His Reluctant Luna

Lucian's POV -

I was going through the paperwork to catch up on the business and keep myself distracted. My chest was hurting, which was expected. My wolf had been distressed ever since Alice left. He did not understand the human side of my emotions and complications.

"Come in," I said automatically on hearing the knock.

"I brought your dinner, you didn't have your lunch, Alpha," Katherine said, laying down the tray.

"I am not hungry," I replied, reading the same line of the document for the third time.

"This will not do, Lucian. I know you are missing your mate. That does not mean you start ignoring the food. I might be a lone wolf, and not know much about mates, but I know that, by staying hungry, your mate's not going to come back." Katherine shoved the plate of pasta at me.

I smiled and took it from her. She had been like a second mother to me ever since my own was unable to take care of me. She was the one who alerted me about the poison all those years ago and saved my life. I shook my head; I wanted to avoid recalling those terrible days.

"Alright, you win," I replied, taking the plate.

She gave a satisfied smile.

"Katherine, are you happy here?" I asked while playing with my fork, poking it aimlessly at my plate.

"What do you mean?" She asked puzzled.

"I mean, didn't you ever consider getting into a relationship with someone?" I hoped I was not crossing the line by asking a rather personal question.

"You mean other than my mate?" She smiled.

I nodded sheepishly.

"No, I have always believed in mate-bonds, I think my mate is somewhere out there looking for me. Sometimes, it takes time in finding them. But that is just me. Not everyone thinks like me."

"Don't you feel lonely?"

"With a family this big? No way. I have so much to do, too many mouths to feed. Who has the time to feel lonely?"

She chuckled.

"Good to know that," I wolfed down another fork full of pasta.

"Katherine, you are one of the few people I trust; hence I am entrusting you with an important job. Please tell the pack members that I have rejected Alice, she is not my mate anymore, nor their Luna."

If glares could kill, I would have been a dead man by now. That is how angry she

was.

"What have you done now? Did you hurt her? Why did she leave? How could you do this to your mate?"

The flurry of accusations would never end.

"Katherine, listen to me, I have not rejected her. I mean, not the way you are assuming. Consider this as a part of the investigation. Someone from the pack started that fire, and I have to find that person."

"Oh!" Katherine stopped and blinked.

"I am sorry for my insolence, Alpha," she said, bowing down.

"It's fine Katherine, now please spread this rumour," I said.

"Rumor?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, as a rumour, I just have this feeling that the target was Alice, once the culprit is assured that she is no longer in the picture, he or she might get lax and give away some clue."

"I see," she nodded with understanding. "I will do as you command, Alpha."

"Alpha, when is Madam Luna coming back?" She asked before leaving.

"As soon as she starts missing me," I grinned.

Alice Anderson, you will beg me to take you back. I smirked.

*****************

Alice's POV -

I was missing Lucian, his touch, his smell, his laugh, his voice, the way he kissed me, the way he held me in bed... Damm! I was going wet just thinking about it.

"So, when is your fiancée arriving?" Emma remarked.

"What?" I replied, waking up from my reverie.

She smirked.

"Mark, when is he arriving, I mean what time?"

"Evening 4," I replied absentmindedly, hugging my pillow.

"Great! I have booked a hotel for you in the city. Bobby can drive you...."

"No, I don't want anyone with me. I will go alone." I spoke.

"Rick will raise hell if he finds out," Emma said.

"I know that is why you need your help me sneak out."

"It's not that easy, Alice, the security has been tightened. Why can't you just go with Bobby and a few guards? For your safety."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, don't worry. It is good that Mark has arrived. I had to break up with him anyway. I could not do that on the phone. It would have been too selfish."

Emma's face broke into a smile.

"Oh! You are going to dump him! I mean, sorry, that's sad." She tried keeping a straight face but failed miserably at it.

I suppressed my smile. Emma had been asking me to do that right from the first day.

"Yeah, it sucks, he is an extremely sweet guy, he deserves better. After what happened between Lucian and me. It was technically cheating. I cannot be with him; it would be unfair. I should not have got involved with him in the first place" I said sadly.

"So, what happened with Lucian? I can see you are still unmarked." She said with a sly smile.

"I got my heat, a month early," I stopped and closed my eyes, the pain of losing him was too much to bear.

"And?"

"He helped me by giving me......you know, release." I could feel a blush creeping up my neck.

"Oh! This sounds good, but that doesn't answer my question."

"We didn't have sex if that's what you are curious about," I said hastily.

"Wow! How did you survive the heat without it?"

She asked with a naughty grin.

"I told you he gave me.... well, orgasms. He has an exceptionally talented tongue."

I narrated everything which transpired in the cabin, and him finally rejecting the mate bond.

"How could he do that? It's so unfair," Emma gasped.

"I don't blame him, it's all my fault. If only I had listened to my wolf and you, I would not have been left alone, and jobless." I added.

"What?" Emma asked surprised.

"I am going to resign, I can't work with Mark after all this," I said dejectedly.

"What if he refuses to break up?"

"What? Why would he do that?

"Mark doesn't know anything about you. What are you going to say? You can't just leave him heartbroken."

She was right, I needed an excuse.

"I will tell him the truth, that I cheated on him."

Emma's mouth fell open.

"That's brutal."

I sighed and covered my face, "I am a terrible person, Emma, I have hurt two of

the best guys I have ever met. Both loved me, yet I hurt them both. I am so stupid.

I don't know what to do." I cried.

"Come here?" Emma said, spreading her arms.

I rested my head on her shoulder. I would have preferred a broader, more muscular arms of Lucian, but that was not possible anymore, and I was tired of crying. But that was my fate now.

"One thing which I have learned from life is that no matter how many hardships it throws your way, it will still give you a surprise. Your mate was your surprise. Are you going to just let him go?" Emma asked, after a while.

I broke the hug and looked at her.

"What do you mean?"noveldrama

"Don't let him get away so easily, fight for him." She winked at me.

***************

I got off Emma's car, which she had lent me and stared at the hotel entrance.

Mark and I were supposed to meet for the dinner. Bracing myself, I walked into

the lobby.

Mark was waiting for me and rushed to hug me the moment I entered. I closed my eyes; this was going to be hard.

"I missed you, babe," he bent his head to kiss me, and I stepped back at an inhuman speed.

Lana growled, and I pushed her down, clenching my fists. After Lucian, I could not

stand the touch of another man, not even Mark.

"Woah! What's wrong?" He looked surprised.

"Umm nothing, I have booked this exclusive place, and they would cancel if we

don't reach on time. Let us go." I lied.

"So, where are we headed?" He asked.

"A local restaurant called Silver Moon. They have wonderful food."

"Oh, okay," he replied.

I had no idea what to say, so I drove the short distance to the restaurant in uneasy

silence, while Mark talked.

"Do you know how worried I was when I couldn't reach you, where in the godforsaken place does your aunt live?"

"It's a bit remote, that is why I asked you to check in to a hotel, in the city."

"Does that mean I won't be meeting your family?"

"Family? Why do you want to meet my family?"

God, this was hard.

"Alice, is something wrong?"

I turned towards him.

"We have reached, let eat first, then we'll talk." I gave a pleasant smile.

"Alice! Where is your ring?" Mark asked, his face set in a grim expression.