Page 30 of Chaos At Second Sight

I quickly explained the whole situation, unsurprised that Archie already knew lycans existed. His pack, Black Devil, attracted legends the way mountains caught storms. There, the balance between beast and human was sacred, drilled into every pack member from an early age, until control became instinct.

“I’ll speak to Dad. If Lucien and Logan have spent years neglecting each other, they’ll need some serious training.”

Lucien stiffened, fur puffing around his neck. “Lucien don’t want to go there!”

“When you’re born different, you don’t get excuses. You get responsibilities. You work harder than everyone else and learn control, for your own sake and everyone else’s.”

Hope fluttered inside me.

“I’d come to Scotland myself to help them,” Archie said, “but Dad still thinks planes are an insult to nature. You’ll need to come to Italy. In two weeks?”

“Not this time. I’ve already missed too many classes.” And I’d need to include Logan in this decision.

“Makes sense, Doctor Vy.”

“But we could maybe visit Black Devil this summer?”

“Whenever you want. When are you heading back to Montana?”

A groan slipped past my lips. Lucien peered down at me.

“Once Lucien lets Logan out. I can’t fly with him.”

Archie tapped his lip. “Maybe there’s something I could do to help. Do you mind?”

That piqued my curiosity. “Go ahead.” I directed the screen to Lucien.

My mate narrowed his red eyes, but Archie wasn’t the least bit affected. His lips curled.

“Before I proceed…” Something satanic crossed his violet eyes. “Listen carefully, Lucien. There’s no need for me to tell you to treat Yvaine well. As her mate, I know you will.” If I thought Archie was done, I was wrong. “But if you damage a single inch of my friend, I’ll personally come there. Just for you.”

He smirked, flashing a hint of his tremendous fangs. “I’ll find you, be sure of that. And it’ll hurt. A lot. Trust me on this.”

Lucien huffed. “Lucien can’t hurt Mate.”

Archie’s beast surfaced. A short black coat covered his cheekbones, his features sharpening. “Now, lycan Lucien…shift back.” Archie stared at him, unblinking.

Lucien bared his fangs. “No!”

“I said—” Archie inched closer to the phone screen. “Shift. Back.”

This time, it was the Alpha werebeast who ordered it.

“And Lucien said no!” My phone snapped in half.

I stared at the two pieces in my hands. “This is coming out of somebody’s steak allowance.”

Whatever Archie had tried didn’t work…

I was wrong.

But a heartbeat later, Lucien’s whole body started to shake, as though an internal earthquake was taking place, rearranging molecules and bones.

Lucien was a bold creature that lived on lycan instincts.

If he felt like licking my face clean, he did it. If my stomach growled, he’d stuff me with food until I couldn’t move. If I looked cold, he’d slaughter an entire deer family and drape the bloody hides over my shoulders, but he’d be offended for a week straight if I refused to wear them.

But beneath his rough exterior, there lived a creature starved for affection. Loneliness and his abandonment issues were his carnivorous microorganisms, gnawing at him from within.