CHAPTER 151: YOUNG LILITH XXIII

*~Young Lilith’s POV~*

He pulled me closer, his grip fierce but tender, like he was holding onto the last breath of his soul.

"Lilith," Marcus whispered, his lips brushing against my hairline, "you know I would never do anything to hurt you, right? You know I would never harm you or wish anything bad for you."

His words burned through me, sweet poison laced with desperation.

"Me marrying Selene... it’s nothing," he swore, his eyes glowing with that familiar fire. "I will run away. We’ll run away. And we will be together. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. Nobody will ever come between us again. Nobody will dare separate us."

His voice cracked. His hands trembled against me. "Please, Lilith... believe me."

And the worst part? I did.

God help me, I did believe him.

I tried to fight it, to push the doubt in his eyes against the promises on his lips, but it was impossible. His voice reached into the places I swore I’d locked away. My chest heaved as I swallowed hard, nodding slowly, betraying my own reason.

His face lit up. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," I whispered, my voice shaking. "Yes, I do."

Marcus pulled me into him, his arms sealing me against his chest. He buried his face in my hair and inhaled deeply like he was memorizing me, like he was breathing for the first time in years.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Thank you so much. I’ll never break your trust. Never."

"I hope you don’t," I murmured through my tears, clutching his shirt like a drowning woman. "I hope you really don’t."

Behind me, Alice’s voice cracked the fragile moment like lightning splitting the sky.

"Lilith."

I turned. She stood with her arms crossed, her glare sharper than a blade. I reached for her hand quickly, desperately.

"Alice, I promise he’s a good man," I said, though my own voice faltered. "Yes, he made a mistake. He married another woman. But... I know him. I know his heart. He won’t hurt me."

Alice’s eyes narrowed, her silence louder than any shout.

"I promise you," Marcus interjected, stepping forward.

But Alice’s hand shot up like a warning. She was not speaking to him—not yet.

Her gaze fixed on me, and her jaw clenched. "What are you doing, Lilith?" she demanded, her voice low but dangerous.

"I trust him," I whispered. "Please, Alice. He is good."

Her eyes rolled, sharp with skepticism, her body radiating pure disbelief. But she saw the plea in my eyes. She saw my trembling hands. Slowly, she exhaled, then pressed her palm against mine.

"Sister," she whispered, "please don’t trust him."

The silence between us stretched until finally, she let go of my hand. "Fine."

Alice turned to Marcus with fire in her eyes. She walked right up to him, grabbed his shirt in both fists, and yanked him forward until his face hovered just inches from hers.

"Look here," she hissed, her voice dripping with fury, "if you ever think about harming her again... if you ever break her heart again—even though you already shattered it when she had to watch you get married to another woman..." Her nails curled into his chest. "I swear, Marcusb, I will end you myself."

Marcus’s jaw tightened, but Alice wasn’t done.

"I am giving you the smallest benefit of the doubt. Only because she’s carrying your child."

Marcus’s eyes widened, his breath catching.

"You have less than a week," Alice warned, her tone sharp enough to cut steel. "A week to prove yourself. A week to come together, to leave this cursed place, and create the family she deserves. Or else—" her voice dropped to a whisper so deadly it chilled the air "—I will hunt you down, Marcus . And I will kill you myself."

And still, I couldn’t let go of his hand.

"I won’t be doing any of that," Marcus said coldly, his jaw set. "And there’s no need to threaten me with death."

He squared his shoulders, standing tall, and greeted Alice’s threats with nothing but steel in his gaze.

Her lips curved into a sharp, dangerous smirk. "Don’t try me. One day, Marcus Crane, you’ll learn why crescents are feared. We don’t bluff."

She released his shirt and turned away, her hand finding mine instantly. Her grip was strong, anchoring me, dragging me away from the storm that had almost swallowed me whole.

"Come, Lilith. We need to go," she said, her voice clipped. "Nobody must find out we slipped away tonight."

My heart hammered. I let her pull me, but as I walked, I turned back once more.

Marcus stood there in the silver wash of moonlight, still in his wedding suit, his tie askew, his hair a tousled mess that made him look like a man undone. His icy blue eyes never left mine. My stomach twisted painfully. He didn’t need words; his gaze alone screamed promises I shouldn’t want to hear.

But I went with Alice.

We moved quietly through the shadows, returning to the forest as though nothing had happened. The Crescent camp was silent, the night watch lulled by the whisper of crickets.

By some miracle, everyone was still asleep.

I slipped back into my hut, praying Jonathan—or anyone else—hadn’t noticed my absence. Alice returned to her post at the edge of camp, her role as guard making it ridiculously easy for me to sneak out in the first place. Too easy.

Now alone, I sat on my cot, my fingers brushing against my stomach.

Will Marcus come?

He said he would. He swore it with eyes that looked like truth. But what if he doesn’t? What if he leaves me to rot in the shame of my choice?

No. No, I saw it in him. Marcus wouldn’t do that to me. He couldn’t.

I was convincing myself when I heard a voice behind me.

"Where were you?"

My breath froze.

Every nerve in my body jolted like lightning had struck me. Slowly, I turned, and my blood ran cold.

Jonathan.

He was inside my hut.

No. Impossible. He shouldn’t be here.

But he was.

His eyes burned into mine as he stepped closer. "Lilith," he repeated, softer but sharper. "I asked you a question. Where were you?"

I swallowed hard, my lips trembling. "I—"

He cut me off, his tone sharp as a blade. "You think I wouldn’t notice? You thought you could sneak out and I wouldn’t know? Don’t test me. Answer me clearly. Where were you?"

My knees shook. My voice faltered. But I forced it out anyway.

"I... I went to see Marcus."

Silence. For a moment, he only stared at me, his chest rising and falling. Then, suddenly—

Jonathan laughed.

The sound was bitter, cruel, and sharp enough to slice the air.

"You went to see him?" he repeated, shaking his head. "How stupid. How utterly desperate can you be?"

His laughter grew harsher. "That man is married, Lilith. Married. The entire city of New Orleans knows it. And yet you—you of all people—slipped away to see him. What for? To stop his wedding?"

His eyes narrowed, disgust dripping from his voice. "Don’t tell me you’re still madly in love with him."

I straightened, my own anger rising. "I can’t believe you’re speaking to me like this. I won’t let you disrespect me again."

But he wasn’t done.

"No," Jonathan snapped, his hand cutting the air. "No, you will listen. Because pathetic women like you need to be called out. You are in love with a man who has another woman, and you ran to him on his wedding night. How tragic."

He laughed again, sharp and mocking, his voice carrying through the hut.

Alice, who had slipped inside behind him, let out a sharp hiss, muttering something under her breath. Jonathan turned on her instantly.

"And you." His eyes narrowed. "You’re part of this too, aren’t you? Always covering for her. Always part of the little games."

His lip curled, his voice full of venom. "Both of you—husband snatchers."