The Blood Contract
Chapter 93: Attend to something

Chapter 93: Attend to something

Lucian couldn’t describe the feeling. There simply weren’t words in any language he knew to capture the whirlwind stirring in his chest. All he could do was stare.

Those eyes—those brown eyes—were open again. Glimmering faintly despite the exhaustion shadowing them. Life had returned to them, and for Lucian Draven, that felt like the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to him.

He found himself frozen, not in fear or shock, but in a trance so profound he was barely aware of anything else. His breath stalled in his chest. Every other thought slipped away. His world narrowed, tunneled, until all he could see was Serena. Awake, breathing, and alive.

She blinked slowly, her lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly still recovering from the cocoon. Then suddenly, she coughed.

At first, it was just a light sound. But then, the coughing deepened and Serena’s face twisted slightly in discomfort. The water he had so hastily tried to get down her throat was going the wrong way. She gasped between coughs, her body trembling slightly with effort.

Panic gripped Lucian again, yanking him out of the reverie.

"Oh no," he muttered, withdrawing the bottle like it had suddenly turned into something dangerous. "I’m sorry," he said quickly, his voice sharp with concern as he helped her sit up completely, one hand behind her back and the other steadying her shoulder.

Her coughing fit continued for a few more seconds, rattling and weak, yet so painfully real.

Then the door burst open.

"Oh dear God!" Marlowe exclaimed, the air escaping her lungs in a rush of pure, unfiltered relief the moment her eyes landed on Serena.

She rushed forward, her skirt rustling around her legs, her eyes wide with emotion.

"Thank the heavens you’re awake! You gave me quite a scare," she said breathlessly, already patting Serena lightly on the back with one hand as the other swept over her like a sensor. Marlowe’s sharp gaze caught the half-drunk water bottle in Lucian’s hand immediately, and she didn’t need to ask to figure out what had happened. Her experienced mind put the pieces together without effort.

Lucian moved aside instinctively, giving Marlowe space to work, but he didn’t go far. He remained nearby, still rooted to the spot, close enough to keep watching Serena. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from her. Not now. Not yet.

Marlowe, ever efficient, went to work immediately. Her fingers moved with practiced precision, checking Serena thoroughly. Her voice was calm but firm as she asked questions, her words laced with medical certainty. Serena answered, her voice still raspy, but steadily growing stronger.

Only when Marlowe was finally satisfied did she let out a deep, relieved breath.

"Thank you for returning to us," she said with a small smile. Her voice cracked slightly with emotion, and Serena could literally hear the relief buried inside it. It was unmistakable.

Serena, having recalled everything that happened, settled her eyes on Lucian, her own relief washing over her at the sight of him. He was standing—no longer lying lifeless on the bed—and he looked better. Way better than the last time she saw him.

"Do you feel any pain?" Marlowe asked gently, still monitoring her closely.

Serena nodded slowly. "Lots," she answered honestly, her voice faint. Then she added, "And weakness too. I feel very weak."

Marlowe nodded like she had expected that answer all along. "Let me go get you something to help with that. I’ll be back," she said briskly, patting her hand gently before sweeping out of the room without further delay.

Once the door shut behind her, silence returned, pressing gently between Serena and Lucian. It wasn’t awkward, not yet. But it was heavy with unspoken words, with emotions neither knew quite how to express. Serena fixed her gaze on Lucian again, seeing how he was also looking at her, an unreadable expression sitting on his face.

"Can I have some more water?" she finally asked, her voice breaking the quiet like a pin to a balloon.

Lucian moved immediately, silently. He didn’t say a word, but he did hesitate a little before extending the half-filled bottle back to her when she reached out her hand. His eyes flickered with uncertainty.

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

She nodded. "I can drink by myself," she said, her tone firmer now, more grounded.

Even though she’d said it confidently, Lucian didn’t retreat. He crouched low beside the bed, staying within arm’s reach in case she needed assistance, his attention unwavering.

