CHAPTER 45: CAREFUL TO NOT DISTURB HER

Lucian’s POV

It didn’t take Roman a second to sense the rage simmering inside me, and I was sure Jason felt the same as me.

Watching her rest so peacefully beside Roman made my blood boil. My heart burned with a quiet fury.

Roman shot us a warning glance, silently commanding us: Don’t you dare disturb her.

I clenched my jaw, forcing the anger down for Kael’s sake. Now wasn’t the time to fuck things up. We couldn’t afford to provoke Roman. We all knew too well that once he snapped, no apology would be enough to pacify him.

Roman placed the laptop on the table and stood up, his movements deliberate and quiet, careful not to wake her. He approached us, his gaze dropping to the toolboxes in our hands.

"Kael sent us to check the security," I said flatly. He better not assume we were here to ruin his cozy little moment with that bitch.

"Go ahead," he replied. "Just don’t make noise. She took a long time to fall asleep."

"Why not just stuff earbuds in her ears instead," I muttered, turning away to check the surveillance system installed in a small, cabin-style room connected to the drawing room.

Jason went to inspect the cameras, starting with the ones outside the house before moving on to those inside.

Roman had already resumed his work, seated in the same spot, careful not to disturb her even with the rustle of a page.

After fixing the faulty outside cameras, we came back in to handle the ones indoors. Jason climbed up the step ladder, a few tools in his hand, while I stood a few steps away, monitoring the tablet for the camera feed.

"It seems fine," I told him in a low voice.

Jason gave a low hum and reached up to tighten the final screw—but as he did, one of the heavier tools tucked into his back pocket slipped free to fall on the floor.

As if an instinct, I dived to the floor in flash and caught it before it could hit the ground and make a sound.

All three of us froze, and looked towards the sofa, towards her.

She was still asleep.

We exhaled simultaneously, relief washing over us.

But then realisation stuck us as we exchanged glances, stunned by our own reactions.

Forget about Roman, but me and Jason—had reacted out of concern for not waking her.

What the hell? Since when did Jason and I give a damn about disturbing her?

Jason and I looked at each other, surprised, before quickly looking away like a pair of thieves caught red-handed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Roman’s lips curve into a knowing smirk.

I pretended I didn’t see it.

That smug bastard.

As I stood, I realized I’d scraped my arm when I dove on the floor. A tiny screws lying on the floor had pierced my skin. I got up, handed the tool back to Jason, and pulled the screw out with a hiss.

"All that bitch knows is how to hurt us," I muttered under my breath, "even without lifting a damn finger."

Roman offered me a questioning look, as if silently asking whether my words made any sense.

I ignored him and turned to Jason. "If you’re done, let’s leave."

By the time Jason finished securing the camera and stepped down from the ladder, Roman walked over to me. He took hold of my injured hand, but I jerked it away.

"Just focus on your bitch. No need to bother with me," I said coldly.

"I am enough focused on her," Roman replied, his voice steady, and held my hand again "but that doesn’t mean I forget about my brothers."

He tightened his grip on my wrist, warning me through his gaze not to pull away again. This bastard rarely played the dominant card, but for some reason, I let him have his moment.

He dabbed the wound with a piece of clean cotton, wiping the blood away, and then covered it with a small bandage.

"We’re werewolves. No need to fuss over such minor scratches," I said mockingly. "In case you forgot, while babysitting your sickly bitch."

"Just thought I’d act human for a moment," Roman countered, locking eyes with me. "Even if it’s a scratch, I can’t stand seeing my brothers hurt."

I turned to Jason to escape the softness in Roman’s voice. "Something’s wrong with this bastard. He’s making me fucking suffocate."

Jason gave a quiet hum. "Let’s just leave, then."

Just then, we heard a soft rustle from the sofa and instinctively turned.

The bitch was awake. She opened her eyes and looked at us. The moment she recognized Jason and me, her expression shifted. She sank back, as if trying to disappear.

At least she didn’t scream this time or make a scene.

Roman rushed to her, his voice gentle. "Eira, they were only here to check the security system. They’re leaving now."

She said nothing, didn’t even look at us.

My jaw tightened. We were the ones who should’ve made her feel insignificant. We didn’t even want her near us, yet she had the audacity to look at us like we were the threat?

"Let’s go," Jason said as he put his hand on my shoulder, before I snapped at her.

"Yeah, who the fuck wants to look at that sickly bitch," I muttered through gritted teeth, and we left.

Even after stepping out of the house, the anger refused to let me go. It clung to my chest, gnawed at my thoughts, leaving me unsettled and confused. I couldn’t even put a finger on what exactly was eating me.

Maybe it will all end once that bitch was dead. Just a little while more till we fulfil our purpose with her. I told myself, trying to calm the fury that refused to die down.

When we returned home, Rafe was still nowhere to be seen. That bastard wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without first informing Kael exactly where he was headed.

Because whenever he vanished without a word, it was never something ordinary. It either meant trouble was brewing, or that bloodthirsty bastard was up to no good again.

"Call Caston and ask if he’s there," Jason suggested.

I made the call. Caston answered and confirmed that Rafe wasn’t at the pub.

"Should we call Kael?" Jason asked.

I shook my head. "Kael’s already dealing with that annoying council. Let’s just wait for Rafe to return," I said firmly. "And if that bastard’s stirred up trouble, I swear I’ll spank the shit out of him like a little bitch."

My gut feeling was telling me he was definitely up to something really wicked a vampire would do.