CHAPTER 72: _TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL

Lucian’s POV

*****

"Aren’t you supposed to be in some meeting or something?" Aurora groaned with frustration when Lucian stood by her door that morning, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light.

Like he was about to kill someone.

And maybe he wanted to, starting with Axel and maybe Elian—

’You know you can’t.’ his wolf growled with a mocking tone in his soul.

Lucian bit his bottom lip but then plastered a smile on his face when he faced his sister. "We need to talk. I—"

"Please, for the love of all gods on the surface of Solara." She interrupted, rubbing her forehead before adjusting her night robe. "Don’t tell me it’s about you and your mate again."

News flash... It was.

"You know me too well," Lucian said with sarcasm before rolling his eyes. "Last night when I left your room, Axel reported Elian fainting. This morning, I barged into Elian’s room only to see that accursed Beta balls deep into—"

"Lucian!" Aurora squealed, placing her hands on her cheeks which were flustered with shock and embarrassment. "I don’t need any of those details. I already got the big picture."

Lucian stared at her for a bit, his mind trailing back to what he encountered back in Elian’s room.

Axel... His dick.

Was he knotting his mate?

"You’re jealous. As usual." Aurora suddenly muttered with a casual shrug, her hand still clutching her door.

Lucian furrowed his eyebrows when she said that but before he could do anything, Magnus’ voice echoed from inside his sister’s room behind her:

"It’s a little too early for gossip, Aurora. Don’t you think so?"

Footsteps clicked on the marble floor before the door opened wider, revealing Aurora’s mate standing behind her, shirtless just like last night.

However, the poor guy’s eyes widened when he spotted Lucian.

"A–Alpha prince..." He let out a heavy breath, his eyes flicking to Aurora who stared at Lucian like she was seconds away from saying something rash.

And she did.

"Don’t bother with pleasantries, babe. Lucian is only here for free therapy which I never promised him." Aurora tilted her head at her brother with a sarcastic smile. "You want the truth, brother. Here it is: You’re one of the biggest jerks I’ve ever interacted with throughout my nineteen years of existence."

Well, ouch...

"That’s not fair, sister," Lucian remarked but Aurora was insistent.

"Oh, it’s not? Elian would definitely say otherwise." She said with a sarcastic smirk. "That poor boy. Imagine having to frolick with a man who rejected you before the entire empire."

Magnus stood awkwardly silent behind her, not daring to say anything.

Smart man.

"Just because I tried rejecting him when I found out he’s my mate doesn’t mean I’m—"

"Why can’t you let him go?" Aurora suddenly asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity. "I mean, he has another mate and Estella is throwing herself at you."

Lucian snorted. "You of all people should know how the mate bond reacts, Aurora."

She harrumphed, stretching her hand backwards and grabbing Magnus’ hand. "And I’ve never had to reject my mate for any reason. We’re far from similar, brother."

Just when he parted his lips to say something, she chimed louder:

"This is going nowhere and I don’t know what you tried accomplishing this morning."

Lucian frowned. "I came here to talk to my sister, of course."

But Aurora shook her head. "You came here for you, Lucian. For advice. And right now, I only have one..."

She took just a little step forward, locking her gaze on his eyes.

".... If you’re jealous, tell him. Tell him how you feel. Because I definitely wouldn’t."

Her words hit harder than he wanted to admit.

Tell him how you feel...

As if it were that simple.

Lucian’s jaw worked, but no words came out. If he told Elian, the boy would either laugh in his face or worse, look at him with pity. And Lucian didn’t do pity.

Aurora’s eyes softened just a fraction, but she didn’t move from the doorway. She had drawn her line in the sand, and stepping over it would get him nowhere.

He exhaled slowly, letting his expression harden again. "Enjoy yourself this morning, sister."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and strode away. Magnus’ quiet sigh followed him down the hallway.

The palace corridors were already coming alive with the low murmur of servants, the clinking of breakfast trays and the shuffle of guards changing shifts.

Lucian ignored all of it, his mind stuck in a frustrating loop: Elian’s flushed face this morning, Axel’s naked body on top of him and the faint scent of them lingering in the air.

His wolf stirred irritably. ’You keep running from this, and you’ll regret it.’

"Not now," Lucian muttered under his breath.

He took the long way toward the war room, partly to clear his head and partly because he didn’t want to arrive looking like he’d been arguing with his sister.

Unfortunately, his thoughts refused to give him peace.

Aurora’s voice was still there, needling him:

"If you’re jealous, tell him."

Jealousy was a pathetic emotion, something unworthy of an Alpha prince. And yet, here he was, walking faster than necessary because the thought of Elian in someone else’s arms was enough to make his chest tighten.

He stopped in front of a large window overlooking the palace gardens. Below, soldiers were drilling in neat formation, their synchronised movements sharp and disciplined.

He needed to focus on work...

The war room awaited, and with it, Axel’s so-called committee, which comprised a small, handpicked group of soldiers meant to "investigate the assassination attempt on Elian".

In reality, Lucian suspected it was Axel’s way of tightening control without saying it outright.

Not that he could fault the idea. With the recent skirmishes between Arcadia and the Dark Lands, the empire needed a sharper edge.

He resumed walking, his boots striking the marble floor with more force than necessary.

In front of the large doors leading into the war room, two guards straightened at his approach. "Alpha prince," they greeted in unison, opening the heavy doors for him.

Inside, the air was cooler, touched by the faint scent of steel, and the lingering burn of oil lamps.

The glowing holographic map of Evaros on the table at the centre of the room stood out.

Around it stood a half-dozen figures. All soldiers. All with the kind of posture that said they’d rather be on the field than indoors.

Lucian’s eyes swept over them. He recognised a few—a veteran captain from the northern watch, a strategist from the border provinces—but others were unfamiliar.

Fresh faces, chosen by Axel, no doubt.

They all turned as he entered.

"Prince Lucian," one of them said, inclining his head respectfully.

Lucian stepped forward, letting his gaze linger on the map. "I trust you all know why you’re here."

A ripple of acknowledgement moved through the group.

One of the younger soldiers—a tall man with a scar cutting across his jaw—spoke. "Beta Axel informed us that this committee will handle sensitive operations moving forward. Directly under the crown."

Lucian’s lips curved, but not in amusement. "Is that so?"

They exchanged wary glances, and Lucian could almost smell their uncertainty.

"Then," he said, his voice calm but laced with mischief. "Let’s see if Axel’s faith in you is justified."