Chapter 47
Hunter and the other two men walked a short ways down the corridor where Levi was standing with Derrick.
An ear-piercing scream ripped down the hall, making them jerk their heads toward the painful cries.
Derrick began to sprint toward the desperate sounds of his mate, only to land against a concrete chest.
“Nice try.” Xander chuckled and gripped him roughly as Derrick shoved him back angrily.
“What are you doing?! Let me go! She needs me. That’s Lucie!” Derrick grabbed his chest as he felt the wave of a strong, burning sensation flow over him. What was this pain from? “She’s hurting. Let me go to her.” He growled angrily, setting his fiery gaze on the dragon king.
“You are either very brave or very foolish to be challenging me like this.” Xander chuckled.
“Is he not burning you, child?” Grandpa Sage looked at Xander’s hands on Derrick. Xander had a very strong aura that not many could get near. The Chain family was excluded from this.
“No, he isn’t burning me.” Derrick shook his head angrily and turned his gaze toward Hunter. “What are you doing? Why are you keeping me from her?”
Hunter squeezed his hands into fists, his silver eyes flashing back at Derrick.
“Because we need to talk.” He looked over at Xander, who spun Derrick around and forcefully led him down the hall until they entered a room at the far end.
With a strong push, Xander sent him inside.
Derrick spun around to see the four men with very intense gazes set on him.
“Are you messing around on our Lucie?” Xander growled angrily.
“Don’t bother lying to us. That will only make your death more painful,” Levi said with an icy stare.
“What are you talking about?” Derrick looked between the two men and then shifted his gaze to Hunter. “You know how I feel about her, right? She’s my soulmate.”
“Was there someone else before Lucie? Did you just not mention it to her so you didn’t hurt her? Or were you planning on having two women?” Hunter growled lowly.
“There is no one but Lucie. I’ve loved her since before she was my mate.
It’s only ever been her. What is this about?
” Derrick was getting frustrated. Lucie’s pain-filled cries had him panicking.
What was wrong with her? He needed to be by her side now, comforting her.
Instead, he was being asked ridiculous questions.
“He’s telling the truth,” the Great Sage said with a smile.
“I’ll go get Jasper. Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this.” Xander quickly left. Hopefully it was all just a misunderstanding.
Rough. Hard. Hot. This was not at all how kissing Derrick felt like.
Mikah held Lucie’s head firmly so she couldn’t move as his lips stayed glued to hers.
She could feel the deadly tangle of energy in her slowly split apart, and he removed himself from her lips.
She looked up at his contorted face. He looked to be in immeasurable pain.
Wet beads formed on his forehead as he tried to control his breathing.
“Mikah, are you alright?” Alexa asked, worried.
He nodded his head and closed his eyes.
“Jasper, can you come with me?” Xander peeked his head in and motioned for the vampire to follow him quickly.
Lucie watched them curiously for a moment before the pain inside her distracted her again. It wasn’t as strong but it still hurt.
“Eww, I have Mikah cooties now,” Lucie teased meekly as she turned her head into his chest, burrowing into him to ease her pain.
“Sorry, Lucie.” Mikah opened his eyes and smiled weakly. “It was the fastest way for me to connect to your energy. I was able to separate it for now.” He looked up at Lita with a frown. “It’s weird. My connection with Lucie should feel different, but it doesn’t. I can connect to her easily.”
“Justice, how is your connection with Alexa?” Lita turned and looked at her grandson.
“I didn’t know there was supposed to be a difference, but …” He looked between Alexa and Lucie. “As far as feeling them goes, there isn’t one for me either. But protectiveness is different. I’m more protective of Lucie. I’m protective of Alexa too, but Lucie edges it out.”
“Yes, same.” Mikah nodded his head in agreement. He looked down at Lucie, whose head was still resting on his chest. He reached down and smoothed some of her hair back. “But I do feel like she’s my responsibility as well.”
“It was one kiss, Mikah. You don’t have to take responsibility for her over that,” Aedan teased.
“Hey, that wasn’t a kiss!” Mikah looked down at Lucie. “And you better not be judging that as if it was one, because I can do better.”
Lucie chuckled quietly. “No judgment.”
The faintest of scents hit her nostrils.
Her eyes snapped open and she forced herself upward, ignoring the pain.
She looked around the room, her brows furrowed.
She could feel a tug inside her chest. “Derrick is here.” Her eyes darted across the room and saw no one looked shocked.
She started putting the pieces together.
Her father was gone, along with Xander, Levi and Grandpa Sage.
And Xander had just come and taken Jasper.
“Your father is speaking with him now,” Freja said.
“If he’s messing around on my granddaughter, maybe I should be down there teaching him a lesson,” Asher growled as Lita placed her hand on his arm.
Lucie sat there quietly. They all knew. Aedan must have explained the situation to them, so her family was down the hall interrogating him.
She appreciated it, but this was her relationship.
It was between her and Derrick. Besides …
she wanted to see him. No, she needed to see him.
She felt her insides being squeezed, and the deep need for her mate was reconnecting the energy Mikah had worked so hard to subside.
“I can handle Derrick myself,” Lucie growled, not liking the idea of anyone touching what was hers.
It wasn’t intentional. There wasn’t anything she could do about it.
Her instincts were taking over, and she was in heat.
This wasn’t something she could fight off, not when she wanted her mate.
She knew what she’d heard from Stella, but it couldn’t be true.
