Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lucian’s pov

Raven was silent while I recounted all that happened since I met Selene. We were sitting now, or rather she was. My emotions flared up at the point where I told her that Selene boldly said no to my order, and the garden lounge seat was no longer enough to contain me.

Even the calm aura around Raven did not help matters this time, for the more I thought about what happened, the angrier and more restless I became. "She's supposed to be controllable and weak, and yet she saved me."

I clenched my fist, my voice dropping. "She defies me, and she's a liability I can't shake. Whenever I'm with her, I can literally feel the resistance rolling off her, and I keep thinking of many ways to control her, but none of them seem quite right."

"right?" Raven asked with a tilt of her head. "Being accountable for someone and taking control of their actions would not seem right to them, but it has to be done."

"I know, and that's what makes me the angriest. I'm not supposed to care about whether it seems right or not as long as it's necessary."

I stopped pacing and pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's  that mate bond. I'm sure that's what's making me suddenly think about her own comfort."

"Remember what the prophecy says, Lucian," she said. "Of course love is involved, after all, only love can break the curse. But power takes the throne. Which is more important to you?"

"Both cannot win. You have to choose one of them," she continued. "One of you would have to submit to the other. Would you rather it be you?"

"Of course not! That would never be heard of!" I growled.

"Well, it's clear that one of you has to submit. And like you've already said, she's not weak, and she's not easily controllable. Do you really think she will bow to you willingly?"

Her words made me stop, and I fixed my gaze on her. My mind went through the few conversations I'd had with Selene, and I knew she was right.

"I thought as much," she leaned back, eyes flashing. "She's a Nightshade, and she is very powerful. If you're not careful, she'll be the one to make you submit to her, and then where will your pack be?"

"You mock me," I accused, detecting the laughter in her voice.

"I do not," she replied, placing a hand on my arm soothingly. "But I just want to let you know the gravity of the situation and remind you of why you cannot let sentiments in."

I took in a deep breath. She was right—if I let Selene have her way, then it would only be a matter of time before her power was made known to the people, and she would begin to take over. It would be hilarious for someone I brought into my pack to take it over from me.

"No, she will bow, and if she won't listen, then I will make her," I declared.

Raven smiled. "Well then, you know what to do. Your first task is at hand—how will you make her go with you?"

"I could send my guards to pull her out of there and drive her all the way to my estate, but that will cause a scene and probably hurt her more than she already is."

"If you want a stress-free method, then you could just sedate her," she suggested.

"That will be totally out of her control," I reasoned.

"Well, either way she was never to go willingly in the first place, so if you're going to control her, you might as well start now," Raven replied as she brushed her hair away from her face. "Make a choice, Alpha. You have to be strong enough to do the right things."

I nodded grimly. "Thank you, Raven." I took her hand and pressed my lips lightly to her knuckles.

Without a second thought, I made my way away from her quarters and stepped into my car. For someone who defied my orders, sedating her was a minor punishment. Greater was coming for her, but first, she had to be where I wanted her to be.

I found Maris in the office she shared with a coworker.

"Alpha!" she rose. She looked surprised to see me.

I turned my attention to the other woman in the room who was staring at me with wide eyes. "Can you excuse us?"

It took her a minute to realize that I had spoken to her, and then she scrambled away.

"Have you come to check on Selene?" Maris asked. "She's progressing quite well—"

I could sense that she was about to begin filling me in on every detail of her progress, details I did not want to know. I raised my hand to cut her short.

"I want you to sedate her in time for her movement to my estate."

Her eyes widened. "Oh—well, that was unexpected," she muttered. "The sedatives will have a negative effect on the drugs I placed her on, and she's making such good progress already, Alpha—"

"Where in the statement did you hear that it was negotiable?" I demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized immediately. "I just thought that you should know the extent of the damage it could do."

"And what's the worst that could happen to her? Is she going to die?"

"Oh no!" she said immediately. "But she will have splitting headaches, and it will take her a long time to come around."

I shrugged. "Well, that doesn't sound terrible to me. Do as I say, and I hope you're smart enough not to tell her that you are about to put her on drugs."

"Oh—she's not to know?" Maris sounded surprised.

"No." I turned to go. "Her escort will be here in the evening. Make sure she's ready."

As I stepped out of the office, a thought struck me. Now it was not just one person I was making do things against their will—it was two. I knew someone else who forced his decisions on others, and I remembered how much I resented him.

I shook my head. What I was doing was not that deep yet. My actions were for Selene's benefit since she had no other place to stay in my pack but with me.