Chapter 23: Chased by awkwardness

Ruelle’s breath hitched as she tried to gather her thoughts. She had followed him with the intention of thanking him, but now, under his cold gaze, her words felt trivial and foolish. But clenching her hands and straightening her posture, she tried to pretend that she wasn’t intimidated by him, even though every instinct in her body screamed for her to run back to her building, to the safety of the light.

“I—I wanted to thank you,” she said, her voice steadying. “For the carriage ride earlier.”

Lucian’s sharp gaze bore into her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as though he might dismiss her altogether. But then, he repeated, “Thank me?” He took a step closer, and though there was distance between them, she felt her heart begin to pound at his nearing proximity. “You think I care about your gratitude, human?”

Ruelle faltered, her initial resolve weakening under his icy gaze. His words stung. She said,

“I just thought it was appropriate since you offered—”

“I didn’t offer you anything,” Lucian interrupted, his red eyes narrowing slightly. He stepped forward again, the space between them shrinking. “You assume much. The only reason you were in that carriage was because I owe Sawyer a favour. Don’t flatter yourself for mistaking my tolerance for kindness. I couldn’t care less about your fragile human concerns.”

The sting of his words echoed in the stillness surrounding them. Why had she thought thanking him was a good idea? But she knew why—because if it weren’t for his carriage, she would have been wolf meat.

“Whatever your reason… whether or not you care about my ’fragile concerns,’ you still allowed me into that carriage. I just wanted to thank you. That is all,” Ruelle said firmly as she bowed and stared at the ground, making it easy for the words to flow.

When Lucian didn’t utter a word or move, Ruelle tensed. Her eyes flicked upward to meet his, brooding and cold. His gaze stripped away her every attempt at staying calm. He finally remarked,

“No wonder you were stranded in the forest. A smart person would have known to head to Sexton before dusk, not wait until the dead of night to wander the woods like lost prey.”

What did this have to do with anything? She frowned before saying, “The carriage I was travelling in—”

“Broke,” Lucian completed her sentence for her, his tone sharp, almost mocking.

Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him in surprise. For someone who had been looking so disinterestedly out the window earlier, he had apparently heard every word. Before she could respond, a howl echoed through the woods, the eerie sound threading its way through the trees, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She tensed further when she heard footsteps—Lucian’s boots crunching softly against the leaves. Without another word, he began walking past her, heading in the direction of the howl. Without thinking, she blurted out in a whisper, “Where are you going?”

Lucian paused mid-step. He slowly turned, his eyes catching hers once again. For a brief moment, the hard edge of his expression softened, but only enough to let a sliver of dry amusement slip through.

“To dig a grave,” he replied sarcastically, his voice grim and matter-of-fact. As if toying with her, he asked, “Why? Planning to assist me with the measurements? Maybe you’d like to lie down and see if it fits.” One of his dark eyebrows rose in question, and she quickly shook her head.

Ruelle’s stomach tightened further at the grimness of his words, the sharp edge of his mockery biting deeper than she cared to admit. When the second howl of the wolf echoed through the woods, a little too close for comfort, and her hair stood on end. This was officially her cue to leave.

But in that moment, she realized she didn’t owe him any more of her time. She had done what she came to do—she had thanked him. If he didn’t want to accept it… he could feed it to the wolf in the forest! Or better the wolf could help him measure the grave!

Without a word, Ruelle turned on her heel and bolted away.

Lucian stood motionless, watching Ruelle’s retreating figure as she hurried back toward the academy. His red eyes narrowing slightly. The night around him was still and cold, the distant echo of the wind through the trees the only sound… until a rustle in the nearby underbrush broke the silence.

He didn’t flinch, but his sharp gaze flicked to the side. Emerging from the shadows, a sleek, silver-black wolf padded towards him, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. The creature’s soft growl vibrated through the air as it came to a stop beside him, its large head nudging his hand. And his hand, almost instinctively, moved to the wolf’s back, his fingers sliding through its thick fur.

The next morning, far away from Sexton, in the town of Stormford, Caroline stretched her body in bed as she pried her eyes open. She was feeling incredible being married, and after learning that her husband was a vampire, it made her feel even more important. She couldn’t wait to be adored, to bask in the attention he would undoubtedly shower upon her.

She turned expectantly to the other side of the bed, reaching out with sleepy fingers to find… nothing. The sheets were cold. Her hand lingered for a moment, her brows knitting together in confusion. Where was Ezekiel?

After an hour of fruitless waiting, Caroline finally threw back the covers and stepped into the hallway, where a maid appeared with a deep bow.

“Would you like me to bring you a cup of tea, milady?” the maid asked politely.

Caroline’s lips pursed in mild displeasure. “I thought it would already be ready,” she said, a note of irritation creeping into her voice. Tea was hardly what she was concerned about. “Where is Mr. Henley?” she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced down the empty corridor.

“Mr. Henley left early this morning for work, milady. He will return in a week,” the maid informed her.

“Caroline’s mouth fell open in stunned disbelief. “A week?” she repeated, her voice rising in disbelief. “Without a single word to me?”

“Yes, milady,” the maid replied, bowing again before quietly excusing herself.

Caroline couldn’t believe this! They had only been married for a day and her husband had left her behind without so much as a goodbye. How could work be more important than his wife! She was left gobsmacked.

Back at Sexton, Ruelle and Hailey made their way to the next class with the other human students of their year already walking ahead and entering the classroom.

“Wondering what the test could turn out to be for this class makes me extremely worried,” Hailey muttered softly. “I am already trying to figure out which subject is more acceptable to fail, considering how difficult everything is.”

Ruelle felt the same, as did the other students. They could hear their instructor Gemma’s voice coming from inside the classroom as they approached.

“Today, we’ll be going over your assignments and then continue with a practical exercise,” she announced.

There was a murmur in the room, and as Ruelle turned to the door, her heart nearly stopped. What was he doing here? She frowned.

“Everyone, meet Mr. Henley, my assistant, who will be helping us today,” the instructor continued, a pleased smile on her lips. “So settle in quickly.”

Ruelle’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at him, her mind spinning. And as her gaze met his, she felt an unease settle in her stomach. This was going to be awkward.

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