Chapter 131 Lysander issues!

Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Lysander issues!

Lysander’s actions displeased Noah greatly.

The last thing Noah would ever tolerate was someone hurting his friends, no matter how close that person was to him.

And yes, Lysander was close to him.

Very close.

But that didn’t give him the right to hurt people simply because they had offended him.

"Get off him now!"

Noah’s voice came out hot and commanding.

Lysander’s red eyes shifted toward him.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then, as if he had already achieved whatever point he wanted to make, Lysander calmly stepped away from Lamia.

He didn’t apologize.

He didn’t even look particularly bothered.

He simply returned to the dining table and sat down as though nothing had happened.

Noah’s jaw tightened.

He didn’t have time to argue with him yet.

He and Oliver rushed toward Lamia.

"Lamia!"

The Phoenix witch was slowly pushing himself up from the broken pieces of wood. His arms had been scraped badly, and there were small cuts around his ankles from where the shattered table had struck him.

Oliver immediately crouched beside him.

"Are you hurt badly?"

"I’m fine."

Lamia’s voice was irritated rather than weak.

Noah reached out to help him.

"You shouldn’t have said that to him," Noah reprimanded, his voice gentler despite his anger. "You know how much he despises witches."

Lamia’s head snapped toward him.

His expression changed instantly.

"Is that all you have to say?"

Noah blinked.

"What?"

"He fucking hurt me, Ashton!"

Lamia pointed at his bleeding arm.

"He threw me across the room and smashed me into a table! Can’t you see what happened? And you’re still standing here defending him?"

"I’m not defending him."

"It sure fucking sounds like it."

Lamia rejected Noah’s outstretched hand and instead grabbed Oliver’s hand dramatically.

"Come on."

Oliver blinked.

"Lamia—"

"Go over to Lysander if that’s what you want to do."

Lamia pulled himself up, leaning heavily against Oliver.

Noah was left standing there.

For a few seconds, he simply stared after them.

He couldn’t believe what had just happened.

How could Lamia act as though Noah had somehow caused this?

Yes, they had a problem with Lysander.

Yes, Lysander had been terrifying.

But why was Noah suddenly the one being attacked?

He hadn’t told Lysander to hurt Lamia.

He had actually ordered him to stop.

Noah’s chest tightened.

He wasn’t going to let this go.

Lamia had gone back toward the dining table, probably intending to sit down and continue eating as though their conversation hadn’t happened.

Noah moved after him.

"Lamia."

The Phoenix witch ignored him.

"Lamia."

Still nothing.

The moment Lamia reached his chair, Noah stepped directly in front of him.

"You’re not going to say all of that and then just walk away like nothing happened."

Lamia finally looked up.

Noah’s eyes were filled with frustration.

"You don’t get to say those hurtful things to me and act like everything is fine afterward."

His voice rose.

"What happened to you and Rose? Why are both of you suddenly acting like I’m doing something terrible?"

The entire dining table went silent.

Everyone could feel the tension rising again.

And unfortunately, Lysander was sitting right there.

The demon had remained strangely quiet throughout the entire argument.

His fingers tapped slowly against the wooden table.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

His red eyes remained fixed on Noah.

But he didn’t interfere.

Perhaps even Lysander understood that this was a fight between friends.

A fight Noah needed to handle himself.

Lamia pushed himself upright.

"Look at what he fucking did to me!"

He pointed at his injured arm.

"And you’re standing there acting like it’s nothing!"

"It’s not nothing!"

"Then react!"

"I did!"

"Not enough!"

Lamia’s voice cracked with frustration.

"At least if you don’t want to go against him, admit it! But don’t stand there looking at me like I’m the problem!"

Noah’s hands curled into fists.

"This isn’t fair."

"It isn’t supposed to be fair!"

Lamia snapped.

"You keep saying that everything is unfair to you, but you’re not acting like the person you’re supposed to be!"

Noah’s expression hardened.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Lamia snapped his fingers in frustration.

"I can say it, Ashton. I absolutely can."

