Lucien's POV
I cursed under my breath as I rubbed at my eyes, blinking hard until the burning from the sand finally eased. Rage coursed through me in violent tides.
If I did not love her, I would have punished her without hesitation for what she had dared to do.
How dare she defy me like this?
She had spoken back to me, raised her voice, and had sworn at me.
That alone was enough to shock me. She had never done that before. She had always been quiet, reserved, and cautious around me. Always lowering her gaze. Always careful with her words.
But tonight, she looked me in the eyes and challenged me.
My hands curled slowly at my sides.
It was not just anger that twisted inside my chest. It was disbelief and a humiliating sting I had never felt before.
I am the heir to the throne, the future Alpha, and I was not blind to my own worth. I knew I was handsome, and so did every girl in Moonshade. They had thrown themselves at me since I was old enough to understand what power did to people.
They smiled when I entered a room. Found excuses to brush past me. But Sansa wasn't affected by my charm.
And the worst part was that she was an Omega, the lowest-ranked wolf. And the only one I had ever truly desired and pursued for a relationship. Yet she rejected me.
She had always been like this, always dodging me, and somehow whenever I was close to having her, close to kissing her, someone interrupted us and she fled.
And tonight, of all nights, when I finally had a chance to hold her, to kiss her, after it felt like she had avoided me all day and night, she behaved this way.
And it confused the hell out of me. Why didn't she want me?
I had offered her a life that people would beg for. A future filled with protection, luxury, security. Everything she lacked. And she rejected it like it meant nothing.
Yet even with how she behaved, my feet carried me forward, not able to help follow the direction in which she had fled. It had always been like that with her.
Disappearing, so I could come chase her.
It started the day I was training secretly in the forest.
I had gone alone, pushing myself harder than usual, when I got wounded and bled for hours with no one there to rush me to the pack doctor. I still remembered the sharp pain in my leg, the blood soaking through my clothes, and then she appeared out of nowhere and saved me.
I was almost losing consciousness, but I could still remember how her hands jolted electricity through my body. How her touch lingered and stirred something in me.
How perfect she looked. Moonshade had always had pretty women, but Sansa's beauty was from another world entirely.
I still remembered how she ran frantically to look for herbs, then came back and cleaned the wound. She pressed leaves and crushed herbs against my leg until the bleeding slowed. And somehow it worked. Then she sat beside me, watching me until the guards found us.
And it was from that moment she lodged herself in my mind.
She lived in the bush, so I assumed she was an omega. Omegas were usually found hovering around places like that. And because I didn't feel the warmth or vibrance I associated with stronger ranks, I convinced myself she had to be one. Still, it didn't stop me from loving her the way I did.
I went back to the woods to find her and brought her to Moonshade.
I gave her the best of what I could. I even offered her a place to stay, but she refused. She appreciated that I helped her go to school, yes, but she insisted on working to make her own living.
An omega who shunned the comfort of the heir's life. I found her foolish for that, yet intriguing and beautiful still.
Anyone else would have clung to it, would have melted at the sight of power offered freely by the prince's side. Especially an omega given the opportunity.
But not Sansa.
Not the girl who had marked my heart without permission. It made me want to claim her even more.
And I tried. Goddess, I tried my best to be there for her in every way I could. But no matter what I did, it felt like she never saw me the way I saw her.
And I wouldn't let that continue.
I almost cursed the Moon Goddess for not making her my mate, though even if she had, my father would never have approved. Especially now, when that fool of a stepbrother threatened my position as sole heir.
That was why I was with Chelly Morgan.
And luckily, we were mates.
Chelly, sweet, beautiful, hot, everything a man could desire in a woman. Just as Sansa had said. But I didn't love her. Not the way I loved Sansa.
I only needed Chelly as my wife. As my Luna. So my brother wouldn't take what was meant to be mine.
But first, I had to make sure Sansa wasn't mated to anyone and was mine to claim.
I had planned to keep her hidden, to protect her, to make her mine completely. And now she was running from me.
Chelly too, the girl I was supposed to mark, was nowhere to be found. As if my evening couldn't get any worse.
"What the fuck is wrong with these women?" I growled under my breath, ruffling my hair in frustration.
I'd think about Chelly later. I needed to find Sansa and marry her, to make whatever mate bond she had with someone else void. She was meant for me, and she would be mine.
"Sansa, you can't run from me," I yelled as I strolled through the woods. I didn't need to stress myself. I knew the direction she was taking thanks to my wolf, who was listening for her footsteps. "Can't you see I'm doing this because I love you?" I scoffed softly.
Did she really think she could escape me?
I was about to pursue her when someone stopped me in my tracks.
"Your Majesty," a voice interrupted, pulling me from the chase.
I turned sharply, anger flaring as I glared at the intruder. It was a guard.
"The king sent for you," he said, bowing slightly.
"What is this about?" I snapped.
"It concerns your brother. He wishes to speak with both of you."
I groaned, cursing inwardly.
Why couldn't my father just leave the bastard alone? He didn't even want the throne. Why couldn't he focus on me? Why was he forcing us into this, locking us in a box and demanding we choose?
I needed to find Sansa.
I needed to marry her before Chelly, so she would be mine. And I needed to wed Chelly before my brother ever found a bride, though that seemed unlikely, since he clearly had no interest in becoming king.
But then again, one couldn't be too certain. And my father would never stop pushing.
"I'll get you, Sansa," I muttered. "And I'll make you mine, whether you want it or not."
I turned away from the direction she continued sprinting toward.
"Let's go," I said coldly, following the guard.