Chapter 275: Leaving...
Lucius POV
The quiet in my room felt oppressive, like the calm before a storm. Moon Whisper always had an eerie stillness, but tonight, it felt different. I glanced out the window, where the moon hung low in the sky, its pale glow casting long shadows over the horizon. The suitcase by my side was packed, and my mind was already set on what I needed to do. But my heart... my heart was another matter entirely.
As much as I had convinced myself that leaving was the only option, the mate bond still tugged at me relentlessly, like an unbreakable chain linking me to Kurtis and Emilia. The very idea of turning my back on them felt like a betrayal, but it was a necessary one. Too many lives depended on my decisions, and I couldn’t afford to lose focus now.
I had to take care of Xavier, I had to take care of Greyhound. This was my duty and I was bound by it.
A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Come in," I said, already knowing who it was.
Kurtis stepped into the room, his presence filling the space immediately. There was a heaviness in his movements, a kind of hesitancy that I rarely saw in him. He shut the door behind him and crossed his arms, leaning against it. His usual calm demeanour was nowhere to be found tonight.
"Are you really doing this, Lucius?" he asked quietly, his voice low but edged with frustration. "Are you really going to turn your back on the mate bond?"
I turned to face him fully, taking in the sharpness of his jaw, and the tension in his posture. His eyes—those eyes that mirrored the bond we shared—were clouded with disappointment and confusion. It stung, but I had to remain resolute.
"Yes," I said, keeping my voice steady. "As much as I want it—want you and Emilia—I can’t have it."
Kurtis pushed off the door, his steps deliberate as he approached me. His frustration simmered just beneath the surface. "Why, Lucius? Why are you denying something that was literally made for us? The mate bond isn’t just some random connection. It’s fate. You can’t just walk away from it like it’s nothing."