6. MASON

“I met your little human." Lucas stiffened. “I told you to stay away from her.” “Why?” I walked around the desk and smirked at him. “Are you going to keep me from getting to know my mate?” His head snapped up, wide eyes locking with mine. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you.” My smirk widened. “I said you can’t keep me from getting to know my mate.” “Impossible,” he growled. “Not impossible,” I muttered. “Just very rare.” His eyes narrowed. I held out my hand to stop whatever he was about to say. I felt for him. After years of searching for his mate and not finding her, he had to marry a woman he didn’t love. And now, four years later, his mate finally landed in his lap. Only he couldn’t have her. But just because he couldn’t have her, I wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip out of my fingers. I wanted her, human or not. She was mine. Ours. “I told you to stay away from her,” Lucas growled as he stepped out behind his desk. “It was an order.” “You may be king, but that does not mean that you have the right to order me about, brother.” I stood taller when he stopped in front of me. “I didn’t seek her out, we met by accident.” He frowned. “You should have told her about the hounds.” His eyes darkened. “Was she hurt?” “Luckily no.” I turned away from him and walked over to the window. “She got lost.” Lucas blew out a breath, but he remained silent. My eyes darted around the palace grounds until they locked on the woman I had been searching for. Angel was busy in the garden today, racking dead leaves. There were already two bags filled with leaves leaning against the wall. When she was done with that, she would have to drag the bags to the back where they would be used for compost. My brows dipped into a frown as I watched one of the guards approach her. Stepping closer to the window, I opened it a few inches and turned so I could use my dragon hearing. “I’ll take those bags for you,” the guard said. “Finish with that one and then head inside. It’s time for lunch.” “Thank you,” Angel said softly. The guard picked up the bags and easily carried them away. Angel stared after him for a few seconds and then shook her head. Letting out a low sigh, she started picking up the leaves again. “You asked one of your men to keep an eye on her?” I asked my brother. Lucas didn’t answer. I glanced at him to find him standing by the other window, staring down at her. “You want her.” It wasn’t a question. Not that it mattered because he didn’t utter a word. Turning away from the window, he walked back over to the desk and took a seat. “The portal disappeared,” he muttered. “We have another portal that opened near the north. Nobody has come through it.” “Yet,” I said what he didn’t want to. “You have men keeping an eye on things?” He nodded. “Have you thought about sending someone through the portal to find out if it’s the same one our little mate came through?” I asked him. Lucas glared at me. “It’s dangerous. I’m not risking my men.” “Risking your men to do what?” Nate questioned as he entered the room. “Another portal opened.” “Ah.” He nodded as he took a seat in front of the desk. “More trouble.” “More?” I frowned down at him. “What do you mean?” Nate looked at Lucas. “I came here to talk to you about some talk going around the kingdom.” I took a seat next to him and leaned forward so I didn’t miss anything he was about to tell our brother. There was always trouble in the kingdom, and sometimes it was easily handled, but other times it got worse before it got better. “Talk about the portals?” Lucas questioned, even though his attention was still focused on the papers in front of him. “It’s about a specific human girl you purchased.” I tensed, eyes snapping to him. “Angel?” He nodded. “I’m not sure who started the rumor. He claims that he would be the first man to touch her and get a taste of her blood. I narrowed it down to three possible bloodsuckers. Since the human works here, it has to be one of the guards.” “The one you asked to keep an eye on her?” I growled. Lucas frowned at me. “I asked Xavier to keep an eye on her, and we all know that he values his job a lot more than to get a taste of some human’s blood.” “She’s a sweetblood,” Nate muttered. “From what I understand, a very rare blood type for the bloodsuckers.” “It’s not Xavier.” I jumped to my feet and glared down at Lucas. “Then I suggest you quickly find out who or you’re going to have a bloodbath on your hands brother.” Lucas sneered at me. “I’m serious,” I told him. “I won’t tolerate another man touching my mate.” “Mate?” Nate seemed surprised. “You found your mate?” “Our mate,” I corrected him. “Lucas found her first which was why he brought her.” “I’ll need the names of the men you suspect.” Lucas stood, his eyes darting between the two of us. “I suggest you keep the fact that a human is your mate to yourself,” he growled. “We already have enough problems.” My lips parted but the look he gave me, made me purse my lips. He could deny it all he wanted, but I wasn’t going to let her slip through my fingers. Angel was ours and if he didn’t want to claim her, I would. Not that he could. He was already married. But he could take her as his mistress if he wanted. “I have a few things to take care of,” I muttered as I made my way towards the door. “Stay away from her, Mason. I mean it!” I wasn't going to make him any promises because I knew I wouldn't keep them.