Chapter 7 Letting Her Go

• Lucas’ Point of View
• At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. I was only hungry last night, or so I believed. But when I tasted her cooking again, everything changed. Living alone, I had gotten used to the bland meat I hunted myself. It reflected my life—dull, empty, and lacking any real value. Every meal felt joyless, offering no sense of satisfaction.
• But her cooking was something else entirely. It brought back memories of happier times when I shared meals with friends and truly enjoyed every bite. For a moment, I thought I had buried all those memories of good food and joyful moments, feeling unworthy of recalling them, stuck in my own misery. But it seemed I haven’t forgotten everything.
• I glanced at the woman sitting across from me. She was nervously fidgeting with her fingers, her lips moving as if she was searching for the right words. No matter how hard I tried to ignore her, I couldn’t shake the image of her anxious and uncertain face from my mind.
• Oh right. She was trapped in the home of a cursed werewolf like me and had even cooked for me at my request. It was obvious she didn’t want to be there and was likely trying to express her desire to leave.
• I had unknowingly put her in this difficult situation because I got so overjoyed of her cooking.
• ["What a shame,"] my wolf, Yel, thought ["If she left, there would be no more of this amazing cooking."]
• Either way, I can’t stop her from leaving.
• “I’ll take you back to the pack. I know you want to get home. After this, I’ll make sure you get there,” I said.
• She stopped and looked at me with her rounded eyes.
• Feeling heavy, I went on, “We’ll head out after breakfast and—”
• “No,” but she disagreed. That caught me off guard.
• I peered at her, wondering why she had declined. "What do you mean, you won’t?" I asked.
• She took a deep breath and remarked, “I want to stay here with you, Lucas.”
• I tightened my grip on the utensils that I accidentally bent the fork and spoon.
• When she saw what I had done, her face went pale, and she gasped before meeting my gaze again. "I...I don’t want to go! Please!" she begged.
• I was confused and frustrated. Why was she turning down my offer? Wasn’t this what she wanted? Hadn’t she tried to break free just the night before?
• "I can’t go back," she said. "Please don’t send me back to hell!"
• Hell? What was she talking about?
• It dawned on me that she must think I was taking her to the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack. Therefore, I quickly tried to reassure her.
• “It’s not what you think. I’m not taking you to the Alpha of the Red Blood Pack. I’m bringing you back to your own pack, the Dark Moon Pack, right?”
• I thought that would calm her down, but instead, she erupted in anger. She jumped up from her chair, slammed her hands on the table, and clutched them into fists. The veins on her hand were popping out, showing just how upset she was.
• “No!” she yelled. “Please don’t send me back to my pack yet. It’s not safe for me there. I’m begging you, please!”
• Right now, she resembled a butterfly caught in a web, utterly defenseless. She looked so delicate and scared, as if something sinister was lurking nearby. And then, tears formed in her eyes.
• ‘I don’t want to see her tears, Lucas,’ my wolf whispered.
• It was odd. This woman wasn’t my wolf mate, yet her captivating scent had kept me tossing and turning all night. I shouldn’t feel this pull towards her, but she had been occupying my thoughts since yesterday.
• Seeing her in those tattered clothes made my heart ache.
• I was angry when I spotted those lowlifes trying to harm her.
• It was gut-wrenching to witness her cry like that.
• But when she flashed me a smile, it filled me with warmth and reassurance.
• WHY AM I FEELING THIS TO A WOLF THAT ISN’T MY MATE?
• While I was wondering about this, she spoke again while crying. “There are people who hate me in that Pack. As of now, I am not strong enough to face them. So, I wanted to be strong before that. Can’t you just let me stay here until I am ready?”
• As I listened, it hit me why I felt such a connection with this stranger. It was like looking in a mirror. We were both outsiders, pushed away by those around us. Our pain and struggles were strikingly alike.
• I stood up from my chair and let out a deep sigh. Things weren’t ideal, but I had to make a decision.
• “Okay, I get it. I won’t send you back to your pack,” I said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.
• She shut her eyes, her lower lip quivering. I noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away and took a few deep breaths to steady herself.
• “If you want to leave and find a different place, I can help you,” I offered.
• She opened her eyes and met my gaze, shaking her head.
• "After everything that went down last night, I think this is the safest spot for me," she admitted.
• I found it hard to wrap my head around what she was saying. The safest place for her was here, in my home, with a guy she had just met, who she called a ‘cursed werewolf’? Seriously? It just didn’t make sense.
• "I’ve been meaning to ask you something," she said quietly.
• I stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
• "Can you teach me how to fight?" she asked.
• I was surprised. It’s not often that women show interest in gaining physical strength. Usually, it’s the guys who train to protect their mates once they find them. So, what was driving her to want to learn how to fight?
• "Are you really serious about wanting to learn how to fight?" I asked, genuinely curious about her offer.
• Her eyes lit up with determination as she nodded. "For sure, Lucas. You're super strong, and I want to learn from you," she said, gesturing to the food on the table. "In return, I’ll cook for you every day. I’ve got loads of recipes, and I can also take care of cleaning the house and doing your laundry. Plus, if you ever need to relax, I can give you a massage."
• "..."
• "..."
• A crow cawed in the distance.
• Her face flushed as she realized what she had just said.
• "I'm sorry," she stuttered, her voice shaky. "I used to give massages to my someone. But yeah, I didn’t think it would be weird to offer that to a guy like you." She looked away, clearly embarrassed by her mistake.
• I narrowed my eyes at her and asked, "Who was it?"
• "It was my stepmom, Victoria."
• I felt a bit relieved knowing that Victoria was a woman, but it was a little disappointing that she didn’t seem to realize I was a man at first place.
• "Anyway," she pressed on, "I really want to be here and learn how to fight. I'm ready to do whatever it takes."
• Having spent so much time alone, the thought of having someone around made me happy. But I knew I had to be realistic.
• ‘I need to stop being so naive,’ I reminded myself. Letting her stay could lead to complications, and I didn’t want that for her.
• "If you decide to stay here, you might end up regretting it," I warned.
• She stared back at me, puzzled, and asked, "Why?"
• I stepped closer, my voice cold as I revealed the harsh truth, "Being with me means certain death. My curse will take your life."