Chapter 92: The Mix Up

Olivia’s POV

"Legally, yes," Lucas answered. "The royal law recognizes my claim as the one that came first. Even if you married someone else after that night, the marriage would have to be dissolved once the claim was confirmed."

I stared at him in disbelief. How could something I hadn’t even known about have so much power over my life? I had never agreed to belong to anyone, yet Lucas was telling me that a mark placed on my neck four years ago could determine whether my marriage was valid.

"But what about what I want?" I asked quietly. "Doesn’t that matter?"

Lucas hesitated. "I’m only telling you what the royal law says, Olivia."

"Then it’s a terrible law," I whispered.

I slowly turned toward Lucian. He was standing near the foot of the bed, his jaw clenched and his hands curled into fists. Although he hadn’t said anything, I could see how much he hated hearing those words. Just yesterday, he had opened his heart to me and asked us to start again. Now, before I’d even had the chance to understand my feelings properly, I was being told that our marriage might be taken away from us.

I lowered my eyes, trying to calm myself, but another question suddenly came to mind.

"Lucas, what happened after that night?"

He looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why did you leave?" I asked. "When I woke up the following morning, you were gone. You didn’t leave a message or anything. I thought..."

My voice trailed off. I had thought many things over the years. That he had regretted what happened between us. That he had simply used me. That perhaps the night had meant absolutely nothing to him.

Lucas frowned. "Olivia, I didn’t leave you."

I stared at him. "What?"

"When I woke up, I was already back in my room at the packhouse."

"Your room?" I repeated, completely confused.

"Yes. Apparently, my mother and some of my men had found me in the forest and brought me home."

I stared at him, trying to understand how that was possible.

Lucas continued, "I was still weak when I woke up, but the first thing I remembered was you. I asked my mother where you were, and she told me that you had already left before they arrived."

My eyebrows drew together. "Left?"

"Yes. She said they found me alone in the forest."

I immediately shook my head. "No."

Lucas frowned. "Olivia?"

"No, that can’t be right," I said firmly.

He stared at me. "What do you mean?"

"Something doesn’t add up, Lucas."

His expression changed. "What?"

"When I woke up that morning, you were already gone," I explained. "I was completely alone in the forest. I looked around for you, but you were nowhere to be found."

Lucas frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said, Lucas. When I opened my eyes, you weren’t there. I thought you had woken up before me and left without saying goodbye."

Lucas went completely still. "Are you absolutely certain?"

"Of course I’m certain!" I replied. "Do you think I could forget something like that? I woke up in the same place where we had spent the night, and you were gone. I even looked around, hoping you might still be somewhere nearby, but I couldn’t find you."

Lucas stared at me in disbelief, his expression slowly darkening.

"That doesn’t make sense," he muttered, rubbing his jaw. "My mother and my Beta told me that when they found me in the forest, you had already left. They said I was completely alone."

"Well, that’s exactly how I found myself when I woke up," I replied. "I was alone, Lucas. You were the one who disappeared before I woke up."

His jaw tightened as he looked away, clearly trying to make sense of what I had just told him.

"Then I need to find out exactly what happened that morning," he said coldly. "My mother and my Beta have some serious questions to answer."

The anger in his voice made me swallow nervously. I had no idea whether his mother and Beta had deliberately hidden something from him. Perhaps there was an explanation. Perhaps they had misunderstood what had happened. But one thing was certain: neither of us had known what happened to the other that morning.

If his mother and Beta had taken him away while I was still sleeping, that would explain why I had woken up alone. But why hadn’t anyone told him more about the circumstances in which they’d found him? Had they really seen no sign of me?

"Lucas was silent for a moment before continuing.

"After I recovered, I started searching for you, Olivia. I spent four years looking for you. I sent my men to different packs, questioned people who lived near the forest, and followed every lead I could find. But I didn’t know your name or where you came from. All I had was the memory of your face and the knowledge that my wolf had marked you."

