“Would you take her as your mate to save her life?” Xander pinned his gaze on Jasper, who looked at him, his eyes wide. “As of now, you, Brian, and Mikah are our options. But taking Lucie as a mate would mean giving up on your fated mate.”
“Which brings me back to how Mikah would be the best candidate for marking Lucie,” Alexa said as she swirled more ice crystals over Lucie and Grayson.
“I don’t have a fated mate out there,” Mikah said with a shrug. “What happened with Chasen is a fluke of nature because of some Werewolf King playing cupid.” He winked over at Hunter. “Look, I love Lucie, but it’s not the love of her fated mate. But like I said, I won’t let her die. If the situation seems dire, I’ll do what’s necessary. Hey, maybe that’s why I’m so strong. Maybe it’s to look after not just one but two troublesome fairy princesses.”
“This is all just a misunderstanding,” Jasper said, though there was uncertainty in his voice. If it was a life or death situation, he wouldn’t hesitate to take Lucie as his mate either. But that would cause a huge rift among their families. They would divide into two royal lines. It would almost be like declaring inner war among the vampires. Everything was a mess right now.
“Don’t worry, Jasper. You only need to worry if he’s playing with my niece.” Chasen snarled as he moved to the bed. “Alright, old man. I’ll take the next shift.”
Grayson eased Lucie against Chasen and smirked slightly at Chasen’s shocked face. “What, little cub? Too much for you?” He wiped the dampness from his forehead and laid on the floor. “I know one thing. If we can’t fix this soon, we’re going to need to recruit more guardians.” He chuckled dryly and rested his eyes.
“Mikah is the strongest. He should be able to last longer, right?” Alexa asked, looking up at her guardian. His strength was almost at a scary level, and his skills were constantly growing.
Mikah nodded his head. “After Chasen is at his limit, I’ll see what I can do for her. Maybe … I’m Alexa’s guardian, so I can connect with her energy flow. Maybe I can do something with Lucie’s.”
“I can’t see her energy at all. It’s blocked. Justice probably can, but he’s too inexperienced right now.” Chasen gritted as he endured the crippling pain.
Derrick wipedthe dark blood off his forehead, along with his own perspiration. They’d been trying to find the witch’s location but had been kept busy fighting off various small bands of the voidless. He looked up as Chaz tossed the last of the bodies into a pile, lighting them on fire.
It had been a while since he’d seen Lucie, since he’d seen her smile, since he’d smelled her scent. It was driving him crazy. He longed for her constantly. It was unbearable being apart from her. And today, he felt restless. He felt like he needed to go to her, but he didn’t know why. Today was the welcoming ceremony, and then she would be heading to the dragon kingdom. She was fine, right? He just missed her so much, his body was trying to force him to return to her. And he would,soon. He needed to see her again. There was some unfinished business between them.
“Hey Ryan, you look like you’re far away.” Zach patted him on the back and smiled. “Go to her, man. We can handle things here.”
Derrick chuckled. “I’m going to have to see her soon. I’m drowning here.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
Suddenly, a man appeared in front of them. The man’s cool blue eyes scanned over everyone before landing on Derrick.
“Who here is Lucie’s mate?”
Derrick felt his heart stop beating, and panic hit him. “Is she alright? What happened?!”
The blue eyes narrowed on him and a low growl escaped his throat. “No, she isn’t alright … and depending on your answers, you might not be alright either.”
Derrick looked at the man in confusion. “What are you talking about? My answers?” He shook his head. “Where’s Lucie? What’s wrong with her? You’re Leviathan, aren’t you?”
Levi growled again and took long, commanding strides, his icy blue eyes staying fixed on him. “You’re coming with me” He looked around at the other vampires. “You may not be returning for a while. Maybe not at all.”
“Easy, Zach,” Derrick said, seeing his friend tensing up. “You and Chaz are in charge. You know what to do.” He nodded his head to him and Chaz. His eyes met the deity’s. “Take me to her, please.”
Lucie watchedas a man stood half-hidden in the shadows, his gaze fixed on her great-grandmother. The scene unfoldedaround her like she wasn’t just witnessing it but standing inside it. She could feel Alice’s fear as if it lived beneath her own skin. It coiled tight in her chest, urging her to run, to hide, to escape something she couldn’t fully see. At the same time, another emotion pressed in, just as strong, just as consuming. She could feel Abaas’ pain and desire. It crashed through her in waves. Fear and darkness. It was like being torn between two souls at once.
Her heart pounded.
Her chest ached.
It felt real. Too real. Like she wasn’t just watching the past but reliving it.
The images flickered faster, blurring at the edges like a reel spinning out of control, moments slipping through her grasp before she could fully understand them. Then, just as suddenly?—
Everything vanished. Darkness swallowed her whole.
Lucie gasped, her body trembling as tears streamed down her face, the weight of everything she’d felt still clinging to her. The silence pressed in around her, thick and endless?—
Until a soft white glow began to form in front of her.
She heard a sweet voice speaking to her. “It’s better in here. You aren’t feeling the pain while locked inside yourself.”
“Are you the one keeping me locked in here?” Lucie asked.
