Chapter 4

Eleanor POV

After we finished eating and my group dispersed, Lucas suggested driving both me and Isabella home.

Perhaps having learned from the passenger seat dispute last time, Lucas was smarter this time. He simply drove the family's extended Rolls-Royce with a driver, so naturally there would be no more fighting over the front seat.

The drive to the Anderson house was smooth. No traffic. No warning.

Then a truck came out of nowhere. Speeding. Out of control. Racing toward them.

The driver instinctively jerked the steering wheel. The two vehicles inevitably crashed together!

As the car windows shattered and I fell toward the other side from the impact, I happened to see Lucas tightly protecting Isabella in his arms.

I was about to dodge when their physical contact made me feel that uncontrollable pain again.

My whole body went limp. In the end, I could only face the flying glass shards directly.

I suddenly remembered the accident my friends had mentioned earlier.

That was in our third year together, when his feelings for me were still at their most intense.

That night I had just finished work and wanted to take a shortcut home. But when I walked into the alley, I was knocked unconscious.

When I woke up, I had already been tied up in an abandoned warehouse.

Those rogues who kidnapped me wanted to use me to threaten Lucas.

They ordered Lucas to come alone. For my safety, Lucas agreed.

It was also in that battle that Lucas, to protect me, turned his back toward the knife coated with wolf poison.

The poison worked quickly. When he was sent to the pack hospital, he was already losing consciousness, his whole body burning hot, his wound festering and turning black.

The doctors tried everything. He struggled on the edge of life and death for three full days. Several times his heartbeat was so weak it nearly stopped. Everyone said he might not make it.

But even so, when he finally escaped death's embrace and weakly opened his eyes, the first words he struggled to ask were:

"Is Ellie okay?"

He had almost died that day, all because he wanted to protect me.

Now, the woman he was shielding with his body.

Wasn't me.

The rear of the extended Rolls-Royce was damaged beyond recognition. It wasn't until everyone got out of the car that Lucas, who had been comforting Isabella's emotions, finally noticed me, who had remained silent the whole time.

My head had been cut by the shattered glass and was bleeding heavily.

Although my healing ability had become powerful after awakening, I still needed to go to the hospital to have the glass shards removed first.

Then, to hide the fact that I had already awakened, I still wrapped my head in bandages.

Lucas looked at the bandages on my head, his face full of guilt.

"Ellie, I'm sorry. I was only thinking that Isabella couldn't get hurt, so I protected her. You can hit me, yell at me, I'll accept it all. Just don't ignore me, okay?"

His attitude of admitting fault was quite sincere.

Only his reason was ridiculous. In his heart, did Isabella, this alpha's daughter, really get hurt more easily than me, a weak person without a wolf?

I lowered my eyes and said nothing. I didn't say I forgave him, nor did I say I didn't. From start to finish, I maintained that expression without any ripples.

Lucas's apologies still didn't stop. He kept saying sorry, then suddenly seemed to remember something, hope flashing in his eyes. "Your birthday is in a few days. Let me give you your gift early, okay? What birthday gift do you want? I'll buy you anything."

Hearing this, I finally raised my eyes to look at him, but my gaze showed no emotion. "Then buy me a plane ticket. To Denver, three days from now."

"What are you going to Denver for?" He was a bit surprised, but soon he provided his own answer. "Want to go mountain climbing and skiing in Colorado? The season seems a bit early still."

I didn't explain, just nodded and hummed in acknowledgment.

Lucas didn't ask further questions. Right in front of me, he pulled out his phone and bought a plane ticket to Denver.

After buying the ticket, he said, "I'm busy with some things during this time and won't have time to accompany you. You go to Denver and have fun first. When I'm free, I'll go with you to Aspen or see Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Buying a plane ticket is too small a birthday gift. Later I'll give you a big surprise."

I shook my head and smiled lightly. "It's not small. Not small at all."

After all, the estate belonging to the Alpha King was in the mountains of the Colorado Plateau. That was my real home.

Lucas, thank you for your gift. Personally sending me home.