The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter
Chapter 55: Making Plans

Chapter 55: Making Plans

Zane~

Warmth. That was all I felt.

It was like the first light of dawn after a long, cold night. Natalie’s arms were wrapped around me, her face buried in my chest, her scent enveloped me in a familiar and soothing way. I held her just as tightly, feeling her small frame tremble against me; afraid that if I let go, she’d disappear again.

I didn’t realize how much I needed this. The comfort. The peace.

We created a little bubble around ourselves until the white-haired man, cleared his throat, reminding me that we weren’t alone. I glanced up to see him exchanging a look with the golden-brown-haired man.

The white haired man smirked. "We’ll give you two some space. Make yourselves at home."

The golden brown haired man pointed at me. "Don’t make her cry."

I narrowed my eyes at him, but before I could respond, everyone walked out of the living room including Jacob and the other two who interrogated me, leaving Natalie and I alone.

A moment later, I felt something damp against my shirt.

Was she... crying?

I pulled back slightly, looking down. Natalie had buried her face in my chest, her body trembling as silent sobs wracked her frame.

My chest tightened painfully. "Why are you crying?" I whispered, my voice strained. I was barely holding back my own emotions, but seeing her like this—so vulnerable, so broken—made it nearly impossible to keep myself together.

Natalie shook her head, refusing to look at me. "I’m sorry," she choked out. "I didn’t mean to cause you trouble. I don’t want my... my wolflessness to be a burden to you like it’s always been to me. I—I don’t want to be a stumbling block in your life."

I stiffened.

What?

My jaw clenched, and without a second thought, I placed my hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away just enough to meet her eyes. "Don’t," I said firmly. "Don’t you ever apologize for the way you were born. Do you hear me, Natalie?"

She blinked up at me, stunned.

"You are not a burden," I continued, my voice softer now. "You’re wonderful just the way you are."

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "And... I’m sorry," I admitted. "For the way I reacted before. I let what people might say or do cloud my judgment." I shook my head, guilt gnawing at me. "But no matter what anyone thinks, there’s one thing I know for sure—" I reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "You bring light and peace into my life, and I can never go back to the way I used to be."

Her lips trembled, fresh tears pooling in her eyes.

I led her to the couch and sat down, pulling her down beside me. I still held her hand, unwilling to let go.

"Natalie," I murmured, staring into her eyes. "Promise me something."

She blinked. "What is it?"

"If we ever argue again," I said carefully, "promise me you won’t run away like you did before. Stay, and let’s fix it together."

She looked at me, hesitant.

"Natalie, please." I squeezed her hand.

After another moment of silence, she nodded. "I promise."

Relief washed over me, and without thinking, I pulled her into my arms again. I hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Good," I murmured. "Because I don’t think I could take losing you again."

After a long moment, we pulled apart. I reached up and wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks with my fingers.

And then—she smiled.

It was small, hesitant, but it was real.

My heart did an embarrassing little flip at the soft smile. I didn’t have time to dwell on it because Natalie suddenly asked, "Where’s Alexander?"

I chuckled. "Miss him already?"

She nodded eagerly. "Of course! I never wanted to leave him. I never wanted him to be sad."

I sighed. "Physically, he’s fine. But he misses you a lot."

Natalie’s face fell. She looked down at her lap, her shoulders sagging.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to test something. "If you want," I said carefully, "you can come back home with me."

Her body stiffened.

"I can protect you, Natalie," I added. "You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to."

She inhaled sharply. Then, her sadness deepened. "As much as I want to go home and live with you and Alex..." She hesitated.

I frowned. "What is it?"

"Alpha Darius is after me." Her voice was only a whisper.

I clenched my fists. I already knew that. But I had a feeling she wasn’t done.

"And..." She bit her lip, looking away. I didn’t even have to think.

"...And Griffin is after you too." Her head snapped up, her eyes widening.

I narrowed my gaze."Why didn’t you tell me?" I asked, my voice dipping into something dangerous. "That Griffin was your mate?"

She turned her face away from me. "Because it wasn’t important."

I scoffed. "Not important?"

She exhaled sharply. "He rejected me, Sir. He doesn’t matter anymore."

The pain in her voice made something settle in my chest painfully. I didn’t understand why, but suddenly, a thought struck me—one that sent an uneasy feeling creeping down my spine.

"Natalie," I said carefully. "Are you... in love with Griffin?"

She blinked, then suddenly—she laughed.

I stiffened.

She wiped at her tears, shaking her head. "Lucky for me, I never felt anything for him." She gave me a half-smile. "Imagine if I did. I’d be dying of heartbreak right now."

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until it came out in a quiet rush of relief.

She glanced at me. "Griffin isn’t important. He’s helping his uncle search for me, so I know I need to stay far away. And..." She hesitated again, looking at me so sincerely that it made my heart skip a beat. "I don’t want you to be in danger either."

I barely stopped myself from reacting.

Red’s voice echoed in my head. "As much as I hate to admit it... Jacob did the right thing bringing her here. Away from everyone who tried to hurt her. Don’t push the subject, Zane. You’ve already decided to stay."

I smirked slightly. I wasn’t planning to.

I turned back to Natalie. "You don’t have to worry about me," I said. Then, grinning, I added, "Guess what?"

Natalie narrowed her eyes at me, her lips twitching as she crossed her arms. "Guess what?" she echoed, tilting her head slightly. "You know, I’m pretty good at guessing games, so be careful."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I’ll take my chances."

She tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm... let’s see... Did you buy me mansion?"

I laughed out loud. "No."

She gasped dramatically. "Oh, wait. Did you decide to finally take my advice and change your ridiculous last name? Because Cole Lucky is still the worst alias I’ve ever heard."

I smirked. "Now, that’s just rude."

She shrugged playfully. "I’m just saying, it sounds like the name of a magician in those cheap Vegas shows I see on TV."

I sighed. "First of all, my name is fine. Second of all—" I paused, my smirk widening. "I’m going to be staying in Paris for a long time."

Natalie’s teasing expression faltered, replaced by confusion. "Wait, what?" She leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean?"

Red immediately growled in my mind. "Don’t tell her it’s because of her," he warned. "She’ll think she’s a burden."

"I know," I told him.

I turned back to Natalie, keeping my expression casual. "I have to open a branch of my company here," I explained smoothly. "I’ll be heading it until it’s back on its feet."

Her eyes widened, happiness flashing across her face. "You’re serious?"

"Dead serious," I said, amused by her reaction.

Before I could react, Natalie launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Oh my goddess, I thought you were just visiting!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with pure joy. "I’m so happy you’re staying!"

For a moment, I was too stunned to respond. She was warm, soft—real. I hesitated, then slowly wrapped my arms around her, inhaling the faint scent of vanilla in her hair.

Her excitement was contagious.

After a while, she suddenly pulled back, looking embarrassed. "I—uh—sorry. I got too excited."

I chuckled. "It’s okay." Then, before I could stop myself, I reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "You’re so adorable when you get all excited."

Her face turned bright red, and she swatted my hand away. "Shut up," she muttered.

I smirked.

Then, she glanced up at me with wide eyes. "Wait... does that mean Alexander will be staying with you too?"

I nodded. "Of course. I have a villa not too far from Jacob’s house. I’ll be living there with Alex." I hesitated, then added casually, "And if you want... you can come stay with us."

Her face lit up. "Really?" She asked and I nodded. Her smile increased,"I’d love that," she said immediately, but then hesitated. "But I should probably talk to Jacob about it first."

Triumph flared inside me. She wanted to stay with me instead of Jacob.

" Good," Red hummed in satisfaction.

Before I could say anything, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Jacob and the others entered the living room, their casual conversation dying down as they neared us.

The white-haired man, whose real name I still hadn’t bothered to learn, walked up to Natalie with a soft smile. "Little Moon," he murmured, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I’ve drawn a bath for you. Whenever you’re ready, go freshen up."

Natalie beamed up at him. "Thanks, Bubble."

I raised an eyebrow. Bubble? What kind of name is that.

The man—Bubble?—smiled. "Of course."

I turned to Natalie. "Go take your bath," I told her. "I need to make a few calls."

She nodded.

On impulse, I reached out and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

She stiffened, her face turning red.

I smirked as she quickly turned and hurried away.

Jacob watched the whole thing unfold with a knowing look. Then, as soon as she was gone, he smirked at me. "You like her."

The other men chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

Jacob shrugged. "I’m just saying. That was a very romantic forehead kiss, Your Highness."

I ignored him. "I’ll be back later in the day," I told him and the others. "Take care of Natalie."

Jacob smirked. "Will do, boss."

I grabbed my travel bag and stepped outside.

The cold Paris air greeted me as I pulled out my phone and dialed Sebastian’s number.

It rang twice before he answered. "Zane?" His voice was sharp with concern. "You better be calling to tell me you haven’t died, Zane. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to hear from you? You reckless bastard—"

I smirked. "Nice to know you missed me."

Sebastian huffed. "Missed you? No. Worried you got yourself killed in some dark room because you refuse to listen to me? Yes."

I chuckled. "Relax. I have a lot to tell you." I paused, then added, "But for now, the most important thing is—I’m moving to Paris."

Sebastian went completely silent.

"WHAT?!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear. "You don’t have to yell."

"You don’t have to be insane either!"

"Are you—" He sucked in a sharp breath. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Completely. I will be staying for four years."

Sebastian groaned. "You can’t just—be reckless and move to another country for four years!"

"I can, and I am."

"What about Alex? What about the company?!"

"I’m taking Alex with me," I said smoothly. "And as for the company... you’ll take care of it."

There was a pause. "Oh, of course," Sebastian said sarcastically. "Why did I even ask? Naturally, you’re leaving me with all the hard work while you play house in Paris."

I rolled my eyes. "Don’t be dramatic. You’ll be fine."

Sebastian groaned. "You’ve already planned this out, haven’t you?"

"Obviously."

Sebastian sighed dramatically. "What about Nora and Charlie? They won’t be happy about this, you know."

I hesitated.

Then, his voice turned serious. "And... be honest with me, Zane. Are you sure about this? Are you sure she’s worth it?"

I didn’t even need to think.

"She’s worth it," I said simply. "I can’t live anywhere without her."

Sebastian was silent for a long moment.

Then, to my surprise, he laughed. "Damn. You’re actually serious about this."

I smirked. "Yeah."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "But don’t tell Nora and Charlie yet."

I frowned. "Why not?"

Sebastian hesitated. "Because... last night, I was asking Alex some questions."

Something about his tone made me uneasy.

"And?"

Sebastian exhaled slowly. "And I found out something strange."

I stiffened. "What do you mean?"