"Well, I could always use you as ransom could I not?" Lucien joked, but Maia looked ready to pass out from stress.

"S-she's evil? You need at least 25K- but you can only pay in chocolate gold coins" Lucien genuinely was curious how much 25k would buy in those cheap chocolates.

Maia felt a large hand touch her waist, as Lucien looked down at her cute outfit-

A vicious growl had Maia ready to pee herself. Why did he keep growling like that? Her lie wasn't believable, that's why!

"Why aren't you wearing any pants?" He asked slowly between clenched teeth.
Maia glanced up curiously with a cute face full of confusion.

"I am though? These are my kitty shorts!" She huffed in indignation. Who goes out without pants?

Oh yeah. This pervert!

"You're the pant-less one Mister" Maia pointed out, not looking down again. Her head might pop.

"Where do you live?" Lucien growled, grabbing her by the hips before throwing her over his shoulder, not even expecting an answer as Maia cried out.

He's like a caveman! Maia didn't like how close her butt was to his face...
He acts like a butt face... now he literally is one?

Maia giggled, catching Lucien's attention at her playful demeanor. His lip twitched, unable to help how the sweet sound made him also want to smile.
He easily followed her scent to a small cottage- another warm scent resides inside as well.
A female.

Her mother?

Lucien didn't even bother knocking, or even setting Maia down, walking straight inside as if he owned he damn place.
He certainly owned one of the people living inside.

"Kitten, go wake up your mom yeah?" He said, setting her down.

Maia froze.

She slowly looked up at Lucien. Her big hazel eyes made Lucien also pause as he took in the endless sorrow swimming beneath their surface.
Then she looked at her feet, her tiny hands nervously fumbling with each other.

"I'll go wake up Noona" Maia nodded before moving up the stares like a zombie.

Go wake up your mom

Her heart ached. A nasty ache she didn't like feeling anymore. Why was it back?

Maia walked straight into her Noona's room where the elderly woman rested peacefully.
Maia stared blankly for a moment, taking in her features as if it may be the last.
It might.

She doesn't like the chest ache.

Her eyes watered a little, as she crouched and gently shook her Noona.
The elderly woman slowly opened her eyes in surprise to see her granddaughter teary eyed and looking at her with such longing and sorrow, it reminded her of the little girl from so long ago who often came in her room to rid herself of plaguing nightmares.

"Noona, m-my m-mate is downstairs... uh... I-I don't know what to do" she mumbled softly, truly unsure what to do.

Should she run to Bi?
Hide?

Her Noona sat up straight, shocked and surprised as she sniffed the air and froze.

The distinct smell she would never forget. No wolf forgets.

The smell of a Lycan...!

"Dear... are you sure... your mate is downstairs?" Noona tried to make sure her nose hadn't finally given out on her.
She nearly wanted to just try and go back to sleep and pray this wasn't real.
But Maia nodded her head.

Noona got out of bed with the help of Maia, putting on a robe and house shoes, she went downstairs with Maia at her arm to support her.

Noona wanted to pass out when she saw a fully naked Lycan standing in her living room, casually, and not hiding a thing.

"Maia go in your room-"

"She stays" Lucien nearly hissed.
Noona felt her blood run cold at the authority of a Lycan- an Alpha.
Was this a joke? She desperately wished so.

"Meanie" Maia gasped, not liking how he spoke to her Noona.
"Noona, he is bad, I will listen to Noona" Maia declared with a nod.
Her grandmother smiled, glad her grandchild was so filial.

"You will fucking stay right here Maia or I will simply take you back to my pack this instant. You realize I'm going against my very damn nature not claiming you now? Don't test my damn patience-"

"Sir" Noona was not a weak woman. Never had been. This Lycan wasn't scaring her in the slightest.
She met his eyes head on- surprising Lucien for a moment before he felt the urge to rip her jugular out.
Then remembered this was his mate's grandmother.
"I'm assuming you haven't spoke to Maia long enough for you to understand a few things. I prefer not to drag Maia into them, they bring up unpleasant things for the girl. Do you want to make your mate suffer because of your ignorance? Or are you just another ignorant hormonal little boy I need to chase away?"
He was fucking floored- one, being scolded by a woman damn near his own real age, and two, she called him a ignorant hormonal little boy!

He growled, but then he saw the teary eyes of his mate.

Endless sorrow swam in those big hazel eyes.

