Chapter 24 Lennox
LENNOX
“A package arrived for you, Your Majesty,” Gulia announced as she entered my study.
We were all sitting around the small circular table, eating breakfast. We all had to squish to fit around it, but we had started eating in here since we returned to Alethens.
None of us, well, I wasn’t ready to go back to the dining room yet.
According to Declan, it had been repaired after the disaster that was our wedding reception, but I wasn’t ready to be in there yet.
Besides, I liked this intimate setting.
“You can set it there.” I gestured to the end table next to the door. She nodded before setting down the large box next to a vase filled with fresh wildflowers Kara had picked yesterday afternoon from the garden she spelled to keep flowers growing year round. “Thank you.”
“Do you need anything else, Your Majesties?”
“No, thank you, Gulia,” Luka dismissed her.
“Who do you think it’s from?” Kara popped a piece of fruit in her mouth.
“I don’t know.” I ran my fingers over the black satin tied around the large square box as I searched for a card or any indication of who the package was from. “There’s no card, perhaps it says inside.”
I untied the large bow, letting the ribbon fall to the table as I uncapped the box. A note lay on top of the black silk covering the contents of the box.
“Next is your mate.”
The words caused my stomach to twist. What is that supposed to mean? I turned the card over, looking for any more information—a name, a signet, something hinting as to who it was from, but found nothing. I placed the card on the table before reaching for the silk covering the package.
I screamed, covering my mouth with my hand as I scrambled back from the table, the cloth falling to the ground.
“What is it?” Luka rushed toward me, his chair scraping against the floor. I tried to grab him—to stop him, but I wasn’t fast enough.
“Luka.” I grabbed his hand, attempting to pull him from the box, but he wouldn’t move, his feet cemented to the floor as he stared at the contents of the box.
At the severed head of his grandfather.
“Luka,” I pleaded, pulling at his hand again. “Someone get that out of here. NOW.” I couldn’t keep the emotion from my voice. I didn’t care deeply for Arlo, but he had been kind to me. Kind to Luka. He was like a second father to him after his father died. Seeing his grandfather like this—
Declan swept in. “Fuck,” he swore. He put the cover on the box before looking over his shoulder at Luka.
“What is it?” Luce asked tentatively.
“It’s my grandfather’s head.” Luka still didn’t move as Kara’s gasp filled the room.
“Declan, go find Gulia, and see if you can get any information on who sent that package.” Luka’s gaze followed the box Declan held in his arms even as he left the room.
“Luka.” I tugged at his hand again, but he still didn’t budge. I looked at our friends—they stared at Luka with shock and sympathy in their eyes. “Will you give us a minute—alone. Please.”
Without a word, they left the room, closing the door behind them.
I wrapped my arms around Luka, resting my head on his chest. “I’m so sorry.” I squeezed him tighter. “He was a good male.”
“Don’t lie because he’s dead.” He pulled out of my arms, running his hand through his hair as he turned from me.
“I’m not lying.”
“You never liked him!”
“So? You did. He took care of you. He loved you. He was there for you when no one else was after your parents died. He might not have meant a lot to me, but he meant a lot to you. He was good to you. He was your grandfather.”
He sat in one of the oversized chairs, resting his head in his hands as he breathed heavily.
I kneeled in front of him, sliding my hands up his thighs. “I mourn his death because I love you.”
He was silent, his breath rattling in the room.
“Why does everyone I love always leave me? Why do they always die?” His voice was strained, thick with emotion as his shoulders shook.
I felt my entire body cave in on itself.
“I don’t know.” Emotions clogged my throat. “I don’t know.”
I wrapped my arms around him, this time he let me, shifting so he could embrace me in return.
He pulled me into his lap and I rested my knees on either side of his thighs as I held him.
I don’t know how long we sat like that—holding each other in silence.
I hated seeing him like this. He was always so strong, he was the person I leaned on, but now—now he needed to lean on me.
“Thank you,” he finally whispered into my shoulder.
I stroked a hand down his face. “You’ve comforted me enough times, it’s the least I could do to return the favor.”
