Chapter 248

248 A Death Sentence

Lucien woke up to Ronan’s screaming voice.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING???”

What followed was the sound of someone crashing against the wall.

“WHAT KIND OF STRESS CAUSES SEVERE NOSEBLEED LIKE THIS???”

“Alpha Ronan, please calm down!!!”

“I AM GOING TO KILL YOU IF LUCIEN DIES!!!”

“Just let us work on Mr. Clearwater first!”

“Lucien!! LUCIEN!!!”

Lucien slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the side.

.....

Ronan was screaming like a madman. He extended his hand in Lucien’s direction, but Lucien was unable to move his body.

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes again was a group of nurses pushing the Alpha out of the room.

‘Ronan...’

Either Ronan failed to answer or Lucien lost consciousness before he heard his mate’s answer.

Lucien didn’t know.

Some time later, he woke up again and heard voices at his bedside.

“Mr. Clearwater?”

“Mr. Clearwater, can you hear us? Can you open your eyes?”

I can’t, Lucien thought to himself. I am so tired. I want to sleep.

He then fell asleep again.

Lucien’s sleep was intermittent. He slipped in and out of nightmares. When he woke up again the next time, the nurses were gone. Ronan was holding his hands, showering them with kisses while crying bitterly.

The sight shocked Lucien immensely. He saw Ronan’s tears before, but never when he completely lost his composure like this.

He was even more shocked to hear his mate’s harsh tone once he saw that Lucien was awake.

“Are you happy now, Lucien?”

“Happy... What?” Lucien asked in confusion.

“Do you want to leave me that much? Is this your plan all along?”

“...”

“Because if that is really your plan, you made it, alright? Congratulations! You will be rid of me sooner than you thought!”

“Ronan, speak clearly,” Lucien furrowed his brows at his mate. The pounding in his head had yet to cease, and now his mate was going crazy.

“I am not going to let you go,” Ronan growled. “In life and death, I am not going to let you leave me. Do you hear that, Lucien Clearwater? Huh??”

When he was feeling pain, Lucien’s patience was particularly short with people.

His rage gave him a burst of energy, enough to unleash on his mate.

A crisp slap resounded in the room.

Lucien’s hand moved so fast that Ronan did not have the time to react.

The Alpha’s lips parted in a mix of shock and disbelief.

“I said, speak clearly, you idiot,” Lucien snapped. “Stop throwing words at my head when I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“...”

Ronan threw himself at Lucien and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

“Lulu...” He sobbed tearfully. “Please don’t leave me...”

“I am not going to leave you,” Lucien sighed.

He sank one hand into Ronan’s thick dark hair and gently patted his head.

The Alpha’s shoulders were trembling from grief but he said nothing else.

Eventually, Lucien understood what was happening. He did not want to believe it, but he had to ask.

“Am I dying?”

Ronan loosened his embrace and looked into Lucien’s astounded face.

“The doctor said that your body is failing... You don’t have much time left.”

Ronan’s words knocked the air out of Lucien’s lungs.

“Impossible,” he said. “Why?”

A sorrowful laugh escaped Ronan.

“Should you not know? This is because you are holding it all inside again. Refusing to tell me what’s happening. It’s eating you from the inside. Lucien, you...”

Ronan shook his head and sighed.

Lucien grabbed his collar with one swift movement and brought their faces within ten centimeters from each other.

“Exactly,” he hissed. “I should know. I went through this before. I survived it for seven years. This is not because I am holding it all inside or anything!”

Ronan’s lips quivered.

“The doctor said...”

“I don’t give a shit what the doctor said!” Lucien snapped. “I didn’t do this!”

But what did it matter? Even if the doctor was unable to find out the reason for Lucien’s mysterious illness, the fact that Lucien’s body was failing did not change.

Lucien let himself fall on the bed with a groan.

The little movements drained his energy.

“Lulu, please. Are you sure that nothing is burdening you...?”

Lucien turned to look at Ronan and sighed.

“Even if there is something, it has nothing to do with this nausea and headache and nosebleed. That I can assure you.”

Ronan grabbed Lucien’s hands.

“So you do,” he said with an accusatory tone. “What is it? Why can’t you tell me?”

“It is something from the past,” Lucien said, his voice trembling from emotion. “I do not wish to talk about it.”

“Lulu, please. Our Mind Link no longer exists. Now your condition is... Lulu, I beg you.”

Ronan buried his face into Lucien’s stomach.

“Don’t make it even worse. Please. Just tell me. What is it? What are you hiding from me?”

“... Am I really dying?”

Ronan’s howl was muffled. He no longer bothered to confirm. He merely lay there crying like a child, all of his pride as Alpha forgotten and left behind.

“How many days do I have left...?” he asked.

Ronan refused to answer.

“Ronan, tell me.”

“...”

“Ronan. I need to know.”

The Alpha wiped at his face and muttered, “Latest would be a week.”

Who knew what the earliest was?

Lucien stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

Was it a punishment?

Had the Moon Goddess seen it fit to take Lucien away from Ronan, now that Lillian was there to take his place in Ronan’s life?

Tears slowly rolled down the end of Lucien’s eyes.

Maybe that was for the best.

.....

The Goddess gave, and the Goddess took.

“Lucien...”

Ronan tugged at Lucien’s hand.

“Just tell me, alright? Don’t dwell on it anymore. If there is anything that I did wrong, I will change. I promise you, I...”

“You did nothing wrong,” Lucien cut him mid-speech. “It was I who wronged you.”

Ronan widened his eyes in disbelief.