Alpha's Hidden Precious Luna-Chapter 186

Lily POV

As I walked toward the parking lot where Marcel would be waiting to drive me back to the pack house, I tried to process everything that had happened. The wonderful afternoon with Kai, the terrifying manifestation of the curse, his rejection, and now this humiliating encounter with Professor Morrison.

I looked down at the assignment papers in my hands, noting the careful organization and detailed instructions. Despite his harsh words, the history lecturer had clearly invested significant time in preparing materials for me. His anger might be justified, but he was still willing to help me succeed.

The question was whether I could manage to salvage my academic career while everything else in my life seemed to be falling apart. Between the Shadow Council hunting me, Kai’s curse threatening our relationship, and my own inability to balance competing priorities, I was beginning to wonder if I was strong enough to handle any of it.

But as I settled into the back seat of the luxury car that would take me back to my gilded cage at the pack house, I made a silent promise to myself. I wouldn’t let the history lecturer’s low expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I would prove that I could succeed, that I was worthy of the second chance he’d grudgingly given me.

It was a small goal in the face of everything else I was dealing with, but right now, small victories felt like the only ones within reach.

***

The front door of my quarters closed behind me with a soft thud that seemed to echo through my bones. I dropped my bag wearily on the polished hardwood floor, not caring about the books and papers that spilled out across the floor. The weight of the day—the emotional highs and devastating lows—pressed down on me.

Emma appeared in the hallway almost immediately, her bright smile faltering when she saw my expression. "Miss Lily, how was your day?" she asked, her voice cheerful but concerned.

"It was shit," I replied bluntly, too exhausted to maintain any pretense of politeness.

Emma’s eyes widened at my language, but she quickly recovered, her training as a personal attendant taking over. "Perhaps a hot bath would help," she suggested gently. "It might ease some of your tension."

The idea of sinking into hot water, of washing away the remnants of this disaster of a day, was too appealing to resist. I nodded mutely and allowed her to lead me upstairs to the master bedroom.

The bathroom was already prepared, as if Emma had anticipated my need. Steam rose from the deep soaking tub, and the scent of lavender and chamomile filled the air. Healing salts had been dissolved in the water, creating a milky, soothing mixture that promised relief for both body and spirit.

I began to undress. Emma helped me remove the silk scarf from around my neck, and I was grateful she didn’t comment on my obvious reluctance to let it go. The blazer came off next, then the blouse that still smelled faintly of pine needles and Kai’s cologne.

As I sank into the heated water, I felt some of the tension begin to leave my muscles. The temperature was perfect—hot enough to penetrate deep into my aching joints but not so warm as to be overwhelming. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the padded headrest, trying to find some semblance of peace.

But peace was elusive when my mind insisted on replaying the events of the afternoon. The way Kai had looked at me when he pulled me down onto his lap, the hunger and love in his eyes as he whispered against my skin. The feeling of being complete, of being exactly where I belonged, in his arms by the lake.

Then the terrible shift when the curse took hold. The coldness that had replaced warmth in his gaze, the strength of his hands around my throat, the certainty that I was going to die at the hands of the man I loved most in the world.

Instinctively, my fingers moved to my neck, tracing the tender spots where his grip had left its mark. The bruises were hidden beneath layers of makeup, but I could feel them—a physical reminder of how quickly love could turn to violence, how fragile our happiness really was.

I bit down hard on my tongue to keep from crying, the sharp pain a welcome distraction from the emotional agony threatening to overwhelm me. I would not break down. I would not let this destroy me, no matter how much it hurt.

"Miss Lily?"

Emma’s voice startled me back to the present. I opened my eyes to find her kneeling beside the tub, her expression filled with concern. She was staring intently at my neck, her brow furrowed with worry and confusion.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing directly at the spot where my concealer had begun to wash away in the steam, revealing the dark purple bruises beneath.

My hand flew instinctively to cover the marks, panic flooding through me. "It’s nothing," I said quickly, forcing my voice to remain calm. "Don’t be alarmed. It’s just... I had a small accident."

But Emma was no fool. Her eyes widened as she took in the distinctive pattern of the bruises—clearly finger-shaped marks that could only have come from one source. "Miss Lily, these look like—"

"It’s nothing," I repeated more firmly, sitting up straighter in the tub and angling my body away from her scrutiny. "Really, Emma. I’m fine."

Emma’s face had gone pale, and she was shaking her head slowly. "This is going to scar," she whispered, her voice filled with distress. "Oh no, oh no..."

Before I could stop her, she had jumped to her feet and rushed out of the bathroom, leaving me alone in the cooling water with my heart pounding in my chest.

I climbed out of the tub quickly, wrapping myself in the thick terry cloth bathrobe Emma had laid out for me. The soft fabric felt comforting against my skin, but it couldn’t ease the anxiety building in my stomach.

Within minutes, I heard footsteps in the hallway—multiple sets of them, moving with urgent purpose. My bedroom door burst open, and Mrs. Patterson, the cook, and Anna, the housekeeper, rushed in behind Emma, their faces filled with concern and alarm.

"Show them," Emma said breathlessly, pointing at me with a trembling hand.

I reluctantly loosened the collar of my robe, revealing the bruises that stood out starkly against my pale skin in the bedroom’s bright lighting. The reaction was immediate and overwhelming.

Mrs. Patterson gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth. Anna’s face hardened with what might have been anger, though I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or someone else. Emma looked like she might be sick.

For the next thirty minutes, the three women fussed over me with an efficiency that would have been impressive under different circumstances. Mrs. Patterson produced a jar of healing salve that she claimed would reduce the bruising and prevent scarring. Anna brought ice wrapped in soft cloth to reduce the swelling. Emma carefully applied concealer with a technique that suggested she’d had experience covering up injuries before. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

They worked mostly in silence, communicating through meaningful glances and subtle gestures that spoke of years of working together. But I could feel the tension radiating from all of them, the worry and fear that seemed to fill the room like a living thing.

"There," Anna said finally, stepping back to examine their work. "That’s the best we can do for now."

"Emma, help Miss Lily get dressed," Mrs. Patterson instructed, her voice tight with controlled emotion. "Something with a high collar. And find that scarf she was wearing earlier."

Emma nodded and began pulling clothes from my wardrobe. She selected a soft cashmere sweater with a turtleneck and helped me into it with hands that shook slightly.

"Emma," I said gently, watching her face as she worked. "You’re overreacting. It’s not as bad as it looks."

She paused in her adjustments to the sweater, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. They were bright with unshed tears, and her voice was thick with emotion when she spoke.

"Miss Lily, if Luna Helen sees these marks..." She swallowed hard, her hands wringing together. "I might lose my job. We all might. She trusted us to take care of you, to keep you safe, and look what happened."