Chapter 255

A few hours after lunch, school was finally over and I was making my way toward the parking lot where Lucas was already waiting for me. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about the conversation Lucas and I had with James over lunch.

I felt so guilty having to lie to him. It felt wrong to keep this from him.

I hadn't spoken to Lucas about it yet, but I was frustrated that he had put me in that scenario.

As I approached our car, I saw that Lucas was seated in the driver's side. I opened the car and hopped into the passenger seat, slamming the door closed behind me.

"Hey," Lucas said with a smile, leaning over to try and kiss me.

I leaned away from him, dodging the kiss and trying to avoid eye contact.

I could see Lucas tense up beside me out of the corner of my eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why did you just reject my kiss?"

There was no doubt an underlying tension between us as I tried ignoring him. I tried to form the words to explain myself, but I couldn't shake the feeling of annoyance that gnawed at me, knowing we had lied to James about our whereabouts and what was happening.

"Why did you make me lie to James?" I asked, my voice sharp with irritation as I turned to face him.

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Shana. I'm sorry. But we couldn't exactly tell him the truth about where we were, could we?"

"Why not?" I pressed, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "He's our friend, Lucas. He deserves to know the truth."

"I know he does," Lucas replied, his tone earnest. "But if we told him about the Ethereal Palace and everything that's been happening, it could put him in danger. We don't know who we can trust yet, and it's better to keep certain things secret for now."

"James isn't going to do anything," I reasoned. "He wouldn't betray us like that."

"He doesn't even know you're the White Wolf yet," Lucas continued. "Could you imagine his reaction to finding that out? That's not a conversation to have over school lunch."

"I know," I conceded, my frustration ebbing slightly as Lucas's words sunk in. "But it still feels wrong to keep him in the dark, especially when he's dealing with his own struggles."

Lucas nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. "I get it, Shana. And I hate lying to him too. But right now, we need to prioritize keeping him safe. Once things settle down and we have a better understanding of what's going on, we'll tell him everything."

I sighed, leaning back in my seat and running a hand through my hair. "I just hope he understands when we do tell him. I don't want to lose his trust."

"We won't lose his trust," Lucas reassured me, his voice firm. "James knows we have his back, and he knows we wouldn't keep things from him unless we had to. He'll understand."

"I hope so because I don't want to lose his friendship. Remember how he took it last time when you and Victoria lied to us about your engagement?"

Lucas winced, the memory of James's reaction evidently still fresh in his mind. "Yeah, I remember. It wasn't pretty."

"It was a mess," I agreed, recalling the hurt and confusion that had lingered between us in the aftermath of that revelation. "I don't want to put him through something like that again."

"Which is why we need to handle this delicately," Lucas emphasized, his gaze unwavering. "We'll tell him the truth when the time is right, but for now, we have to keep him safe."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know. It's just hard, you know? Keeping secrets from someone we care about."

"I know, Shana," Lucas said softly, reaching out to gently touch my arm. "But it's necessary. We'll do whatever it takes to protect him, even if it means that we have to keep him in the dark for a little while longer."

"I just hope he forgives us when he finds out," I murmured, my voice tinged with worry. "I don't like this."

"I don't like it either, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Lucas said, offering me a reassuring smile. "For now, let's focus on getting through this together."

I glanced over at him, seeing the determination in his eyes, and nodded, trying to push aside my doubts. "Okay, but we'll tell him once we can?"

"As soon as it's safe and we have all the answers, we'll tell James everything." Lucas nodded. "Like you said, he deserves to know the truth."

I sighed, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders at Lucas's reassurance. "Thanks, Lucas. I just needed to hear that we're not going to keep it from him forever."

"Of course not," Lucas said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "He would've probably found out eventually, but it's better if he hears it from us first. We're a team, Shana. We'll face whatever comes our way together."

Feeling a sense of solidarity with Lucas, I nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "We're in it together."

Although I still felt awful for lying to James, I could ease my mind knowing that we would tell him once we were sure it was safe, and I wouldn't have to do it alone.

Lucas was here for me.

Lucas and I stepped through the front door of Grandma Jo's house. When we entered the living room, Grandma Jo was seated on the couch with a book in her lap.

"Hey kids." She greeted me with a warm smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "How is it being back in reality?"

"Horrible," Lucas sighed as he took the spot next to his grandma on the couch.

She let out a laugh. "I bet. Oh, Shana, darling, look what came for you in the mail today."

Curiosity piqued, I approached her, noting the small envelope she held out to me.

It was sealed with a deep red wax stamp, imprinted with an intricate design. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the seal, and a rush of mixed emotions flooded through me.

"It's from the Ethereal Palace," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Grandma Jo nodded, her expression unreadable. "It seems important, dear. Perhaps you should read it."

"Why are they sending letters already?" Lucas asked. "And how?"

With trembling hands, I broke the seal and unfolded the parchment within. Elegant handwriting greeted my eyes, each word etched with purpose.

My heart raced as I absorbed the contents of the letter. Liam was coming tomorrow to take me for training.

Tomorrow...

The realization hit me like a lightning bolt.

"How... How is this possible?" I stammered, looking up at Grandma Jo and Lucas. "They want me to begin training tomorrow."

"So soon?" Lucas questioned, mirroring my frantic expression. "But you just got back."

"Who's coming to get you?" Grandma Jo asked.

"Liam, he's the Alpha King's right hand man," I responded.

"I suppose you'll have to ask Liam himself when he arrives," Grandma Jo replied, a curious look on her face.

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

The timing seemed impossible.

How could I prepare for training in such a short amount of time? And what about school? My friends? Lucas?