Out of gratitude, I promised to stay with him throughout the night, but being too close and not being able to hold him like before challenged my sanity. He was resting, and his breathing was stable, but I couldn’t get a wink.
How could I when I was lying beside him? His manly scent assaulted my nose and I had been tempted to kiss him but I had to restrain myself because he was not feeling well. If only he would allow me to use my ability to heal him, then, I would be sleeping comfortably in my bed.

Because of his close proximity, the night felt long and heavy so I decided to get up and just sat on the chair beside his bed. He said he’d be okay, but I couldn’t risk him getting a fever in the middle of the night.
As I settled into the chair beside the bed, my eyes were glued to his face. I knew I needed rest, but the fear of him falling sick kept me wide awake in addition to his charms.
Another sigh escaped from my lips so I decided to open the windows to let the fresh air in. The moment I adjusted the drapes, the moonlight seeped into the room. Then, I glanced at the man who was soundly asleep, and watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath.
All of a sudden, Luke let out a small groan, and I jolted upright. I checked his forehead and a sigh of relief escaped when I found it cool, but I knew things could change fast, especially with the wounds he sustained from the fight against Aric Stormheart.
Afterward, I settled back into the chair, while I still kept a close eye on him. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down! Then, while watching him closely, I saw his lashes flickered.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he blinked them against the dim light, then he looked around. The moment he saw me, he smiled. He tried to sit up, and groaned in the process.

"Luke, you're awake," I exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"
Luke managed a weak smile, reaching out to take her hand. "I've been better," he admitted, wincing as he shifted on the bed.
My brows furrowed with worry as I helped him adjust his position. “You took quite a beating last night. I was so worried,” I confessed.
“Your ex-boyfriend was a skilled fighter, Isabella. I have known him for a long time but I didn’t know our fighting skills were at par,” he remarked.

“At par? Are you sure about that? Because the way I see it, he is far more superior than you, Luke. He managed to get away while you were lying here, bruised and injured,” I reminded him but he just shrugged off his shoulders.
“I will be fine, Isabella. Anyway, I am so glad you didn’t leave me alone,” he said softly while squeezing my hand tightly.
“How could I leave you alone? You begged me to stay!”
“I didn’t! You are doing this because you love me,” he said confidently.
“Damn it, Luke. Why are you so conceited?”
“I am not being conceited. I saw it in your eyes just how much you adore me,” he said which caused me to arch my brows.
“Alright, now that you’re up and strong enough to have a fight with me, why don’t you explain everything to me Luke? It still baffles me that you claimed Lancaster as your own. What about Aric? I need to know about your connections with Lancaster,” I demanded.
“Lancaster? Why? What do you want to know about it?” he asked. “Be specific, sweetheart.”
“One more thing, Luke. Will you please stop calling me that? I am not your woman anymore,” I complained.
“Wrong. You will always be my woman, and in case you have forgotten, I have already paid the entrance fee to your life again,” he announced, and my mouth gaped open in shock when he brought it up.
“We’ll talk about the money later. For now, I want to know about your past, Luke. About your family, your pack,” I explained because it was long overdue. I should have asked him about those details in the past.
As I watched him, his expression suddenly darkened, and his jaw clenched as he struggled to contain his emotions. “There’s not much to tell, my love. Lancaster was my home once, but not anymore,” he replied evasively while avoiding my gaze.
“You are lying. You still care about Lancaster, or else, you wouldn’t challenge Aric for that. Luke, please. I need to understand,” I pleaded and Luke sighed while running a hand through his hair. He was obviously frustrated at my relentless inquiry.
“Fine,” he relented, “but you are not going to like what you hear.”
“I am all ears,” I promised and so Luke began to recount the painful memories of his past, of the betrayal that had torn his family apart, and the darkness that had consumed his pack.
“My father must have been devastated when he was dying because it was his best friend who killed him,” he mumbled. “Can you imagine the feeling of being betrayed by someone close to your heart, Isabella?”
My eyes blinked several times before I could come up with a better response to his inquiry. I wanted to be honest to him as well. I wanted to tell him that I was just given a second chance to live my life after my best friend, Vanessa, betrayed me with my husband.
However, I didn’t have the heart to share my story yet. I wanted him to know that I could listen to him all day. So, instead of mumbling something that would confuse him, I just nodded my head, and urged him to continue telling his story.
“While growing up with my Uncle, I wished I had also died that day because living each day without them is horrible and sad. I missed them every single minute but I couldn’t do anything about my situation! I tried killing myself several times but I just wouldn’t die!”
He wouldn’t die? Did he mean he also had superpowers like me? Did the Moon Goddess also bless him with a second life? On second thought, I believed it was possible since he was the only one who survived that day.
“I am glad your Uncle didn’t let you die,” I told him.
“I wished he didn’t help back then. I wished he didn’t take me away from Lancaster,” he mentioned his regrets.
“I should thank your Uncle for raising you well, Luke,” I said and for a split second, he looked at me with pure emotions in his eyes. “If he didn’t, I wouldn’t have the chance to meet someone like you.”
“Were you glad to know me?”
“Of course, I am!” I exclaimed without thinking, and when he smirked, I could tell what was inside his head. He probably assumed I was head over heels for him, but then, it was the truth.
“I gave up on Lancaster until I saw you for the first time,” he claimed while staring straight into my eyes, and I snapped my brows in confusion.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Do you remember when we first met? Aric took you to the beach for swimming, and I was there,” he told me and then I tried my best to remember that event.
“I don’t remember being introduced to you that day, Luke,” I blurted.
“That’s right. Aric didn’t introduce you to me because he was scared I would take you away from him. He was insecure,” he claimed.
“You can be right about that but I remember meeting you for the first time before my engagement party.”
“That’s right. I befriended your Mom and your Dad because it was part of the big plan I had in mind. Besides, I learned about Aric’s plan for Pembroke.”
“What plan?”
“He would consolidate Lancaster and Pembroke into one. Your Daddy would no longer be an Alpha but just an ordinary member of the pack,” Luke informed me.
“That’s evil!”
“I know. Anyway, because of you I got the courage to claim what was rightfully mine, and you were included in my plan, Isabella. I am sorry.”
“To seduce me?”
“That is my original plan but I didn’t get the chance to do it. You are so stubborn and opinionated that I regretted having you in the list.”
“Luke, that’s harsh! So, you plan to steal me away from him?”
“Yes, but you ended up falling for my charms,” he claimed, and without thinking carefully, I slapped his arm for being too conceited. “Admit it, my dear. You are still in love with me.”
“Maybe but my feelings don't matter anymore. By the way, regarding the money, to which account should I send it back? I was kidding about the entrance fee, Luke. I mean, I have decided to follow my Dad’s plan for me, and it means I must not be with you anymore.”
“What do you mean?” he asked in confusion.
And for a moment, I regretted blurting out the truth when he wasn’t feeling well. “Never mind what I said. We will discuss it some other time. By the way, how are you feeling?”
“Dying.”