79 Chapter 79 TEAM LUCIAN
79 Chapter 79 TEAM LUCIAN
Kieran’s hand flexed on the strap of my bag, his gaze cutting away as though to keep from saying something he might regret. 1
When I opened it, he was there-impossibly put-together in dark jeans and a black shirt, his hair just slightly mussed like he’d run his hands through it on the way over.
I scrambled for something to say to ease the tension. We hadn’t even started the trip, and we were already bumping heads.
“Hey!” My eyes widened, and indignation ran through me as Kieran snatched my phone out of my hand.
I masked the sudden tightness in my chest by leaning over and grabbing my water bottle off the bench beside her. “I can handle them.”
“So,” she said, tossing her towel onto a bench, “you’re actually going to see Daniel. About
damn time.”
The thought unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.
“Yeah,” I laughed. “I can’t wait. I’ve missed him so much.”
“I’ll miss you,” I murmured. “Take care of yourself.”
“Hey,” I said after the tone, keeping my voice casual. “Um, you’re obviously busy, so I’m sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going on a trip to see Daniel. You’re not around, so I can’t say goodbye, but um… Just-call me back when you get this. I’d love to see you before I leave.”
“Because he’s been good to me,” I said, my voice steady. “And that’s more than I can say for some people.”
The subtext didn’t go unnoticed, and the air between us grew taut, the kind of tension that didn’t need raised voices to make itself known.
Inside, he was as familiar and steady as my training routines: the way he moved in the training yard, the measured way he gave advice, his warm, tender smile that contrasted
79 Chapter 79 TEAM LUCIAN
the psychotic way he trained rookies.
He hadn’t called me back or replied to my texts, and I didn’t know if the churning feeling in my stomach was worry for him or anger that I was being ignored.
Instead, I leaned over and hugged Maya tight, the scent of her usual citrusy shampoo familiar and grounding.
The next morning, Kieran arrived earlier than expected.
I choked on my water, coughing. “Maya-don’t talk nonsense.”
I’d been double-checking my packing list when the sharp knock came at my door.
I rolled my eyes, and she did the same, chuckling. “It doesn’t even matter. The bastard doesn’t deserve you, veil or no veil.”
SERAPHINA’S POV
My head was ducked as he continued rattling off logistics, staring at Lucian’s name in my phone.
“He’s reliable!” I snapped. “Have you forgotten that he was fighting rogues of his own?” “It’s not like it’s a life-or-death situation,” I said sharply. “And I don’t measure people’s worth by whether they drop everything the moment I call.”
His lips curved-not in amusement, but in something closer to irritation. “You defend him like he’s some paragon of loyalty.”
“First, I had to be the one to save you from the rogue attack, and now this. Maybe Lucian Reed’s not as reliable as you think.”
He pulled my luggage behind him as I locked up.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I hung up, staring at the screen.
I caught the phone and threw a glare at Kieran. “He’s not a dick.”
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Most of the other trainees had already left for the day, so the cavernous training hall felt strangely quiet-just the faint hum of the ventilation system and the muted thud of someone working a punching bag in the distance.
I swung my bag over my shoulder, tugging my suitcase behind me. “Almost.”
Her expression softened, but her tone stayed firm. “I think Lucian treats you like you matter. And that’s worth a hell of a lot more than whatever history you’ve got with
Kieran.”
I hadn’t seen him since he dropped me off at home after the rogue attack, and other than his message asking me to take the day off, I hadn’t heard from him.
But whatever I would have said was drowned out by the deep, throaty rumble of an engine reaching us.
My cheeks flushed. Any compliment from Maya felt like the ultimate achievement.
But he wouldn’t do that, right? Lucian wasn’t that type of—
Her smile was genuine, but her eyes carried a flicker of worry. “You know I’m happy for you,” she added, “but given what you told me about Kieran’s parents, I’m worried they’re going to give you a hard time. You deal with that enough over here with your own family.”
