CHAPTER 85: _MAKE A MOVE

Lucian’s POV

*****

After that morning discussion with his mother, Estella managed to get him aside and gave him the "tip" that Elian was in more danger than he realised and that the guards stationed at his room were compromised.

"And you know this how?" He had asked her, eyeing her suspiciously.

First off, how did she know when Axel and the committee were unaware? Secondly, since when did she give a rat’s ass about Elian to tell him about this?

As he squinted his eyes, trying to wrap his head around these, she stepped closer to him, holding his arms with a guilty expression.

"With everything you already suspect me of and all the reasons I’ve given you to... I want a clean slate." She whispered so casually. "And if protecting your mate will give me that... So be it."

Cute, right? Almost convincing. He thought so too... How stupid of him.

When he contacted his spies in the palace and got them to look into it—he found out that she was right.

The guards stationed outside Elian’s room door weren’t registered members of the palace’s military.

Beating them up and hiding them in Elian’s room was one thing. But when Elian gave him a recording, saying it proved Estella and Baron Magnus had something to do with it... He was intrigued.

He gave it to the Palace tech experts but also plotted on how to drag Elian into a private meeting using something he couldn’t resist.

Wine.

It worked like clockwork, but one thing led to another, and clothes were off, littered on the floor, their bodies getting entwined in the heat of their desires... And here they were after it was over.

"What did the eastern wolves have to say about us?" Elian questioned, squinting his eyes and tilting his head. "Also, you do realise that the more time we..."

As Elian spoke, Lucian got carried away, his throat bulging as his gaze scanned his body.

Elian was naked, still bare under the golden yellow lighting from the overhead chandelier.

From his lean muscles to the beads of sweat trailing down his chest, to those surprisingly thick legs.

And goddess, the way his dick twitched when he was annoyed was—

"And, now he’s staring at my dick." Elian’s voice interrupted his line of thought, forcing him to blink just in time to see him sigh. "Lucian, I’m the one who’s fighting back an imminent heat. Could you at least try and focus?"

Lucian’s lips twitched, but he didn’t react.

Instead, he lowered his head, letting out a light breath. "I wonder how we’re going to cope as a married couple."

He let those words sit for a few seconds. Then several.

When the tension and silence after his words drew on longer and thicker, he raised his head, just in time to see Elian gawking at him with disbelief.

"What?" Lucian asked with an innocent voice. "Did I say something wrong?"

Yes, he should be on the lookout now that he found out Estella and Magnus were probably out there plotting something against Elian.

But he was right here with Elian, who was safe, sound and not to mention as sassy as ever. He was fine with that.

"You said something beyond Sus." Elian stepped forward, placing his face inches away from Lucian’s and making it harder to concentrate. "What do you mean by marriage? Yes, I know... I know we’re mates but you’re the last person I expected to talk about—"

"That’s the message the eastern wolves had for us." Lucian chimed, trying not to look down. "They want us to get married as a way to... Claim you. With you having another mate and all."

Elian froze, his eyelids batting.

His chest rose and fell with each breath as he slowly closed his eyes altogether, trying to process it.

Lucian let him do that while tapping on his communication ring, calling one of the head palace guards he knew—hoping he hadn’t been compromised as well.

"Hello? Good morning, Prince Lucian." The voice of an older man came from the other end.

Lucian subconsciously straightened his posture before he spoke. "There’s nothing good about the morning, Commander Dorel. There’s a serious breach in security happening under our noses. But we’ll discuss that some other time."

He paused, his eyes lingering on Elian for a moment too long. Seeing the way his face got flustered as he tried wrapping his head around the marriage revelation was not only amusing... But oddly soothing.

"S–Sir. I don’t understand. Security breach?" Commander Dorel blurted from the other end, causing Lucian to roll his eyes.

"Yes. And now I want you to find and arrest two people behind it... Estella Thorne and Baron Magnus Mattock."

He knew he was poking a hornet’s nest by arresting his sister’s mate without telling her. But he’d rather take his chances with her than risk Elian’s safety any further.

He didn’t want to admit it before, but he was beginning to realise he might just feel bad if anything happened to his mate.

"Do you understand me, Dorel?" Lucian queried sharply, his jaw tightening.

Silence.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion at the other end, followed by a muffled groan of pain.

Lucian’s heart pounded heavily, his eyes flicking to Elian who blinked at him with confusion.

"Commander Dorel?" Lucian called out, his fists curling.

But then a static glitch occurred at the other end before becoming completely silent, leaving him in the dark.

Fuck!

"What’s going on now?" Elian finally spoke but Lucian was on the move, putting on his clothes and barely finding time to brush back his messy hair.

As he hopped into his pants, catching a glimpse of Elian’s disappointed expression, he spoke up.

"Right now, we need to get out of here and take you somewhere secure," Lucian said in haste. "If Estella has realised we’ve confirmed the authenticity of the recording you gave me, then—"

"She’s going to make a move." Elian completed his sentence, surprisingly saying what Lucian had in mind.

He grabbed his clothes and slipped into them as well but just when they both ran to the door, it swung open, causing Lucian to freeze.

He subconsciously placed himself in front of Elian, narrowing his eyes on the entrance with anticipation.

But then a familiar scent hit...