Sincerely, Marlena

57

Sincerely, Marlena.

The first light of dawn cut through the cold air as we gathered near the north perimeter. The plan was set, the supplies were packed, and now it was time to move. The tension from the night before still lingered between Lucien and me, but we hadn't spoken since our argument. He'd barely looked my way, though I could feel his eyes on me now as I tightened my gear and prepared for the mission.

I glanced at the others as they prepped their weapons—Nolan was adjusting his rifle, Louis scanning the horizon with an unreadable expression, and Alistair was quietly going over the strategy with a couple of the others. They all seemed ready. But me? I wasn't so sure. My mind was still tangled in the weight of the secrets I'd let slip. Secrets I never wanted them to know.

Lucien's voice cut through the silence. "We move out in ten."

I didn't look up, keeping my focus on my task. I knew Lucien was still angry with me—angry about my past, my connection to East Ridge, and the fact that I'd kept so much from them for so long. But he hadn't pushed me for more information. Not yet, anyway.

"Everything good, Marlena?" Louis's voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I glanced up to see him standing nearby, a slight frown on his face.

"Yeah," I muttered, adjusting my pack. "I'm fine."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push it either. Instead, he nodded and turned back to his own preparations. I knew Louis was concerned, but there was no point in discussing it now. Not when we were about to walk straight into enemy territory.

As the group gathered, Lucien stood at the front, giving orders with the same commanding presence he always had. His gaze swept over everyone, but when his eyes met mine, there was a flicker of something darker—something unresolved.

The group began moving out, and I fell into step behind him, our proximity only heightening the tension between us. I could feel the weight of his anger in every step he took, but there was something else there too—something that simmered beneath the surface, just waiting to break free.

As we neared the treeline, the silence between us finally snapped. Lucien slowed his pace until he was walking beside me, his voice low and dangerous. "We need to talk."

I shot him a sideways glance, keeping my face neutral. "Now's not exactly the best time."

He didn't back down. "We're going into a situation that could get us all killed. You expect me to trust you when you've been hiding things from me?"

My jaw tightened. "I gave you the information you needed."

"Yeah, after we dragged it out of you."

"Lucien," I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper, "you're the one who held me captive. You really think I'm going to trust you with everything right away?"

His eyes flashed, anger flaring beneath the surface. "So that's what this is? Payback?"

I scoffed. "I don't have time for your guilt complex right now."

He grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop, and the others moved ahead without noticing. We were alone now, surrounded by trees and the tension between us.

"This isn't about guilt," he growled, his grip tight but not painful. "It's about you keeping us in the dark when we're about to walk into a death trap."

I yanked my arm free, glaring at him. "I told you what I know about East Ridge. I'm here, aren't I? I'm fighting with you."

Lucien's expression darkened. "But you're not telling us everything. Why?"

For a moment, I didn't answer. I couldn't. My past with East Ridge, with South Haven, with my brothers—it wasn't something I could just spill out in the middle of the woods before a recon mission. There was too much history, too much pain.

"I have my reasons," I said finally, my voice quiet but firm. "And that's all you need to know right now."

Lucien's jaw clenched, frustration radiating off him in waves. "You're going to get yourself killed because you can't let anyone in."

I met his gaze, the intensity of his anger colliding with the fire that burned in me. "You're angry because I won't let you in. That's what this is really about, isn't it?"

For a moment, the silence between us stretched thin, the tension almost unbearable. His eyes flicked to my lips, then back to my eyes, and I knew I wasn't imagining it. The heat between us was undeniable, and it was pushing us to the edge of something dangerous.

Before either of us could say anything more, a voice broke through the trees. "Lucien! Marlena! You coming?"

It was Alistair, his voice carrying through the air, and I knew we didn't have any more time to argue. I broke eye contact with Lucien, pulling my arm free from his grip as I stepped back.

"This conversation isn't over," he said, his voice low and rough.

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned and started walking toward the rest of the group, my heart still racing from the intensity of our exchange. Lucien followed close behind, his presence a constant reminder of everything left unsaid.

We reached the others, and Alistair raised an eyebrow at us, clearly sensing the tension. "Everything good?"

"Fine," I muttered, my gaze fixed straight ahead. I couldn't look at Lucien right now, not after everything that had just happened. Not with the heat still simmering beneath my skin.

"Let's keep moving," Lucien ordered, his voice hard and commanding once again. But I could feel the way his eyes lingered on me, the weight of our unresolved argument hanging heavy in the air.

We pushed forward, the mission taking precedence for now. But I knew the tension between us wasn't going away anytime soon. And sooner or later, it was going to explode.