Chapter 48
Derrick’s dark eyes met Jasper’s. “And?”
“And?!” Jasper coughed out angrily.
“Yes, and?” Derrick’s eyes raged war against the brown eyes of his cousin.
Jasper set his jaw and glared angrily at Derrick. “You better elaborate. Because your ‘and’ sounds like—”
“AND are you an idiot?” Derrick said coldly. “Do you believe her? Do you believe Stella or me?”
Jasper shook his head. “She had pictures and videos.” He looked at Derrick and felt guilt hit him like a knife stabbing him in the gut. The pained look in Derrick’s eyes from being doubted hurt him more than he imagined. “I’m sorry. I—”
“Jasper kept telling us to believe in you,” Hunter said simply. He was batting for the young vampire now. “But we needed to hear from you about this situation.”
Derrick shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know about any video.
Nothing I could have ever done would make it appear I was unfaithful.
I took a few pictures with her, but we all did.
Stella was taking selfies with everyone who was part of the elite force.
It didn’t mean anything. It was just a picture. ”
“She hugged you in the video and you told her to wait for you, and you said that you love her.” Jasper watched as Derrick’s eyes bulged open.
“You saw me say this? I would never ever say such a thing to her or anyone. I never did. I’ve only ever told one person that I love them like that, and that’s my Lucie.” Derrick’s expression turned crestfallen as he looked at Jasper. “Does Lucie believe this too?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t get to talk to her. A lot of things have happened …” Jasper trailed off quietly.
“Like she has a master-servant relationship with a djinn now.” Hunter clicked his tongue in agitation.
Derrick eyed Jasper suspiciously. “The djinn inside you is gone. Who took on this new role?”
Jasper’s eyes flickered nervously to those around him. “Well, she made an agreement with your half-demon soul servant.”
“YOU LET HER DO WHAT?!” Derrick roared.
“Now wait a minute … the words ‘let’ and ‘Lucie’ don’t belong in the same sentence. Lucie does what Lucie wants.”
Hunter chuckled and nodded his head. “Jasper’s right. Is this half-demon dangerous?” Hunter asked, and Derrick shook his head.
“Not anymore, and if he is bound to Lucie, he could never harm her. But …” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Look, we took this servant before my family knew your family. Before we knew your history. The thing is, you have history with this demon. It’s just his soul that is the servant, since your family already killed him.
But you would know him by the name Abaas. ”
“Lucie …” Hunter breathed out sharply through his teeth. “We’ll discuss this later. Look at me.” His voice was commanding as he set his gaze on Derrick. “You give me your word that you will treasure my daughter.”
“Above everything else. She is more important to me than anything,” Derrick answered resoundingly.
“You’ll need to complete the mating process and seal the bond with her. This should stop her pain.” Hunter looked over at Xander and Levi, who took a more relaxed posture. They weren’t planning on killing Derrick anymore. For now.
Another deafening scream echoed through the cracked door, and that was the last straw. Derrick blurred past them. He wouldn’t be delayed any longer. He needed to get to his mate.
“Xander, you left the door open?” Levi asked, raising his brow.
“Gramps left it open first, so I just followed his lead.”
“Ho ho ho. Nothing like hearing your mate in pain to show the truth in one’s eyes.” Grandpa Sage said with a glint in his own. There was no denying how Derrick felt about Lucie. Everyone could see how much he treasured her.
Lucie sensed Abaas’ weakening energy, and she looked up at him. He shouldn’t be exerting himself at all. What would happen when his energy ran out? Was he draining his existence by helping her?
“Please stop. You’re going to destroy yourself,” Lucie whimpered as Abaas’ dark eyes rested on her. A faint smile reached his lips.
“Better me than you. These clashing energies will destroy you.”
“Don’t say something like that. I won’t forgive you if you disappear, so I’m telling you not to.” Lucie stared at him with sorrow-filled eyes. His story was too sad. It was clear, though, that he planned to protect her even at the cost of himself.
“I’m not that weak, princess.” Abaas gave her a soft smile and winked at her.
But the energy inside her felt strained. She couldn’t allow him to do what he was doing. “You aren’t going to get out of eternity that easily.” She took in a deep breath while keeping her gaze on him. “Abaas, I order you to stop.”
At that moment, he couldn’t refuse his master.
He had to stop, and the waves of her energy crashed against each other again.
Her blood-curdling scream echoed in the room as the intense pain savagely ripped through her body.
