Chapter 128
Skylar
Lucas rumbles before he sticks out his massive pink tongue. It’s longer than I am tall, and I close my eyes, expecting him to eat me. But the pain never comes. Instead, he begins to groom toe with that monstrous tongue, lapping gently at the grass stains and dust on my naked skin.
I don’t enjoy it.
His breath is stinky and damp against me, carrying the scent of blood and the wild. It’s a terrifying thing to experience, his beastly form looming over me like a macabre guardian while he licks me like I’m his cherished possession.
“Lucas, stop,” I manage to choke out, my voice no more than a strangled whisper in the deafening quiet of the clearing.
He doesn’t heed my request, though; if anything, his ministrations only grow more vigorous.
His tongue sweeps over me in broad, rough strokes, washing away the grime and sweat of our previous battle with Arachne. Each stroke is proof of his ownership, and I shriek when he somehow manages to scoop me up from the ground and inside his mouth.
“For f*ck’s sake, Lucas!” I shout, punching his palate with my tiny fists. “Let me go!”
get me
Lucas immediately spits me out on the grass, causing me to glare up at him. “You need to be careful, you idiot! What would you have done if you had accidentally swallowed your own mate, huh?!”
A grumble leaves Lucas’ mouth, and I frown when I realize the whole pack is staring at us, shocked that I’m scolding their Alpha, who is literally the size of a mountain. They are all looking at me with deep respect. I, however, don’t care and continue to glare daggers at my mate.
“I expect some respect, Lucas!” I shout, jabbing a finger toward has snout. “And you,” 1 spin around to address the pack, who watches our exchange in mute awe, “stop standing around gawking like a bunch of idiots. We have a spider a spider mess to clean up.”
The pack quickly scatter at my command, each running off to attend to their tasks. I run a hand through my sticky hair and sigh before turning back to Lucas.
“You need to change back,” I declare firmly, crossing my arms over my chest.
Lucas grunts but complies, his form starting to shrink. His scales recede back into his skin, and bones shift under sinew and muscle-like tectonic plates until he’s back to his human form. He stands naked in the clearing, a goliath among men despite
his now normal size.
“Better?” Lucas asks.
“Yes, that’s better.” I glance at Arachne’s disarrayed remains and grimace. “Help me clean this up.”
A small smile plays on his lips as he strides towards me, pulling me into his arms for an unexpected hug. “You were amazing,” he murmurs into my hair affectionately.
“Me? Amazing?” I scoff lightly but can’t help the blush that creeps up my cheeks. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You stood up to me after I lost some of my control to my dragon instincts,” Lucas glances at our pack, all of them working together to dispose of Arachne’s gruesome remains under the late afternoon sun. “You were brave.”
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Chapter 128
“I was scared out of my mind.” I admit with a shudder, leaning deeper into his embrace. The smell of blood still clings to him, serving as an unpleasant reminder of the horrors we’ve faced.
“Skylar.” Lucas starts gently, pulling away slightly so he can look at me. His eyes are soft and filled with earnest adoration “You faced your fears today, and that’s what makes you brave. You’re brave to me.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, meeting his gaze. I want to believe him and thank him for his compliment. But when he wets his fingers and tries to fix my hair that he messed up in his dragon form, I swat his hands away and roll my eyes.
“No more grooming, Lucas!” I exclaim, stepping out of his arms. I’d rather clean up that spider mess than endure your affections.”
He chuckles lowly, not at all offended by my reaction. “As you wish,” he replies humbly, glancing to the side where the pack is struggling with the remnants of the beast we had slain.
Turning on my heel, I march towards the carcas* of Arachne. Her disgusting, hairy body lay sprawled out in the clearing. eight menacing legs bent unnaturally.
Lucas follows closely behind me, picking up a massive spider leg effortlessly as if it were a mere twig. He tosses it aside into a burning pile and then wipes his hands on the grass.
“It’s hard to believe these creatures actually exist,” he murmurs.
“It’s harder to believe that you can turn into a huge-a*s dragon.” retort flatly, using both my hands and all my strength to drag another dismembered leg towards the burn pile.
My dragon form is not that bad, Skylar! At least I don’t have eight legs or eight eyes,” Lucas jokes with a boyish grin.
“You do have a stinky breath, though,” I mutter under my breath Unfortunately, Lucas has excellent hearing.
He feigns hurt as he places his hand over his heart. “That was uncalled for.”
“I meant every word,” I reply fiercely, but there’s a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips, betraying my amusement.
“Ah, you wound me.” Lucas clutches dramatically at his chest, his red and blue eyes dancing with amusement as he falls onto the grass, mimicking death.
I roll my eyes at his antics, but a short laugh escapes me nonetheless. The stress of the fight is slowly disappearing, although the eternal night is around us.
“Get up, you oaf,” I chastise playfully, nudging him with my foot There’s still more to clean.”
He groans theatrically but complies, springing up and dusting himself off before helping me haul another piece of the spider carca*s to the burn pile. As we work side by side under the setting sun, an odd sense of normalcy settles in despite the bizarre circumstances.
Once the gruesome task is done, Lucas stands back and wipes the sweat off his forehead. He looks at me with a weary grin, his body covered in smears of dirt and grime. “You know what we need now?” he asks.
“What?”
“A bath.”
I wrinkle my nose at him, casting a glance at his filthy figure. “You’re not wrong,” I admit, already feeling the sticky residue from Arachne’s carnage start to itch on my skin. “But swimming probably isn’t a great idea about now. There are demons everywhere! Our first priority right now should be to find your parents.”
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Chapter 128
Lucas grins, and I arch an eyebrow. “What?”
“Nothing just thinking.
“About”
His grin widens. “You’re a great Luna already.”
A blush spreads over my cheeks. “Flatterer,” I mutter, but I’m secretly thrilled.
As Lucas mate, it’s expected of me to become the pack’s Luna or second Alpha. But I’d rather be a Luna. It feels more feminine to be the queen by his side.
49%
“I’m not trying to flatter you; I’m speaking the truth, and, to be honest, it’s such a turn-on that my introverted little mate is finally taking charge.
I turn around then, noticing for the first time that Lucas is hard as a rock. His c*ck is erect and hard, but while he looks like walking eye candy, I know this isn’t the time.
“Lucas!” I scold, my blush deepening as I try not to look at the obvious erection between his legs. “We have more important things to worry about!”
His eyes flash with amusement as he flexes his abs, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Can’t blame a man for finding his mate attractive, Skylar
I roll my eyes but can’t help the little smile tugging at my lips. His charm is infectious, and despite our dire situation. I’m enjoying our banter.
“Fine.” I relent, shaking my head slightly. “But right now, our priority is finding your parents. They will know what to do about the eternal darkness.”
“After a bath,” he adds, winking at me cheekily,
“Lucas!”
“Skylar,” he teases me back with cheek, causing me to sigh in defeat.
“You won’t give up, will you?”
He shrugs. “The demons won’t disappear. They can wait five minutes while we clean up ourselves.”
“No,” I walk over to prod his chest, not caring that he is the Alpha and I’m nothing at the moment. “People could die while we are taking a bath, so be a good boy and shape-shift into your dragon form before I unpleasantly grip your balls.”
He gulps. “Yes, ma’am.”
A few pack members who never left chuckle in the background, and I smile to myse
when I hear them say, “Looks like our Alpha has met his match in this fiery little mate of his. Who knew the bookworm had such inner-fire?”
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