Chapter 171
Lucas POV
Abel looked between us; his features were scrunched into confusion. “What’s going on?” he asked, his hand still hovering over his phone. “Luna Vanessa, what do you need to tell me p>
I shot my mate a warning glance, silently reminding her of everything we’d planned. All the careful preparations, the documents Kevin had procured, our strategy to throw the Alpha Council off my back—all of it rested on her cooperation. But the hardness in her eyes told me she was having second thoughts about our arrangement.
“Lucas didn’t just—” Vanessa began, but before she could continue, the double doors to the main hall burst open.
Alpha Gregory, Vanessa’s father and my father-in-law, strode into the room with the commanding presence that had made him one of the most respected—and feared—Alphas in the region before he passed leadership to me.
From the way he stomped, I knew he was angry. Someone had clearly pissed him off.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me, his expression went from shock to cold fury in a few seconds.
“What the hell is he doing here?” he growled, pointing at me as his eyes narrowed with disdain. “Isn’t he supposed to be dead p>
“Father,” Vanessa started, taking a step toward him. “I can explain p>
“Lucas,” Alpha Gregory cut her off, his voice was filled with fury as he addressed me directly. “I thought you were finally dead. Seems the universe isn’t that merciful after all p>
I forced a respectful smile, though being spoken to this way by anyone, even him, rankled my pride. “Alpha Gregory. Good to see you too. I understand there’s been some confusion about my whereabouts p>
“Get lost,” he interrupted bluntly. “Get out of my sight and out of this territory before I finish what Kai Ryker apparently failed to do p>
My Beta, Abel stepped back, clearly uncomfortable being caught between the entire drama happening. “Sir, I was just about to contact the Alpha Council to inform them of Lucas’s return p>
“The Alpha Council,” Alpha Gregory scoffed, his attention shifting to his daughter. “They’ve had their radar on our pack ever since your mate decided to kidnap another Alpha’s mate. Do you have any idea the diplomatic nightmare this has created? The alliances that have been strained? Do you know what cans of worms this stupidity of your mate can open p>
He turned to Vanessa, pointing an accusatory finger. “You need to reject him. Now. Break the mate bond and be done with this disaster once and for all p>
Vanessa’s face paled. “Father, I can’t just p>
“You can and you will,” he insisted. “This boy has been nothing but trouble from the moment you bonded with him. I told you then he wasn’t worthy of being your mate, let alone Alpha of this pack. Now look where we are p>
I stepped forward, keeping my voice calm and reasonable. “Father, I understand your concerns. There have been… misunderstandings. But I’ve returned with evidence that will clear my name. I was framed for what happened with Lily p>
“Silence!” Alpha Gregory roared, his eyes flashing with power that made even me take an instinctive step back. “I don’t want to hear a single word from your lying mouth. I’ve tolerated you all these months because of my daughter, but this is the final straw p>
He turned back to Vanessa. “Hurry up and reject him. There’s enough witness here. Go ahead p>
Vanessa’s hands clenched into fists at her sides, her entire body began to tremble. I could feel her distress through our bond—her conflicted loyalty, her love for me warring with her growing awareness of what I’d done. For a moment, I feared she might actually comply with her father’s demand.
Instead, she exploded.
“I will NEVER leave Lucas!” she screamed, the force of her emotion making both her father and Abel to flinch. “I love him! I’ve always loved him, even when he doesn’t deserve it p>
I smiled.
The rawness in her voice struck something deep within me. Despite everything, despite her anger at my actions with Lily, her love for me remained unshaken. It was both humbling and empowering.
Alpha Gregory rolled his eyes, this wasn’t the first time Vanessa would create a scene to get what she actually wanted and there was nothing Gregory hated more than to see her cry. Vanessa was spoilt, so she knew exactly how to manipulate her father.
“Fine,” he said with a exasperation. “You want to stand by this… fool? Then at least have the decency to tell me the truth. All of it. What really happened with Lily?” He took a step towards his daughter. “Don’t lie to Daddy, baby, tell me everything p>
Vanessa looked at me, she had a conflicting look in her eyes. Through our mate bond, I could feel her inner battle—loyalty to me against her growing conviction that the truth needed to be acknowledged. I gave her a small nod, conceding that at this point, honesty might be our only viable strategy.
“I need to check up on the warriors assigned to the borders of the pack. It’s almost time for a new shift to start,” Abel stammered. “Please may I leave p>
“Of course, please go ahead,” I nodded and watched with another hidden amused smile how he almost broke into a run as he ran out of the office.
Vanessa in turn took a deep breath and turned to face her father. “Lucas is still obsessed with Lily. Despite being married to me, I know he wishes I were her every day p>
Alpha Gregory’s expression remained impassive, waiting for her to continue.
“He still loves her dad,” tears gathered in Vanessa’s eyes. “Despite everything I’ve done for him, he still loves her and want to be with her p>
“How do you know this, Vanessa?” I asked quietly. “I mean, you got your information from Kai Ryker and everyone knows he doesn’t like me or our pack. He could be lying p>
“Lying?” Vanessa scoffed. “Lily said you kidnapped her and tried to force her to mate with you so you can mark her. Are you trying to replace me, Lucas? After everything?” I could feel her pain through our bond.
“I am not replacing you, Nessa,” I said soothingly “And I have no idea what Lily is trying to say. Have you ever stopped to wonder that this might be a ploy by her? Remember I rejected her to be with you. This might be a way for her to revenge, hiding under the shadows of Kai Ryker? Haven’t you stopped to consider that p>
Vanessa’s eyes flickered quietly for a few moment, I knew she was considering what I just said. “There’s no way she would do that. She’s found her mate and he loves her so much that he came here to confront you. I saw the way he was, a man can only be that way with you if he loves you so much p>
“Nessa,” I sighed and walked over to where she was standing, cupping her face with my hands and wiping the tear that had rolled down to her cheek. “I love you so much. I rejected Lily because I wanted to be with you p>
“Why?” her father demanded.
My gaze dropped to the floor. His question caught me off-guard.
“Go ahead and tell me why you love my daughter so much. Lily couldn’t have been lying, Lucas. She cannot make up all the stories, the wounds and everything. I went to the said place you kidnapped her and kept and your scent was all over the place p>
“It wasn’t me, father,” I sighed. “I have proof to show I was at the Alpha Summit. You could make a few calls to confirm that p>
Gregory scoffed and shook his head before turning to his daughter. “You told me once that you think Lucas still have feelings for Lily, didn’t you p>
Vanessa shot me a glance and then nodded, lowering her head.
“Don’t say that, Nessa,” I snickered. “I don’t have feelings for Lily p>
“She said you were asking a bunch of questions about Lily p>
My gaze darted to Vanessa. “C’mon, when I asked those questions, it was because I was genuinely curious. Nothing else p>
“That’s not true, Lucas,” Vanessa murmured. “I thought getting married and finally marking each other would fade your obsession for Lily but nothing changed much p>
The admission hung in the air. It was true – our mate bond had suffered these few months due to my fixation on Lily and Vanessa had endured it all.
Alpha Gregory turned to me, his eyes had gone cold. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Lucas, did you kidnap Lily or not? You’d better tell me the truth, or else you’ll fall apart when you face the Alpha Council. You have no idea what those Alphas are capable of doing to get the truth p>
I stared at Alpha Gregory for a minute, contemplating if I should come clean or not. In the end, I choose half-truth.