The Scars Of Your Love

Visenya sat in front of a fireplace, snugly wrapped in a warm blanket with a soft plush rug beneath her. She had asked Lucian to bring her back to the old Vampire Kingdom, as she didn't trust herself to be in the presence of others.

Cradling a teacup in her hands, she felt the steam wafting up, enveloping her senses as the fire crackled and popped, casting a mesmerizing dance of light and shadows on the walls.

The sound of footsteps interrupted her temporary moment of peaceful reverie, and her eyes fell upon Lucian as he entered the room.

"Did you find it?" She asked eagerly.

"I did," he replied.

"Well? Did you see the children? Are they okay? Did she harm them?" The concern in Visenya's voice trembled.

Lucian knelt down beside her, his eyes intently boring into hers. "I found the cave, but it was empty."

"Empty?! She must have taken them somewhere! We have to find them!" Visenya's panic surged, her mind racing with worry.

"Listen to me, Visenya," Lucian's voice took on a stern tone, attempting to calm her down. "The cave was completely empty. There were no children, no cages, no signs of this Marienne person, no signs of life whatsoever. I didn't even see remnants of a burnt-out fire that would indicate anyone had been staying there. So, I flew back to the Lycan Kingdom, and according to Victoria, there are no reports of any of her people missing their children."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Visenya interjected, her voice filled with confusion and frustration. "I saw them, Lucian... with my own eyes. I'm not making this up. You have to believe me."

"I do believe you," he reassured her. "Look, you said she's a mage. It's highly likely that she used her magic to delude you. Mages are notorious tricksters, and she was clearly messing with your head."

"But it seemed so real," her voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability. "I have to find her... I have to stop her before..."

Lucian gently pushed her back onto the plush rug, preventing her from leaving her seat. "Slow down there... It's late in the night and you're exhausted, you can barely stand up right. You need rest, Visenya. It seems like this mage has limited abilities, and if any mages did survive, their bloodline has been diluted over the years. That's why she needs your powers. Without them, she's nothing, and she knows it. I suggest you get some more rest, regain your strength, and first thing in the morning, we'll talk to Eleanora. I believe she can help."

Visenya's shoulders sagged, and she let out a weary sigh, fully aware that Lucian was right. Her mind and body were on the verge of exhaustion, and continuing without rest could jeopardize everything. "A little more rest won't hurt, I suppose."

Lucian smiled at her, his heart filled with warmth in her presence. "Are you hungry?"

Visenya nodded. "Starving, actually."

"I'll make you something," Lucian offered, heading towards the door. But before he could exit, Visenya called out to him.

"Lucian?"

"Yes?" He turned back to face her.

"Those memories, the ones you showed me... were they real?"

He nodded, a solemn expression on his face. "Every last one."

Sadness welled up in her eyes, her voice trembling with a mix of pain and confusion. "All those years I had to endure your callous attitude towards me, and deep down, that's how you truly felt? I don't understand."

Lucian sank into the seat beside Visenya, his hands nervously fidgeting in his lap. He took a deep breath, desperately trying to gather his thoughts amidst the whirlwind of emotions.

“I was an absolute idiot, Visenya. An immature child who didn’t understand his own feelings. I acted out, playing mean pranks and saying the harshest things to you, but it was nothing more than my twisted way of throwing a tantrum. I was a spoiled brat, the son of the great Emperor Dragon who had everything I could ever want, except for the one thing that I wanted more than anything - you. And that, darling, was pure torture. So, I acted a fool, hoping to elicit any kind of reaction from you. I thought that any attention, even if it wasn't the right kind, was better than none at all. It was a demented attempt to make you notice me.”

Visenya's defenses softened slightly, her eyes searching for answers. "But why didn't you just talk to me? Why didn't you try to be my friend instead of tormenting me?"

