Chapter 181


    Chapter 181: Joining Forces


    Lucas.


    Since my conversation with Sansa, I contemted a lot about what she said. Every day I spent out


    here on the training fields working out and staying in shape to take my mind off Cassie, I found my


    irritation growing hearing the other guys talk about their entry into the games. Each of them thought


    they had a chance with her, and it made meugh while listening to them.


    Cassie was aplicated woman for sure, and the more I thought about the little time we did spend


    together, the more I realized I was making a mistake by not trying like she wanted. Even my beast had


    retreated to the depths of my soul, refusing to acknowledge me over my refusal to take my stance with


    her.


    We weren''t mated anymore, but that didn''t stop my desire to have her.


    She was like a breath of fresh air every time I saw her from a distance, and I wanted more than


    anything to be close to her, but my fear of the darkness taking over me again prevented me from doing


    so.


    Was I a fool... perhaps?


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    “Lucas...*’ The sound of an annoying male voice I was all too familiar with caused me to tense as I


    turned around to see Ss striding towards me in dress pants and a green shirt rolled up to his elbows.


    The man looked like he had just stepped out of a photo shoot and as much as the other men around


    me smiled, waving to him, I couldn''t share their excitement.


    Instead, I scoffed and turned back towards my stuff scattered on a bench and began shoving it back


    into my duffle bag. If Ss wasing to talk to me, I was nning to make it short, sweet, and to the


    point... I didn''t want to talk to him.


    “Lucas, I need to talk to you.“


    Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I smirked, shaking my head. “Yeah, well, I don''t have shit to say to


    you, Ss. Go find someone else to fucking bother.’


    The moment I went to walk away, he snatched my arm, pulling me back to him. My eyes narrowed as I


    scowled at him. He had some nerve fucking touching me, and as he red at me, all I wanted to do


    was fucking hit him. "I said I need to fucking talk to you, Lucas.’


    ''Yeah, I fucking heard you," I replied, ripping my arm from his grasp, “and if you fucking touch me


    again. I’ll knock your fucking teeth out of your mouth.''


    The growl that came from deep in Ss'' throat was enough to make the beast in me pause for a


    moment in shock. I had always seen Ss as a yboy asshole who wanted everything that everyone


    else had and would do anything to get it.


    ''Look, I''m not here for casual fucking conversation, Lucas. So cut the shit and just listen to what I have


    to say," he replied as I rolled my eyes with irritation. I didn''t want to hear what he had to say, but it was


    quite obvious he wasn''t going to let me go if I didn''t stay and listen.


    ''Fine-'' I gritted out as I dropped my bag upon the ground and crossed my arms over my chest, ''make it


    quick. I don’t have all day.’


    Laughter escaped Ss as he shook his head. "Yeah because you have a lot going ontely, don''t you?


    Working out all day... keeping to the ground... avoiding your mate.''


    “Fuck you, Ss," I snapped, pointing at his chest. "You have no fucking clue what you'' re talking about.


    She isn''t my mate anymore, and that''s for the best.''


    ''The best for who? You?“ he replied just as quickly, ''don''t pretend that you''re doing this for anyone else


    but yourself."


    There was no point in arguing with him over this, and it was clear he had his view on me. As much as I


    wanted to bust him in his mouth for speaking to me the way he was, I didn''t. I stood there staring at him


    with a newfound hatred I never knew I could feel.


    ''Again, go fuck yourself, Ss. What is it you fucking want so we can end this charade?''


    Ss stared at me for a moment as if he had a stick up his ass all a sudden when it came to exining


    why he chose to harass me today. Yet, letting loose a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair and


    gave in. ''You need to enter the games... Cassie needs you.''


    Laughter escaped me as I bent down to pick up my bag, shaking my head. "No fucking way.’


    ''Excuse me?" he replied quickly as I turned and made my way toward the exit of the arena, not


    bothering to answer his question. Sansa had already tried that shit, and now here he was, trying that


    shit with me. I couldn''t join, no matter how much people thought I should.


    ''I''m not doing it, Ss," I replied from over my shoulder. "You do it."


    ''She''s in danger, Lucas. Danger ising, and I can only protect her so much. I need someone on the


    inside to help me protect her."


    Ss'' words stopped me in my tracks as my heart clenched. Cassie was in danger, and I didn''t know


    what he meant by that, but I needed to know. No matter how much I want to keep my distance because


    of my own issues, I couldn''t allow her to get hurt.


    She meant too much to me.


