His Witchy Mate

I turned around slowly, my heart skipping a beat as I faced the source of that deep, commanding voice. My eyes met his intense gaze, and for a moment, I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions that I had worked so hard to suppress.

Lucian stood there, his presence towering and commanding. His sharp features, those piercing eyes, and the aura of power he exuded, it was all too overwhelming. The memories of our past, the pain and anger he had caused me, resurfaced in a rush, threatening to consume me.

But I refused to let him see my vulnerability. I had built my defenses, honed them over the years, and I wasn’t going to let him break through them again.

“You must be Alicia,” he said, his tone devoid of any warmth, his eyes studying me as if I was an enigma he couldn’t decipher.

“Yes, I am,” I replied, my voice steady, despite the churning turmoil inside me. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me, not this time.

His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer before he turned to the woman who had been questioning me. “That will be all, Elena. I can handle this from here.”

Elena’s expression tightened, a mix of frustration and reluctance, but she left without another word, her footsteps echoing down the hallway.

“You can follow me,” Lucian said, his gaze meeting mine once again before he turned and walked away. I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing with conflicting emotions. But I couldn’t let him see my inner turmoil, not now.

I squared my shoulders and followed him, my steps echoing against the opulent walls of the palace. As I walked, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that this was a surreal twist of fate. The girl who had once been an outcast, now walking through these lavish halls as a servant, facing the man who had once broken her heart.

But I am different now. Stronger, wiser, and determined not to let anyone or anything break me again. As I continued to follow Lucian, a new resolve ignited within me. This was a new chapter, a chance to prove to myself that I was capable of facing my past and carving my own path, no matter how challenging it might be.

The air in the room felt thick with tension as his piercing blue eyes bore into mine. It was as if time had rewound itself, and I was back to facing the same man who had shattered my heart into a million pieces. His presence was a mix of familiarity and unknown, and I struggled to keep my composure.

“Look at me,” he commanded, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. I hesitated for a moment, a part of me rebelling against his authoritative tone, but I eventually lifted my gaze to meet his.

The Lucian I once knew had been warm, comforting, and kind. But the man standing before me now was a stranger. The coldness in his eyes sent shivers down my spine, and I had to remind myself that I wasn’t that naive girl anymore. I was strong, and I wouldn’t let him break me again.

His appearance was imposing, the regal clothing he wore only adding to his commanding presence. But there was something different about him, something I hadn’t noticed before. A mark on his face that spoke of battles and struggles, a reminder that life had shaped him in ways I couldn’t have predicted.

As he began to speak, his words were like a cold shower, extinguishing any flicker of hope that I had harbored. The transaction he mentioned, the fact that my own mother had sold me to him, still felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

But I couldn’t let him continue without saying my piece. I couldn’t let him dictate the terms of this conversation as he had done in the past.

“You know, I never really envisioned my later years after your disappointment in such manners,” I found myself saying, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me. The words were a dam breaking, letting out all the frustration and anger I had kept locked inside for so long.

I could see the surprise in his eyes, a flicker of astonishment that mirrored my own. But I wasn’t done yet.

“Here I was, thinking you would feel sorry for the life-changing problems you had me go through,” I continued, my voice gaining strength with every word. “For willingly trying to get my life behind me and follow you wherever you asked me to. And this is how I get repaid?”

The words tumbled out of my mouth, fueled by years of hurt and betrayal. I wasn’t the same girl who had once hung onto his every word, who had believed in his promises. I was a woman now, with a voice that couldn’t be silenced.

“Are you surprised?” I challenged, my gaze locked onto his. “You think I would never stand up to you? You think I don’t deserve an explanation for what happened back then?”

I could feel my heart racing, the rush of adrenaline as I finally confronted the man who had haunted my dreams and my thoughts for years.

“You might be a king to your people, but you’d never be one to me!” I declared, the weight of my words hanging in the air between us.

The room was charged with a tension that crackled like electricity, and I held my ground, refusing to back down this time. The old Alicia might have cowered before him, but the new Alicia was ready to face whatever storm he brought my way.

In an instant, everything changed. The fury in Lucian’s eyes was like a storm, and before I could react, his grip tightened around my arms, his strength pressing me forcefully against the wall. I could feel my heart pounding, a mixture of fear and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

“You better watch your words, woman, or you’d end up regretting them,” he hissed, his voice laced with a cold threat. I could feel his fingers digging into my skin, a painful reminder of his power. “I hate to show you what I am capable of. I’m equally not the Lucian you used to know, so do yourself some good and shut that little mouth of yours, cause it would serve better for other purposes and I won’t want it bruised or battered.”

His words were like a slap, stinging in their brutality. The man before me was a stranger, his anger boiling over, and the familiarity I had once felt was shattered.

But I was never one to back down, not anymore. His warning only fueled the fire within me. “You think I’d be scared of you? No! I won’t. I finally see you for what you are. A monster!” I retorted, my voice shaking with a mix of defiance and anger. “I repeat: a monster, that which can never be loved.”

Before I could even process what was happening, the force of his slap sent me crashing to the ground. The pain radiated from my cheek, and the shock of his action left me momentarily stunned. I never imagined he’d raise his hand against me.

As I lay on the floor, his orders to his guard pierced through the haze of pain. “Rein, seize her and take her to the dungeon.” The words echoed in my ears, and I fought against the hands that tried to pull me away. I screamed, begged, and struggled, but it was futile. Rein’s grip was unyielding, and I found myself being dragged away, my voice growing hoarse from my desperate pleas.

In the dungeon, alone and defeated, I could still feel the sting of his slap, both on my face and in my heart. The pain was physical and emotional, a reminder that I was at the mercy of a man who once claimed to care for me.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

As the darkness of the cell enveloped me, my thoughts drifted to Lucian. The man I had once believed in, the man I had loved, had shown me a side of him that I never could have anticipated. The conflict within me was overwhelming – the memories of our past, the scars he had left, and the undeniable truth that he was no longer the person I had once known.

As I huddled on the cold ground, tears streaming down my cheeks, I couldn’t help but wonder how everything had gone so wrong. The answers I had sought seemed farther away than ever, and I was left to grapple with the reality of the man who had now become my captor.

The coldness of the dungeon floor seeped through my clothing, sending shivers down my spine. I huddled against the wall, my knees drawn close to my chest, seeking whatever warmth I could find in this desolate place. The darkness surrounded me, a tangible reminder of the despair that had taken hold of my life once again.