Chapter 55: The Intruder’s Souvenir
There was no mistaking it. This person had to be my fated mate.
I could recognize the thrilling rush of electricity anywhere, not to mention the heat that blossomed across my skin. Even just being in the same room as him felt exhilarating, and his scent was slowly driving me insane.
The mattress dipped further, and I could tell that nearly his entire body weight was on the bed. He was right behind me, which further supported my guess that he had come in through the window somehow, despite all the guards that were keeping watch downstairs.
’Calm down,’ I told myself. I had to chant those two words continuously in my head like a mantra.
This person probably meant me no harm, but I didn’t dare risk it.
He didn’t say anything. Instead, his hand simply grazed my shoulder.
I could feel his hesitance, and I wondered for a second if he was debating whether or not to wake me up. However, he didn’t get much time to decide.
"Who’s there?!" someone yelled from outside.
Instantly, I felt the mattress bounce as the person leapt off. His footsteps were light as he crossed the room towards the window. Knowing that he was about to leave, I couldn’t resist any longer. I sat up instantly, whipping around to glance at the window. However, by the time I turned, he was gone.
All that was left was the open window, the curtains billowing as the wind drew them out.
The doorknob jingled a couple of times before Cassian burst into the room. Behind him were several guards, ready to attack. Cassian scanned the room before storming over to the window. He peered out. I assumed he saw nothing of interest, for he scowled, an expletive slipping past his lips.
"Search the perimeters!" he barked out. "I want the pack on lockdown. Find the intruder!"
"Yes, Alpha!"
The warriors darted out of the room, eager to obey. Cassian, however, didn’t leave immediately. He crossed the room towards me on the bed, his fingers wrapping around my wrist like a claw. I gasped in surprise, but Cassian didn’t care. He put a little more force, squeezing me.
"Who was in here?" Cassian asked. "Did you let him in?"
"Let who in?" I asked, choosing to act the fool. "What are you doing, storming in here in the middle of the night?"
"This is my pack house," Cassian growled. "I have the right to be in any room at any time I wish. Now, where is he?"
"I don’t know!" I yelled, trying to yank myself free, but to no avail. "I don’t know what you’re talking about!"
"Don’t play dumb with me," Cassian said. "Someone managed to sneak into the borders and knock out all the guards before climbing into your room. I can practically smell his scent. Where. Is. He?"
"And I am telling you, I don’t know!" I yelled back, seething.
With a harsh tug, I successfully pulled my hand out of Cassian’s grip. My skin was red due to the stinging friction, but I merely held it protectively. I refused to break my gaze with Cassian.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at me intently for a good few moments. I could see him trying to scan through me in hopes of finding a sign that I was lying. However, he must have eventually found nothing satisfactory, as he withdrew and straightened to his full height.
Good. Because there really was nothing for him to find. I wasn’t lying― I truly didn’t know the real identity of the intruder, only that he gave me the same feeling that the Alphas did. I had a guess why he might be in my room too, but I couldn’t be sure.
Technically, I didn’t lie, but merely omitted the truth.
Cassian didn’t need to know that.
He shot me one last cold glare before he turned and stormed out the door. The door slammed shut behind him, and I jumped a little in my bed in surprise. Once I was sure he was gone, I let out a soft exhale of relief.
There was no way I could go to sleep right now, not after everything that had happened in the last few minutes.
Cassian was right. The room still smelled faintly like the intruder. He smelled slightly sweet, but at the same time, very similar to the triplets with a hint of pine and mint. Even my sheets carried his scent, and I felt as though I was entirely enveloped by it.
I leaned back against my arms, trying to relax. However, my fingers grazed something hard, and I jolted in surprise as though it stung me.
When I looked down, my eyes caught a slight sparkle tucked under the covers. I reached for it and pulled it out.
It was a silver-colored chain with a small dog tag that hung from it. By the looks of it, it seemed like a necklace. The clasp had snapped― it must’ve fallen off in his haste.
I flipped the dog tag over. On it, there was a small engraving. It was crooked and badly done, and most certainly did not look factory-made. It took me a while to realize it was a name due to how bad the lettering was.
"Lucien," I murmured, reading the name out loud. For some reason, that name felt familiar on my tongue. It almost felt as though I had once called it.
However, no matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn’t pull out any memory of a person with that name. There was no one I knew personally, and no one I knew from rumors or tales that bore this name. It was every bit as foreign as it was familiar.
Eventually, I fell back onto the bed, huffing in surrender.
I held the chain up, watching as it dangled from my fingers.
Lucien.
I suppose that must be the name of my fourth fated mate. This necklace and this name were just about the only things I had to trace him down. Maybe he could be my ticket out of Shadowclaw for good.
