Chapter 7 We Can't Let Him Take Her

• Leah’s POV
• “Why? Why me?”
• I couldn’t stop myself from asking. Instead of answering, he just stared at me as he took slow, deliberate steps in my direction. His hands stayed buried in his pockets—his signature stance. The kind of stance that felt so overpowering, it made the air around him feel heavier.
• His presence radiated dominance. It was the kind of energy that made you feel like if you dared to look away, something bad might happen. So I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. I swallowed hard, my throat dry, my heart racing as my eyes stayed locked on his.
• He held my gaze, unwavering, as if he was pulling me into another dimension, into a place where it was just the two of us. It felt like he could draw my soul out just by the way he looked at me.
• And then, he smirked.
• That smirk. The kind that could make any woman fall for him. The kind that made my knees feel weak.
• “Because I want you,” he said.
• His words hit me like a shock wave. The room suddenly felt smaller, the space between us shrinking with each passing second. I didn’t know how to respond. My mind went blank.
• Before I could gather my thoughts, he leaned closer, his face so near I thought he was about to kiss me. Panic surged through me. My chest tightened, my breathing hitched.
• What is he doing? Why is he making me feel this way?
• And yet, as I stared into his eyes, a strange familiarity washed over me. It was as if I’d seen those eyes before, as if they held secrets I couldn’t quite grasp. Memories started to stir in the corners of my mind…
• Just when I thought he was about to close the distance, the door swung open.
• “Hey! Did the doctor come back yet?” Xander’s voice broke through the moment like a crack of thunder. “I saw him leave earlier—has he checked on her yet?”
• Lucian sighed deeply, clearly annoyed by the interruption. He straightened up, his cool, intimidating demeanor slipping back into place.
• “I need to ask you something, Xander,” he said, his voice steady but laced with irritation.
• “Okay, what is it?” Xander asked, his tone casual, as if he had no clue what was going on.
• Lucian stepped closer to him, slow and deliberate, his presence radiating authority. It was impossible not to notice the shift in the room. Even Xander, who usually carried this easygoing, carefree vibe—the guy who always seemed unbothered—turned serious. His expression stiffened as if he, too, could feel the weight of Lucian’s energy pressing down on the atmosphere.
• “Do you want to go to the Celestial Soirée?” Lucian asked, his voice calm but firm.
• Xander froze, clearly caught off guard by the question. “Sorry, what?” he muttered, blinking in confusion.
• Lucian didn’t elaborate immediately, and Xander hesitated for a moment before giving a shrug. “Yeah, sure,” he said casually, like it was no big deal. “I actually wanted to check it out.”
• “Why?” Lucian pressed.
• Xander looked puzzled. “Why not? Sounds fun,” he replied, his tone light.
• Lucian didn’t respond right away. Instead, he gave Xander a slow, piercing look, his gaze traveling from his brother’s head to his toes. The intensity of it made the air around them feel even heavier. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, steady, and laced with warning.
• “Don’t fucking go to that event.”
• Xander blinked, his confusion deepening. “What? Why? You’re the one who asked me if I wanted to go, I said yes, and now you’re saying I shouldn’t? What’s going on, Lucian?”
• Lucian’s expression hardened, his tone colder now. “Because I want you to stay out of my way.”
• The tension in the room became almost unbearable. I could feel it crackling in the air like static electricity. Neither of them broke eye contact, and I found myself holding my breath as the weight of their unspoken conflict pressed down on everyone present.
• Then, suddenly, Xander’s gaze flicked toward me. I saw something shift in his eyes—like he was piecing together a puzzle that had just clicked into place.
• He turned back to Lucian, his expression now unreadable.
• “Oh,” Xander said, a sly smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “I get it now. You wanted to go to the Celestial Soirée with her.”
• Lucian’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say a word.
• Xander let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. “Wow. Now I see what’s happening here. You invited her to the event as your date... and now you’re trying to get rid of us.”
• Lucian didn’t say a word. He simply stared at Xander, his intense gaze practically daring him to figure out the unspoken answer. The weight of it all hung in the air, thick and stifling.
• But before their silent standoff could go any further, the tension was broken. Damon and Rafael suddenly entered the room, their presence cutting through the charged atmosphere like a blade.
• “Lucian,” Damon called, his voice firm. “Father wants to see you. He said he needs to speak with you about something.”
• Lucian narrowed his eyes. “About what?”
• Damon shrugged. “He didn’t tell us any details. Just go to him.”
• Lucian exhaled sharply, irritation flickering in his expression, but he didn’t say another word. Instead, he turned and strode out of the room without looking back.
• As soon as he was gone, the three brothers left behind exchanged glances. Then, to my surprise, Xander grabbed Damon and Rafael by their arms, tugging them toward the door.
• But before leaving, Xander turned back to me. His gaze softened, the sharpness in his features melting into something almost protective.
• “Stay here, Leah,” he said gently. “Just rest, okay? We need to talk about something.”
• I didn’t know what to say. I just gave a small nod. I watched as Xander led Damon and Rafael out, the three of them disappearing into the hallway.
• I was about to let it go, convincing myself it wasn’t my place to get involved, when something caught my attention. The door they had just walked through hadn’t closed completely—it was left slightly ajar.
• Then I heard it.
• “What the fuck, Xander?” Damon’s angry voice echoed from the hallway. “Why the hell did you drag us out like that?”
• “I need to tell you something,” Xander said, his tone low but urgent.
• “Why? What is it?” Rafael asked. “What’s so urgent about this?”
• Xander didn’t hesitate. “Earlier, Lucian told us not to go to the Celestial Soirée event because he wants to take Leah there by himself. He invited her while we weren’t around, took full advantage of the situation, and now he’s trying to keep us out of the way so he can have her all to himself.”
• “What the fuck?” Rafael snapped, his voice rising with anger. “That’s bullshit. He’s trying to get ahead of us.”
• “Yeah, I know,” Xander replied, his tone heavy with frustration.
• Damon, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. His voice was calm but carried a sharp edge of determination.
• “We can’t let him get away with this,” Damon said. “We need to come up with a plan—something to stop Lucian. We can’t let him have his way.”