"…A vampire…?"
A slow, cruel smile formed.
"The Alpha will want to hear this."
——————————————————
Lucien's entire expression stilled as the word left her lips.
"…Brother."
The forest did not move.
The wind, which had been brushing softly through the leaves only moments ago, seemed to hesitate—as though even nature itself paused to witness something it did not quite understand. The night remained dark, heavy, pressing in from all sides, yet within that darkness, the single word lingered with a softness that did not belong here.
Lucien did not react immediately.
For someone like him—someone who had lived through centuries, who had watched empires crumble and civilizations rise from dust, who had seen countless humans live, love, and disappear—this moment should have meant nothing.
And yet—
It did.
His crimson eyes remained fixed on her, unmoving, unblinking, as if searching for something hidden behind her expression. His fingers, still loosely caught within her small, warm grip, did not pull away. The contact itself was insignificant, something he could have broken effortlessly… yet he didn't.
Because something about it felt—
Different.
"…What did you just call me?" he asked at last, his voice lower than before, stripped of its usual sharpness. There was no mockery in it now, no cruel amusement. Instead, there was a quiet curiosity—deep, unfamiliar, and edged with something he could not name.
Lily blinked at him, her lashes fluttering slightly as she sensed the shift in him. The boldness she had shown moments ago softened just a little, uncertainty creeping into her expression.
"…Brother…" she repeated, her voice quieter this time, almost careful, as though testing whether the word had been wrong.
Her fingers loosened slightly around his, yet she didn't let go entirely.
Lucien's brows drew together faintly, a subtle crease forming between them. "Why?" he asked, this time more directly, his tone calm but laced with quiet disbelief. "You don't know me. You just learned what I am. And yet… you choose to call me that?"
Lily lowered her gaze for a moment, her thoughts visibly shifting behind her eyes. Her bare feet pressed lightly into the cold earth beneath her, grounding her as she tried to find the right words.
"…I don't know your name," she said slowly, her voice soft, careful, almost hesitant as she pieced together her reasoning. "And… you don't look old enough to call you uncle…"
A small pause followed as she lifted her gaze again, glancing at him briefly, almost shyly.
"…And you don't feel like someone I should call 'sir' either…"
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly at that, not in anger—but in confusion.
Feel?
What did she mean by that?
Lily continued, her voice gaining a little more steadiness as she spoke, though the innocence within her words remained untouched.
"…And you're not like the Alpha's son… or others…" she murmured, her tone lowering slightly, something painful flickering through her expression. "They shout… they hurt first… they don't ask anything…"
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around his hand, as if holding onto him gave her courage.
"…You didn't hurt me," she added softly. "Even when you could have."
Her eyes lifted again, meeting his fully now.
"…So… calling you 'brother' just… felt right."
The simplicity of her answer lingered in the air.
There was no calculation in it. No hidden meaning. No fear-driven logic.
Just… instinct.
Lucien stared at her.
Silent.
Still.
But inside him—
Something shifted.
Not sharply.
Not violently.
But slowly, like something ancient being disturbed after centuries of stillness.
He had been called many things in his long existence.
King.
Monster.
Devil.
Predator.
Names filled with fear. With hatred. With submission.
But never—
This.
Never something so human.
So unguarded.
His gaze softened, just slightly, though it was a change so subtle that even Lily barely noticed it.
"…You trust too easily," he said after a moment, his voice quieter now, lacking its usual edge. "You make judgments without understanding the consequences.You trust what you feel without questioning it. That will destroy you one day."
Lily tilted her head slightly, thinking about his words instead of reacting immediately.
"…Maybe," she admitted softly. "But… if I think everyone is bad…"
She hesitated.
Her voice dropped.
"…Then I'll always be alone."
The words were simple.
But they carried weight.
A quiet loneliness that did not need explanation.
For a brief moment, the forest seemed to fall into a deeper silence, as though even the darkness had chosen to listen.
Lucien watched her more carefully now—not as a predator observing prey, but as someone trying to understand something unfamiliar… something he had long forgotten existed.
