LUCIUS.
Nothing could prepare me for her words.
Never in a thousand years did I imagine she would recognise me.
Or claim me so outrightly. My dead heart warmed at the thought that maybe, just maybe, it worked. Maybe the spell I'd asked Lydia's great-grandmother to perform three hundred years ago was not in vain.
Maybe our souls were truly linked together. Maybe, just maybe, I would finally be whole again. I would truly have it all.
"Odette..." I rasped, a disbelieving look in my eyes as I searched her deathly white orbs. "Is that you?"
My voice was broken, hopeful, sure.
I held her hand tight, unable to comprehend the thought that she was back. She had returned to my side. My Eternal Bride.
"Khanos," she said, and I stiffened.
My grip loosened around her. "What?"
"Khanos." She repeated, this time a lot more possessively and angrily.
I dropped her hand, confused, as I turned to Lydia who stood a few metres a
IRAI walked side by side with Lucius as he led me to the car."Where are we going?" I asked for the nth time, and this time around, he didn't respond.Lucius ushered me into the car, opening the door like a gentleman and turning to the driver's side. "Cancel all my meetings," he spoke to one of the men who stood by the side, head bowed. "And do not contact me even if a war breaks out, is that clear?""Yes, sir," the head guard said, keeping his head bowed while Lucius slipped onto the seat."Are you ready, my love?" he asked, once settled in.I didn't bother to give him an answer, deciding to give him a taste of his medicine. "Not talking?" he mused, starting the car and pulling out of the large mansion."You started it," I muttered under my breath, watching through the glass as we sped on to the ridiculously long driveway."Fair enough," he said, stepping on it. "We are going on a getaway."My neck turned sharply at his words. "What?""You heard me.""G-Get away?" I stuttered, "You
IRA"I am not Odette," I stated, watching him with hooded eyes, "Regardless of the fact you believe I hold fragments of her soul, I am not her."Lucius shifted in his seat. "That's all I ever hear these days," he remarked, giving nothing away with his tone. "Trust me, I understand very well who you are."I swallowed, "Good. Then you must also understand why I can't stay here," I pushed, "You must understand why I cannot fill the spot of your dear wife.""Why you need to let me go in order for us to return to our normal lives," I pressed with intent eyes."I understand everything you have said, my love," Lucius stated. "As a matter of fact, I had enough time to think things through."Unease pooled in my stomach at his words. Was that why he requested to see me? What did he have up his sleeves?"I definitely see how my marriage proposals might come off as overbearing to you, seeing you have countlessly expressed how you are not indeed my Odette.""Which is why there will be nothing of t
IRAMy throat constricted at his words.Of course I knew that. Who didn't? It was common knowledge that vampires lived on blood. However, seeing him drink it in front of me like some darned wine rubbed me the wrong way.I couldn't tell if he was threatening me, or maybe I was just reading too much into it. Nevertheless, I remained in my seat, refusing to betray my lingering fear."Of course," I say, pushing some food around my plate, "I just didn't think you'd be adding that to our table."My face contorted at the thought of having drunk blood in time past. I looked into his dark orbs with horror in my eyes as I said, "Tell me I have not been drinking freshly pumped human blood all this time, Lucius."His brow peaked, and I watched a crooked smile grow on his lips. "Why? Scared, are we?"My stomach churned as I thought back on the meals I've had since my release from prison, searching for any trace of red liquid or wine that may or may not have been added to my meals."For a Lycan, it
LUCIUS"Come sit," I said to Odette as soon as we were alone, pulling out a seat at the breakfast table.She looked beautiful, gliding towards me with a cautious expression."Thank you," she replied in a tight tone, swallowing as she took a seat.I turned around to the other side of the table, taking a seat right across from her. I hadn't seen her since the last time.Since she looked me in the eye and said she was not my Odette.For the longest time, I grappled with her words. I struggled with the fact that she may look like Odette, bear some physical attributes, mannerisms, and fragments of Odette's soul;but she wasn't her.I couldn't come to terms with the fact that my years of hard work, hope and patience in my search all these years would be reduced to nothing just because she wasn't her.Even as I stared her in the face, I couldn't shake off the part of me that knew my Odette was in there, somewhere buried and waiting to be unearthed.Which was why I couldn't give up. I couldn'
LUCIUS"How is she?" I asked as soon as Lydia walked out of the room. "What happened to her? Is she alright?""The lady is fine," Lydia assured with a pursed lip."Then what happened?" I asked, heart racing. "Why did she pass out? You told me she was fine. You said she was fit to go. Why did this happen?""The lady seems to be going through some psychological pains," Lydia explained, aggravating me further."Then take it away," I commanded. "Why didn't you take care of them before now?" My tone was dark and angry.My Odette was not supposed to be in pain. I'd made that clear from the onset. Why would she allow her to go through such pain?"You do not understand, My Lord," she said, a grave look on her face. "This is not something I can spell away. I have managed to put her to sleep. I believe she will be fine as soon as she awakens.""What am I supposed to do?" I asked, needing something, anything. "How do I take care of her?""In this situation, I can only advise to slow things down
IRAIt took one second.One second for everything to go sour.Lydia snapped her fingers and the next moment, snarls erupted from the vampires in the room, who bared their fangs, eyes darkening at the sight of me."Is this a joke?" one of them snarled. "Why have you brought a dog before us?"Lucius' grip tightened around my hands and what happened next nearly sent me into overdrive. I watched the vampire's eyes go blank as he tipped over his chair, blood dripping off his nose and ears as he lay dead."My Lord!" one of the others roared in shock, rushing towards the now dead vampire whose skin immediately turned a dark shade of ash."Does anyone else have something to say?" Lucius asked, his voice sharp and commanding. "Do signify before we go on with our meeting. I could do this all day."No one spoke. The dining hall was deathly silent and I could feel the animosity in the room as his eyes raked through the dining before blooming into a satisfying smirk."I thought so," he said. "As I