Tangled

26 Lucas: Watching

Chapter 26: Lucas: Watching

LUCAS

Her scent dances around me. Every breath I take fills my lungs with the sweet, honey and vanilla notes that have haunted my dreams since that fateful night at the Lunar Gala. Ava. Just the thought of her name sends a shiver down my spine.

For weeks, I’ve been watching her from the shadows, unable to resist the pull of her presence. The need to be near her has consumed me, driving me to break into her apartment just to bask in the lingering traces of her essence. I’m a desperate man, lost in the throes of an obsession I can’t explain nor control.

As I stand before her now, my wolf howls with

unbridled joy inside my head, reveling in her proximity. Part of me had hoped that the fact she didn’t run when she realized I’d found her meant something more. An acknowledgement of the connection that binds us

together.

But as her gaze meets mine, devoid of any emotion, I

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feel the weight of disappointment settle heavily in my chest. She regards me with the same polite

indifference she would show any other customer, and the realization stings like a slap to the face.

Leaning over the counter, I can’t help but ask, “How have you been? Are you okay?” The words tumble out, laced with concern and a hint of desperation that I can’t quite mask.

For a fleeting moment, I see her falter, a crack in her impassive facade. But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared, and she meets my gaze with a cool

detachment that cuts deeper than any blade.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I need you to order or step aside for

the other customers.”

recognition. It’s as if our shared moment in the garden never happened, as if the connection that ignited between us was nothing more than

But the words stick in my throat as I remember the look on her

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All I can do is nod mutely and order something random off the

her my card, our fingertips brush together, and the spark of our connection floods through me. My wolf yips and whines. My mate, he howls,

mate isn’t in our

The gentle sway of her hips as she leans over to grab a mug, the way her delicate fingers curl around it–it’s all I can do to tear my eyes away, even

jealousy twists in my gut as her coworker approaches her, an easy grin plastered across his face. My wolf snarls within me, hackles raised as he watches the exchange, bristling at the familiarity between them. That asshole leans in, whispering something that makes Ava’s lips quirk upwards in a

for me alone.

there and rip him away from her is overwhelming, my fists clenching at my

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breaking beneath my knuckles.

put him in his place and remind

I force myself to remain still, my nails digging crescents into my palms as I wrestle with the animalistic impulses raging within me. I can’t afford to do anything that might jeopardize what little chance I have of winning

throws his head back with a laugh, basking in the warmth of Ava’s attention. Every fiber of my being screams at me to intervene, to stake my claim and remind her of

turn towards me, not even for a fleeting second. It’s as if I’m invisible to her, a ghost haunting the periphery of her world, unable

at the woman I want more than anything, an older

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26 Lucas: Watching

a way

morning,” she greets me cheerfully. “Can I

polite smile

Ava is chatting with the dickhead behind the counter. There’s a knowing look in her eyes as she regards me,

my seat.

asks, her tone casual but laced with a hint of

to respond. Part of me wants to deny any knowledge of her, knowing she’s probably told these people nothing. But there’s something about the woman’s gentle

honest.

I’m afraid I’ve done something terrible to her, and I’m not sure how

but she doesn’t press me for

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the chair across from me and settles into it, her expression one of patient understanding.

recognizing that you’ve made a mistake,” she says sagely. “That’s more than a lot of people can

humorless laugh, shaking my head ruefully. “Trust me, it was more than just a mistake. I…” I trail off, swallowing hard as the memories of that night