Chapter sixteen

Tessa’s POV

When I went back down the stairs, I was wearing a pair of blue jeans underneath Lucian’s shirt.

Everyone stopped to look at me again and I quickly made my way to where my mate was sitting on the single leather chair.

The strange men who I’d seen earlier sat on the three-seater couch. Nate and Natalie were in the kitchen because Natalie was making food that smelled amazing.

Lucian looked at my jeans and nodded in approval before grabbing my hand and pulling me onto his lap.

“I don’t think I introduced myself, young lady. I’m Maxwell. The dragon king.” I looked at Lucian as if asking him a question and he nodded. It was his father.

“Tessa Mcgraw,” I said, and Lucian growled at his father’s extended hand.

His father smiled and it scared me. I bunched some of his shirt, and he traced undefined shapes on my back to calm my nerves.

Something about this man scared me, especially because he looked just like the man who’d hurt the small Lucian in my dreams.

“What are you doing here, father?” Lucian snapped and I buried my face in his neck.

“I’m wanted to see if the rumors were true. That my son, the Lucian Blackstone. Had found a mate,” he said in a tone that made me shiver.

“Now you’ve seen her, you can go back to the dungeon you call home,” Lucian said through gritted teeth.

I sneaked a look at Maxwell, and I could see the anger rolling off his body in waves.

“Now now son—”

“Don’t you dare call me that! You lost that right a long time ago!” Lucian said and his body shook.

“Get off me, Tessa,” Lucian said in a dark tone and I obediently got off his lap. Both of the men were standing up and barking at each other’s faces. I felt something dark clouding my head and I dropped to my knees and screamed out in pain.

They both snapped their attention to me, and Lucian rushed over and kneeled down beside me. I began seeing white flashes across my vision and I heard the cringing chuckle from Maxwell.

“Stop it now, Father!” Lucian yelled and he said through his teeth, “What do you want?”

His father’s voice grew serious and he bent down to Lucian’s eye level.

“Two weeks from now is the red moon. Be there.”

“You can show your way out, father,” Lucian said and when I heard the door click closed, I collapsed into his lap with a sheen of sweat covering me.

My skin grew hot and fiery and I felt a thousand knives stabbing me in my lower abdomen.

I groaned and I felt fresh, hot tears running down my face.

“What-what did he d-do, Lucian?” I managed to spit out despite the aching pain.

Lucian didn’t say anything, and I opened my eyes to look at him. His pupils grew dark and his lips were parted as he watched me.

“Lucian, talk to me, please!” I half cried, half yelled. The pain didn’t subside, and I saw Lucian twitch and his eyes cleared slightly.

“The son-of-a-bitch,” he snapped, and I frowned in confusion.

He stood up and picked me up bridal style. My body shook but I could swear I was burning up.

Natalie and Nate rushed in and Nate froze in the doorway. Lucian growled deeply and Nate turned so his back was facing me. Natalie put a hand on Nate’s back and I saw the tension in his muscles loosen.

We walked up the stairs in silence and I saw the golden and red rays of sunlight shining through the windows in the hallway leading to our bedroom.

“What did he do to me, Lucian?” I said in a shaky voice and he placed me gently on the bed before going and locking the door.

He crouched in front of me and wiped the tears that streamed down my face.

“He must have manipulated something and forced your heat sooner,” he said and held my thighs in a firm grip.

His eyes were changing darker by the minute and I realized he wouldn’t be able to hold it back for much longer.

“I need to be away from you,” he said in a soft voice. All my senses were sharpened, and his soft voice made my ears ring.

Another wave of pain hit me in my side, and I screamed as the tears streamed down my face. I grabbed on to Lucian’s big arms for support and he gripped me tightly.

A burning sensation coursed between my legs and I whimpered. My body shook violently and carefully lay down on the pillow.

“Don’t leave me, please,” I managed to choke out between sobs, and I saw a painful look cross over his features.

He swallowed and nodded, making his way to the small sofa across the room.

He sat there and watched me with an unreadable expression. I wanted to go over to him and make him better, but my body hurt so much I feared I’d never be able to move again.

I don’t know how long it had been, but I’d eventually fallen asleep.

When I’d woken up, there was a tray of food filled with pancakes and ice-cream and a box of filled chocolates.

There was a little note and I carefully picked up the note with a shaky hand.

I sat up slowly and groaned in agony.

-Tessa I’ve gone out for a run I’ll be back later tonight.

Hope you like the pancakes; I tried my best.

Natalie said she’d come keep you company and help you with anything you need.

I love you.

-Lucian I felt my heart skip a beat. He made me pancakes.

As if on cue, Natalie walked in and closed the door, not before locking it.

“Hey. How’re you feeling this morning? You had a rough night.” She said and sat next to me.

I let out a dry laugh which caused a pain in my stomach.

I winced and smiled.

“Not as bad as I was yesterday,” I said softly and ate a small piece of pancake. I stopped myself from moaning as it melted in my mouth.

“You mean two days ago,” she said with a smirk and I nearly choked.

“What?” I said with pancake stuffed in my mouth.

“Your heat started two days ago. You obviously passed out and you were knocked out cold yesterday. Lucian hasn’t been out of this room until this morning,” she said, and I made a silent ‘o’.

I finished the pancakes and Natalie helped me up from the bed.

“Let’s go get you showered and cleaned up.”