Chapter 90
LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
I cradled Mai tightly, her tiny body trembling against my chest. Her soft whimpers sliced through me sharper than any blade. Her once radiant green eyes—the ones that lit up every time I held her, the ones I was so proud of—were now a cold, unnatural silver. Ares was growling in my mind, torn between fury and devastation while Raivo had surprisingly rescinded to the back of my mind, making whimpering sounds that suspiciously sounded like fear.
Adrian stood across from me, his blood-soaked hands clenched at his sides. His usual infuriating calm was replaced by an intensity I hadn’t seen since I met him. His striking face was tight with controlled anger, and for once, his cool, detached tone carried a tremor of urgency.
“Lucian,” he said, his voice low and cold. “We need to do something. Now p>
I turned to Elizabeth, my voice trembling with an edge I barely recognized. “What’s wrong with her? What’s happened to my daughter p>
Elizabeth hesitated, her eyes flickering from Mai’s eyes to her foot, the one she’d healed mere moments ago. Something in her posture shifted, and she gasped sharply.
“What is it?” Adrian demanded, his tone sharp with frustration. “Speak, Elizabeth!” he demanded, his voice like a whip.
Elizabeth’s face crumpled with sadness and fear, and for the first time in years, I felt true dread creep into my chest.
She took a shaky breath. “It’s… it’s not about the prophecy,” she whispered. “Thaddeus and the Golden Triangle never cared about that. Their goal was far darker p>
Adrian stepped forward, his towering presence enough to make anyone cower. “Elaborate p>
She wrung her hands, her voice trembling. “There’s a demon—a spirit. Her name is Laevira. She was one of the first witches, a being of unimaginable power. Rumor has it that she’s as powerful as the demon Raivo if not more. Centuries ago, she promised her followers she would return, but only in the body of a wolf. She wanted to enslave the wolves as witches had once enslaved the vampires p>
My stomach turned. “And you’re saying p>
Elizabeth nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. “They’ve chosen Mai. She’s the perfect vessel. They needed a child born of a powerful Alpha’s bloodline, then she would be branded with the mark of the Golden Triangle, afterward initiated by the witches as their own, and lastly… infused with the blood of Raivo’s current host p>
It felt like the floor dropped out beneath me. Ares roared in my head, his fury a violent storm that matched my own.
Adrian was still, though his hands were now fists at his sides. “You’re telling me,” he said, his voice low, “that my baby is the key to bringing this demon back to life p>
Elizabeth nodded solemnly.
I couldn’t hold back anymore. “And what does this mean for her?” I demanded, my voice rising. “What happens now that two of these… these steps have already been done to her p>
Elizabeth glanced down at Mai, more tears pooling in her eyes. “Fortunately, we interrupted the ritual before they could complete it.” She said, her voice breaking, “For now, Laevira’s spirit is trapped in Mai’s eyes. It’s why they’ve turned silver. But… she won’t be able to see. However, if the ritual ever gets completed, it will p>
“She’s blind?” I barked, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. Until the ritual is completed—or stopped—the spirit will remain dormant but will rob her of her sight. If the ritual ever gets completed, Mai’s spirit will be gone. Laevira will take over completely p>
Adrian swore under his breath, his cool façade slipping as he picked up the stone table Mai was lying on when we arrived, and hurled it against the wall. The stone shattered into rocks, and for once, I didn’t feel like mocking his theatrics.
I sank lower on the floor, clutching Mai closer. Tears burned my eyes as the reality of her condition sank in. This was my fault—all of it. I never should’ve let those witches anywhere near my territory. I never should’ve trusted them.
“What do we do now?” Adrian asked, his voice sharper than before.
Elizabeth hesitated before speaking, her voice heavy with regret. “The only way to keep Mai safe is to sever her connection to the supernatural world entirely. I would need your permission, Alpha, to lock away her wolf, so she’ll never shift when she comes of age. And she must live among humans, far from any werewolves, witches, or vampires. If she stays here, you’ll lose her p>
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. Clutching Mai to my chest. My baby. My little girl. Gone. How could I send her away? The idea of Mai growing up without me, without knowing her father—it was unthinkable.
Adrian knelt beside me, just enough for me to see the raw emotions in his eyes. “Lucian,” he said softly, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “You need to decide. And you need to decide now p>
I shook my head violently. “No,” I said, my voice cracking. “I can’t. I won’t. She’s my daughter. I can’t send her away p>
“You don’t have a choice,” Adrian said, his words cutting through the haze of my despair. “Would you rather she lose her soul entirely? Become a vessel for that… thing p>
“What am I supposed to tell Teresa?” I choked out, the thought of her piercing gaze and trembling voice already haunting me. “How do I tell her I’m sending our baby away? That she’s blind? That I failed her p>
Adrian didn’t answer. He just placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm.
I looked down at Mai, her silver eyes staring blankly, her small body nestled in my arms. What had I done? How could I fix this? Ares growled low in my mind, his anger mirroring my own while Raivo kept whimpering.
Elizabeth knelt on my other side. “Lucian,” she whispered, “I know this is hard. But this is the only way to save her p>
Adrian’s voice softened, though it still carried the weight of command. “You’re an Alpha, Lucian. Make the hard choice. Protect her, even if it breaks you p>
It did break me.
“Lucian,” Adrian added, his voice steady. “We’ll find a way to fix this, I promise p>
I nodded, tears streaming down my face as I clung to my baby girl. “Do it,” I whispered hoarsely. “Do whatever you have to do to keep her safe p>
Adrian stood, his gaze sweeping over the wreckage of the room. “I’ll make arrangements,” he said coolly, his old composure slipping back into place. “We’ll make sure she’s protected p>
I sat there, hollow and broken, clutching Mai as the weight of my failure crushed me. The path ahead was clear, but it didn’t make it any easier to walk.