Gifts

LUCIAN'S P.O.V.

I started the morning with one goal in mind: avoid Teresa. I decided to skip breakfast with the pack. Coward's way out? Sure. But I had no intention of being drawn into whatever strange spell her doe-eyed innocence cast. She'd be fine. Rylan and Juliette could handle her. Besides, if I stayed any longer, I might actually start to care more than necessary about her. And that… was not happening.

Ares, naturally, had other thoughts.

"You're making a mistake," Ares growled in my mind, his voice sharp and insistent. "She won't weaken us. She'll make us stronger."

I rolled my eyes. "Stronger? The last thing I need is to feel attached to someone, especially someone like her, someone that could be snapped like a twig by any of my numerous enemies. I can't turn to my father, I'm better off keeping her at arm's length."

"You're acting like she's some helpless creature," he shot back. "She's more than that. You know it."

"What I know," I replied, "is that the more I'm around her, the more my life is going to spin out of control. I have a pack and an empire to run, remember? Not a heart to babysit."

Ares let out a low, frustrated growl. "You're blind, Lucian. She's worth the risk."

I blocked him out, focusing on the view from my office window. Outside, the early morning fog clung to the trees, thick and heavy, while the scent of pine drifted into the room, oddly grounding. Not that Ares would let me enjoy it. He was still prowling around in the back of my mind, like a caged animal.

Ignoring him, I called Juliette through the mind link. "Did you prepare the wardrobe and car I asked for Teresa?"

Her response was immediate, with enough excitement to give me a headache. "Of course! She's going to love it!" Her voice practically bounced around in my head.

I winced. "Good. You can deliver them then." I thought I'd just freed myself, but Juliette laughed.

"Oh, no. You need to deliver them yourself."

"Absolutely not. I'm busy."

"Busy?" she huffed, a hint of challenge in her tone. "Busy doing what? Brooding in your office?"

"I'm not brooding," I shot back, though I was well aware that sounded exactly like something a brooding person would say.

"Right. Well, then, if you're 'not brooding,' you'll have time to take the gifts yourself. And if you refuse, I'll…" She trailed off dramatically.

"You'll what?"

"Oh, I don't know… maybe I'll tell Teresa all about that one time you sang karaoke at the pack's New Year's party."

I froze. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I dare." Her tone was smug, knowing she'd struck gold. "She'll love to hear about her fearless Alpha belting out 'I Will Survive'."

"Fine." I gritted my teeth, defeated. Juliette was the only one in this pack who could get away with twisting my arm.

Juliette practically skipped up to my office, a glint in her eye that suggested she enjoyed this far too much, and practically dragged me out.

When we reached the dining hall, Teresa was still at breakfast. She looked so out of place, her timid gaze darting around as if she wasn't sure she belonged here. I took a breath, summoning every ounce of restraint, while Ares practically wagged his metaphorical tail in anticipation.

"Teresa." I cleared my throat, straightening as she looked up with wide eyes. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"I… I didn't expect to see you this morning, Lucian," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. Her shyness practically radiated off her in waves, like the scent of morning dew clinging to a flower.

"Apparently, I was… persuaded to deliver something to you myself," I said, shooting a pointed look at Juliette, who merely smiled sweetly.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Something for me?"

"Yes, come on," Juliette chimed in, practically dragging her from her seat, bubbling with enthusiasm. As we walked out, heads turned, and whispers escalated but I paid no mind to them, keeping a straight face out the doors.

Juliette led Teresa and I back to Teresa's room where Juliette had secretly arranged her wardrobe without her knowing. Teresa looked confused when I told her the gift was inside her room. She looked a bit skeptical but she let us inside. As soon as we stepped inside, Juliette led her to the wardrobe and I hung back by the door, letting Juliette show it to her.

Teresa's jaw immediately dropped at the sight. It was extravagant-dresses in every color imaginable, stylish coats, a plethora of accessories-all of it was a feast for the eyes. Teresa stepped into the room, and I watched as her expression shifted from shock to awe. She looked at me, speechless, her mouth slightly open as she took it all in.

"Lucian... I don't know what to say," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There's more," Juliette chirped, clearly relishing the moment and ready to unveil the pièce de résistance.

With a flourish, we took her outside, and there it was-a brand-new, shiny car parked in the sunlight, gleaming like it was straight out of a magazine. Teresa's face lit up as if she'd just won the lottery, and my heart swelled at the sight of her joy. It was the kind of smile that made my chest tighten and Ares howl like a maniac in my head.

"She loves it! She loves you! Go on, claim her!" Ares shouted, practically bouncing with excitement.

Teresa turned to me, her eyes shining with something I couldn't quite place-admiration? Gratitude? Whatever it was, it made me feel both proud and uneasy at the same time.

"Consider it a matter of my pride," I replied, shrugging. "Anyone associated with me doesn't go around looking like a lost puppy." I realized, too late, that comparing her to a puppy might come off as condescending, but she just smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered, her gaze fixed on me like I was some kind of hero, which only amplified the pressure I felt.

That was it. I couldn't handle this kind of attention, not now.

I clenched my fists, stepping back as the tension built in my chest, feeling like the walls were closing in. "I'm glad you like it," I said stiffly, already pulling away. "But I have things to take care of."

Without waiting for her response, I turned and walked off, putting as much distance as I could between myself and Teresa. Ares growled in frustration, but I didn't care. I needed space; I needed control. I wasn't about to lose myself-not now, not ever.

As I walked away, the echoes of their laughter faded behind me, and the weight of my decision settled heavily on my shoulders. I could feel Ares' agitation rising like a storm, and I pushed it down, focusing on the task ahead. It was better to keep my distance, better to keep my emotions in check.

But deep down, I knew it wasn't just the thrill of giving Teresa a wardrobe and a car that made me feel so uneasy-it was the way she looked at me, the way my wolf reacted to her. This was territory I was never going to navigate, and I had to remind myself that I couldn't let this complicate everything I'd worked so hard to maintain.

Still, as I exited the estate and stepped into the fresh air, I couldn't help but glance back at her one last time, hoping to catch another glimpse of that radiant smile. Just one more look to remind myself of what was at stake-and the madness that was coming my way.

How much longer would I be able to last without cracking and giving in to Ares and my instincts? This was so unfair, goddess help me!