12. LUCAS

I straightened and then turned around. My body was covered in a fine layer of sweat. I was breathing harshly and found it a little difficult to catch my breath. Anger still coursed through my veins. How can they go behind my back? Spinning around, I raised my sword. “Again,” I ordered. Xavier hesitated but got into position when no one else made a move too. They feared me. One wrong move and I could kill them with a swipe of my sword. Metal clashed as we began fighting. I managed to cut Xavier on his side. My movement became faster and more aggressive. It was getting harder for Xavier to keep up. Finally, his sword dropped to the floor. I paused with the blade inches from Xavier’s throat. He calmly stared back at me. I slowly relaxed. Stepping back, I lowered my swords before glancing around. My men stared at me with wide eyes. For a moment I had lost control; something that rarely happened. I handed his sword over to one of my men before exiting the room. I ignored everything and everyone as I made my way towards my bedchamber. All I could think about was Angel. Xavier has been keeping me up to date on her progress, but I haven’t seen her. I ached to be with her, to touch her soft skin and breathe in her sweet scent. I stormed into my room and slammed the door shut. Two steps inside the room, I paused before I slowly turned around. “L-Lucas, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon,” Arabella stuttered. I took in her messy hair and state of undress. It looked like she just woke up, but the smell in the room told a different story. She had paled considerably. I sniffed and stormed over to the window. The curtains tore as I jerked them back. Clenching my jaw, I took a few steps back. “How long?” I managed to question through gritted teeth. “Lucas－” “How long Arabella?” Her eyes dropped in shame. “I’m sorry Lucas. I was going to tell you. I－” I held up my hand to silence her. My eyes darted between them. Without saying another word, I stormed out of the room. I used the servant’s corridors to slip outside. The path was familiar. When we were kids, my brothers and I used it to slip away and go swimming in the creek. The sound of the creek filled my ears as I slipped through the trees. Five minutes later I stepped into the clearing. A waterfall was located to the left. The water was clear and clean. Behind it was a cave that was hidden by the waterfall. Next to the Greek was an open space with short green grass and colorful flowers. Walking to the edge of the creek, I kicked off my boots, and bent to pull off my socks. Dropping it next to my shoes, I started unfastening my pants. A soft gasp made my hands freeze and my head snap up. I looked over my shoulder. Angel was sitting beneath a tree with a book now forgotten on her lap. Large pale blue eyes stared up at me in surprise and caution. I smirked when her eyes dropped to my bare chest. Colour flooded her cheeks. “Taking a break?” I asked softly. Her eyes snapped up to mine. It took a few seconds for my words to register. Scrambling to her feet, she clutched the book to her chest. “I’m sorry. I’ll go.” I stepped in front of her before she could run off. Reaching out, I gently took hold of her wrist and raised it to inspect the mark of my brand. It was almost healed completely. My thumb softly stroked over it. “You understand why I had to do it, Angel?” She nodded. “Nate explained it to me.” “You don’t have to leave. Sit and read your book.” She stared up at me silently. After a few seconds, she gave me a nod and pulled her wrist free. I watched her walk back to the tree and take a seat under it. She opened her book and leaned back against the trunk. Letting a small smile slip onto my lips, I walked back to the creek. I pushed my pants down my legs and stepped out of them before diving into the water. I sank down to the bottom and stayed there until my lungs started screaming for air. I was surprised to find Angel on her knees at the bank. She was leaning forward and peering intently into the water. “What are you looking for?” She gasped. Her eyes were filled with worry. When she said nothing, I swam closer to her. I stopped when the water reached my hips. “I thought－” she trailed off as her eyes dropped once again. “Come join me.” “I don’t have a swimsuit,” she whispered. “You don’t need one.” My eyes dropped to trail down her body. “I’m naked so it’s only fair that you get naked too.” It was a bad idea. I should have left the moment I realized I was intruding on her free time. But I wanted to spend time with her, and I could pretend that I was only doing it to make sure that she was okay. She shook her head. Angel stood and took a few steps back. Her eyes fell on my discarded pants before darting back to mine. “Come on. The water feels wonderful. Look I will turn around so you can undress.” I turned as soon as I finished the sentence. “Someone will see,” Angel whispered. “They won’t," I assured her. “Nobody comes out here.” I listened carefully. Her heartbeat increased, but she slowly started to undress. Seconds later she stepped into the water. I tensed, waiting for her to get closer. “Y-you can turn a-around now,” she said shyly. I waited a few more seconds to give her a chance to change her mind, but when she said nothing, I turned around. She stood a few feet away, her cheeks filled with color and her arms wrapped around her waist. My eyes were tempted to drift lower, but I kept them focused on her face. “Do you like your new room?” I asked her. Angel nodded. Frowning, I moved back into deeper water, hoping that it would put her more at ease. “I didn’t know this was your place,” Angel muttered. “It used to be,” I told her as I glanced around. “I don’t come here all that often anymore. My duties keep me busy.” She licked her lips, making my eyes drop to her mouth. Before I knew it, I was moving closer to her. Angel didn’t move away, but I noticed that she tensed. “You haven’t signed Mason’s papers,” I muttered, changing the topic. “I have questions.” “Questions about?” Angel’s eyes darted around. “You know about the papers, so you know what it’s about.” My eyes darted over her face. She was embarrassed to talk about it. Had she talked to him about it? Had he explained things to her? What he wanted her to do? What he wanted to do to her? “I just have questions about some of the stuff,” Angel said softly. “They explained things to me.” “And you agreed to it?” Her eyes locked with mine. “I can’t go home,” she said softly. “Being a slave…I hate cleaning even though it was something that I had to do on earth. But working in the sun…it made me feel like an elderly woman when I woke up in the morning. Humans aren’t fit to be slaves in your castle.” I silently studied her. When I bought her, I only wanted to do it so nobody else could buy her. She belonged to me. To us…apparently. My brother and I shared the same mate, and while I couldn’t claim her, they could. They get to touch her. They get to teach her everything about pleasure. They get to mark her. Reaching out, I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and raised her arm so I could get another look at the brand on her skin. “Nate gave me some ointment,” Angel said softly. “It was starting to get infected.” Guilt flooded me. If he hadn’t realized it was infected, I wouldn’t have been swimming in the creek with her. She would have been dead because we didn’t know how to treat human illnesses. I tugged her closer. Angel gasped, her eyes filling with fear. “I won’t hurt you,” I told her. She shook her head. “I’m not a very good swimmer.” “You don’t have to be because I got you. I won’t let you drown.” When I tugged her closer again, she didn’t protest. I guided her arms around my neck as I wrapped my arm around her waist. “I got you.”