Lucien pov:
The woods whispered as I slipped through them, the night clinging to my skin like a second shadow. Every step was silent, calculated, yet my mind was anything but still. The air smelled of rain and earth, damp leaves crushed beneath my boots, but threaded through it all was her scent—warm, fragile, unmistakably hers. It pulled me forward with the inevitability of gravity.
I didn't stop until her house came into view, its outline crouched against the dark. The porch light had been left on, a fragile beacon in the night, as though the house itself was keeping vigil. My gaze lifted instinctively to the window at the top floor. Hers.
The pane was cracked, barely, enough for the night air to slip in and carry her presence out. That was all I needed.
Her heartbeat floated down to me steady, soft, the rhythm of exhaustion surrendering to sleep. The sound struck me deeper than any symphony, a steady drum that resonated in the hollow of my chest, answering a call older than myself.
I moved closer, quiet as mist, until I stood just beneath the sill. The air here was warmer, infused with her, and I inhaled as though I'd been starved for centuries.
Inside, Amara stirred. Sheets rustled. She rolled onto her side, lips parting in the haze of dreams. A whisper broke from her throat, low and unguarded, carrying through the night like a secret meant only for me.
My name.
The sound hit me like a blow. My chest constricted, instincts roaring to the surface with violent clarity. The bond surged taut, an invisible thread pulling so tightly it nearly ached. There was no denying it now she was mine. The word echoed in my head, not just mate, but something beyond it, something ancient that no language had ever captured.
The hunger was sharp, but it wasn't only thirst. It was need. A need to guard her, to claim her, to never let the fragile line of her life be touched by shadow or threat.
I lingered, caught between reverence and possession, watching until her breathing smoothed into the steady rhythm of deep sleep. The sight of her lashes brushing her cheeks, lips parted in soft repose was almost unbearable in its fragility.
Only then, when I knew she had drifted far into dreams, did I turn away. Each step back into the woods felt like betrayal, as though I were leaving part of myself behind in that small, lamp lit room.
But I carried her heartbeat with me, echoing in my veins, a tether I could never sever.
The Cullen house glowed in the distance when I returned, light spilling through the trees like molten gold. Every step toward it felt heavier, my senses still humming with the echo of her heartbeat.
They were waiting.
All of them.
The instant I crossed the threshold, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations stilled, gazes turned, the silence stretching taut before Emmett broke it with a booming grin.
"Well, well. Look who's back from playing Peeping Tom." His arms were folded, his stance wide, amusement rolling off him.
Alice clapped her hands over her mouth, but laughter still slipped through. Jasper's smirk was quieter, restrained, though I felt the flicker of his satisfaction brushing against the air. Even Carlisle allowed himself the ghost of a chuckle.
I didn't bother to sit. I simply stood in the entryway, posture relaxed, but I knew what I was projecting. Stillness sharpened into presence. Power didn't always need to roar it could whisper, and the room would listen.
I narrowed my eyes at Emmett, slow, deliberate. "Careful," I murmured. "You don't want me to start listing your pastimes."
He threw his head back, laughing harder. "Relax, lover boy. We all know where you've been. Watching Sleeping Beauty, huh?"
Alice leaned forward, practically vibrating in her chair, her grin all teeth. "She said your name in her sleep, didn't she?"
The silence I gave her was too long. Too telling.
Her eyes widened in delight. "She did! I knew it!"
Jasper's chuckle rumbled low, his gaze sliding over me with a mix of amusement and quiet understanding. "He's not denying it."
I let the corner of my mouth twitch, just once. Enough to feed their laughter, not enough to deny my control.
Then Rosalie's voice sliced through the air, sharp, crystalline, absolute.
"This is insane."
The amusement collapsed. The air thickened. My stillness grew heavier, weighted with something cold, deliberate. Slowly, I turned to face her, my jaw tightening, though my stance never shifted.
"What's insane, Rosalie?" My voice was soft, smooth, but the weight behind it pressed against the room like a storm pressing against glass.