He paused. Thinking deeply for a moment.
He always thought things through, he disliked mistakes. He damn sure wouldn't do anything to damage his bond with a woman he's waited centuries for.
Tightening his fist, he nodded with a growl.

"Fine" He acknowledge the old woman before him.

Noona breathed in relief, turning towards Maia.
"Love, go get your mate some clothes. Go in the storeroom and find some shorts or pants that you think will fit, yeah?" Maia nodded, happy to be useful in this situation.

Noona turned towards Lucien, not bothered by nudity. These young men never wore clothes.

"She'll be looking for a while. There's no clothes in the storeroom. She'll be there till she forgets what she was told to do" Noona said with a chuckle, as she moved towards a closet near the back door which had many clothes for Alpha Vin or his son Tucker, to change into. They often visited- and were very good about not letting Maia see them naked.
She grabbed a pair of dark grey Nike sweatpants that belonged to Vin, and handed them over to Lucien.
He accepted them calmly and dressed.
Noona motioned for him to sit down in the living room, while she sat across him.
Lucien had his arms crossed, his presence filled the room, and Noona felt slightly suffocated.

"That child... is a little different from the rest. I'm honestly still shocked you didn't just go all wolf and kidnap her, it wouldn't be hard. I'm glad I have a chance to speak to you so we can clear some triggers of her's out of the way." Noona glanced up to see he was indeed taking all the information seriously.

She sighed.

"When the child was five, her and her best friend, a little girl named Bambi who suffered in a different way from the trauma... well, they were at Maia's old house. Where she lived with her family. My son and his mate had two beautiful little twin girls, and those twins were best friends with Bambi. Maia was one of the twins...." her chest clenched and twisted and memories of her son and mate, along with her daughter in law and grandchildren filled her head.

Lucien was enraptured. It seems there was more to his innocent little kitten than he imagined. He thanked the Goddess for giving him such out standing control over himself.

Of course it took many many years to master.

"The house was located near the pack border... and all those years ago, a large group of rogues, strange in its own right, attacked."
Lucien felt his blood chill as he realized, though his face stern and unrevealing, where this was going. Why his tiny mate looked so hurt when he mentioned her mother so damn carelessly.

"Those two little girls who survived were Maia and Bambi. I was the one to find them. And they never spoke a single word of what happened, what the rogues did to them, or even why they were kept alive. The little girl Bambi actually never spoke again. She hasn't to this day. Maia however... well, she became somewhat hysteric. Losing her twin and parents before her eyes... I'm sure she went slightly insane. So young too, unable to understand. She would become insanely moody and hurt herself, tried to kill herself a few times" Noona took a deep breath to steady herself.

Sadly, Lucien wasn't fairing as well. His hands were clenched until his knuckles turned white. Barely containing his wolf.

"Continue" Lucien bit out, his teeth clenched. Jaw taunt. Eyes black.
Noona felt a strike of fear, but nodded shakily.

"She would have frequent nightmares and even day terrors. She also shifted extremely early, same as Bambi. The two girls would only see a semblance of normality when near each other. I did everything to help Maia and Bambi. Eventually finding that Maia enjoyed planting and tending to flowers to help herself calm, and Bambi took to drawing. That's when one day, when Maia turned twelve, when we all took notice of her behavior. She wasn't maturing much mentally, having a harder time grasping normal things. Even Bambi would understand. It was like she was still a child, and became unable to handle certain things"
Noona checked the hall and saw Maia still hadn't returned. She nodded.

"She has these triggers. As long as they are avoided, she stays a gentle and sweet child, but if touched, she takes a horrifying turn. She closes off, not speaking, and she'll harm herself.... she blames herself you know" Noona looked Lucien in the eyes. His breathe caught at the guilt and pain in the older woman's gaze.

"She blames herself for her family's death. She cried it in her sleep one night. That it was all her fault" Noona's eyes watered, thinking about all the horror the little girl suffered.

"Don't bring up her parents, or her sister, unless she tells you she in ready. She's a smart girl despite being naive in certain areas. When she trusts you, she'll open up. But the one major taboo, is letting her see blood. Scratches aren't a big deal, and her own blood, she just gets a little scared and will close her eyes. If she sees someone else hurt though, she'll get extremely terrified, panicked. The same is for her friend Bambi. Both have extreme haemophobia" Noona concluded on a serious note.