He stared directly into Noah’s eyes.

"You’re supposed to be the savior."

Noah scoffed.

"And?"

"And look at you!"

Lamia gestured toward Lysander.

"You’ve allowed a demon to become your mate!"

Noah’s anger immediately rose.

Lamia continued before he could answer.

"Do you even understand what that means? And that sword you’re carrying around? Do you even understand what you’re supposed to do with it?"

Noah’s fingers tightened around the sword.

"You don’t know anything about what I’m supposed to do with it."

"Exactly!"

Lamia threw his hands up.

"That’s the problem! You keep making decisions without understanding what you’re dealing with!"

Noah took a slow breath.

He was trying.

He really was.

But Lamia was beginning to push him too far.

"I just don’t understand why he should be your mate."

Lamia’s voice softened for a moment, but his frustration remained.

"Why?"

Noah stared at him.

Then slowly, his eyes shifted.

They landed on Lysander.

The demon was still sitting calmly at the table.

Watching.

Waiting.

It suddenly clicked.

"So that’s what this is about."

Lamia’s expression tightened.

Noah turned back toward him.

"Now you’re finally telling me what your real problem is."

"I’ve already told you."

"No."

Noah shook his head.

"This isn’t about him hurting you."

Lamia opened his mouth.

Noah didn’t let him speak.

"This is about the fact that I chose Lysander as my mate."

Lamia fell silent.

"So because I chose him, that’s what you’re worried about?"

Noah’s voice was sharp.

"I thought I already explained why I did it."

"You don’t understand—"

"No, you don’t understand."

Noah stepped closer.

"You’re getting dramatic over something that I’ve already made my decision about."

Lamia’s jaw tightened.

"And why shouldn’t I be?"

Noah stared at him.

"Or is there something else?"

Lamia went silent.

Noah narrowed his eyes.

"Is there something you’re not telling me, Lamia?"

That question changed everything.

Lamia looked away.

His silence was answer enough.

Noah’s heart sank.

"What?"

Lamia finally sighed.

"He is going to mark you."

Noah’s expression remained blank.

"So?"

"Being a demon’s mate is different."

Lamia looked at him seriously.

"If Lysander marks you completely, you’ll become a target."

"Because he’s Lucifer’s son?"

"Because he’s Lucifer’s son and you’re not just anyone."

Lamia’s voice became more urgent.

"You’ll become connected to Hell. Witches will come after you. Other supernatural races will see you as a threat. And if you ever have a child with him..."

He shook his head.

"That child would become one of the most dangerous beings in existence. Every supernatural faction would try to kill it before it could even grow up."

Noah listened.

But instead of feeling convinced, he felt exhausted.

"I want what’s best for you."

Lamia’s voice became quieter.

"That’s all I’m trying to do."

Noah looked at him.

"But you’re not seeing what I’m seeing."

He gestured toward the others.

"You’re seeing danger everywhere."

He shook his head.

"I’m seeing people."

Lamia stared at him.

Noah’s voice became emotional.

"I know Lysander is dangerous. I know exactly who he is. I know he’s Lucifer’s son. I know being with him could cause problems."

His eyes briefly moved toward Lysander.

"But that doesn’t mean I have to abandon him because everyone is afraid of what he might become."

Lamia swallowed.

"And what about what he could do to you?"

Noah’s expression hardened.

"I can take care of myself."

"You can’t!"

Lamia shouted.

"You don’t even know what you are!"

That sentence struck Noah harder than Lamia probably intended.

Silence fell.

Noah stared at him.

Then he slowly nodded.

"You’re right."

His voice became dangerously calm.

"I don’t know what I am."

He looked down at the sword in his hand.

"I don’t know why this sword chose me."

His fingers brushed against the hilt.

"I don’t know why I can hold it when nobody else can."

He looked back at Lamia.

"I don’t know why my memories are broken."

His voice cracked slightly.

"And I don’t know why everyone keeps calling me Ashton when I..."

He stopped.

His heart suddenly raced.

For one brief second, he almost said it.

