week."
"I am equally astonished by the sweet smell," she responded. "I became restless when I realized it was coming from you."
"You don't like me."
"That is not the case." She grimaced, freeing herself from his embrace. "I have a crush on someone." She pulled her eyes down to the ground, remorseful. "I wouldn't have fantasized about him if I had known about you."
Lucas had the impression that his heart had stopped beating. His wolf cried in agony.
"Who is that?" He grumbled, clenching his fist.
"Why are you angry now?" Cecilia snarled, raising her fiery gaze to him. "It is entirely your fault. You make me feel awful. You make me feel guilty." She turned aside and crossed her arms over her chest.
Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. He realized that she had not fallen in love with someone. All she had was a crush on someone. It did not matter to him. What mattered to him was that she could finally feel the bond.
"I am sorry." He turned her towards him, holding her shoulders. "Don't be mad at me." He drew her into his embrace. "I am happy that you finally feel the bond. Nothing matters to me now. Just don't fall in love with anyone but me."
Cecilia hugged him back, a smile crossing her lips. "How could I possibly fall in love with another man when I have my mate?"
"Oh, darling." Lucas cupped her face and kissed her passionately.
Cecilia had to stand on her toes and snake her arms around his neck to reach his lips.
Lucas wrapped his arms around her lower back and lifted her off her feet as he deepened the kiss.