Louisa's POV
Lucas collapsed on a chair like a deflated balloon. His face was bleeding. His shoulders were severely burnt and he looked really painful and miserable.
The sensible part of me told me that I should help him. But the trainwreck part in me told me that he should be suffering like this for the rest of his life.
Eventually, I gave up my internal struggling and walked towards Lucas.
He looked up at me with grievance and infliction in his eyes. Then, he lowered his head without saying anything.
He looked so hopeless and vulnerable.
I sighed silently and looked at Zackery, "Can I have a few minutes alone with him? I promise neither of us will get killed."
Zackery shrugged and said, "Little girl, I can't believe that you're still going to forgive him."
He turned back and wanted to walk off, but then he stopped and looked back at me, "You know what? Sometimes I think you two really deserve each other."
Then, he walked out of the tent.
I picked up the potion box and slowly walked closer to Lucas.
He took a glance at me and didn't say anything.
I knew he was in distress and he needed my help.
So, I sat next to him with my knees gently leaning against him.
Still, he remained silent.
I reached for his hand, but he moved it away from me.
"I know you hate me," he said in a cold voice. "You don't have to pretend that you care about me."
I took his hand in mine and said in a soft voice, "Lucas, it's really hard for me to love someone who doesn't have a heart. I've really tried..."
"Well, you have to try harder!" He said in an irritated voice.
"I know. But you have to at least give me some signals to show that I'm not working alone on this one," I said. "You're going to get married to Akela and I will be redundant. I can't stay with you like this for the rest of my life."
I took out some yarrow powder from the potion box and applied it to his nose and hands.
He frowned because of the pain and his eyebrows flashed with anger.
Then, he said in a low voice, "I thought Lucian had already told you. There will be a wedding but I'm not going to marry Akela. If I ever wanted to marry someone in my life, it wouldn't be anyone except you."
"What is this? Are you declaring your affection for me?" I wrapped his shoulders with bandages and asked.
"I'm declaring my ownership of you," he said. He wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me up. Then, he put me on his lap and put his head against my chest.
"You're mine and I will not let anyone take you away from me. I'm being selfish and I'm an asshole, but I want you to tell me that you're with me till the end of the world."
"I will never leave you, Lucas," I whispered and held his head in my arms. "The more time I spend with you, the connection between us gets stronger. I've already told you, even though you've got nothing, you'll still have me."
"You're mine and I will not let anyone take you away from me. I'm being selfish and I'm an asshole, but I want you to tell me that you're with me till the end of the world."
"I will never leave you, Lucas," I whispered and held his head in my arms. "The more time I spend with you, the connection between us gets stronger. I told Finn that night in the woods, even though he doesn't have anything, he still has me. When I told him that, I was actually talking to you."
Lucas' dark blue eyes were lit on.
"I love you, Lucas. I love you more than you can ever imagine. But I know I'll never be your priority. That's why the more I love you, the more I get hurt. I've always been ignored or taken for granted in my life. People might think that I have already been used to it. But the truth is, I have never been used to it. I believe people should be treated fairly despite their backgrounds and heritage. They shouldn't be determined by their parents' blood, but by their own choices and decisions in life. I am here because I've decided to stay with you, but I didn't decide to be treated like part of your possession. I want to be your equal counterpart, your one, and only lover and wife. So it's time for you to make up your mind and tell me about your decision. Lucian talked to me about some higher purpose you have. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling that it's very important for you, but it must be extremely challenging."
Lucas' pupils dilated. He seemed to be very agitated when I talked about his higher purpose.
I continued, "I know once you're determined to do something, you have to do it. I want you to know that I'm with you, Lucas. I've got all the time in the world because I'm immortal now. But I also want you to know there's nothing shameful about stopping what you're doing and going away with me. If you make up your mind and decide to quit, I'll give you a family that you've always wanted. You know that I'm a really good homemaker. We'll find a place and live an ordinary life together. We'll stay away from the endless killings, schemes, plots, and conflicts in ideologies. We can close the door and shut the whole world out, there will only be you and me, snuggling in front of a fireplace. And then, we will have our babies. They will be running around us. You can take our sons and teach them how to hunt, while I'm staying at home, cooking and breeding our daughters..."
Lucas interrupted me and said, "You don't know who I am, she-wolf. You shouldn't fall in love with a man without a last name."
"So tell me who you are." I held his hands and said.
"I'm nobody," Lucas said.
"You're my mate, Lucas. You've put a ring on my wedding finger," I said.
Lucas looked at me with tremendous affection and passion. For a moment, I thought he was going to confess to me and kiss me.
But he didn't.
The light in his eyes dimmed. It was replaced by his signature murderer's look.
"I can't get out of this," he stood up and said coldly. "No one gets out of this."
Having said that, he left the tent.
At that moment, I realized a fact -
He was drowning in the swirl of his higher purpose and he was ready to drag everyone down with him.
I really had to run.