Ch. The Lucan Marked me 31 The Lucan Marked me 31

Chapter 31 

Sienna 

H 

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I was halfway through a book I’d been trying to finish for some days now, curled on the 

armchair by the window, feet tucked under me, and an old blanket slung across my lap. It 

wasn’t even a particularly good book. The romance was dry, the plot predictable. But I kept 

reading it anyway. 

It was easier than thinking about things I couldn’t control. 

Mara had taken Elias to the academy earlier that morning, insisting I stay back and get some 

rest. I’d taken her advice, sort of. The thing about getting some rest was that you had to do it 

all by yourself, in silence. And one thing about being all by yourself in silence? The thoughts 

and fears you had struggled to push down in the past all come floating right up to the surface. 

The cabin was peaceful. Outside, the leaves rustled softly, birds chirping their half annoying 

and half beautiful melodies. The sound of the door creaking open echoed in the quietness of 

the cabin. I didn’t even have time to lift my head before I heard the thump of tiny feet. 

“Mom!” Elias’s voice rang out, bright and excited. I dropped the book onto my lap and turned 

just as he barreled into the room, his satchel bouncing against his back. 

There was a crumpled piece of paper clenched tightly in his hand. “Guess what I drew?” He 

sang-sung excitedly. 

I smiled. “What did you draw?” 

He grinned, shoving the paper into my lap. The second I uncurled the edges, my stomach 

dropped. It was a sketch. Simple lines, a child’s hand-but there was a strange kind of detail in 

1. The eyes were serious, brooding. The jaw was sharp, just like I remembered. The hair 

slightly mussed. Not perfect, but unmistakable. I stared at the drawing, pulse picking up. 

“Elias… who is this?” 

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Chapter 31 

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He shrugged casually. “I don’t know. Just a person in my head.” I looked up at him, and he 

blinked innocently, like this was just another drawing of a tree or a wolf. But it wasn’t. 

Because he had drawn Logan. Elias had drawn a father he hadn’t seen yet. Mara stepped into 

the room from where she’d gone to her bedroom, holding her shawl loosely around her 

shoulders. The moment her eyes caught the drawing, there was a slight shift in her 

expression. 

She hadn’t seen it yet? 

“He’s never seen him,” she said, not really asking. Her voice was too low for Elias to pick up 

her words. And even if they were loud enough, he was already bounding into the room I 

occasionally shared with him so he could change into his more casual clothes. My eyes 

immediately turned to Mara after Elias had disappeared into the room. 

“No,” I confirmed, still staring at the drawing. “He hasn’t.” 

Mara stepped closer, gently taking the paper from my grasp and staring closely at it. “The 

bond’s still there.” She pointed out softly. I looked up at her. “It’s rare,” she continued, “but 

sometimes when a child is born of a true mate bond, the connection to the other parent 

doesn’t sever completely unless the child is outrightly rejected. The connection is subtle, but 

powerful. Especially if the other parent is still alive.” 

I went silent, processing her words. 

“You have to tell him,” she said after a pause. 

I stood slowly, smoothing the paper and placing it carefully on the table. “We’ve talked about 

this.” 

“No, you’ve avoided this,” she said, her tone firm. “There’s a difference.” 

I turned to face her. “You think I don’t want to tell him? That I haven’t thought about it every 

single day?” 

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Chapter 31 

Her gaze softened but didn’t waver. “Then why haven’t you?” 

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“Because what if he doesn’t care?” I whispered, finally saying the words I’d been too scared to 

say out loud. “What if he takes one look at Elias and sees him as a burden or worse-uses him 

as some pawn in his war or politics or whatever royal bullshit he’s wrapped up in now?” I dragged my fingers through my hair. “And let’s not forget about his powers.” I reminded her. 

There were just so many things already out of place. Mara was quiet, but I kept going, wanting to get it all out. “I didn’t leave because I wanted to, even though I should have. I left because he sent me away. Because he gave me no choice. Now I have Elias, and I’ve managed to keep him safe for years now. Telling Logan about him could ruin all of that.” 

“You don’t know that.” 

“And you don’t know that it won’t,” I snapped, before sighing and pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’m sorry. I just…I can’t let him say or do anything that would hurt Elias. And if he 

knew about him, that was exactly what would happen.” 

Mara made a non-committal sound at the back of her throat, giving me a slightly disappointed look. “And what if you’re hurting Elias by keeping his father from him?” 

Her words made me flinch. She noticed, and finally backed off with a soft sigh. “I’m not trying to attack you, Sienna. I know you’re doing your best. But the bond is there, and you can’t deny it. You saw the evidence yourself with the drawing he made. He’s already wondering. Sooner or later, he’ll ask again.” Her voice hardened a fraction. “And you know it.” 

I turned away, swallowing hard. “Let’s not do this right now.” 

“Alright,” she said gently, taking a step back as she headed for her room, “But one day soon, you’re going to have to stop running from this.” There was only one thought in my head as 

she disappeared behind the doors. 

I was going to cross that bridge when I got there. 

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The Lycan Marked Me and Walked Away