    A shadowed figure at my side caused me to nce, and staring at Ss, I took note of the serious


    expression on his face. He wasn''t lying about Cassie. At least not from what I could tell.


    ''Why is she in danger?"


    ncing around the area, he looked back at me and sighed. ''Let''s go somewhere to talk. There are too


    many people around, Lucas."


    Taking a moment, I thought about what he was asking, and as I let my eyes roam the area, I could see


    we had caught the attention of quite a few people. People who were thest ones I wanted to know any


    of my business. Including Bron, who was currently talking to Zia, whose scowl let me know she was still


    pissed off I turned her away.


    It wasn''t because of anything she really did before... she was materialistic and fake and desperately did


    want me. The problem was she wasn’t Cassie, and as soon as the cloudy haze over my mind was


    gone, I realized how much I had fucked up.


    ''Fine. Let''s go back to my ce."


    Ss gestured for me to lead the way, and turning again, we made our way through the green field


    outside the arena towards the front gates of the school, where I took in the sight of the students who


    wandered around without a care in the world doing normal shit.


    Shit that I wished I could do, but unfortunately, that wasn''t my life anymore.


    The moment I took the steps of the pce-styled home and built with white marble and gold, I thought


    about Cassie and the first time she and I walked down these halls. The way she looked at me as I


    asked about her sharing a room with me.


    I had been foolish then, and right now, I felt as if I was going to be foolish again.


    Stepping into my room, I left the door wide for Ss to follow, and with the sound of the door quickly


    closing behind me, I knew he didn’t waste a single moment of trying to get this conversation over with.


    Something I was pleased about.


    "Let''s make this quick," Ss replied tly as I nced over my shoulder to see him standing by the


    door. ''Odin sent me to rally the realms for warriors for the games. On top of that, there are some


    charactersing that are going to be more than problematic. They don''t give a shit about her and two


    of them I wouldn''t be surprised if they tried to overthrow Cassie or have her killed as soon as the crown


    changes over."


    Hearing there were two people who could possibly be problematic wasn''t what I wanted to hear.


    Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed.


    "Anything else I need to be told?"


    ''Fynnairian of the Fae realm ising as well. The prophecy is set for their future queen, and he


    believes it''s Cassie. However, only time will tell," Ss replied, causing me to look at him once more.


    ''So why do you want me to join then if that guy going to be there?”


    I didn''t understand why Ss wanted me there. He could protect her regardless of who is joining the


    games, but the way Ss was staring at me, I had a feeling he was adamant about his choice to have


    me go in.


    ''I can''t, Lucas, I''m part of the guard and it''s forbidden for me to join. Trust me when I say that I don''t


    want to be here asking this of you, but there is no other way. It’s better the devil I know then the devil I


    don’t.’


    His reasoning made sense, and taking a moment to process everything, I sighed before nodding my


    head with reluctance. "Okay... but let’s get one thing straight. I''m only doing this to make sure she


    doesn''t get her ass killed."


    A smile spread across Ss'' face at my agreement. Pleased by my answer, he turned, opening the


    door to reveal a young blonde with big blue eyes and a pearly white smile holding up a ck garment


    bag.


    I didn''t have the slightest clue why she was there or how long she had been there but the woman was


    prepared, and if she had been prepared that meant he had already known I was going to agree. "Hey,


    wait a second..."


    Holding his hand up, he smiled at me beforeying the garment bag upon the bed. ''Look, I knew you


    wouldn''t turn down the chance to protect her. The suit has been tailored for you and is for the event this


    weekend. It’s the opening ceremony ball and is like a giant meet-and-greet. Don''t bete, Lucas.''


    He was telling me not to bete, but I had no interest in actually going to a fucking ball. I may have


    agreed to go ahead and join thepetition but that was it. I didn''t know I had to go to all the small


    things in between.


    ''Wait a second....'' I replied as Ss quickly turned and made his way towards the door, obviously


    leaving. ''Ss, I didn''t agree to go to no damn ball."


    Ss stopped for about a moment, and as he nced over his shoulder at me with a smile, he


    shrugged. "And I knew that you wouldn''t agree to go if you did."


    The man had yed me. He tricked me at my own game. He got me to agree to do what I was going to


    do and left out the small details he knew was going to piss me off. It was well yed, but it didn''t mean


    I liked him. In fact, he just simply annoyed me even more than he had before.


    The moment the door closed, I stood there staring at it. A heavy breath escaped me.


    "Well, that’s just fucking great.''