I’m not Ashton.

But he couldn’t.

Not yet.

Noah swallowed the words.

Instead, he shook his head.

"I’m tired."

Lamia looked at him.

"Noah—"

"No."

Noah raised his hand.

"Lamia Alexandria, I’m tired of your words."

His voice was no longer loud.

That somehow made it worse.

"I’m tired of this whole thing."

He looked around the room.

"I’m getting the fuck out of here to cool my head."

He took a step back.

"You need to stop getting so deeply involved in my life."

Lamia’s expression fell.

"Friends or not, you don’t have the right to dictate what I should or shouldn’t do."

Noah shook his head.

"I appreciate that you care about me."

His eyes softened for a brief second.

"But caring about me doesn’t mean you get to control me."

With that, Noah turned and walked away.

The moment the door closed behind him, Killian dropped his head into his hands.

"Damn it."

He had genuinely thought lunch would bring everyone together.

Maybe they would finally discuss important things.

How to survive.

Where they should go next.

What the Emperor might do.

How they could protect Noah.

Instead, they had somehow gone from eating food to threatening each other and nearly starting a supernatural war inside the dining room.

Killian looked toward Lysander.

The demon was still seated calmly.

"Just look at what you caused."

Lysander slowly raised an eyebrow.

Killian pointed at him.

"Can’t you at least behave so we can live together peacefully?"

He shook his head.

"Just once. Can you be on your best behavior?"

For a moment, Killian sounded less like an Alpha and more like a tired father scolding a troublesome child.

Lysander didn’t answer.

Eugene was already standing.

He looked at Lamia.

"That was wrong."

Lamia stared at him.

"What?"

"You shouldn’t have said those things to him."

His voice was firm.

"You know how much he’s already dealing with."

Lamia’s jaw dropped.

"Oh, no."

He pointed at Eugene.

"Don’t try to gaslight me because I’m not stupid."

His voice rose again.

"He needed to hear that. Was I wrong?"

Eugene didn’t answer immediately.

Lamia scoffed.

"You can all love him. Fine."

He gestured toward the door Noah had disappeared through.

"But don’t close your eyes when he does something wrong."

He shook his head.

"I’m his friend. Rose is his friend. We have his best interests in mind. Nothing else."

His expression softened slightly.

"So I don’t understand why he keeps treating us like we’re the villains."

Rose, who had been standing quietly nearby, reached for his arm.

"Lamia."

"Don’t."

"Calm down."

"I’m calm."

"You are absolutely not calm."

Lamia glared at her.

Across the table, Lysander finally moved.

He slowly lifted his eyes toward Lamia.

"You know this is my house, right?"

Lamia’s expression changed.

"The only person who is supposed to be here is Ashton."

His voice was cold.

"But I decided to extend my mercy to all of you."

He looked around the table.

"And this is the reward I receive?"

Lamia stared back.

Lysander leaned forward slightly.

"You should remember something."

His red eyes narrowed.

"I don’t care if you’re Noah’s friend."

The room became silent.

"His safety is my responsibility."

He stood.

"And Ashton Lane is mine."

The words landed heavily.

"I will protect him."

His voice dropped.

"I will defend him."

Lysander stared directly into Lamia’s eyes.

"Until the end."

Lamia’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

For the first time, even he seemed to realize just how serious Lysander was.

"Whatever happens to you after this..."

Lysander paused.

"...that’s on you."

Then he disappeared.

No warning.

No sound.

Nothing.

The space where he had been standing was suddenly empty.

Lamia stared at it.

"I hate him so much."

He scoffed.

"What an evil bitch."

Eugene, Damian and Killian were already rushing toward the door after Noah.

They didn’t even bother finishing their meals.

Rose followed after them, calling Lamia’s name as she went.

Oliver remained behind for a moment.

Marcus sat at the table alone.

He looked at the untouched food.

Then toward the doorway.

Then back at the food again.

He sighed.

"Seems like no one wants to eat anymore."

He picked up his spoon.

"Fine."

He took a bite.

"...More for me."