A Will

[Lucian’s POV]

The entirety of the carriage ride is long and painful as Lucian’s silence threatens to crush me, and when it finally ends, I jump up only to immediately regret it as a wave of dizziness slams into me.

“Careful,” Lucian hisses, reaching out and steadying me. “What's wrong?”

“Got up too fast,” I murmur, trying to ignore the warmth of Lucian's arm that stays wrapped around me. “I'm fine.”

To prove my point, I straighten up and then hold my arms out.

“See?”

I wait as Lucian stares at me, an unreadable look in his eyes, and when he decides he is going to believe me, he simply gives a nod.

“Come on,” he announces, exiting the carriage and then offering me a hand. “We have an appointment to make.”

Nodding, I move, my curiosity getting the better of me as I take Lucian's offering just in case the dizziness comes back. However, when I'm steady on my feet and attempt to take my hand back, he doesn't release it.

“It's better we walk like this.” He murmurs, leading me toward the brick building with many windows in front of us.

“Why?” I ask, eyeing the building and the people that pass by on the street and sidewalk. “What are you so worried about?”

“Me?” Lucian asks with a smirk. “Nothing.”

“Sure.” I grumble, feeling a slight bit of relief that the carefree man from earlier has returned. “Whatever you say.”

Deciding to play along, I wait as Lucian reaches out and knocks on the door of the brick building and then waits until it opens to reveal a tiny man with curly white hair and sparkling blue eyes that peek out at us through thick-rimmed glasses.

“Hello,” he chirps, looking from Lucian to me. “How may I help you?”

Remaining silent, I watch as Lucian pulls something from his pocket and then hands it to the man.

“I see,” he murmurs, reading whatever is on it and then turns. “Come this way.”

Smiling, Lucian gives me a gentle tug and starts to move, following the man as he leads us through what looks like a normal living room with a warm fire blazing and candlelight flickering.

As we move, I keep an eye out, my senses on full alert for anything that could be lurking around us, but to my surprise nothing happens, and instead of finding myself in danger, I find myself entering an office with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a single desk sitting in front of a large window.

“Please,” the man says, taking a seat behind the desk. “Have a seat.”

As he speaks, he pulls open a drawer and pulls out what looks like a safe and then places it on the desk between us.

“I never thought I would see the day.” He murmurs, eyeing me like I’m some strange being that he can’t make out. “Who would have thought?”

“Uh,” I say slowly, plopping down in a chair while Lucian takes the one beside me. “Could someone maybe explain to me what is happening?”

This was strange. Everything about the man sitting beside me was strange, and no matter how hard I tried to figure him out, I just couldn’t.

“I told you,” Lucian says, his voice even. “We are here for you to receive something that is yours.”

“As you said,” I agree. “But what exactly is it?”

“This,” the old man announces, opening the safe and pulling out a large manila envelope. “This belongs to you, dear.”

Frowning, I take in the envelope while wondering what exactly could be in it.

“What is it?” I ask, wary of touching it. “Could the two of you stop being so secretive?”

“It’s your father's last will and testament.” The man explains, causing my eyes to widen with shock. “It was written on the day of your birth and then entrusted to me to take care of until you came of age and were able to claim what was left for you.”

At his words, I feel a wave of shock rush through me.

My father… He had a hidden will? How was that even possible?

“I am curious, though,” the man continues when no one speaks. “Where on earth have you been hiding all this time?”

“That…”

“That doesn’t matter.” Lucian says before I can speak. “We didn’t come here for your questioning. We simply came to collect that and then leave.”

“Sorry,” the old man chuckles, completely unfazed by Lucian’s rude outburst. “I didn’t mean to poke at an open wound.”

“Can I see it?” I ask as Lucian opens his mouth to say something more. “Please.”

“Of course,” the man smiles, passing me the envelope. “After all, it is yours. However, you should know that there are a few conditions for you to receive your inheritance.”

“Conditions,” I repeat, pulling my father’s will from the envelope so that I can take in his slanted handwriting for the first time in so many years. “What kind of conditions?”

“One,” the man begins, holding up a finger. “You must be eighteen years of age.”

“I am,” I confirm. “I turned twenty-one this year.”

“Then one condition is met. The second is that you must be married.” The man continues. “And the third…”

“Wait!” I hiss, processing the second condition. “My father actually made that a condition?”

“He did,” the man confirms. “As a woman, you know that it would be hard for you to gain loyalty and respect from the members of your pack. Because of that, your father thought it would be best that you have a strong partner to stand beside you.”

“Did he?” I murmur, feeling a twinge of betrayal due to this condition.

Before my parents’ deaths, my father always told me how proud he was of me because of my strength, my resilience, and even my battle prowess. He always told me that I would make the perfect leader and everyone would respect me. Was that all lies to try to make me feel better? Or was it the truth, and this condition was simply something set in place in case I didn’t possess any of these skills?

“And third,” the man says now, taking my silence as agreement to what it is that he has said. “You must marry a song of Onyx Moon.”

“WHAT?” Lucian roars, slamming his hands on the desk in front of him. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“Lucian,” I whisper, reading the words on the paper that I still hold. “Don’t get mad at him; he is simply the messenger.”

“But it’s absurd,” Lucian argues. “How could your father place such a condition when…”

“It’s right here,” I sigh, reading the line that states the very same thing. “My father did in fact place that condition in his will. But it's strange," I continue, trying to make sense of it all. "If he included this condition, why did he go against it in the end?"