Her eyes burned, jaw tight. "You can't do this. You can't drag a human into our lives like this not after everything. Have you forgotten what we are?"
I didn't move closer; I didn't need to. I simply looked at her. "No," I said, voice low but threaded with power, steady enough to demand silence. "But I think you have. I didn't drag her anywhere. She's mine."
A ripple went through the room. Not a word spoken, but every eye turned sharper, more alert.
Rosalie scoffed, folding her arms. "Yours? She's a human. Do you have any idea what kind of danger you're putting her in? What kind of risk you're putting all of us in?"
I shifted then, a single step forward, casual yet deliberate. The air grew taut. "Listen carefully, Rosalie." My voice dipped lower, smoother, the kind of tone that silenced even Emmett's humor. "Amara is my mate. I will not leave her. Not for you, not for Edward, not for anyone. If that's a problem, then I'll walk away from this coven before I walk away from her."
The moment his words fell, the air thickened, pressing like unseen chains. The room seemed to tilt subtly toward him Emmett stopped mi -smirk, Alice stilled in her chair, Jasper's energy fluctuated before dimming to quiet obedience.
It wasn't fear. It was submission.
Rosalie's lips parted, but no sound came out. Her jaw worked, her glare blazing, but even she couldn't deny the way her instincts screamed to yield.
Lucien's stance didn't change casual, steady, one hand resting lightly on the edge of the table. But his gift bled through the room like gravity itself, impossible to resist.
The words didn't rise in volume...they didn't need to. The room bent around them, the way trees bend to the weight of a storm.
Rosalie straightened, chin tilted, but her glare faltered under my gaze. "You wouldn't," she said, but her voice lacked the same steel.
I leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing, voice edged like a blade wrapped in silk. "Try me."
Her lips pressed shut. For once, Rosalie said nothing.
Carlisle cleared his throat, stepping into the space with practiced calm. "That won't be necessary, Lucien. No one here is asking you to leave."
Esme's voice followed, soft but sure, weaving warmth through the tension. "She's a lovely girl. I can see why you care for her."
The edge of my stance eased, just slightly. A faint smile ghosted across my lips. "She is."
Jasper shifted then, surprising everyone. "When I'm near her, the noise… quiets. The emotions don't crush me the same way. She's like..." He faltered, searching, his usually measured words raw. "Like an anchor."
Alice beamed, practically bouncing. "See? I told you she was special!"
Rosalie's glare sharpened again, but her words came clipped, defensive. "Special or not, you're blind if you don't see the danger. Her cousin is Edward's blood singer. That alone is enough to make her a liability. Do you honestly think Edward can control himself forever?"
My temper snapped cold, not loud but lethal. "Edward will either learn control or leave Forks. That is his choice. And if you're so concerned, Rosalie, you're welcome to join him." My gaze locked on hers, unflinching, heavy enough to force her still. "But understand this...because of him, or anyone else, I will not leave Amara. Not now. Not ever."
Finality resonated in the room, not shouted but pressed into the marrow of every word.
No one argued.
Carlisle studied me with the measured patience of a doctor examining something rare and dangerous, then finally inclined his head. "Then it's decided."
Esme reached out, her hand brushing my arm with maternal gentleness. "We'll stand by you."
Alice nearly vibrated in her seat, joy spilling bright as sunlight. Jasper offered a quiet nod, something like respect flickering in his eyes.
Only Rosalie stayed silent, but her glare had dulled..no longer sharp enough to cut.
I let the silence linger, owning it, before finally turning. My steps were calm, deliberate, but the weight of my presence didn't lift until I disappeared upstairs.
And even then my mind wasn't here.
It lingered back in that attic room, where a single heartbeat called to me through the night.
My mate. My Amara.
And I would burn the world before I let her go.
Hey guys 👋
✨ If you enjoy my story and want to support me, you can leave a tip here 👉 https:// Streamelements.Com / z1ref/tip
Your support means a lot and keeps me motivated 💖