Chapter 132: The Ride Back

The black carriage travelled through the forest, its wheels grinding against the dirt road while the horses clip-clopped in a slow, steady rhythm.

Inside, Ruelle sat with her eyes closed beside Hailey. The latter kept a careful hand behind her friend’s back, making sure she didn’t lean too far against the seat where the wooden stake still jutted from her wound.

“She looks in pain,” Hailey murmured with a frown, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Was it Orpheus who did it?” she asked Kevin quietly, whose expression tightened.

Lucian didn’t turn towards them as his gaze remained fixed on Ruelle across from him. She had fallen asleep and he listened to the slow, even rhythm of her breathing while the carriage continued to roll through the forest.

“It was me…” Kevin admitted, shifting uneasily in his seat. Hailey’s eyes widened in disbelief as he spoke quietly, “She stepped in front of me suddenly and I failed to stop it.”

Hailey exhaled softly and said nothing as Kevin already looked miserable enough.

After a moment Hailey’s eyes drifted toward Lucian and she cleared her throat. “Mr. Lucian… thank you for rescuing us.” If it weren’t for him, they would have been dragged back to the den. When he didn’t respond, she added cautiously, “They won’t come after us, will they? I mean after you wa–warned them.”

Warned? Kevin thought wearily.

“They will not,” came the brief response from Lucian and Hailey nodded with relief.

’It wasn’t the prince. It was Lucian.’

When Ruelle had said it back there in the den, Kevin had wondered why she used Lucian’s name instead of Prince Edward. But after seeing what the pureblooded vampire had done to people for touching or even thinking about harming her, he realised Lucian Slater had indeed been the one who bit her.

The thought made something uneasy settle in his chest. Lucian had stepped in tonight as if she belonged to him.

When the wheels of the carriage rolled over the uneven road, one of the wheels moved against a raised stone and the vehicle suddenly jolted.

While the humans grabbed the edge of their seats to steady themselves, the sudden jolt caused Ruelle’s sleeping body to sway to the side. Her head tilted toward the wall of the carriage, ready to collide with it.

Before it could happen, Lucian leaned forward and his hand came to rest against the side of Ruelle’s head, stopping the movement before it struck the carriage. The young woman barely stirred, her head simply settled against his palm.

“My apologies for the jolt, Master Lucian,” the coachman called from the driver’s seat as the horses continued along the forest road.

Across from them, Hailey’s eyes widened. She had never seen someone move so quickly.

“If people like tonight invite you again, there is no reason to follow them,” Lucian stated, his hand still cradling Ruelle’s head.

“We wouldn’t have gone if they didn’t threaten our families,” Hailey answered, and as the words left her mouth, something seemed to strike her. She whispered, “Orpheus… he knows where my father works. I should go visit my family—”

“You don’t have to worry about him for now, Hailey. He’s out cold,” Kevin said, trying to reassure her. “Unless he comes back vindictively…” he muttered, his eyes drifting toward Lucian.

At the same time, the carriage began to slow down as it had entered Sexton and the hooves gradually eased until the horses came to a quiet halt. Lanterns flickered along the stone walls, bringing the humans a sense of safety.

Outside, the coachman climbed down from the driver’s seat and opened the door with practised ease.

“Should we wake her?” Hailey asked, glancing at Ruelle.

“No,” Lucian answered, watching the lantern light filter through the carriage window and brush across Ruelle’s face. “Let her sleep.”

Hailey nodded. She stepped out and Kevin followed her after a second of hesitance.

Inside the carriage, Lucian slid his arm gently beneath Ruelle’s shoulders, handling her with the same care one might give a butterfly’s wings. His other arm slipped beneath her knees before he rose from the seat, lifting her into his arms. He then stepped down from the carriage with her.

“Miss Elliot, where does your father work?” Lucian questioned, while Ruelle’s head tilted instinctively toward him, settling against his shoulder.

Miss Elliot? Hailey’s brows lifted in surprise as no Elite had ever addressed her that way. She responded, “For Earl Sangery’s nephew.”

“Bartlet?” Lucian asked and Hailey nodded in response. After a brief pause, he turned to his coachman, who stood next to the door. “Claude. Have Mr. Elliot removed from his current post and reassigned to Maxine’s.”

“Reassigned?” Hailey asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

“Orpheus will not harm your family physically. He knows better than that,” Lucian let the human know. “But he may attempt something where your father could find himself blamed for something he never did. This will avoid it.”

Hailey’s stomach twisted at the thought and she nodded once again. She offered a bow to him. “Thank you for looking out for us.”

“It is nothing,” Lucian said. His gaze then shifted to Kevin, who met it without hesitation and a hint of displeasure behind his human eyes.

“I’m fine,” Kevin replied, catching the unspoken question in Lucian’s glance. “My family too.”

Though Lucian didn’t comment, his eyes flicked toward the coachman for a moment, as if to take care of it. Then, without another word, he began to walk toward the building carrying Ruelle in his arms.

“We should head to our rooms too. It has been rather a long night,” Hailey suggested softly.

Her voice broke Kevin’s line of sight. He had been staring toward the building where Lucian had disappeared with Ruelle in his arms. He blinked as if pulled back from his thoughts and gave a small nod.

“Right.”

The two of them began to head towards the building. On the way, neither spoke. But Hailey couldn’t stop thinking about what she had seen in the carriage.

Throughout the entire ride, Lucian had not once taken his eyes off Ruelle. She couldn’t believe it. She glanced sideways at Kevin, where he walked beside her quietly, his hands shoved into his coat pockets, his expression unreadable.

Poor Kev… Before tonight, the situation had already been bad enough for him. A mouse stepping into a contest with a lion.

And now there was a panther as well.

Inside the building, on one of the floors, the sound of Lucian’s shoes echoed faintly as he moved through the corridor, the weight in his arms light enough that he hardly noticed it.

Just as he was about to reach their door, Ruelle stirred in his arms. Her lashes fluttered slowly and she murmured.

“…Lucian?”

“I’m here,” he replied. As her vision adjusted to the darkness around them, she heard him say, “We’re back at the room. Do you think you can stand?”

Ruelle gave a small nod.

Lucian slowly lowered her to her feet, keeping one arm around her. He then reached forward and unlocked the door.

Once she stepped inside, she heard the door close behind them. As the last traces of sleep slipped from her body, she watched Lucian walk toward the fireplace and crouch beside it, letting the logs burn.

Ruelle bent down to remove her shoes when a sharp pain shot up her back, spreading through her body at once. She couldn’t help the soft whimper that escaped her and she gritted her teeth.

Lucian’s hand paused over the firewood before he straightened.

“Leave the shoes,” he said. “You will only make things worse if you keep bending. Sit on the bed.”

Ruelle lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, careful not to move her back too much. She watched Lucian make his way to where she was. When he lowered himself onto one knee in front of her, the gesture caught her off guard and she instinctively pulled her feet behind.

When Lucian looked up, his dark red eyes settling on hers with a quiet intensity. She whispered,

“They are shoes. They are dirty…”

Lucian didn’t argue but neither did he stop.

His hand reached forward and his fingers curled around her delicate ankle before she could withdraw further. Her heart skipped a beat as he drew her foot back toward him, his fingers warm against her skin.

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