Serena drank, slow and steady this time, and emptied the bottle completely. Once done, she handed it back to him, and he took it from her willingly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

But instead of standing up like she expected... he moved in.

Before she could react, Lucian suddenly wrapped her in a hug.

She froze and her eyes stretched wide in shock.

The embrace wasn’t tight. It wasn’t desperate. It was soft, so soft it could have been mistaken for a breeze. But there was something raw and vulnerable in it. She felt it—the slight tremble in his body, the shudder he didn’t try to hide.

Serena’s body ached. Every nerve ending protested. But she didn’t move. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t pull away.

Because something told her... he needed this. And if she protested, she might scare him off.

He stayed like that for a few moments longer, then slowly, almost reluctantly, he pulled away.

She stared at him, still wide-eyed, still stunned.

The shock must have been plain on her face, because a flicker of awkwardness passed over his features.

"Welcome back," he said quietly, flashing a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I’m glad you’re awake."

She blinked.

"Did Lucian Draven just hug me, or did I just imagine it?" she asked, her tone laced with disbelief and a small smile teasing at the corners of her lips.

"Don’t think too much into it," he uttered quickly, averting his gaze as he pushed himself back up to his feet. His movements were abrupt, almost defensive.

Serena’s brow furrowed slightly, head tilting to the side. Her memory was fuzzy, clouded in places, but a few fragments were still fresh.

"You said something about a gift," she said slowly, narrowing her eyes as she tried to piece things together. "You said something..."

Lucian froze.

"You actually heard that?" he asked, voice dripping with disbelief.

"I heard a lot of things," Serena admitted, her tone soft, "but I can’t remember all of it right now."

Lucian nodded slowly, but the disbelief was still etched clearly on his face.

"So... where is it?" she asked again, more pointedly this time.

Lucian’s eyes flicked toward the small stool by the bedside. Serena followed his gaze, and there it was—a wrapped box, modest but carefully placed.

She wanted to reach for it, but the pain across her body warned her not to even try.

"Will you give it to me?" she asked.

Again, wordlessly, Lucian took the box and handed it to her, watching every movement she made with silent intensity.

Serena’s fingers, still shaky but determined, began to unravel the packaging. She moved slowly, deliberately, as if savoring every second. And when the wrapping finally fell away, she gasped softly.

Inside was the gift.

Lights glinted softly across its delicate surface. White doves carved in breathtaking detail circled around a scene of rain—tiny droplets suspended like magic in midair. It looked like a dream, like a memory captured in glass and light.

Serena’s face lit up with awe.

"This is beautiful," she breathed, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She lifted her eyes briefly to look at him, but they returned to the mesmerizing object almost instantly.

A strange satisfaction settled deep within Lucian’s chest. It was warm. Surreal. Although her face had told him she was pleased, those words... they sealed it.

"I’m glad you like it," he said, his voice gentler than she had ever heard it before.

"I can keep it?" Serena asked, expectation swirling in her eyes like sunlight on a lake.

"Of course you can. It’s yours," Lucian confirmed.

"Thank you," Serena said, her voice now a fragile thread, her smile soft and narrow-eyed.

The door creaked open again just then, and Marlowe returned. She paused for a split second at the threshold, her eyes taking in the scene before her. There was a moment of something unreadable in her expression, but she quickly blinked it away and strode toward Serena.

Her eyes, however, kept flicking to the glass item in Serena’s hands.

"I’ll be back to check on you later. I have to attend to something," Lucian said suddenly, his tone composed once again.

Serena nodded silently, and with that, he stepped out of the room.

Marlowe’s brow furrowed just slightly as she watched him go. "What did he need to attend to," she asked in her mind, "when he had just arrived from the only meeting he had today... just minutes ago?"

Outside the room, Lucian walked briskly down the hall. The moment he was alone, a sheepish smile tugged at his lips.

He didn’t need to do anything. Nothing at all.

His actions were strange, even to himself. He was barely holding it together in there. Something about seeing her awake again. He wasn’t prepared for that tidal wave of emotion.

So he had to leave before he’d say or do something he’d never recover from.

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