“Because I was afraid of falling more in love with you, just to wake up one day and learn that you belonged to someone else. So, I tried to convince myself that I hated you, hoping that if I could make myself believe it, these feelings would eventually go away. Needless to say, that didn’t work. But I thought that once I met my complement, then surely I’d stop thinking about you in that way. And oh, was I mind fucked when I learned that it was you all along, ironically the Gods gave me exactly what I had wanted. But I couldn't get out of my own stupid head, wondering how my people would react to me being mated to a Lycan. So, of course, I had to ruin that too. But who was I fooling? It didn’t stop me from wanting you. If anything, I wanted you even more, to an unhealthy degree. I was insecure and wanted your validation, your complete and utter devotion, just like all the other girls who threw themselves at my feet. And I was insanely jealous of Caspian and the bond you two shared.”

“I never loved Caspian,” Visenya confessed. “I mean… not in that way. I was never in love with anyone. I waited an entire decade... ten long, lonely years, rejecting the advances and affections of countless suitors, all because I wanted my mate... I wanted you. And then one day, you appeared out of nowhere... like you were back from the dead. I felt your pain; it was like a symphony of shattered glass, each shard piercing my soul with its haunting melody. And I thought, maybe I could be there for you, a comforting shoulder to lean on, and in time, my love could heal your broken heart. But you didn’t want my love; you didn’t want any part of me. You wanted revenge, and you were crueler than I could ever imagine.”

Lucian's gaze fell to the ground, his shame hanging heavy in the air. "I didn't handle my grief well, I know that. I needed someone to blame for my misfortune, and I put that on you when none of it was ever your fault. Truth is, I was too hard-headed and arrogant to admit that I had nobody to blame but myself. Visenya, there is no excuse that will ever justify how I treated you. But I am so very, very sorry for everything. If I could take it all back and do it all over again, I would. I'd give anything for that… to do things right by you. But I can't. I can only spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you and treat you with the love and respect that you’ve always deserved."

Visenya's eyes locked with Lucian's, desperately searching for words that seemed to elude her. "I...I don't know what to say. I'm not ready to forgive you, Lucian. I don't know if I ever can."

Lucian sighed, his eyes filled with remorse. "I wasn’t expecting your forgiveness. What I've done is unforgivable. I just hope, at the very least, that you don’t see me as your enemy."

Visenya's gaze softened, the pain in her eyes slowly giving way to a glimmer of understanding. "I don't.“

Lucian smiled softly, grateful for Visenya's willingness to reach a mutual understanding. The weight of his past actions still weighed heavily on his conscience, but her words offered a sliver of hope.

He prepared a meal for them and then gently tucked her into bed, his heart yearning to brush the hair out of her face, press his lips against hers, and hold her tightly throughout the night. Yet, he understood the importance of respecting her boundaries and gave her the space she needed.

He took the blanket from the plush rug and laid it over her, then dimmed the lanterns, leaving only the fireplace as the bedchamber's source of light. With a heavy heart, he turned towards the door to leave.

"Lucian?"

"Yes?" He responded, his tone gentle and comforting.

"Will you stay here with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone," she pleaded, her vulnerability evident in her words.

"Of course," he reassured her, a sense of unwavering devotion in his voice.

He settled into the chair beside the bed, his presence providing her with the security and solace she craved. She burrowed deeper into the soft covers, her overwhelming fatigue manifesting as a deep, rumbling yawn that crashed over her like a relentless wave, pulling her further into the dark abyss of exhaustion.

"Lucian?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yes?"

"Why did you bring me back to life?"

"It’s not obvious?" He replied.

"Tell me... I need to hear your words,"

"When I emerged from that rubble, awakened from a ten-year sleep, only to discover that my entire family... my people had been wiped off the face of the earth, I was devastated," he began, his voice trembling with the weight of his memories. "But as time passed, I started to find ways to cope with my loss. I managed to find a sense of closure when I finally gave them all proper burials and prepared myself to move forward. But when I..." His voice wavered, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "When I found you in the tub that night, I knew… there was no way that I could ever learn to live in a world without you in it."

As Lucian's words wove their way into the very fabric of her being, gently plucking at the strings of her heart and stirring up long-forgotten dreams that she had locked away, a single tear traced its way down her cheek.

In the stillness of the room, both of them on the brink of drifting off to sleep, she broke the silence once more.

"Lucian?"

"Yes?" His voice so tender and loving.

A heavy sigh escaped her, her eyelids too heavy to keep open. "I'm pregnant."

His eyes shot open, a smile gracing his face as he gazed upon his sleeping mate.