He just smiled and patted my head before heading inside. When he disappeared, Lucien pulled me against him and began kissing my forehead, along with the rest of my face. I giggled against the frenzy, which helped elevate his mood.
“I will replace any touch of another man with my own. I don’t like the thought of another man touching you, let alone seeing it,” he spoke softly before delivering another kiss to my forehead. I chuckled, resting my head against his chest as he rubbed my back. “Do you not burn like I do?”
“You’re mine, but unlike you I have restraint. And because I do burn with this bond for you, my restraint only goes so far.”
Isadora let out a barking laugh at my response. “I fear for those girls you left back home, Luce.”
“They’ll have to deal with their broken hearts,” I shrugged as Lucien kissed my forehead for a third time.
“Yeah, you’ve got my brother on a nice leash,” Isa teased before ducking from Lucien’s swipe at her. “I’ve always been the faster sibling, Luce. Remember who wins these fights in the end.”
“That’s because dad hates me and you’re the spoiled princess.”
I bite my lip at his words. It hurt to know that he lost his mother just for his father to despise him and his step mom to have no pull over how he was treated in that house.
Maybe we could move into another home so he wouldn’t have to deal with that. I didn’t have much money but I found myself not caring as long as Lucien didn’t have to endure that abuse. I suddenly felt Lucien’s grip tighten on me and my head raised to face him. I knew he heard my thoughts.
“You’ve got to stop reading my thoughts,” I remarked before covering my head like it would stop him. He laughed at my reaction. “How do I keep you out?”
“It’s a bit harder between mates, but I’ll teach you in due time,” he replied. I scrunched my nose in disappointment. His lips moved to mine and I felt the electricity ignite in me once more. A flurry of fiery butterflies swarmed my stomach as I pulled him closer to me to deepen the kiss. The memories of our time in the meadow rushed through my mind. Picking up on my thoughts, Isadora made a gagging sound that broke our kiss.
“I wish I could wipe that from my memory,” she groans as she grasps her head like I had. “Lucien, try and teach her how to not be so loud with her thoughts. It’s easy and I won’t be scarred any more than I already am.”
Who would have thought I would be fighting my own impulses instead?
Chapter Sixteen
Melinda
I ended up splitting ways with Isadora and Lucien after dropping them off at their house. The bond was turning me feral any time that Lucien kissed me and I didn’t have the stamina to keep up with the bond.
Dad wasn’t home when I arrived because, just like almost everyone in town, he went to the city to visit Hugo Strickland in the hospital.
Left to my own devices, I decided to clean the house since I would be free of distractions. At the same time, I decided to practice some magic. Using Isadora’s method to track down Hugo, I stood in front of the mop bucket with the mop reclining inside. I raised my hand, but the mop did nothing. Again, I tried and again I failed until I was left to mop the floor the normal, non-witchy way.
After cleaning the kitchen, I moved to the living room and again tried to use magic to fold the blankets strewn about. Again, I failed. Cursing up a storm, I shook my fist at the blankets in anger. An amused chuckle behind me had me screaming and turning to find Lance standing there with the spare key in hand.
“I come in peace. I tried knocking, but I guess you were too distracted. What were you trying to do?”
“Use magic,” I answered with a frustrated huff. Eyeing the key, I asked. “How did you find the spare?”
“It was in the same spot it has always been. Nice to know there’s some things in this town that don’t change,” he responded. The response felt dry, almost like he was hinting at something that angered him. If I had to narrow it down, the list would consist of only Lucien or maybe it was the killer?
“The killer will be caught. I already have dibs on revenge though so don’t even think about it.”
Rolling his eyes, he entered the living room. “You’re approaching magic wrong. From the witches I’ve encountered, they all say that magic is not learned. Magic is everything all at once. You can’t learn what your body already knows. You have to work with it, guiding it, but never controlling it. Intention and submission.”
I looked at the blanket I was trying to fold, imagining hands holding the blanket and I guided those hands to fold the blanket. The blanket didn’t fold as well as I wanted, but it was done well enough that I felt a little victory. I clapped enthusiastically before doing it to the other blankets. Lance only stood silently in the living room as I continued practicing with my magic to clean the room.
Almost an hour passed and I knelt in the dining room as my energy felt depleted. Lance’s arm wrapped around my waist as he helped me into a chair, watching me carefully as I rested my head on the slightly damp table.
“Why do I feel so tired?”
“You used more magic than you’re used to. It’s normal. As you continue to practice, your body will get used to the flow of constant magic,” he explained. I hummed in response, yawning almost immediately after. His fingers brushed across my temple as he moved my hair from my face to look at me properly. “Why couldn’t I have come just two months earlier? I was prepared to take you from here and start a life with you outside of this small-town. Someone beat me to you.”
I didn’t have a response. What could I say? There wasn’t much except for an apology that would only make it worse for him. If Lucien never came then Lance would have been the person I would have ended up marrying. Bryon was too much of a friend that I couldn’t see myself settling with him. Lance had been a fling that was passionate and comfortable, enough that Icould see a future. My father had liked him well enough, but it had been a long time since we had seen one another.
The Lance in front of me was different from the one that left. He was changed in more than just growing a beard and wearing different clothes. It was like his very essence had changed. The innocence that he had once held was now gone. He had gone through something that had taken that from him. A part of me wanted to ask while another was scared of what that answer would be.
