Chapter 41: You Need To Apologize To Iris, Zane! Don’t Make Me Ask Again.
Iris’s POV
Liora stopped just a few feet away, her hands balled into fists at her sides, with barely contained rage. "First, you throw yourself at the triplets, and now you’re cozying up to Lucas? Do you have no shame? I am not surprised. This is what Lucas has reduced himself to."
I opened my mouth to respond, to defend myself, but the words caught in my throat as I felt the weight of Zane’s gaze. Lucas, standing beside me, stiffened without saying a word. I stole a glance at him, and his eyes, calm some moments ago, now filled with something dangerous.
"Liora," Lucas called. "That’s enough, you shouldn’t be dramatic all the time. Your words are not nice. Why are you so mannerless and stupid?"
Liora wasn’t listening. Her eyes blazed as she took another step toward me, her hand rising as if to hit me but before her palm could reach me, Lucas’s hand shot out, catching her wrist mid-air. His grip was not painful but Liora gasped, her eyes widening in shock before narrowing into slits.
"How dare you!" she shrieked, yanking her arm away, but Lucas held firm, his expression calm now. "You’re going to hit me now? I’ll tell Father! I’ll make sure everyone knows what kind of son you are! And make sure father strips you off every title. Don’t dream big."
Lucas’s lips twitched, not quite a smile but something close, as if her theatrics amused him. "Go ahead and tell him," he said coolly, releasing her wrist with a gentle push that made her stumble back a step. "But you’re not touching her."
Liora’s face flushed with more anger. She turned her fury on me, pointing her finger in my direction. "You think you can just seduce every man in this pack? You are nothing but a cheap whore."
Her words hurt. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms, but I kept my chin up, refusing to let her see how much it hurt. Before I could find my voice, Zane stepped forward as he positioned himself just in front of Lucas. His dark eyes flicking between Lucas and me.
"Well, well," Zane drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "You’ve only just arrived, and here you are, Lucas, parading around with a maid." He spat, his lips curling into a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. "What’s this, huh? Slumming it with the help now? Or is she just your latest distraction? Oh man, there are other beautiful ladies out there."
My stomach twisted, and I felt the heat of humiliation creeping up my neck. I wanted to disappear, to melt into the ground but Lucas didn’t flinch. Instead, he took a step closer to Zane, his hands slipping casually into his pockets. And then he spoke.
"Being the alpha’s son doesn’t give you the right to talk down to anyone," Lucas said, his voice cold. "You owe her an apology."