Lucian’s POV
That bastard Rafe was quick to run away. This time, he didn’t escape in a car but ran toward the other side of the estate, straight into the deep forest.
He was fast, disappearing like a breeze. But I had my ways. Not just my speed, but my senses were far stronger when it came to tracking him.
I ran through the woods, following the traces of his scent. Soon, I sensed movement. He was getting closer to the boundary.
Bastard’s heading toward the border. Can’t let him get out of the estate.
I sped up, pushing every bit of strength I had. If he left the estate, it would become difficult to track him down if I lost him. Inside the estate, despite its vast premises, there were cameras and surveillance everywhere. Outside the border, deep in the forest, it would be nearly impossible.
I closed the distance between us enough to mind-link with him.
"You should stop already."
"Fuck off!" I could sense his restlessness and irritation in his tone.
"Don’t make me use force," I warned.
This time, he didn’t reply. Instead, he sped up even more.
"You’re asking for it," I warned again and changed my approach.
Within moments, I caught up to him, and the peaceful forest turned chaotic as we clashed at the speed of lightning. I wanted to stop him. He wanted to escape.
"She is not here. Why are you running away?" I asked while dodging his attack, trying to get him into my hold. "You can’t even smell her here."
"I want to run so far away that I won’t return anytime soon," he answered. "Now fuck off and let me be."
"Not gonna happen," I countered as we continued fighting, punches and kicks landing on each other. "Kael has given me orders—"
"Always Kael," he growled, his red eyes flashing with anger. "You don’t have a mind of your own."
This time, I managed to overpower him. I grabbed his arm and threw him like a rag. He collided with a tree with tremendous force. A few of his bones must have cracked.
But I wasn’t worried. They would heal within moments. This bastard’s healing abilities were faster than ours due to his half-vampire nature.
"What? Want to kiss me like last time to calm me?" he smirked, though in pain, "So desperate to have me, aren’t you?"
"Yeah, I can’t wait to fuck you," I replied coolly.
Before he could recover enough to fight back, I moved in the blink of an eye and slammed him against the tree, his back facing me. One arm pinned him at the shoulders while my other hand twisted his arm behind his back.
By that time, both of us were panting from fighting with all our strength. Speed and power cost a lot of energy, and chasing someone who was part wolf and part bat was even more taxing.
"Bastard, my broken rib is poking my lungs," he muttered, letting out a pained groan.
"You won’t die," I told him, though I couldn’t help but loosen my hold slightly. He breathed heavily and turned to face me. Breathing was difficult for him, and he closed his eyes, waiting for his body to heal itself.
I didn’t let my guard down. This bastard was skilled at diverting attention.
"Do you always have to be a pain in my ass?" he muttered through gritted teeth.
"I don’t remember fucking you ever," I countered.
He smirked. "After just a kiss, are you already dreaming about it?" He opened his eyes, his gaze mocking, and inched his face closer to mine. "I don’t mind, but the one who’d get fucked would be you."
He was about to shove me away with great force to escape again, but I knew him too well by now. I grabbed him back, slammed him against the tree, and this time a syringe pierced into his neck.
"Did you really think you could distract me by talking shit?" I snarled, earning a murderous glare from him.
He was truly angry now. The playful mask was gone.
"What did you—" Before he could finish the sentence, his body went limp.
I caught him before he hit the ground and lowered him down carefully.
I knelt beside him and smirked. "Daddy has discovered a new harmless drug for a baby. Now let’s see how long it can keep you quiet."
His eyes glared at me like he wanted to kill me.
The thing he hated most was confinement, whether it was physical chains or something like this. Being unable to move, being helpless, that was what he despised the most.
I knew it well. But I had no choice.
He could fight it out with me later, once we were back home.
He swallowed his frustration and closed his eyes. "I am going to fuck the hell out of you before I kill you."
"We will see," I said calmly, catching a breathe so I could put him on my shoulder like a burlap sac and carry him back home.
After a few moments of silence, when I finally moved to pick him up, the world turned upside down for me.
I was pressed on the ground and the bastard was over him in a blink of any eyes, before I could even sense his moves.
He pressed me firm by pressing his arm along my shoulder, and smirked, "Daddy’s drug seemed to fail on this overly efficient and smart baby."
I didn’t resist or struggle to free myself and simply looked at him.
"Has the snake got your tongue, daddy wolf?" he chuckled, but then stopped and raised a brow. Before he could be suspicious, once more a a needle was pricked in his neck.
Too let for him to even dodge.
His body froze again, as he looked at me.
"It’s time for daddy to test another drug," I smirked, "This one is stronger different the first one that failed."
The next moment his body collapsed over mine as he mumbled in the crook of my neck, "Fucking bastard."
"It seemed to be the perfect time to test the both drugs," I said, not bothering to even move under his weight.
Finally he was calm once more, and I hoped this drug won’t fail me.
Silence stretched between us, time passed but he didn’t move.
’This drug seemed to have worked on his,’ I concluded.
I gave out a sigh of relief. My hand moved to the back of his head and caressed it gently. "I know you don’t like to be confined, but I had to."
He didn’t respond. I could understand his anger so I didn’t mind either.
"And, it’s not because Kael told me to," I said, continuing to caress the back of his head, "You have always been my priority whenever it’s about protecting you. And I will continue to do so till the end of my life. I won’t ever let you go."
I knew he was listening, but I didn’t know what he was thinking.
As long as he was safe, as long as he was with us, it was enough.