Chapter 85: Offering Help

Olivia’s POV

​I parted my lips, ready to give him the answer I had wanted to give someone for months.

​But nothing came out.

​A few weeks ago, I would have accepted his offer without hesitation. I would have packed my belongings and left the Full Moon Pack without looking back.

​But now, things were different.

​Somewhere along the way, I had grown attached to the people around me, to the life I had once desperately wanted to escape, and even to the two brothers who had somehow become important to me.

​It was strange how something I had been forced into had slowly become a life I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave behind.

​And as I looked at Lucas, waiting patiently for my answer, I couldn’t help wondering why I was hesitating.

​Was it because I didn’t want to return to being an ordinary maid after spending months living as a princess?

​Or was it because becoming Olivia again meant I would have to leave Lucian behind?

​Lucas noticed my silence and mistook it for fear. His expression softened, and he took a small step closer, reaching out to gently squeeze my hand.

​"You don’t have to be scared, Olivia," he said gently. "No one is going to touch you, and no one is going to hurt you. You won’t even have to speak when the time comes. I will do all the speaking for you. You were a victim in all of this, and you were forced."

​"You didn’t wake up one morning and decide to steal Princess Annabel’s identity," he continued. "Kenneth threatened you, and you did what you had to do to survive. There’s a difference, Olivia, and I’ll make sure everyone understands that."

​I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to breathe. "What about the peace treaty?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "If the truth comes out, won’t it destroy the alliance between the packs?"

​"Don’t worry about the treaty," Lucas replied without hesitation. "I will offer another agreement in its place to make sure there won’t be a war. I will handle the Alpha Council, and I will make sure of that."

​"There are other ways to maintain peace between two packs without forcing someone into a marriage," he continued. "And as the Alpha King, I have the authority to make sure both sides honor whatever new agreement we reach."

​I swallowed hard again, my heart pounding against my ribs as another terrifying thought crossed my mind. "What if Lucian refuses?"

​"He can’t refuse to let you go," Lucas stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You are not his wife. You are not Annabel."

​Every word he spoke was true, yet each one felt like a heavy weight pressing down on my chest.

​"It is better if I handle this now rather than waiting for Lucian to find out on his own," Lucas continued, looking deeply into my eyes. "I will tell the court that you came to me directly and confessed the truth. That way, no punishment will come to you."

​I looked down at my hands, my mind spinning in a chaotic mess of emotion. I needed time. I needed a moment to think, to process everything, and to figure out what my heart actually wanted.

​"Can you give me until the end of tomorrow?" I asked, looking back up at him pleadingly.

​Lucas studied my face for a second before nodding. "Sure."

​Before I could say anything else, he pulled me into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around me. He held me close for a few seconds before pulling back slightly to press a soft, warm kiss onto my forehead.

​He let out a long, shuddering breath and smiled against my skin. "Thank God you are not Annabel. Thank God you are not my brother’s wife. I feel like I can finally breathe."

​Despite the heavy tension suffocating the room, a small, unexpected laugh escaped my lips.

​Lucas pulled back slightly, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked down at me. "You don’t get it, do you?"

​He shook his head with an amused smile. "Do you have any idea how difficult it’s been for me to fall in love with someone I believed was my brother’s wife? Every time I looked at you, I had to remind myself that you were supposed to be off-limits."

​I offered him a faint, tired smile.

​His smile softened, and he reached up to frame my face with both of his hands, his thumbs gently brushing over my cheeks. "It must have been so hard for you to pretend all this time. Carrying a secret like that every single day... don’t worry anymore. I will handle everything. Just give me the go-ahead tomorrow."

​I gave him a small nod. "Okay."

​"I have to take you back to your room now," he said quietly, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer.

​"Okay," I repeated.

​Lucas stood up and held out his hand. I took it, allowing him to help me to my feet. He then slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me gently against him.

​"Ready?" he asked.

​I nodded.

​In the next second, the air shifted violently around us. My head spun briefly, and when my surroundings settled, I found myself standing at the edge of my own bed.

​He released me, giving me one last lingering look. "Bye, Olivia."

​Before I could even reply, Lucas vanished into thin air, leaving me completely alone in my room.

​I sat down on the edge of the bed, the quietness of the room suddenly feeling heavy and suffocating.

​What a night.

​So much had happened in just a few hours that I didn’t even know where to begin processing everything. Lucas knew the truth about my identity. He knew Princess Annabel was dead, and he knew Alpha Kenneth had forced me to take her place.

​And somehow, instead of being angry or disgusted, he had offered to help me.

​I should have been relieved. In fact, I was relieved. For the first time since arriving at the Full Moon Pack, I had someone who knew exactly who I was and was willing to protect me.

​Lucas was offering me a way out. He was willing to stand before the Alpha Council, explain that I had been forced into this deception, prevent another war, and even deal with Lucian himself. I could finally stop pretending. I could stop waking up every morning terrified that today would be the day I was dragged to the gallows for treason.

​So why wasn’t I celebrating?

​Why did the thought of leaving make me feel so miserable?

​And then there was Lucas. The man who had just confessed his love for me, even after discovering that I was nothing more than an ordinary maid. He was willing to risk his relationship with his brother to protect me, and I couldn’t pretend his feelings meant nothing to me.

​Somehow, I had allowed myself to grow attached to both brothers, and now I didn’t know what to do with those feelings.

​I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in my hands. Because leaving this lie behind didn’t just mean giving up the palace, the silk dresses, and the title. It meant leaving Lucian.

​My chest tightened painfully at the thought of him. I remembered the fierce protectiveness in his eyes, the rare moments of warmth he had shown me, and the way he had held me close just that morning, telling me he wanted us to be a real husband and wife.

​Lucian was angry and hurt right now because he believed I was hiding a lover, but what would happen when he discovered the truth? What would happen when he realized the woman he was beginning to open his heart to wasn’t Annabel at all?

​Would he hate me forever? Would he look at me with absolute disgust?

​I leaned backward onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling.

​The thoughts kept spinning endlessly in my head, tangling together until my brain felt numb from exhaustion. I slowly pulled the soft blanket up to my chin, my heart heavy with a choice that felt entirely impossible, until my eyes grew too tired to stay open.

​Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under into a deep, dreamless sleep.

​I don’t know how many hours passed, but the sudden, harsh glare of morning light piercing through the heavy curtains hit my face. I groaned softly, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to turn away from the brightness, hugging the pillow tighter.

​"Good morning."

​The deep, familiar voice came from somewhere across the room.

​My eyes snapped open, and every trace of sleep disappeared as I quickly pushed myself into a sitting position.

​There, seated on the couch opposite my bed, was Lucian.