Chapter 6 Chapter 6 She'll Be Back

Lucian's POV

I woke to the gentle rays of morning light filtering through unfamiliar curtains. For a moment, I was disoriented until I remembered I was in Heidi's guest room.

Last night had been... complicated. When Heidi called, sobbing that she was having another episode, I'd rushed over without hesitation.

Heidi had reappeared in my life three months ago with a diagnosis that left me speechless: Lunar Decay-a rare and fatal condition unique to our kind.

There is no effective treatment. Current medications can only slow the progression. Most cases end in death within a year of diagnosis.

I once turned her away because of my grandfather's orders. I know she spiraled afterward-became withdrawn, angry, even reckless.

I've been trying to make up for it ever since. It's my responsibility.

When I arrived, she'd been fragile, vulnerable-clinging to me as though I were her lifeline.

Later, as her tears subsided, something shifted. Her touches became lingering, purposeful. Her whispered "stay with me tonight" carried unmistakable invitation.

I'd frozen, unable to cross that line. The image of Allison's face had flashed through my mind-her warm amber eyes filled with hurt and betrayal.

Without fully understanding why, I'd gently extracted myself from Heidi's embrace and retreated to the guest room instead.

"Lucian?" Heidi's melodic voice called through the door. "Breakfast is ready."

I found her in the kitchen, looking delicate in a pale blue dress, her blonde curls perfectly styled despite the early hour. The table was set with fresh fruit, pastries, and eggs benedict-a decent attempt at my preferred breakfast.

"You shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," I said, taking a seat. "You should be resting."

"Taking care of you makes me happy," she replied, her ice-blue eyes warming as she watched me expectantly. "Try the hollandaise. I followed a special recipe."

I took a bite, but something was... off. The sauce was too lemony, the eggs overcooked. I managed a polite smile and ate a few more bites before setting down my fork. My appetite had vanished.

"Is something wrong?" Heidi asked, her expression falling.

"No, it's fine," I lied smoothly. "I'm just not very hungry this morning. Pack business on my mind."

I couldn't explain that I'd grown accustomed to a different taste-to perfectly poached eggs with hollandaise sauce that had just the right balance of butter and lemon, to coffee brewed to precisely the strength I preferred.

After making sure Heidi had taken her medication, I left for the office, Fenrir unusually quiet within me.

The Storm Pack headquarters dominated the downtown skyline, a gleaming testament to generations of business acumen. As Alpha, I managed both the corporate empire and pack affairs from my top-floor office suite.

The familiar hum of productivity greeted me as I strode through the building, pack members respectfully lowering their gazes in deference to their Alpha.

The morning passed in a blur of meetings and conference calls. By noon, my stomach was growling. I ignored it until Leo appeared with lunch.

"Your usual order from Leone's," he announced, setting down the takeout container.

I opened the package, the scent of pasta bolognese rising to greet me. One bite, and I knew something wasn't right. The flavor profile was completely different-too much oregano, not enough basil, the meat overcooked.

"Leo," I called through our mindlink. *There's something wrong with Leone's today. The quality has dropped significantly.*

My Beta appeared in my doorway almost instantly, his expression carefully neutral. "Is there a problem with your lunch, Alpha?"

I pushed the container away. "It tastes different. Did they change chefs?"

Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Leone's hasn't changed their recipe, Alpha."

"Then explain why my lunch tastes nothing like what I usually get."

A moment of silence stretched between us before Leo spoke again. "Because what you usually eat doesn't come from Leone's." He hesitated, then continued. "It's been coming from Luna Allison's kitchen for the past three years."

I stared at him, momentarily speechless. "What?"

"She prepares it herself every morning before you wake up," Leo explained carefully. "When you mentioned once that you preferred Leone's bolognese to the one served at a pack dinner, she spent weeks perfecting her recipe until she got it exactly right. We've been picking it up from your house and transferring it to Leone's containers."

"And why wasn't I informed of this arrangement?" My voice had dropped to a dangerous low.

"Luna Allison asked us not to tell you." Leo met my gaze steadily. "She said you wouldn't eat it if you knew she had made it."

Fenrir growled deep within me. *Our mate has been caring for us without recognition.*

*She's not our mate,* I snapped back internally. *She's convenient.*

But something uncomfortable settled in my chest as I dismissed Leo with a wave of my hand. I tried another bite of the authentic Leone's pasta, but it tasted like cardboard in my mouth. I pushed it aside and buried myself in work again.

An hour later, the familiar burning pain started in my stomach. I ignored it as long as possible, but soon the sharp, twisting agony had me doubled over. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as I pressed the intercom.

"I need my medication," I growled to my assistant.

Leo appeared ten minutes later, arms laden with pharmacy bags. "Alpha, I've bought every stomach medication available on the market."

"Good. Give them to me." I snatched the bags, desperate for relief.

I tore through package after package, swallowing pills that did nothing to ease the burning in my gut. With a roar of frustration, I swept all the medications off my desk, sending them clattering to the floor.

"They're useless," I snarled, clutching my stomach as another wave of pain hit. "Absolutely worthless."

Leo stood helplessly by my desk. "Perhaps you could try the herbal remedy, the one you've been taking before."

The herbal remedy-a special concoction I'd been drinking three times daily for the past year, ever since my ulcer diagnosis. It was the only thing that truly helped.

"Then get it for me," I ordered through gritted teeth.

"Alpha," Leo began carefully, "the herbal remedy is Luna Allison's special blend and she's the only one who knows the exact preparation method-the proportions, brewing time, everything."

I stared at him in disbelief. Another thing I'd taken for granted, another way she'd cared for me that I'd never acknowledged.

"Call her," I ordered. "Now."

Leo hesitated. "I've been trying, Alpha. She's not answering."

Grabbing my phone, I dialed Allison's number myself. It rang until voicemail picked up. I tried again. And again. Each time, silence was my only answer.

A strange feeling washed over me-something beyond the physical pain. Was this... panic? The realization that Allison might have truly walked away?

"She's just upset," I told myself aloud. "She'll come around. She always does."

But Fenrir whined uncertainly in the back of my mind. *We've pushed our mate too far this time.*

*She's not our mate,* I repeated, though with less conviction. *And she'll be back. She has nowhere else to go.*