Abaas fought against his master’s order, something he could only do if it meant protecting her.
He reached out and grabbed her hand as Mikah squeezed her against him tighter.
Lucie panted as she felt his energy connect inside her once again. She looked at him with pleading eyes.
“It’s okay, Lucie. He’s on his way,” Abaas whispered.
The next moment, the door flung open and Derrick stood there, heaving deep breaths as his gaze landed on Lucie.
He rushed to her side, meeting with her green, pooling eyes.
“I’m here, Lucie. I’m here.” He looked at Mikah and everyone else in the room.
The other men who were with Derrick also arrived behind him.
“I’ll take care of Lucie from here,” his authoritative voice echoed out.
“I’ll keep her energy separated so you can talk.” Abaas looked at Lucie. “Don’t worry, I still have more in me. I can’t do anything for the pain, but I can keep her from being torn apart. Once I feel the marking, I will rest.”
“Rest here for now. You shouldn’t use up more of your energy. Stay with Jasper,” Lucie wheezed out with a shallow breath. She watched him nod his head and back out of the room.
Hunter cleared his throat and soon the rest of the room followed. Mikah was the last to leave. He looked at Lucie and frowned. “This is going to hurt. Brace yourself.”
“You guardians are just wimps, that’s all.
I don’t feel a thing.” Lucie teased dryly, giving Mikah a tiny smile.
She felt as if she was being kicked in the stomach but kept her poker face up as Mikah left the room.
Once the door shut, she curled herself up into a ball and struggled to control her breathing.
“My poor little mate.” Derrick reached out and pulled Lucie into his chest. “I heard about everything and I can explain.”
“Is this your way of stalling? Still haven’t figured out how this whole mating thing works?” Lucie let out a pained laugh as she looked into his amber eyes.
“I want you to know there isn’t anyone but you. What Stella—”
Lucie lifted her hand up to his lips. “It was confusing at first, and I don’t know all the details, but I do know how you feel about me now.”
“Nothing happened with me and Stella. Ever. There was never an us. I’ve only ever loved you.
You’re my first love and will be my only love.
I don’t know about this video, but I never said I loved her.
And the pictures were just that … pictures.
She took selfies with all the soldiers. It didn’t mean anything.
” Derrick ran his hand through her hair.
“My Lucie. I missed you so much. What do I need to do? You’re in pain. I don’t want to hurt you more.”
Lucie gave him a side smile. “So you really do need some help figuring out where babies come from?”
Derrick chuckled. “You’re in so much pain. I don’t—”
“You also need a lesson in werewolf and lycan biology.” Lucie chuckled. “When a wolf is in heat, marking and mating will make the pain go away.”
“Sooo … you’re saying that I can help you by helping myself to you?” Derrick’s eyes darkened as he looked down at his mate.
“Well, do you want me to run you through a play-by-play of a woman’s anatomy too?
And how the two of us fit together?” Lucie smiled at the low, dark chuckle that rumbled through his chest. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulled it over his head in one fluid motion, and tossed it somewhere behind him.
Her breath caught. She’d seen him without a shirt before, but never like this—never with the heat clawing through her veins, turning every hard line of muscle into something her fingers ached to trace.
The firelight carved shadows along his abdomen, and she let her gaze drag over him without pretending like she wasn’t looking.
He noticed. His eyes darkened.
He kneeled over her, lowering his face until his lips hovered just above hers.
“Gosh, I missed you, Lucie. So damn much.” His voice had dropped into something raw, stripped of everything except want.
He kissed her. Not gently. He sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, pulling until she gasped, then swept his tongue across the sting. He trailed his mouth along her jaw, her cheekbone, the sensitive spot just below her ear, each press of his lips slow enough to make her writhe beneath him.
His hand slid down her side, fingers tracing the curve of her waist before gripping the hem of her dress.
He peeled it up slowly, knuckles dragging against her bare skin, and she lifted her arms to help him.
The fabric whispered over her head, and the cool air kissed her stomach, her ribs, the swell of her breasts still hidden beneath thin lace.
He sat back on his heels, just looking at her.
The hunger in his expression made the heat spike so viciously she whimpered.
Whatever tension had been coiling in her body before—fear, uncertainty, pain—dissolved beneath the weight of his stare.
There was nothing left but him. The urgent, consuming need to have his skin against hers, to feel him everywhere.