I hit call and pressed the phone to my ear. It rang. And rang. And rang some more. Then went straight to voicemail.
Maya’s grin widened, something like pride shining in her eyes. “Damn right you’re not. Honestly, the way you’ve been carrying yourself lately? I’ve never been prouder, babe.”
I didn’t argue because she wasn’t wrong. Being with Lucian was a breath of fresh air, and in the space of a couple of months, he’d treated me with more respect and consideration than Kieran ever did in ten years.
“It’s not nonsense,” she said with an unrepentant shrug.
She continued, and the rest of her sentence caught me off guard. “It’s an amazing look on you, and if Kieran hasn’t noticed, he’s blind. But one day, that veil over his eyes is going to be knocked off, and when he finally does, he’s going to regret letting you go for that vapid bitch of a sister you’ve got.”
3/0
tex
79 Chapter 79 TEAM LUCIAN
I sat at the edge of the sparring mat, still breathing a little hard from my final round of
drills with Maya.
I didn’t know much about his pack, where he lived, who he spent his evenings with, or what he did when he wasn’t here.
“You’re ready?” he asked, his voice clipped but not unfriendly.
As I zipped it shut, I pulled out my phone and scrolled to Lucian’s name.
“You too, Sera.” She pulled back and braced her hands on my shoulders. “And remember, if anyone gives you grief over there, you’ve got a whole lot more fight in you now than you did the last time they saw you.”
“Uh-huh. And you love me for it.”
I shook my head, but my smile lingered. “You really think Lucian’s the better choice, huh?” A sleek red car rolled up the drive, its glossy surface catching the morning light.
“I know you can,” she said quickly. “You can handle anything. But that doesn’t mean I like the thought of throwing you in the lion’s den.”
I took a long drink, the cool water washing away the dryness in my throat. “They might still look down on me, but around Daniel?” I shrugged. “They’ll behave. They wouldn’t risk showing him that kind of toxicity. And besides-” I allowed myself a small, wry smile. “I’m not the same pushover I used to be.”
When he was done, he snorted and tossed my phone back at me. “What a dick.”
She swiped a towel across her brow, then planted herself in front of me, grinning at me like I’d just told her the best gossip she’d heard all week.
He took the bag from me without asking, slinging it over his own shoulder as though it weighed nothing, then he reached down and snatched the suitcase out of my hand too.
Her words settled in my chest like a warm ember, and I smiled, stoking that fire inside me. I could do this-I could survive the trip.
He shrugged, one brow lifting. “Okay. What’s your excuse for now? Maybe he’s not as reliable as you think.”
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79 Chapter 79 TEAM LUCIAN
“We’ll be flying straight to Nassau on the jet,” he said calmly, like trips to tropical islands on billion-dollar private jets made for normal conversation. “The trip will take five and a half, six hours, tops. From there, we’ll take the yacht instead of the seaplane. There are too many variables…”
Kieran and I both snapped our heads in its direction, and my relief escaped as a breathy
laugh.
Kieran’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly as his eyes darted across my screen, reading the unanswered texts, no doubt.
Maya finished her set of push-ups, springing to her feet with the kind of grace that came from years of discipline.
I tried to fight the laugh bubbling up, but it escaped anyway. “You’re incorrigible.”
He folded his arms against the trunk of his Escalade, a brow arched. “Yet, he’s ignoring your messages and calls. What kind of boyf-” The rest of the words seemed to hook in his throat, and his jaw clenched.
It was odd-how little I actually knew about Lucian’s life outside of the OTS.
Lucian’s car.
I frowned, trying again. This time, it went straight to voicemail.
She held a palm up solemnly like a salute. “I’m die-hard Team Lucian.”
But beyond these walls? I realized he was an enigma.
After we parted ways, I made my way back to the locker room to get the rest of my stuff I didn’t want to leave behind at OTS while on my trip.
Maya would process my leave from OTS, but it didn’t feel right to leave without informing him or at least saying goodbye.