I stared at him, unable to speak.

Four years? He had spent four years searching for me?

My heart tightened as I struggled to process his words. All this time, I had believed he had simply abandoned me, never imagining that he had been looking for me too.

Goodness!

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or upset. Part of me was glad that he hadn’t simply abandoned me, but another part couldn’t stop thinking about all the years I’d spent wondering what I had done wrong. And with Lucian standing only a few feet away, listening to his brother explain how desperately he’d searched for me, the entire situation felt even more complicated.

Then I remembered something else.

"Lucas, there’s something I need to ask you," I said, swallowing nervously. "Ever since that night, I haven’t been able to communicate with my wolf. It’s been four years, and I haven’t heard her voice or felt her presence. Could it be because of your claiming mark?"

Lucas frowned, clearly surprised by my question. "I honestly don’t know, Olivia. A royal claiming mark isn’t supposed to affect someone’s connection to their wolf."

"But everything changed after that night," I whispered. "Before I met you, my wolf was perfectly fine. Then I woke up with those marks, and suddenly, she was gone."

Lucas glanced at my neck, his expression turning serious. "I can’t say for certain whether the mark caused it, but I promise I’ll find out. I’ll have the royal healers and seers investigate until we understand what happened to your wolf."

I nodded weakly. "Thank you."

He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen anymore. My head was pounding, and every answer Lucas had given me seemed to have created another problem. There were still so many unanswered questions, and I was beginning to wonder whether I would ever truly understand what had happened to me four years ago.

Goodness! How was I supposed to process all of this in one night?

I slowly raised my head and looked toward Lucian. He hadn’t said a word throughout most of Lucas’s explanation. He was still standing near the foot of the bed, his hands clenched at his sides, and when our gazes met, my heart tightened.

He looked terrified.

Not angry or furious, but genuinely terrified.

There was something in his eyes that made me want to cry all over again. He was looking at me as though he was afraid that if he looked away for even a second, I might disappear.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

What was I supposed to say to him? That everything would be fine? That Lucas’s claim meant nothing? That I would never leave him?

I didn’t even know what the royal claiming mark meant for my future, so how could I promise him anything? Besides, I was still struggling to understand my own feelings, and the last thing I wanted was to make a promise I might not be able to keep.

I looked away, pressing my trembling hands together. The room remained silent for several seconds before I finally found the courage to speak.

"Can you both please leave?"

Lucian immediately stiffened. "What?"

"I need to be alone," I whispered. "I know there are still things we need to discuss, but I can’t do this anymore. I need time to think."

"Olivia, please," Lucian began, taking a step toward me. "We need to talk. I don’t want you to think that I’m going to let him..."

"Lucian," I interrupted softly. "Please. I’m exhausted."

He stopped, and the hurt that flashed across his face made my chest ache. I knew he wanted to say more, but after studying my expression for a long moment, he finally lowered his head.

"All right," he whispered.

I turned toward Lucas. "Alpha Lucas, please."

He nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I’ll give you some space."

Lucas turned toward the door, but Lucian remained where he was, his eyes still fixed on mine. For a moment, I thought he was going to tell me he loved me again, but he simply swallowed, gave me a small nod, and followed his brother out.

I watched silently as the door closed behind them. Then I remained sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the empty space where they had been standing.

My mind kept returning to everything Lucas had told me. Four years ago, I’d spent one night with a stranger, never imagining that our paths would cross again. Now that stranger had reappeared in my life as an Alpha King, claiming that a mark I’d barely understood could destroy my marriage to his younger brother.

And what about my wolf? Was it really a coincidence that she’d disappeared the same night Lucas marked me? Or was there something much more complicated behind her sudden silence?

I slowly raised my hand and touched the two marks on my neck. I’d carried them for four years without knowing what they meant, and now, in a single night, those same marks had turned my entire life upside down.

I closed my eyes as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

Goodness. What was going to happen to me now?