Claimed by the Alpha's Love (Tori and Lucas) novel Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Tori’s POV:

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The sound of a car horn broke through the night. Lucas paused mid-sentence, his hand still warm on mine where the family ring now sat.

“I should check that,” he murmured, reluctantly pulling away. “Wait for me here. I won’t be long.”

I sat alone on the moonlit terrace of Lucas’s home, legs tucked beneath me as I stared up at the moon hanging in the night sky.

My fingers absently traced the warm silver band on my finger-his family Ing.

Lucas had actually confessed his feelings for me. The Alpha of the Grayson Pack had given me his family ring.

Would he mark me tonight?

The thought sent a shiver of anticipation and fear down my spine.

I’d heard stories about marking-the intensity, the permanence, the bond created between mates.

Part of me yearned for that connection, to truly belong to someone after years of isolation. Yet another part trembled at the vulnerability it would require, opening myself completely to another being after I’d spent so long building walls.

Tracy, my wolf, lay curled in contentment deep in my consciousness, unusually quiet and peaceful. Even she seemed affected by the tranquility

of this moment.

However, the thought of my past-the history I still hadn’t confessed to him-sent a ripple of anxiety through me. How could I accept his mark when he didn’t know the whole truth about who I was, what I’d done?

“When he comes back,” I whispered to myself, “I’ll tell him everything.”

The decision settled in my chest with surprising certainty. Lucas deserved to know my whole history.

Although I savored the warmth Lucas had shown me, I would accept whatever came after my confession. No matter what happened, I’d experienced this tenderness-and that alone was enough.

The sudden sound of raised voices from downstairs interrupted my thoughs. I shifted closer to the balcony’s edge, straining to hear.

Through the ornate railing, I caught fragments of an intense argument-Ehan’s voice, slurred with alcohol and raw with emotion.

“What’s wrong with me?’ I heard him say with a bitter laugh. “That s rich coming from you, Uncle.”

My body tensed at the sound of Ethan’s voice. What was he doing here? Iould hear Lucas’s measured tone in response, though I couldn’t make

out his exact words.

“We re talking about this tonight!” Ethan’s voice rose to a shout. “After years of telling me I couldn’t be with my girlfriend because she was an Omega who d been incarcerated, because the Grayson bloodline cannot be tainted-all those fucking lectures!”

My hands gripped the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white. They were talking about me. Ethan was confronting Lucas about me.

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17:53 Wed, Feb 11 GDG.

Chapter 103

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More heated words followed, Ethan’s voice breaking with emotion. I obeyed. I stayed away from the only woman I’ve ever truly loved because you said our family couldn’t accept her. And now what? You want her for yourself?”

I couldn’t breathe. The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet as Lucas’s reply came, his voice now carrying clearly through the night air.

“Tori is my fated mate.”

The words hung in the silence that followed, making my heart stutter.

Fated mate? Was that why he had been so drawn to me, why he’d given me his ring?

The sound of something crashing against a wall made me jump. I heard Lucas order Ethan to leave, followed by more shouting. Then came the slam of a door and the roar of an engine starting.

My heart hammered painfully against my ribs. The fragile peace I’d felt moments ago had shattered completely.

I stood frozen, completely at a loss for what to do next.

My legs suddenly felt weak, and I sank to the floor of the terrace, wrapping my arms around myself. The ring on my finger caught the moonlight, a stark reminder of promises just made that now seemed to hang in the balance.

The emptiness of the house pressed in around me.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as I remained there, trapped between hope and dread, replaying the fragments of argument I’d

overheard.

When my phone rang, the sound was jarringly loud in the silence. Jack Green’s name flashed across the screen. My hand trembled as I

answered.

“Hello?” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Tori!” Jack’s voice was breathless and tight with tension. “There’s been arrible accident!”

My body went cold, as though someone had replaced my blood with ice water.

“What happened?’

Alpha, he- Jack paused, and I heard the wall of sirens in the background He tried to save Ethan from a crash and drove right into the path

of a truck. He’s in critical condition at Moontouch Medical Center. They’re working on him now.”

The phone nearly slipped from my suddenly nerveless fingers.

My vision tunneled, darkness creeping in from the edges as Jack’s words hoed in my mind. Critical condition Accident. Lucas.

“I’m on my way,” I managed to say, though my voice sounded distant to mown cars.

I grabbed my jacket from the back of the chair and rushed toward the doo Just minutes ago, I had been contemplating our future together,

and now-

Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.

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