Chapter 110
Chapter 110
Skylar
He said my scent is intoxicating!
By now, it isn’t just my face that is burning up, but rather my entire body. I’m not used to this older Lucas, who doesn’t have an ounce of shame in his body. He is blatantly flirting with me and oozing with confidence.
It’s…a little bit too s*xy.
“L.” I nervously fidget with my fingers, unsure of where to look or what to do. In the end, it’s Lucas breaking the silence by laughing at me.
“Oh, wow. Am I that scary? You look like you’re afraid I’m going to eat you up.”
1 blink, startled into a new round of laughter as his tease diffuses the tension. “Don’t give yourself too much credit,” I counter, shooting him a mock glare.
Lucas chuckles, moving from the window to stand opposite me before taking a seat on his couch. “You still like to pretend you’re not impressed by me.”
“I’m not pretending,” I retort, sticking out my tongue at him chillishly as I sit down in an armchair. This banter feels good, a throwback to the past.
I mean, for me, it was just a few hours since I left teenage Lucas behind, but for Lucas, I’ve been gone for seven years, maybe close to eight.
His eyes narrow playfully as he leans back on the couch, studying me with an intensity that makes my chest flutter as if it’s been invaded by butterflies.
“You always were a terrible liar,” he says.
“Am not.” My tone is defensive but there’s a grin tugging at my lips.
“Are too,” he retorts, mirroring my grin. “But don’t worry. I won’t make a move on you.”
Even though I would like to blurt out, “As if you stood a chance! I refrain from doing it because, honestly, I’m a bit confused. Aren’t I good enough for him?
“Wh-why not?” I whisper.
He cocks his head to the side, smiling. “Because I want your first kiss with me to be in your time.”
Those words take me by surprise. “Really? You don’t want to go for it yourself?” I blurt out, but since I’m speaking my mind, I don’t have time to be shy.
Lucas, however, looks amused by my question. “Uh-huh.”
I can’t help myself from continuing. “Why?”
“Because.”
“Yes, but…why?” I lower my tone. “You’re still Lucas… Or wait, don’t you like me anymore?” My last question comes out as a whisper because I fear his answer. He seems to realize and his face grows soft.
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Chapter 110
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“I like all the same, Skylar. The mate bond is still there, but I have faith you will return to your own time and fix all of this. Besides, I’m an old man now.”
“Old man?” I snort. “You’re like, what, twenty-five?”
“Soon, twenty-six,” he corrects me. “You’ve been gone for seven, almost eight years, and you’re still nineteen. That means I’m almost seven years older than you.”
“Seven years isn’t that much of an age gap,” I counter. His lips twitch with amusement.
“To you, it means nothing. You’re nineteen, and here I am, a graying old man.” He tugs at a lock of his hair, showing off a few strands that are no different from the rest.
“Stop it,” I protest, laughing as I shake my head at him. “You’re hardly old. And besides-…” I swallow hard, forcing the words out, “I wouldn’t care if you were.”
There’s a beat of silence as Lucas stares at me. Then he leans forward so that he can reach me. I sit completely still and let him take my hand in his.
“Skylar,” he says sofily, “I really would rather have this conversation when you’re back in your own time. The younger me would really appreciate it if you came clean, and don’t worry, he will mature with age.”
“But…” I begin to protest but stop sen. He’s right; it’s not fair to either of us to push this further right now…yet I still don’t want to just let it go. “Can you at least kiss me?” I ask, blushing as I say it. “I don’t know why, but it would feel better if you did it.
And why is that?”
“Your maturity is making it easier to…be open,” I clench my fists in my lap. “B-but before that, there is something I haven’t told you. Something I should have told you a long time ago because you deserve to know the truth.”
Lucas cocks his head to the side but says nothing. His hand, however, is lightly squeezing mine-he knows what I’m about to tell him. I can see it in his eyes.
It gives me the courage needed. “I…I rejected you because…” I close my eyes and just blurt it out, “I REJECTED YOU BECAUSE I SWORE TO NEVER TAKE A MAN AS MY MATE AFTER I WAS RAPED!”
Silence fills Lucas’ living room after I’ve shouted out my deepest secret. Since I have no idea what will happen next, I start crying. The tears are spilling out, and I have no idea how to stop them. They just keep coming!
Lucas is silent for a long moment, and I keep my eyes clamped shut, unable to bear seeing his reaction. I feel a shift in the air as he moves, and then two strong arms are wrapping around me, drawing me close. Against my better judgment, I nestle against his shoulder, allowing him to cradle me.
“Skylar…,” he murmurs, his voice soft and soothing and not at all what I’d expected. “L…I had no idea.”
“I didn’t want you to know,” I admit quietly. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”
hten around me as he lets out a deep sigh. “You’ve carried this burden alone for so long…”
herent sadness in his voice that makes my heart squeeze painfully. This isn’t how I wanted it to be. I didn’t want apology.
it’s okay,” I say quickly, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. “It was…it was a really long time ago!”
He frowns. “It doesn’t matter how much time has passed since then. You went through something traumatic…… Am I the first
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Chapter 110
person you’ve told?”
I nod.
“Shit…” He sighs heavily. “You haven’t even told Caleb or Lola? Ima?”
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I bury my face in his chest. “I…I haven’t told anyone…” I sniff and close my eyes. Even though it feels like a rock has lifted from my chest, I’m shaky. “I feel disgusting that I let it happen That I should have fought harder, but it was Aron, and he was an Alpha..at the time.”
Lucas stiffens before he growls. “That *ucker! No wonder he was so quick to change sides and join Lucian-he has been a rotten, evil pedophile from the start! He took things from you…from my mate…!”
I notice that Lucas is shaking while holding me. When I look up I see his red and blue eyes glowing from within. It gives me pause.
Are his powers trying to come through? The bracelets on his arros are supposed to hold back his powers, but I think his anger is too much for them to handle. Maybe I should make him even angrier so his powers break his bracelets?
“That’s probably not a good idea- Jinx starts, but I don’t agree with my inner wolf at all.
I think angry Lucas is good, so I lift my chin and tell him another truth: “You’re the only man after my Dad who has ever made me feel safe, but I was afraid of loving you. I was scared you might hurt me, just like Aron. I’m… I’m sorry. He took something from me, and it’s taken me all these years to fight back the fear.”
Lucas’ eyes grow darker, if that’s even possible, his face hardening with rage. He stands up from the couch, a bit shaky on his Jegs, as he runs a hand through his dark hair. I watch him distance himself from me in silence, as though he is afraid to hurt
me or something.
“I will make him pay,” he finally manages, his voice choked with rage and pain. “I swear on my life, Skylar. Aron will pay for what he’s done.”
A tiny smile curls my lips, and I grab his hand. “I know you will,” I whisper. “You’re my mate, and a mate always protects their other half.”
Those words finally make the glass pour over. Lucas stops breathing, and then he stumbles back in pain as his wings sprot out from his back, one angelic and the other demonic.
But the worst has yet to come.
A terrible scream rips out from his lungs, and then he falls to his knees as if in pain while dark and light energy gathers around him before his powers finally break his bracelets.
“What have you done?!’ Jinx exclaims, which makes me furrow my eyebrows.
“This is good-Lucas is finally… wait, I grow silent as I realize something weird, something very weird.
said we stood no chance against Lucian and his army. She said everyone would die if I didn’t marry Alpha Max or do hing. She planted the idea of me having to go to the future. But here I am, in the future, and everyone is still dead.
at exactly was her goal to begin with?
s my own wolf a traitor?
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