Page 28 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

I clench my fists, feeling disgust. "You're following me."

Lucien shrugs, resting his weight on the pillar beside him. "You're hard to stay away from."

Lucien stepped closer. His presence has crazy powers over me, and my heart skips a beat. I hate that I still felt this pull to him, even after everything he had put me through and after all I did to forget him."Lucien," I snapped, "What part of 'let me be' don't you understand?"

"You think I'm just going to let you walk away, Aurora?" His voice was dangerous, and it sent a chill down my spine. "You think I need that excuse to leave you alone?"

"You don't get to decide that," Damon shot back. "You don't get to follow her around, showing up whenever you feel like it. You don't get to come into her life like you did nothing to her in the past. Grow up, Lucien."

I stare at Damon as the words feel like knives leaving his mouth, but they are true. Lucien has no rights whatsoever.

"This is none of your business," Lucien clenches his fist. "If you're going to stick around, then do it quietly and never try to interfere in our affairs."

"I never wanted to hurt—""Stop it," I interrupt, holding my hand up to stop him. "Just stop. I don't want to hear it."

I didn't want to hear it again. I couldn't count how many times he had said that to me.

He turns to Damon, his gaze sharp as he tries to mask the fury still swirling inside him. "You ended things with me," his voice tight. "To be with him."

"That's none of your business, Lucien!" I warn.

"It is! You are mine, and you can't be seen with another dickhead like him!"

"And you're not a dickhead? I'm guessing somewhere in this self-righteous quest of yours, you see yourself as some prince charming. News flash, Lucien. You're the villain, and no one wants you here. Leave now."

"Mama," Ronan's voice cuts through the tension, and both my head and Lucien's snap to him at the same time. Lucien's eyes widen while mine fills with fear. I should've left him at home with his nanny or left him to play with kids his age. Fuck.Panic sucks the air out of my lungs as Lucien's eyes move from Ronan to me. He doesn't look surprised, but I can spot the question lurking behind them."We have the same eyes," Ronan exclaims with so much excitement, pointing at Lucien. In that single moment, I watch as the very fabric that holds my life together snaps, and my world comes crashing down.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lucien

The room seems to come to a halt as I stand there. My unwavering gaze is on the boy, not more than five, who is smiling up at me.From the color of his eyes, the curve of his jaw to the all-familiar mischievous glint in his gaze, everything seems familiar. It is like looking at a younger version of myself, and I can't shake the feeling that tugs at my insides.

"We have the same eyes!" He exclaims, stating the obvious, his smile widening. I blink, my mind a buzz of thoughts.Surely, if Aurora and I have a child, a son for that matter, she would've let me know.

I look up just then, meeting her gaze. The question in my eyes is all too obvious. But before I can process my observations, Aurora's voice cuts through the thick silence.

"Ronan, sweetie, why don't you and Damon give me a head start? I'll catch up in a minute." Her words seem to tumble out in a rush. She's nervous. I can tell by how she's fiddling with the handle of her clutch bag, something she does when she's anxious. It's a habit I had, on multiple occasions, made fun of when we were together."Go on, you two," she shoos, her voice a little too loud and forced, "I'll…I'll catch up with you soon."

I feel a growl rising in my throat as I watch Damon swiftly lift the boy off his feet, twirling him around, eliciting giggles of delight. His laughter fills the air, momentarily easing the tension that has been circling us.A wave of jealousy surges through me, unbidden and irrational. It is a feeling I cannot fully explain, a perfect blend of possessiveness, a primal need to protect him, and something else, something deeper.We lock eyes briefly as she straightens her dress, taking a few polite steps toward me."Is that…" I trail off, unable to spit out the question weighing on my heart.

She raises a brow, curiosity lining her features. "Is that his father? No, not at all. Damon and I haven't been together that long."

I shake my head, "That's not my question, Rora." I look up this time, holding her gaze as firmly as I can. "Is that my son?"I bury my now trembling hands deep within my pockets, far away from her eyes. I weave through my memory, putting the timeline together to see if there is even the slightest possibility that I have a son.

A warmth licks its way down my spine as I entertain the thought of being a father. Maybe this is what I have always wanted. But that feeling is quickly squashed by the realization that she has kept him away from me.

My anger bubbles, causing me to clench my hidden fists.Her eyes widen slightly, a flicker of what I read as guilt surfacing before she laughs, a forced cackle, "Don't be ridiculous, Lucien."

But I see it—the way her eyes dart to the ground and the brief pause before she forces a smile back onto her face. All of that raises questions in my mind. Besides, if my calculations are correct, Ronan seems to have been conceived around the time Aurora and I were still sneaking around.

"Did you keep him away from me all this time?" I ask, my voice higher than I intend.

Her expression is blank as she stares at me, shaking her head as if the mere assumption of it was beneath her, and she was not going to indulge me by providing answers.I struggle to rein in my emotions, not wanting to cause a scene, especially not here. She did not deserve that.

"I'd need you to give me direct answers for this," I reply, my face void of any emotion that could suggest anything other than seriousness to her.She turns to me. Her smile is gone, and in its place is a coldness I have come to know, "You don't get to stand there and demand answers from me, not anymore."

Her words hurt me. I can tell she knows that, but she doesn't seem to care in the slightest bit. Or at least, she's trying not to.I run my fingers through the strands of my hair, tucking loose strands away carefully, a silent attempt to steady myself. "Rora, this is important. I need to know the truth."

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