Bride of the Cursed Alpha - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Auren POV
My brain must have short-circuited. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, each beat booming in my ears. My trembling hands pressed against his chest. His skin was warm, firm, and alive beneath my fingers. I could feel the raw strength that lay just beneath the surface, his muscles taut as though ready to spring into action at any moment.
Beneath my palms, the ridges of his tattoos came alive, their intricate designs pulsed with a heat that seemed to radiate and seep into me. I couldn’t help but trace the edge of one with my thumb, my touch hesitant, but it only seemed to make the air between us thicker. His chest hummed with a deep growl and his lips moved against mine, soft and demanding, pulling me into a haze that was difficult to escape.
The world around us blurred. It was just him—his touch, his intoxicating scent, his breath mingling with mine. Nothing else existed.
Then, deep inside me, there was a faint stir. My wolf, Siena, who had gone dormant after rejection from her first mate, flickered to life, like a whisper. She didn’t speak, but I felt the whisper of her presence, her quiet curiosity.
Lucien’s grip on my thigh tightened, grounding me even as I floated in the overwhelming sensations.
Somewhere in the background, the cough sounded again. My reverie broke and I pulled away from him. His face darkened like a thundercloud and his grip on my neck tightened, like he didn’t like I was moving away.
I was breathing so hard and flushed deep till my neck. I had never been kissed like this in my life. And this was a soul shattering, mind bending kiss.
“Alpha Lucien?” Elder Ryna’s voice came again.
I gasped as Lucien blinked his eyes and seemed to come back to the present. He inhaled sharply, his chest rising as his eyes burned into mine with a fiery intensity. I was so ruffled by the entire scenario that I hopped off his lap, and it was then that I realized that my feet were dangling in the air when I sat on him. He was seriously such a broad shouldered, tall and muscular Alpha as against a timid, tiny omega like me.
When I got up to face Elder Ryna, I blinked my eyes, embarrassment coating my soul. I lowered my head and clasped my hands in front feeling like she caught me stealing a cookie from the jar. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lucien leaning back with a smug look with one hand thrown over the back of the sofa and the other on my thigh, his fingers lightly stroking the back of it. My hair was tousled and his lips were wet. With his top buttons open, he looked least flustered. He tilted his head to look at Elder Ryna.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” he said without a trace of sorry in his voice. “I was busy with Auren. What brings you here today, Elder Ryna?” he asked innocently. This sly wolf! Then he tugged at my skirt, pulling me to sit right next to him. I stifled a squeal. He brought his hand to my back where he began drawing lazy circles. To anyone it seemed like we were two lovers who were rudely interrupted, but only I knew on the inside what I was going through.
Elder Ryna sat down on the sofa opposite to us. “I can see that,” she replied, excitement in her eyes. She directed her attention to me. “How are you feeling, Auren?”
“B—better,” I mumbled.
Her lips curled up. “So are you ready for the wedding in a few days?”
This was a test. Elder Ryna was hell bent on getting us married, but Alpha Lucien wanted to give me more time to heal. I didn’t know which side I should take. I took a deep breath and thought about Elder Ryna and Alpha Lucien. She wanted to rush things, but he was different. He cared about me and wanted me to be ready. I felt safer with him. I thought about how he made me feel, how he wanted to feed all the time, and buy things for me even with that colder than ice attitude.
I wanted to wait a little longer before getting married. It felt right to give myself time to heal. So, I decided to tell Ryna that I wanted to wait one more week for the wedding. I hoped she would understand. Glancing at Lucien, I said, “Elder Ryna, though I’m feeling much better, is it okay to wait for a week more? In my older pack, I was—” I pursed my lips tightly, not wanting to go there. Lucien’s hand on my back stilled and pressed harder, like he hated what I had gone through. So I shoved those thoughts and said, “I feel like I need some more time to heal mentally and physically. But I hope that is okay with you. However, if you want to rush the marriage, I won't protest.”
Elder Ryna didn’t say a word as she simply gazed at me for a long time. And at that time, I felt like I overstepped my boundary. But Lucien started circling my back again with his warm fingers and I seemed to relax.
Elder Ryna nodded lightly. “Okay, if you say so, Auren. But the wedding will take place under the full moon. I will give you an extra four days. After that, you have to marry Alpha Lucien.”
The way she spoke, it was like she was announcing my impending doom. But I nodded. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“And Lucien,” Elder Ryna said. “This time there will be no delay. The Elders are getting antsy over the situation.” She leaned forward and her expression turned serious. “I’m hearing that Rizv Brown’s daughter, Sable, has openly offered her hand in marriage with you.”
My eyebrow shot to my hairline in surprise as my heart sank. How could Sable offer herself to marry him when she was the one who said that she was waiting for me to produce an heir and die so that she took over as the future Luna? What was her motive? Such a hypocrite.
Alpha Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “Thanks for letting me know, Elder Ryna.”
As soon as Elder Ryna went, I got up, feeling a little blue. I hurried toward my old room, eager to gather my things and get back to my routine. Suddenly, I felt a warm grip on my wrist. I turned to see Alpha Lucien standing there, his expression serious. My heart raced as he pulled me gently away from there. I was surprised and confused.
“W-What are you doing?” I stammered, glancing back at the stairs which led to my old room. He didn’t answer, just kept walking, his hand still holding mine. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted to ask more questions, but the way he held my hand made me feel like there was something so serious on his mind that there was no room for discussion.