"Did you see Eric to his room again?" I asked, ignoring Xan in my head.
"Yes," Luca said. He was silent for a moment, then he spoke again. "Was it good?"
It was clear Xan also wanted to know. "You know it was. You had her," I responded. I didn't mean to sound possessive or jealous, but there it was. I blame it on the fate mate bond.
I could feel that Xan was pleased. As if she didn't already know, but then again, one had to ask oneself if it would have been so mind-blowing if it was not for the bond?
Luca kissed me on my neck, and I could immediately feel that Xan was not pleased about it. I just couldn't tell if she was jealous that Luca was giving me affection, or was she jealous that it was not her in my neck?
'Well, come join me in the shower and find out,' she mind-linked me, answering my question.
"You should stop," I told Luca off.
"Really? Why?" Luca wanted to know, pinning me down, looking at me.
"Xan doesn't like it," I told him what Xan was telling me in a mind link.
"Who cares?" Luca challenged and landed a kiss on my mouth.
I could feel Xan's anger. I was confused about it. I wondered why she was mad when she wasn't before. Why was she mad when she was about to marry Luca? Make him claim her when she could not claim him back.
"I have deep feelings for you, but the fated mate bond is stronger, and being so near Xan seems to have made it even stronger," I explained to Luca when he attempted to kiss me again. Before I knew what was happening, he swept me up and sped off.
"How's that?" Luca smiled with a naughty smile on his face.
"What are you doing?" I questioned studying his eyes as if the answers were there.
"Stealing you away," Luca chuckled against my ear. "Oh, wait, you belong to me, so I am kind of not stealing you, am I?"
"I guess not," I responded. "So what now?"
"I know a way we can break the fated mate bond between you and Xan without anyone dying," Luca told me, but from his tone, I could tell a 'but' was coming.
'This should be interesting,' Xan mind linked me.
"An enchantress could break it," Luca informed me.
'Is he mad? He has lost it. Everyone knows you don't get help from the enchanting world without paying for it,' Xan scolded in my head. 'Payment is always life,' she added.
"Xan says payment is life?" I questioned. I thought he just said no one will have to die, or am I missing something?
"They want a child in return," Luca laughed at my misunderstanding.
"You are willing to give up your unborn child?" I asked in shock.
"No silly. You have sex with them. That is all," Luca enlightened me at the same time Xan mind linked me.
"Thanks for clearing that up. But why would they want a child with me?" I wondered.
"Not you, me." Luca laughed again. "They want to breed with lycans."
"Why?" I wanted to know.
"Long ago, they chose the wrong side and are now banned from the Lycan world. The supernatural world, for that matter," Luca said.
"It is getting cold," I reminded him that I was naked.
"Let me warm you up," Luca offered and wrapped his arms around me.
I liked his arms around me, but my soul wanted Xan.
"Let's do it," I told him. I wanted the fated mate bond to be broken. I didn't like how it controlled me.
'They won't break the bond. They can't. They can put a spell over you that will make you not feel the pulling,' Xan snorted in my mind.
'It is better than wanting you,' I lashed back.
'Is it really that bad being fated to me?' Xan laughed in my head.
'You are about to marry Luca, have his baby,' I scolded her with a mind link. I am sure she could feel my jealousy.
'Come home. I will make it up to you,' she mind-linked me.
"I will be right back," Luca said and disappeared. He was barely gone, then back again with my clothes in his hands. I got dressed while Xan was trying to convince me to return to her.
'You know I wanted to do you some kind of harm. I wanted Luca for myself,' I mind-linked her.
'I know,' Xan mind linked me. 'I thought I wanted you out of the way, but seeing you again, well.. You know,…' Xan didn't have to finish. I could feel what she felt for me.
'I want to be in charge of my own feelings. I want to choose who I love,' I told her in a mind link.
"Let's go," I told Luca, eager to be in charge of my own feelings.
'It is forbidden to be in contact with enchantresses, let alone make deals with them,' Xan warned me in a mind link. 'Luca could be executed if caught,' her mind link send fear through my bones.
'You see? That feeling right there is what I feel for Luca. That is real. Not the fated mate bond with you,' I mind linked her back, realizing that I had really deep feelings for Luca, deeper than any fated mate bond.
'We wouldn't have fated if we were not meant for each other. With or without, we would have fallen in love regardless. The fated mate bond is just there to help souls along,' Xan tried to convince me to stop the madness.
'We will see what his father has to say about this,' Xan scolded.
"She is going to tell your father," I told Luca, who was speeding with me in his arms, the wind swallowing my voice.
"Let her," he chuckled.
I don't know how long we have been travelling, but the sun was coming up when we stopped in front of a modern house.
"Where are we?" I wanted to know. I watched Luca lifting a rock, retrieving a key.
"Obviously, in the human world. I need to rest and eat to get my strength back. Either that or use a car," Luca said un locking the door.
"Don't just stand there. Come in. Make yourself at home," Luca invited me in.
"Another place of yours?" I questioned. The décor was the same as his penthouse.
"Yes," Luca said and went straight to the kitchen. He reached into the freezer and grabbed a chunk of meat. He left it in the sink to defrost.
"What is the plan here?" I followed him into the kitchen. "Are you still going to marry Xan?"
"I have to," Luca said and took a bottle of water out of the fridge. He drank it, some spilling, wetting his shirt.
"Why do you have to? Another promise?" I questioned.
"Coffee?" he asked instead of answering my question.
"Sure," I sighed.
He quietly prepared the coffee.
"So? Did you promise her?" I broke the silence.
"Not exactly," Luca said, boiling the kettle.
"Then why marry her?" I wanted to know.
"My father made her the promise," Luca laughed it off.
"I see," I responded. "Why did he do that?"
"Alliance with her pack," Luca answered, finishing up the coffee.
"I take it she chose you?" I asked. I was wondering when Xan was going to interrupt with a mind link, but it was silent in my head.
"She did," Luca said, his voice silent.
"Why?" I questioned, but it was more directed at Xan than at Luca.
"I am the future Alpha of my father's pack; our packs could merge one day," Luca explained. "I didn't mind at the time. She is hot, right? And strong. Smart," he started as if he was trying to convince himself.
"And now?" I dared to ask.
"Now, I am in love with a guy," Luca smiled, handing me a cup of coffee.
"Are you still going to claim her?" I hoped not, but I suspected it was part of the promise that my father made.
"No. I want to claim you. I have given my father what he wanted. A grandchild," Luca put my mind at ease.
"Why are you an only child?" I asked. Surely someone as old as Alpha Eric should have lots of offspring.
"A lucky shot, I guess. Trust me, he has been trying. Even had his sperm tested. Apparently, all dead. He had mine tested aswell when Xan took to long to fall pregnant."
"Are you even his?" I asked even though it was clear as daylight that Alpha Eric was Luca's father, as Luca was the split image of his father.
"I am not even going to answer that," Luca chuckled and reached for my lip. He brushed his finger over my lip. I rested my hand on his arm. I wanted him but my soul wanted Xan. Twin flame vs Fated Mate.