He smiled—it was small, but it was there. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “What would I do without you?”
“I think your life would have a lot less spark.”
He shook his head and chuckled, his eyes cast downward. “You got that right.” He dipped his head and brought his lips to mine, kissing me in earnest this time.
When we finally parted, he rested his forehead on my shoulder, his breath warm on my skin.
“I think it’s finally time for us to have that fight.”
I pressed my eyes closed as my chest constricted. “What fight?” I knew exactly what fight he was talking about. I’d been avoiding it like it was my job.
“Lennox…”
“I know. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t meet his gaze. I had made my decision. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. But now I had to face the consequences.
“I know you are, but we still need to talk about it. You left me. You chose to leave me.”
“I didn’t choose to leave you. I didn’t have a choice, I had to save Kara.”
“I know, but this isn’t about you choosing to save Kara.
” He pushed me off his lap and stood, running his hand through his hair.
“I know how much Kara means to you, trust me, I know Lennox. But I need you to value your life as much as you value hers. I need you to value our life. It’s not just you anymore.
We’re married, we’re mates. The choices you make affect both of us. ”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Do you? I want to believe that you do, but after what I witnessed—I’m not convinced.” He turned, walking away from me toward the window.
“The entire time I was in Adreona’s hold my one singular thought was getting out and making it back to you. That was all I ever thought about. Thinking about making it back to you is what got me through it all.”
“If you would have chosen yourself in the first place, chose me, chose us—you never would have been in that situation in the first place!”
“So I should have let my sister get tortured instead?” I couldn’t stop the ire from seeping into my voice.
“No, that’s not what this is about. This is about you Lennox. I want you to value your own life as much as you value Kara’s life.” He made his way his way back over to me. Taking my hands from my hips and intertwining my fingers with his, placing our joined hands against my chest.
“You know as much as I do, we’re stronger together.
Yes, we can handle things on our own but being separated from you—I was sick with worry every minute, every fucking second of the day.
I could hardly sleep. Kara had to remind me to eat.
Our mating bond cinching my chest was a constant reminder that you weren’t with me.
The fact I could still feel that bond is what I held on to, that I could still feel that connection was my one lifeline to hoping and praying you were still alive.
Did you ever think what it was like for me?
” I swallowed. I had never considered what it was like for him on the other side.
I never had to worry if he was alive. If he was okay.
“Luka, I’m sorry.” I reached for him, but he took a step back, his gaze fixed on the floor.
“I hate that I’m angry with you. You were a fucking captive and tortured and I’m mad at you.
” He let out a bitter laugh. “But here’s the thing about you and I Lennox, I refuse to keep this shit in.
To keep it hidden from you. For so long, I think everyone was too afraid to anger you, they still are. ”
He took a step toward me, forcing me to tilt my chin up to meet his gaze.
“But I’m not.”
“I’m glad.” I took another step, our chests brushing against one another. “I need to know. I need to hear it. I want to be better. For you, I want to be better. I want to change.”
He stroked his thumb across my cheek. “You don’t need to be better, I’m not trying to change you, Lennox. That’s not why I’m telling you this. I need you to know how your actions impacted me, how they made me feel.”
“Thank you.” I leaned into his touch. I shifted my face, forcing his palm to move from my cheek. I kissed the inside of his hand, my lips dusting over our marriage mark. Our mate mark.
“I love you.”
His arms enveloped me; I wrapped my arms around him in return. “I love you too.” He kissed the top of my head.
“You know I love your bloodthirsty side, but this side? This emotional side. I love that side too.”
“Are you sure? Because I’m not a big fan.”
“I’m sure. I love all your sides. But this one is one of my favorites.”
We stood in silence, clinging to one another until Luka spoke again.
“My grandfather is dead.”
I let out a shuddering breath. “I know.”
“I don’t have any family left.”
“That’s not true.” I pushed off his chest to meet his gaze. “You have me. I’m your wife now. We’re family. And Nico and Declan have always been your family. And now Kara, Nol, Luce, they’re your family too.”
