Chapter 116: How She Saved Me

LUCAS’S POV

I walked toward the nearby chair and sat down, trying to decide how best to explain something I had never told her.

"That night, before you found me, I had already been poisoned during the attack. The poison was spreading through my bloodstream, and my wolf was becoming too weak to fight it. By the time you came across me, I was barely holding on."

Olivia remained silent, watching me carefully.

"I knew I was dying," I continued. "I could feel my strength disappearing, and I honestly didn’t think I would survive until morning."

"Then how did having sex with me save you?" she asked impatiently.

"Because of the mark, Olivia. When I marked you that night, something happened inside my body. The poison that had been spreading through my bloodstream suddenly stopped progressing."

She blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"The mark created a connection between us, and somehow, that connection helped suppress the poison. It didn’t remove it completely, but it prevented the poison from reaching my heart and killing me before I could receive treatment."

Olivia stared at me, clearly struggling to understand what I had just revealed.

"Are you saying that marking me stopped the poison?"

"Yes."

"But how is that possible?"

"I don’t know exactly how it happened," I admitted. "Even the healers were surprised when they examined me afterward. They told me that I should have died that night because the poison had already spread too far. But something had slowed it down long enough for them to save me."

I leaned forward slightly, keeping my eyes on her.

"And that something was the mark I gave you."

For several seconds, she didn’t speak. She looked away, apparently trying to process everything I had told her, before turning back toward me.

"So that’s why you’ve been searching for me?"

"That’s one of the reasons."

"One of the reasons?" she repeated suspiciously.

"Yes, Olivia. You saved my life, but that isn’t the only reason I wanted to find you."

"Then what else?"

I hesitated.

How was I supposed to explain something I barely understood myself? I had met countless women over the years, yet none of them had occupied my thoughts the way Olivia had. Even when I tried to forget her, memories of that night always returned.

"I wanted to see you again," I finally admitted. "I wanted to know who you were, where you came from, and why I couldn’t stop thinking about you."

Her expression softened slightly, but it lasted only a moment.

"Lucas, I appreciate what you’re telling me, but none of that gives you the right to decide that I’m going to become your wife."

"I know."

She looked genuinely surprised by my response.

"You know?"

"Yes, Olivia. I know I should have spoken to you before making that announcement."

"Then why didn’t you?"

"Because I was afraid you would refuse."

She stared at me.

"Well, you were right!"

I almost smiled at her blunt response, but the seriousness of the situation prevented me.

"Olivia, I’m not going to pretend that I’m happy about your feelings for Lucian. He’s my brother, and I know he loves you. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up simply because you say you don’t love me."

Her expression hardened again.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

I stood up and faced her.

"I’m saying that I won’t force you to marry me, Olivia. But don’t expect me to stand aside and watch you choose my brother."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Then you’re wasting your time, Lucas, because my feelings aren’t going to change."

I studied her for a moment before taking a step closer.

"We’ll see about that."

She frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I’m giving myself two months, Olivia. Before those two months are over, you’ll fall in love with me."

For several seconds, she simply stared at me. Then she burst into laughter, although there was nothing particularly amused about it.

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

"You’re unbelievably arrogant!"

"Perhaps," I replied calmly. "But I intend to prove you wrong."

She folded her arms across her chest.

"And what happens when those two months are over and I still don’t love you?"

I held her gaze.

"Then you’ll have your answer, and I’ll have mine."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"The only one I can give you right now."

Olivia shook her head and walked toward the window, clearly frustrated by my response. I watched her for a moment, wondering how someone who had entered my life so unexpectedly could have such a powerful effect on me.

I was the Alpha King. I had faced dangerous enemies, fought countless battles, and made decisions that affected thousands of lives. Yet standing before this woman, I found myself struggling to control emotions I had never experienced so intensely.

"And another thing, Lucas!" she suddenly snapped, turning toward me. "Why did you arrange for my bedroom to be directly across from yours?"

"Because I wanted you close to me."

She stared at me in disbelief.

"Do you hear yourself, Lucas? You keep making decisions without asking me! First, you choose where I sleep. Then you announce that you intend to marry me. And now you’re standing in my bedroom without permission!"

I glanced around the room before looking back at her.

"Olivia, I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy."

"Then why didn’t you knock?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but she raised her hand.

"Don’t even bother making excuses. I don’t care whether you’re the Alpha King or the most powerful man in the kingdom. This is my bedroom, and you have no right to enter without my permission!"

I stared at her for a moment before nodding.

"Fine. It won’t happen again."

She appeared surprised that I had agreed so easily, but she quickly recovered.

"Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone."

I glanced at her, reluctant to leave when there was still so much I wanted to say. However, I could see that she had reached the limit of her patience, and continuing the argument would only make things worse.

"All right," I replied.

I walked toward the door, but just as I reached it, Olivia spoke again.

"Alpha Lucas?"

I stopped and turned toward her.

"What?"

"There are so many beautiful women out there, women who would gladly marry you without thinking twice. Why me? Why are you so determined to have me?"

I stared at her for a moment, considering her question.

"Because none of those women are you, Olivia."

She fell silent, clearly not expecting that response.

"Good night, Olivia," I said before opening the door.

For the first time in years, I found myself leaving a room without getting what I wanted. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and one I didn’t particularly enjoy.

As I stepped into the corridor, I closed the door behind me and stood there for a moment, thinking about everything she had said.

Olivia loved Lucian, my own younger brother. The thought made my chest tighten, but I refused to believe that her feelings for him meant there was no possibility of her ever loving me.

Two months. That was the promise I had made, and I intended to keep it. I had spent four years searching for Olivia, and I wasn’t about to give up on her now.

But as I turned toward my bedroom, one uncomfortable thought crossed my mind.

What if, after everything I did to win her heart, she still chose Lucian?