Chapter 142
Lily POV
After I heard the definitive click of the door’s lock, I immediately got to work.
I tore at the tape covering my mouth, wincing as it pulled at my skin. Finally, I managed to peel it off, gasping for air.
My mind raced as I tried to make sense of everything. Lucas hadn’t taken me to Golden Moon as he’d said. We were somewhere isolated, somewhere no one would think to look. The packs were territorial—they rarely ventured far from their lands. If we were truly in neutral territory, as Lucas suggested, my chances of being found decreased dramatically.
I got up from the bed and rushed to the window, pulling back the thin curtain. Nothing but darkness greeted me, along with the occasional headlights of a passing car. The house appeared to be on some highway, surrounded by nothing but trees. No landmarks I recognized, no signs indicating where we might be.
Letting the curtain fall back into place, I sank down onto the edge of the bed. I needed to be smart about this. Lucas had made a mistake in removing my restraints earlier—he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. But he’d also revealed something important: he was afraid of Vanessa.
He had to be careful about it because if she knew he was still contacting me, she might influence Alpha Gregory to take away his right as an Alpha. To the best of my knowledge, he wasn’t still the bonafide Alpha of Golden moon, so for now, he needs to keep buttering up to them.
I thought about Celeste, if I could somehow get a message to her p>
I tried to remember if she had sent her birds after we said our goodbyes in front of my house on the day I was supposed to meet with Kai, but I’m sure she didn’t. Otherwise, the birds could have warned her at least.
If I could somehow get a message to her p>
I glanced around the room, searching for anything I could use. A phone, a computer, even paper and pen to write a note.. But Lucas had been thorough. The room was stripped of anything useful.
My gaze landed on the bathroom door. At least I could wash my face, clear my head. As I stood, my legs wobbled beneath me, reminding me how exhausted I truly was. The emotional toll of the day had drained whatever energy reserves I had left.
I stumbled to the bathroom, flicking on the light. The face that stared back at me from the cracked mirror was almost unrecognizable. My hair was disheveled, eyes red and puffy from crying, a red mark around my mouth where the tape had been.
“Pull yourself together, Lily,” I whispered to my reflection. “You’re stronger than this. You’re smarter than him p>
I splashed cold water on my face, the shock of it bringing me fully back to my senses. One thing was certain: I wouldn’t be the helpless victim Lucas thought I was. He might have taken me from my home, might have brought me to this unknown place, but he had underestimated me.
And that would be his downfall.
I returned to the bed, sitting cross-legged as I formulated a plan. Lucas thought he had won, thought he had broken me. Let him think that. Let him believe I was defeated, compliant.
It would make his surprise all the greater when I finally made my move.
The next day, I sat quietly on the bed, my back pressed against the soft headboard, eyes fixed on the locked door. My entire body felt sore from sleeping in the same tense position all night. I hadn’t been able to sleep much anyway—not with everything circling in my head like a storm, not with the image of Lucas’ smug face flashing every time I closed my eyes.But last night, I had made up my mind. I couldn’t afford to keep fighting him head-on. That wasn’t going to get me out of here.If I wanted to escape, if I wanted even the smallest chance, I had to be smarter than him. I had to make him trust me enough to drop his guard.Lucas was egotiscal. If I could satisfy him at least, make him feel like he has the upper hand and make sure he loses his guard around me, then I could escape. The room’s door was too strong to escape. The single window in the room was nothing but glass and it’s been showing the same scenery from last night. So, I couldn’t tell if it was real or some animation added there to deceive me. In any case, I decided I was going to try to capitalize on our past relationship before by being the calm, compliant girl he knew me as. When I heard the key turn in the lock, I sat up straight, smoothing down my hair and forcing my face into what I hoped was a pleasant expression. The door swung open, and Lucas appeared, holding a paper bag that smelled like breakfast.”Good morning,” he said, sounding almost cheerful as he closed the door behind him. “I brought food.”I nodded, trying to look grateful despite the tape still covering my mouth. He noticed and set the bag down on the small table by the window.He raised a brow, clearly not expecting that. “Well, someone’s in a better mood today,” he said. “Let’s get that off you,” he added, approaching me slowly as if expecting resistance.I remained perfectly still as his fingers worked at the edge of the tape. This time, he removed it gently, probably to avoid the red marks it had left yesterday.”Thank you,” I said softly, rubbing my lips where the adhesive had pulled at my skin.His brow furrowed with suspicion. “For what?”“For the food, for… all this,” I gestured vaguely around the room. “I realize I wasn’t very appreciative yesterday.”He crossed his arms and stared at me, as if trying to figure out what game I was playing. “That’s a change.”I gave a little laugh. “I guess I just needed some time to think. Everything was… overwhelming.”His posture relaxed slightly, but he was still wary. “And now?”I took a deep breath, steadying myself for the performance of my life. “I want to apologize for last night.”His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Oh?””I was upset and scared,” I continued, making my voice sound small and regretful. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. The truth is… I’m grateful for everything you’ve done.”Lucas’s expression shifted from suspicion to satisfaction, his ego clearly stroked by my words. “Are you now?”I nodded, lowering my eyes submissively. “You’ve given me food, water… You could have been much crueler, but you weren’t.”He sat down on the edge of the bed, close enough that I could smell his cologne, and I fought the urge to recoil. Instead, I leaned slightly toward him, as if drawn to his presence.”I’ve been thinking a lot about… everything,” I said cautiously. “And I was wondering, what are your plans? Are you trying to leave the Golden Moon behind? Start a life here in this town with me?”I was hoping he might slip and mention our location, give me some clue as to where we were, but Lucas wasn’t that careless.”I’m happy you’re coming to your senses, Lily. But you don’t need to know every little thing right now.” he said, ignoring my question entirely. His hand reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face, and it took every ounce of willpower not to flinch. “It makes things much easier for both of us.”My stomach dropped, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I forced a smile, though my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. “I guess you’re right. I’ve been difficult. I’m trying. I just… I need to understand what happens next.”Lucas studied my face for what felt like an eternity, as if searching for any sign of deception. Finally, he seemed satisfied with what he saw.”If you’ve truly reconsidered how terrible you’ve acted towards me,” he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “and if you’re genuinely sorry for your behavior, then there’s something I want from you.”A chill ran down my spine, but I maintained my facade. “What is it?”His eyes darkened slightly and I could see the hunger and desire behind them. “I want to mark you p>