He said nothing, so I continued. “I’m so sorry Arlo is dead, but you’re not alone, Luka. We’re all here for you. Arlo didn’t choose to leave you. He loved you very much. The rest of us? We’re still here for you. We’re still here, we’re not going anywhere.”
I reached up on my tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his lips. “Especially me.”
His glassy blue eyes met mine. “Do you promise? Do you promise you’ll never choose to leave me again?” His hold on my waist tightened like he was worried I’d slip right through his fingers now.
“I promise.” My hands found the nape of his neck. “I’ve spent too much time not choosing you. Too many hours trying to resist you. Trying to resist us. You give me an excuse to be selfish. To choose us. To choose my own happiness for once. I’m not letting that slip through my fingers again.”
His head dipped to rest against my shoulder. “I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.
“It’s me who doesn’t deserve you.”
“Let’s agree to disagree.”
I let out a light laugh. “I have an idea.”
“An idea of how you can distract me from my pain?” His hand at my waist slipped beneath my shirt, his warm hand drifting up my spine as his lips found my throat.
“I meant a plan about how we can retaliate against Adreona, but my idea can wait.”
His teeth nipped at my ear, giving it a slight tug as I reached for the waistband of his pants.
“Are you going to fuck me on the table?”
I could feel him smile against my heated skin. “I was thinking the wall, but I like your thinking, Sweetheart.”
I wrapped my legs around his waist as he moved us to the table, setting me down on the ledge. I braced my hands behind me, pushing away the discarded dishes as he made quick work of my pants.
He dropped to his knees, hooking my legs over his shoulders. A moan slipped from my lips as his tongue found my center.
I let him feast, his mouth working me into a frenzy as I sat splayed out on the table, my heels digging into his back and my hand knotted into his hair.
I threw my head back as he sucked hard at my clit, pulling my release from me. When the shockwaves finally subsided, I opened my eyes, finding Luka licking my release from his glistening lips with a smirk on his lips.
“I’ll never get tired of the taste of you.”
I pulled him to me, capturing my lips with his. Tasting myself on his lips.
I reached between us, freeing his cock and guiding him to my entrance.
“Fuck, Lennox.”
“Fuck me how you want me,” I breathed as he started moving, his thrust slow.
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Lay back.” He pressed a hand to my chest and I obliged. Laying back on the table.
“Play with your breasts while I fuck you.”
I lifted my shirt up, exposing my breasts as he picked up his thrusts.
I brought my hands to my hardened nipples rolling them between my fingers as the sounds of our skin slapping against each other echoed in the empty room.
My eyes rolled in the back of my head as he hit the spot deep inside me. I closed my eyes, losing myself to the feeling.
I yelped, the sound of his slap on my inner thigh echoed in the room. “Eyes on me.”
I opened my eyes, meeting his darkened gaze. His hands gripped my hips, pulling me forward until my ass hung on the edge of the table. He fucked me. Really fucked me. His grip on my hips was sure to leave bruises from how hard he held me as he thrust into me.
My back arched off the table, but I held his gaze. “Luka,” I whimpered.
His hand reached out and fondled my breast, pinching my nipple between his fingers.
“Look at you, Sweetheart, taking my cock like such a good fucking girl.”
I came, stars dancing at the edge of my vision, but Luka didn’t stop. His thrusts didn’t slow as he continued to fuck me, his hand moving from my breasts to my clit.
“Give me one more.” His voice was gruff.
He pulled out of me, giving me no warning as he pulled me from the table, his hand banding around my waist as he flipped me.
He was inside me in one thrust, a groan coming from both of us from the change of position.
I leaned forward, letting my chest rest on the table as he fucked me, my hands gripping the tablecloth for some semblance of control.
It didn’t take long for my release to barrel through me once again, this time, Luka came with me.
When we were both finished, only our beating hearts and rapid breaths sounded in the room. Luka pulled out of me, immediately reaching for me and pulling me into his arms.
“I love you,” he panted.
I wrapped my arms around him in return.
“I love you too.”