Chapter 90- Engagement Day (Part-II)

Arabella Toussaint:

(THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT OF KING LUCIEN VOLKOV AND JASMINE SMITH)

The inevitable day had finally arrived

Something had felt off since the moment I woke up, but I couldn’t explain it.

Maybe it was because today was Lucien and Jasmine’s engagement, and our café had decided to broadcast the whole damn thing on the big screen. I was supposed to watch it from my office with Mia while the waiters handled the customers outside.

At least, that had been the plan.

I shifted in my chair and pressed a hand discreetly against my lower belly when another cramp twisted through it.

Ugh. It had been bothering me since morning.

Mia had already looked at me suspiciously twice, so I quickly dropped my hand when she glanced my way again.

"You okay?" Her brows knitted in concern.

I showed her a thumbs-up sign. "Perfect." Her eyes narrowed, but I gave her my brightest smile.

Ah. She was my friend, and she didn’t buy it. As expected.

Whatever.

I wasn’t going to spend the day sulking over Lucien’s engagement. Leaving him had been my decision. I had made that choice three years ago, and I had to own it.

Besides, his face wasn’t even going to be shown during the broadcast. Apparently, the lighting had been arranged in a way that would keep him hidden from the cameras.

So why the hell was I this restless?

"What the..." Mia suddenly muttered and tapped the remote again.

Nothing. The television remained black.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don’t know." She pointed the remote directly at the screen and pressed the button several more times. "Of all days, this stupid thing decides to die today?"

Tessa poked her head through the office door. "TV not working?"

"No!" Maya tossed the remote aside, it landed on the floor.

"Then come outside. We’re playing it on the big screen anyway. You can watch with everyone."

Toby appeared behind her and nodded. "She’s right. It’s starting soon."

Mia kicked the remote in anger. "Fine!"

They started toward the door, but I remained where I was. Another cramp tightened low in my stomach.

"I’ll join you in a minute," I said, standing up. "I need to use the bathroom."

Mia looked at me again.

"I’m fine," I said before she could ask, and then hurried toward the bathroom. After locking the door behind me, I sighed and closed my eyes. The moment I pulled down my underwear, I stopped. Small red spots could be seen on the fabric.

My mouth fell open. "Holy cow!" I stared for another second before a relieved laugh escaped me. "Damn. I got my period."

Of course. That explained the cramps. And probably my weird mood since morning too.

Goddess, I had spent hours thinking my body was trying to warn me about something when it was just my period. I was reaching for the cabinet when a faint sting suddenly brushed the side of my neck. My hand stopped.

Slowly, I touched the spot. The exact spot where Lucien’s mark used to be. Another tiny sting came and disappeared. That hadn’t happened in three years. Not once. The potion Jasmine gave me worked just fine. I rubbed the skin with my fingertips. Nothing unusual at all.

Because Lucien’s mark had disappeared three years ago. Whatever bond had once existed between us was gone. Wasn’t it?

"Great," I muttered to myself, "Now I’m imagining things too." I shook my head and reached for what I needed.

It was just my period. Nothing else.

***

By the time I returned, almost every table in the café was occupied. I quietly made my way to the back where Mia had saved a seat for me. The moment I sat down, she slipped an arm around my shoulders.

"Everything okay?" she whispered without taking her eyes off the screen. I followed her gaze. And there he was.

Lucien.

My breath got caught in my throat. The lighting had been arranged in such a way that I could only see the outline of his tall frame on the stage, dressed entirely in black. His face remained hidden in the shadows.

After three years, I was looking at him again. My stupid heart immediately started flip-flopping inside my chest.

"Yeah," I whispered to Mia, forcing myself to relax against the chair. "I... just got my period." That finally made Mia look at me.

"Really?" I nodded.

Instead of answering, she frowned as her eyes dropped from my face to my neck, and then widened. "Arabella..." There was something in her voice that made my heart skip a beat.

"What?" I breathed, careful not to disturb the people sitting around us. She leaned closer.

"Your mark."

My hand immediately flew to my neck. "What about it?"

"It’s..." She stared at the spot. "It’s glowing."

Something jolted inside my chest. On the television screen, Jasmine stood beside Lucien, dressed in sage-green while Elder John addressed the enormous crowd.

"And here we have our future King and Queen together at last," he announced with a broad smile. "I believe everyone has waited long enough for this moment."

Cheers erupted through the venue, and people inside our café joined in. I barely heard any of it and kept rubbing the side of my neck.

"How is that possible?" I whispered, "There was nothing there."

"There is now. I can see it." Mia caught my wrist and gently pulled my hand away. Her face had gone pale, and my pulse thundered in my ears.

On-screen, Elder John glanced between Lucien and Jasmine before chuckling.

"Your Majesty, judging by this crowd, I don’t think they’ll be satisfied with only an exchange of rings today. Perhaps they are hoping to witness our future queen receive your mark as well."

The venue exploded with cheers, and I felt something burning against my neck. I sucked in a sharp breath.

"What the hell—" Mia suddenly gasped, looking into my eyes. She was staring at me as if she’d seen a ghost. "Ara. Your eyes."

"Now what about them?" I bit out in frustration. My friend was scaring me.

Maya’s voice dropped to almost nothing. "Th... they flashed silver."

I froze. What was she saying? It was impossible. How could I ...

Her cold fingers closed around mine. "Ara..." Hope and disbelief mixed in her expression. "Are you getting your wolf?"

My lips parted in confusion. Before I could answer, the cheering from the television abruptly changed into gasps, murmurs, and confused voices. I snapped my attention back to the screen.

Lucien had taken the microphone from Elder John. For the first time, the lights caught his face from the side. It felt like my heart had stopped beating. His eyes were blazing. Not their usual gold. They burned a fierce, almost luminous gold, as if something ancient had awakened behind them.

Was it Zorro?

I knew it without anyone telling me. The entire venue seemed to fall silent. Then Lucien’s clipped voice came through the speakers, "The engagement will take place when my mate returns. As for today..." His expression seemed to harden. "The occasion is over."

My breath seemed to leave me, and Maya’s fingers tightened around mine. Lucien looked out over the crowd.

He tossed the microphone back toward Elder John and strode off the stage, leaving Jasmine behind. For one stunned second, nobody inside the café moved. Then everyone started talking at once.

"What did he say?"

"His mate?"

"Then who is Jasmine?"

"Where is his mate?"

My ears started ringing.

Three years.

Three years of hiding.

Three years of believing I’d destroyed the bond.

Three years of convincing myself Lucien had moved on.

Mia slowly turned toward me. "Ara." I couldn’t look away from the empty stage on the TV screen where Jasmine stood alone.

"Is he..." She swallowed. "Is he coming for you?"

My hand rose to my neck again. The skin still tingled beneath my fingertips. For once, the thought of Lucien finding me didn’t fill me with panic. I closed my eyes and released a shaky breath.

"Yes."

Mia went still beside me. I opened my eyes.

"And this time..." I whispered, staring at the TV screen. "I’ll wait for him. This time, I’m not running, Maya."