Chapter 0313

Theodore had been completely transparent about his past discoveries. Fortunately, he and Lucas Adler shared no similarities, and I desperately wanted that to remain unchanged. Theodore possessed genuine kindness—unlike the Hunter now confronting me. I refused to let that alter.

“I never claimed he was. And frankly, your attitude doesn’t sit well with me.”

“My attitude?” I scoffed, then inhaled a mouthful of tea too quickly. It shot from my nostrils like lava, leaving me sputtering and coughing.

He smirked, and my grip tightened around the cup. I was ready to hurl it straight at him. His hazel eyes flicked to my hand, and his smirk widened into a full grin. “That pup’s already got you all riled up, hasn’t he?”

“What the hell did you just say?”

He held my gaze but didn’t repeat himself. There was no way he could already know. I was barely pregnant.

Lucas tilted his head slightly. “You heard me perfectly.” He winked and started to turn away. I launched the cup at him anyway. His hand shot out and caught it effortlessly.

He turned back and closed the distance between us, placing the empty cup carefully on the stone porch beside me. “I’ll let that slide. Just this once.”

His gaze drifted past the open doorway.

“She isn’t here,” I muttered.

“Who?”

“Your Lycan mate.”

“I don’t have a Lycan mate.” He frowned, lines creasing his forehead. Liar. Absolute liar.

“Why are you denying it?” I pressed. “Just reject her and be done with it.”

“Rejecting her would imply we’re mated. Since we’re not, I can’t reject her. I’ve told Athena the exact same thing.”

“That isn’t the truth.” He was denying every possibility. But Hannah had been certain. She knew exactly who her mate was and had no reason to lie.

He grinned at me. “It’s my truth, Brianna. My mate was everything to me. I can’t just move on.”

“How long were you together before Seraphina killed her?” I asked. Lucas had never spoken about his mate, his unborn child, or his parents.

“Twelve years.”

“Was she a Hunter too?”

“Yes. And a damn good one.”

“I’m sorry Seraphina took them from you.”

“Your apology means nothing. You had no part in it.”

“Your child… the one you lost…”

“He died in utero. Was already gone before I made it home. I couldn’t save him.” His voice grew quiet. “My advice to you—don’t act recklessly. Protect that little one. We all know you rush in and deal with consequences later. Change that. Now.” It felt less like a deflection and more like a warning.

Zachary always said everyone carries secrets they’d rather keep buried.

“Why do you care? You don’t even like our kind.”

“I never said I cared.” He turned and walked away without looking back. Almost instantly, a group of young she-wolves appeared, giggling as they trailed after him until they vanished from sight.

I linked Athena, asking if she was free to talk. I needed to tell her about my bizarre encounter with Lucas. She replied that she’d come over as soon as possible.

Getting to my feet, I caught the scent of smoke and burning wood. Peering around my house, I saw Wolves and Lycans sprinting from the forest, scooping up young children and rushing them to safety as flames engulfed the tree trunks.

Many Wolves leaped into action, ensuring everyone moved to a safe distance while others charged into the trees to combat the blaze. But the fire only grew, spreading wildly through the forest.

A hand locked around my wrist, yanking me backward as embers rained on my roof, setting it ablaze within seconds. Everything I had built over the past few years went up in flames right before my eyes.

“You need to move,” the man holding my wrist muttered.

I looked up and recognized Caleb—Seraphina’s stepfather. I hadn’t even seen him approach, but he pulled me back, away from the raging fire. Then I spotted familiar waves of red hair backing toward the flames.

“HANNAH!”