Three Alpha Princes for an Unwanted Omega

”You really should not have brought her here.”

Lucius did not stop walking neither did he respond to Amara. He was done having her always think she knew best. She may be older than he could even fathom but he was her Alpha.

”In your bid to rub it into the faces of Kieran and his ilk, you are going to ruin everything we have worked for. It will all come apart, and it will be your vanity that breaks it.”

Lucius turned.

He crossed the space between them in four strides, and Amara did not move, did not flinch.

She was not scared of him and it infuriated him to no end.

”Never speak to me like that again.” He snarled in her face. ”You seem to be forgetting to whom you are referring. I am your Alpha, Amara. You will speak to me with a little more respect.”

She held his gaze for a long moment, those white empty eyes regarding him with something akin to pity then she inclined her head.

”Forgive me, my lord.”

It was a formality and they both knew it but Lucius let it slide.

”Where is she now?” he asked.

”With Ares.”

Lucius’ jaw tightened.

”We need to find her.”

They found in the princes’ quarters, speaking to Ares. They were so close they were nearly touching and Lucius felt fear lick down his spine.

What if she remembers something? It would ruin everything he was trying to do or what if Ares is able to convince her there was something more between them.

Mate bond or not, he was not blind that he could not see the attraction they were both exhibiting toward each other.

It disgusted him to admit it.

As they marched back to the guest wing, his mind raced frantically, thinking up things to say to assuage what he now knew was her curiosity at everything.

He decided to tell her the truth or his version of it but before he began, he asked her.

”What has he told you?” he asked.

”He has said nothing to me.”

”Nothing?”

”He only...” She shook her head, a small, helpless motion. ”He held me and he said my name... that is all.”

Lucius’s thumb moved over her knuckles. He gave her the reassuring smile of a man who had nothing to hide.”

”Listen to me, Ayla. What I am about to tell you will be difficult to hear. But you asked me once never to keep the truth from you, and I will honor that, even when it hurts.”

She waited, her eyes wide.

”Your father is Alpha Kieran.”

He watched her face go from confused to disbelief and then horror.

That cannot be right.” she shook her head.

”That is why I did not want to tell you like this but you must understand, Ayla because I do not want you to feel this way. You were fleeing your father and this pack when we met.”

”Fleeing?” she echoed.

”You came to me running for your life.” Lucius’s voice dropped. ”You had faced all kinds of wickedness at his hands. Things no daughter should ever have to survive. The reason you have no wolf, Ayla is his doing. He took everything from you and he would have used you if you had not fled.”

Ayla stared at him.

”I remember none of this,” she whispered.

”Of course you do not. You were hurt by the fall” he touched the side of her face. ”But your memory will return in time and you will remember.”

”Are you saying the princes are my brothers?” she asked. ”The man who hurt you, killed your family, our people is my father?”

Lucius held her gaze.

”Yes” He said. ”But I do not hold this against you, Ayla. You are my mate and whatever your family has done does not reflect on our love.”

Lucius avoided Amara’s pointed gaze.

”I felt something with them” she said. ”I...”

”It was nothing,” Lucius murmured gently. ”It is the confusion of a hurt mind, reaching for anything familiar but listen to me, Ayla.” he reached for her hand again.

”They are not your family. They never were. Your brothers treated you with cruelty when you lived under their roof. When I found you, you were running from all of them. Your father wanted to force you to be Luna to one of your own brothers, Ayla. To bind you to the very people who had hurt you. That is the kind of man he is.”

”Why would he do that?”

”Because you are powerful.” Lucius’ thumb traced her cheekbone. ”You have powers, Ayla...powers a man as wicked as your father would exploit until there was nothing left of you. He did not see a daughter but as a weapon.”

She nodded and looked down at her hands.

She was trembling and her eyes were wet.

”You are overwhelmed,” he said softly. ”I know and I am sorry. This is exactly the distress I feared when I said I did not want to bring you here. I was skeptical from the first, and I should have trusted my instincts. The healer said you needed rest, and I brought you into the house of the people who broke you.”

She shook her head. ”I am glad you told me everything.”

Lucius pressed her hand to his chest, over his heart and smiled.

”Listen to me, Ayla. You are here with me, as my Luna, and I will always protect you. Always. In fact...” He glanced at the door. ”I do not think we should stay here any longer. I will have them know that we are leaving as soon as we can. You need to rest. You need to heal and you cannot do that here, in this place.”

Her eyes searched his face.

”Okay,” she said at last. ”Okay.”

He kissed her forehead and then he released her, stepping back.

”Amara will make sure you are not disturbed. Rest, my love. I will come for you when it is time to go.”

...

Lucius walked out of the room with Amara closely behind him.

”She is not herself,” he said. ”You are right. I should not have tested my luck by bringing her here. We are leaving tomorrow.”

”Do you really think Ares is going to let you walk out with her?”

The question hung in the air and Lucius had no answer to it.