"…You shouldn't wander alone at night," he said finally, though this time his tone carried something different.
Not mockery.
Not dismissal.
A warning.
Lily nodded slowly, though her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to recall what had happened.
"…I didn't mean to," she whispered. "I was in my bed… and then…"
Her expression tightened with confusion.
"…It felt like someone was calling me… like I had to go… I couldn't stop…"
Lucien's gaze darkened instantly.
The Witch.
There was no doubt now.
He turned his head slightly, his eyes shifting toward the deeper part of the forest where the house lay hidden in shadows, his expression hardening.
"…You were being pulled," he said calmly. "That wasn't your will."
Lily's breath caught.
Her fingers tightened again, fear slowly replacing confusion.
"…Then… if you didn't stop me…" she whispered, her voice trembling now, "…I would have gone there…?"
Lucien did not answer.
He didn't need to.
The silence itself confirmed everything.
Lily swallowed, her throat dry as realization began to settle in.
"…She wouldn't hurt me…" she said, though her voice lacked certainty now. It sounded fragile… unsure… almost like she was trying to convince herself.
Lucien glanced down at her.
"…You still believe that?" he asked quietly.
Lily hesitated.
Her thoughts tangled, pulling her in opposite directions.
"…I… don't know…" she admitted finally.
Lucien studied her for a moment longer.
Then slowly—
He adjusted his hand.
Instead of letting her hold onto him uncertainly, his fingers shifted, enclosing hers lightly. His grip wasn't tight—it wasn't possessive—but it was steady.
Grounding.
"…For now," he said, his voice low, controlled, "stay away from that place & from her ."
Lily looked at their hands, surprised by the sudden change.
Then slowly—
She nodded.
"…Okay… brother…" she said softly again.
This time—
Lucien did not question it.
He didn't correct her.
Even though a part of him wanted to.
Even though another part—
Didn't.
A faint irritation flickered through him at his own reaction.
Why do I care? he thought sharply.
This girl—
This weak omega—
Should mean nothing to him.
And yet…
Without another word, Lucien moved.
The world blurred around them as he pulled her with him, his speed inhuman, the forest shifting past them like shadows being torn apart. The cold air rushed against Lily's skin, her breath catching as the ground beneath her feet seemed to disappear and reappear in seconds.
Before she could even fully process what was happening—
They stopped.
Right near the orphanage.
The familiar scent of the Silver Pack territory surrounded her again.
Lucien released her hand slowly.
His expression hardened once more, the softness from earlier disappearing behind a mask of cold indifference.
"Well, little wolf," he said, his tone sharp again, though not as cruel as before, "don't get used to this."
Lily looked at him, confused.
"I didn't hurt you today," he continued, his voice steady, controlled, "but that doesn't mean I won't in the future."
He stepped slightly back.
""The same applies to the Witch.""
His eyes met hers again.
"This is your life."
"Your decisions."
"Your consequences."
Lily stood still, her thoughts spinning, confusion, fear, and something else mixing inside her.
"…And don't expect me to protect you again," he added, his voice dropping slightly at the end, almost as if the words didn't fully match what he intended to say.
A brief pause.
"And don't call me—"
He stopped.
A fraction too late.
"…brother."
But even as he said it—
It lacked conviction.
Lily noticed.
She didn't argue.
Didn't respond.
She simply nodded slowly, though her mind was far from calm.
Why was I there…?
Why did it feel like someone was calling me…?
Did… the Witch really…?
Her thoughts tangled, refusing to settle.
Lucien turned away, irritation flickering through him again—not at her, but at himself.
Without another word—
He vanished.
But he didn't leave immediately.
From the shadows, unseen, he watched her enter the orphanage safely.
Stupid....
Only then—
Did he disappear completely.
Unaware—
That from a distance…
Hidden in darkness—
Someone had seen everything.
And in a place where loyalty to the Alpha meant survival—
This sight…
Was not something that would be forgiven.
Also
This single moment with a vampire…
Would not remain a secret for long.