8. LUCAS

“You think I don’t know what’s happening in my kingdom?" “S-Sire－” “I didn’t give you permission to speak,” I interrupted him. “When I chose you to wear that uniform, I thought that you were worthy of it. You disobeyed my direct orders. What were you hoping to achieve?” The guard stared down at his feet. I tilted my head and listened to the approaching footsteps. A second later there was a firm knock on the door. “Enter.” Mason pushed the door open. There was a moment’s hesitation before Angel tentatively stepped into the room. Her eyes locked with mine for a second and then lowered to the floor. My eyes tracked her as she moved deeper into the room with Mason’s hand pressed to the small of her back. The uniform she wore was dirty and stained with blood. She should never have been anywhere near the damn basement in the first place. What the hell was Arabella thinking? "It has been brought to my attention that the two of you have been sneaking around,” I growled, turning towards the guard. “I have ordered all my guards to be on full alert. You were ordered to stay at your stations. You left the west side unguarded just so you could see your mistress.” Neither of them said anything. “I thought you'd be more worried about your wife and young being alone at this time,” I muttered. Angel paled, wide eyes darting towards the man. So, she didn’t know. My lips pulled into a snarl. What lies had he told her to make her fall into bed with him? I wanted to rip his throat out for touching my mate. How far had he managed to go with her? How many times had he kissed her? How many times had he made her come? “Wait for me outside,” I told the guard. I waited until the door closed firmly behind him before I turned my attention towards Angel. Mason still stood by her side. I glared at him, but he didn’t even flinch. “You really believed a man like him could love you?” I walked towards my desk and leaned back against it. “How could you be so naive, girl?” Angel flinched. “What did he say to you that made you fall at his feet?” She said nothing. Straightening, I walked over to her and gripped her chin. She instantly closed her eyes when I tilted her face back. “Answer me,” I growled. “Lucas－” “Stay out of it, Mason,” I growled at him. “Your wife sent her to the basement, knowing that you forbid Angel from going down there,” he hissed at me. “I will take care of Arabella after I sort this out.” “You’re m-married?” Angel questioned softly. My eyes snapped down to her and softened. Gripping her arm, I steered her over to the chair and pushed her down on it. I tugged on my pants and then crouched in front of her. “Tell me what he promised you,” I tried again. She glanced up at me. “He promised me my freedom.” I laughed in disbelief, but my laughter died down when I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. She truly believed that he could get her home. With a sigh, I straightened. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.” Her voice cracked. Mason stepped forward but I held up my hand to stop him. The last thing I wanted was for him to intervene in my business. He didn’t have a say in this. The door opened, making me growl. Nate entered the room like he owned the place. “I was looking for you,” he said to Angel. “You need to eat.” He lowered the tray to the table and then placed the tray on her lap. Angel blinked down at the plate and frowned, but she didn’t reach out to touch anything. Mason stepped forward and dropped to his knees next to the chair. Reaching out, he picked up one half of the sandwich and raised it to her lips. Angel’s lips slowly parted. She took a small bite and slowly chewed it. “One of the bloodsuckers turned a girl,” Nate muttered as he took a seat. “Angel was cleaning and stumbled upon her. If I hadn’t been running late, she would have been dead.” Dead. Images flashed through my mind, but I instantly pushed it away. I sucked in deep slow breaths which wasn’t really working. All I could smell was her scent mixed with Nate’s and Mason’s. One of them had given her blood to heal her. I didn’t blame them because if I had found her, I would have done the same thing. “I’ll have a talk with them.” “You had a talk with them the last time,” Mason muttered. “I think you should do a little more than just talking.” I growled at him and then turned my attention back to our mate. What were the damn chances of all of us finding our mate at the same time? The same fucking person. A human of all creatures in the world. “You can’t leave, Angel,” I told her. “Whatever that guard told you was a lie. There is no way for you to go back to your world.” “He said there is!” Angel exclaimed. “You were willing to sleep with a stranger. A married man just for your freedom,” I continued. “What else are you willing to do? He would’ve never helped you get away. He lied to you about everything. He doesn’t love you－” “He never claimed to love me,” Angel whispered. “He wanted my blood and my body, and I just want to go home.” Mason lowered the sandwich to the plate and reached for her hand. “Sweetheart, we don’t know much about these portals.” “They appear out of the blue,” Nate continued. “Sometimes people come through it like you did, and sometimes the portal stays there for a few days before it disappears again.” Tear-filled eyes locked with mine. “There really is no way?” she whispered. I wanted to take her into my arms and pacify her. I wanted to promise her that everything was going to be okay, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t make promises I wouldn’t be able to keep. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. “Now that we finished that conversation,” Mason muttered as he stood. “I want to put in a formal request to make Angel my submissive.”