Derrick would never … A strong wave of realization hit her.
She wasn’t marked by Derrick, but she could feel him.
She could feel his feelings. There was never insincerity in them.
Worst-case scenario, Stella was his past and he was trying to spare her feelings.
She didn’t care, as long as it was his past. She just wanted his present and future.
“Easy, Lucie. You’re making your energy collide again,” Mikah grunted painfully.
“Lucie,” Freja cooed to her daughter softly. “You’re in a very delicate state. I know you’re a fighter, but this time, please lay back down. Control your breathing.”
“I can’t control it. I can feel it lashing around inside me, but it’s wild. I—” Lucie shook her head. “Why is it out of control like this? All because of the heat?”
“Because you’re a lycan and a fairy princess, the demand for a mate and offspring is overpowering you.” Freja could see Lucie was barely hanging on from the pain. It was taking guardians down fast, and they were adapted to handling pain. She couldn’t imagine the suffering Lucie was going through.
“I can’t keep it separated,” Mikah gasped.
The two energies were about to clash again wildly when a green energy filled the room. The light swirled around Lucie and lifted her up. The green energy began to form together into a figure, and soon, a man with the scent of anise was holding Lucie against his chest.
“Damn goddess tried to put me to sleep. She’s the real menace in this world,” Abaas said, clicking his tongue angrily. His eyes fell to Lucie in his arms and turned gentle. “How am I supposed to rest when you’ve already caused me so much trouble from day one?”
Reiya and Lita gasped as they stared at the man holding Lucie. His scent hit their noses, and there was no doubt who he was.
“How can this be?” Asher whispered out. His eyes turned black as he watched his old foe holding his granddaughter.
“Oops … secret’s out.” Abaas chuckled. “Lucie, focus.” He met her green eyes.
“Feel my energy in you. It’s separating the two energies battling inside you.
You’re going to be just fine.” He raised his gaze and looked over the room.
“Where is her damn mate at? We don’t have time for games,” he snarled angrily as he clutched Lucie protectively.
Noticing the tension rising from his family and his grandfather’s murderous glare, Aedan quickly jumped in front of Abaas and Lucie.
He held his hand out to stop them from interfering.
“It’s a long story. He’s Lucie’s protector now.
He is the servant bound to her. Look … he’s helping Lucie now. That’s what’s important.”
“He can’t be trusted. He’s evil!” Reiya snapped angrily.
“Don’t talk about him that way!” Lucie growled back at her aunt, shocking everyone in the room.
Abaas was hers, though. He was her servant.
And she had seen what happened in the past. A bond was forming between the two of them, one of mutual respect and care.
And this bond was making the djinn’s powers in Abaas stronger.
Their connection was already stronger than Lucie had thought possible.
Maybe the connection between master and servant was like a mate bond, where it helped you connect and understand each other.
Abaas looked up at Lita and Reiya. “Hate me. I deserve it. Don’t trust me. Think of me how you want. Honestly, I deserve it all. But don’t upset Lucie any further. She needs our support right now.”
Lita and Reiya were both shocked and not sure what to think of this person in front of them.
“You should be resting. You don’t have the energy for this.”
“As if I can rest when your energies are on the verge of tearing you apart. You come first, Lucie. Above everything. Above myself.” Abaas was honestly touched by how she’d snapped at her family on his behalf.
Him! The enemy. The monster that had plagued her family …
and she defended him. He listened as she let out a small yelp from the pain.
He couldn’t help her with the pain, only with separating her energy.
He stepped away from Aedan’s protective barrier and carried Lucie back over to Mikah.
“I can’t help her with the pain.” Abaas looked at Mikah, who nodded and took her back into his arms. “I’ll keep your energy separate. Relax until we get your mate in here.”
“Thank you,” Freja said to Abaas. She didn’t know this demon, but he was helping her daughter and that was all that mattered to her. He looked over at her and nodded once, a faint smile on his face.
Lita and Reiya stood there, frozen. They didn’t know how to react.
Abaas was here, though he seemed different.
His energy was different. And he was here helping Lucie.
They didn’t know what to think about all of it.
For now, Lucie was all that mattered. They would figure out the rest later, but they were staying on high alert.
Derrick’s eyes met Jasper’s the moment he walked into the room. “Jasper! How’s Lucie? What the hell is going on?!”
“She’s—” Jasper’s bottom lip quivered and he shook his head slightly. “She’s struggling. She’s in so much pain. They’ve been cycling through the guardians and can barely manage the pain.”
Derrick’s eyes grew dark. “I’m going to her.”
“Wait,” Hunter said firmly. “Lucie’s in heat. This means the only thing that can stop this is for her to be marked and mated.”
“She’s my mate. It was going to happen soon. I don’t understand what the problem is.” Derrick was agitated beyond belief.
“We’re figuring out who should be the one to mark and mate with her,” Grandpa Sage said with a flicker in his eyes.
“Anyone else that touches her will be ripped apart. Lucie is MINE!” Derrick’s eyes grew dark at the mention of someone else touching what was his. Over his dead body.
“What about Stella?” Jasper blurted out.
“Stella? You mean Sabrina’s cousin? What about her?” Derrick shook his head angrily.
“She told us, Derrick. She said you two were a couple. She had pictures of the two of you, and videos …” Jasper trailed off quietly as he watched his prince’s eyes turn almost black.