Chapter 23: Chased by awkwardness
Ruelle’s breath hitched as she tried to gather her thoughts. She had followed him with the intention of thanking him, but now, under his cold gaze, her words felt trivial and foolish. But clenching her hands and straightening her posture, she tried to pretend that she wasn’t intimidated by him, even though every instinct in her body screamed for her to run back to her building, to the safety of the light.
"I—I wanted to thank you," she said, her voice steadying. "For the carriage ride earlier."
Lucian’s sharp gaze bore into her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as though he might dismiss her altogether. But then, he repeated, "Thank me?" He took a step closer, and though there was distance between them, she felt her heart begin to pound at his nearing proximity. "You think I care about your gratitude, human?"
Ruelle faltered, her initial resolve weakening under his icy gaze. His words stung. She said,
"I just thought it was appropriate since you offered—"
"I didn’t offer you anything," Lucian interrupted, his red eyes narrowing slightly. He stepped forward again, the space between them shrinking. "You assume much. The only reason you were in that carriage was because I owe Sawyer a favour. Don’t flatter yourself for mistaking my tolerance for kindness. I couldn’t care less about your fragile human concerns."
The sting of his words echoed in the stillness surrounding them. Why had she thought thanking him was a good idea? But she knew why—because if it weren’t for his carriage, she would have been wolf meat.
"Whatever your reason... whether or not you care about my ’fragile concerns,’ you still allowed me into that carriage. I just wanted to thank you. That is all," Ruelle said firmly as she bowed and stared at the ground, making it easy for the words to flow.
When Lucian didn’t utter a word or move, Ruelle tensed. Her eyes flicked upward to meet his, brooding and cold. His gaze stripped away her every attempt at staying calm. He finally remarked,