Secrets Unveiled

LUCIAN

“Liana…there is something I need to tell you.” Her hand, clasped in mine, starts to sweat a little at my words, and she tenses. “It’s not anything bad…and I would never hurt you or anything like that. I just—” I suddenly find that I can’t go on.

“Lucian,” she says quietly, and I nod, trying to compose myself. I can even feel Kia’s tension and the man is across the room. “Whatever it is,” she whispers, “just tell me.”

Here goes. I pray a silent prayer to the Goddess that this changes nothing…

“Liana…I’m blind.” I freeze, waiting for my words to hit her. She stays uncomfortably quiet and I really start to worry, until she chuckles—but the sound holds no joy.

“Well. Now I understand why the Goddess chose me for you,” she says.

I frown, keeping my “gaze” on her.

“I, of course, would be unlovable to any man who could actually see,” she says with distaste, and my heart drops.

“Liana, don’t say that. You’re beautiful.”

“You don’t even know what I look like! How can you feel anything for me when you have no idea?!” She is whisper-shouting and I understand why when Sandra appears at the table to drop off our food. I can smell it right below me. Venison steak. Interesting choice. Smells good, though.

“I ~have~ seen you, Liana. I have felt you, I can feel you. Please, you just need to let me explain.” My plea is greeted with stony silence. But after a moment she sighs and relaxes.

“You’re lucky this arrived when it did, and that I’m starving.”

I smile at that and settle back into my seat a little, letting her hand go so she can eat. At least she’s giving me a chance.

After a few moments of eating, she gives me my opening. “Okay. Go for it.”

I sit back and swallow my mouthful. She did pick well. The venison is surprisingly good, for a small-town diner.

“I was born more or less blind,” I tell her. She’s the first person, other than a doctor, I’ve ever said these words to. “Nobody in the kingdom knows it, except Kia. My vision never gets better, never gets worse. I’m just stuck with it. Believe me when I tell you that, my entire life, I’ve tried to fix it. Countless surgeries, done in other kingdoms to protect my identity, of course. All useless.

“I’ve even tried witchcraft, tried to buy myself sight through a sacrifice I wish I could forget—but still, nothing. I assume I’m cursed, but for what reason? I couldn’t tell you, but clearly I was a bastard in an old life.” I laugh, giving her a moment, and I think I see her nod.

“And yet, somehow, you’ve seen me?” she asks quietly.

“My lycan can see fine. Perfectly, actually. So, believe me when I say I know exactly how beautiful you are.”

“That’s why you wanted to shift,” she states, and I nod.

“I can understand that, I guess.” She sighs a little and eats some more. “How can you see what you’re eating?” she asks after watching me for a few minutes. I have a feeling there are other questions she would rather ask, but this one probably feels safe.

“Practice.” I shrug. “It took me a long time, but in my position, I couldn’t—and still can’t—risk anyone knowing my greatest weakness. So Kia and I made sure I perfected how to eat alone. It’s not that difficult.”

“So he knows? Kia?”

“He is the only one—well, ~was~,” I reply, and all my anxiety about sharing the one secret that could bring about my downfall comes crashing back. A king is always looking over his shoulder because there are always rivals who want to topple him.

Part of me thinks that Alexandre, head of the council, isn’t really that concerned about me producing an heir. Part of me thinks he’s looking for an excuse to challenge the throne.

“Why tell me?” she asks curiously.

“Because, as my mate, you have the right to know everything about me…so you can make a decision.”

“A decision?”

“To be with me or not,” I answer plainly.

“Oh…right…” she says, and then hums under her breath.

“I hope that you won’t reject me”—understatement of the century—”but I know there’s a lot that comes with being my mate. I understand how overwhelming it might be. Especially as you’re very young.” I owe her this much honesty, at least, even if my inner lycan is telling me to shut up and seduce her already.

She seems to ponder my words a moment, and I let her. Meeting your mate should be a perfect experience, but I know that in her case…she could find it hard to come to terms with.

I’m no ordinary mate, after all. Yes, I’m a king. But I’m also a blind man. And a lycan.

We finish our food in silence. I know she has a lot to think about and I can’t rush that. No matter how much I want to.

“What’s it like? Being what you are?” she asks out of the blue and I frown.

“Meaning?”

“A lycan…how did you become one? Were you changed?”

Relief floods me that she still wants to know more. “I was born a lycan, but Kia was not. I changed him.”

She leans forward a little, resting her arms on the table, eager for information. It is important for her to know what she’s up against, so I’m glad she is asking the right kind of questions.

“What’s it like? To change someone? To be changed?”

“It’s…different. I always had a strong bond with Kia—but I didn’t bite him. I simply extracted venom and injected him. Poor bastard’s pretty much tied to me for life now. Mind you, it was his choice to be changed. It wasn’t required of him, but he wanted it.” She nods, listening intently. “The process is…not pain-free. If you’re not born into these genes, the change can be quite…taxing.”

“Is that how you would do it to me? By injection? ~If~ I wanted you to…” she asks, but I shake my head.

“No, for my mate and rising queen? It would be done in the ‘correct’ way.”

“So you’d bite me?”

“Yes,” I answer simply, her questions starting to heat me up from my center at the thought of sinking my teeth into her flesh. I shuffle a little in my seat, adjusting the suddenly tight collar of my T-shirt.

She looks at me curiously. “What does that thought do to you?”

I chuckle, a little breathless, and squirm again. “A lot,” I answer, feeling myself wind tighter.

“Hmm…” she hums, and almost tickles her fingers over my forearm. The hairs instantly rise and my skin tingles, making me shiver. I sigh, already completely addicted to her touch.

“Liana…” I say in quiet warning.

“I like the way you say my name, the way it sounds coming out of your mouth,” she whispers, and I can tell she’s torturing me on purpose.

“Fuck,” I say with a low growl, and she giggles, preparing to move back a little, but I get hold of her hand and stand up quickly.

I’ll square it with Kia later—he knows I’m good for it. Quickly, I pull her to her feet and retrace my memorized route out of the diner into the fresh air, tugging her with me. We round the corner of the building because I need a moment a little out of sight.

“Lucian,” she almost moans, and I can’t. I just can’t anymore. Years! So many years alone! I just have to. I push her back, not too hard but hard enough. Her back hits the diner wall, and she gasps slightly with the impact or the tension. I can’t tell which, but I can’t stop myself.

Snaking an arm around the back of her neck, I wrap my hand around her nape, holding her in place. Then I bury my face in her neck, inhaling her deeply. She hums happily, and her reaction is exactly what I need.

“You smell so good, baby,” I mutter. Before she can respond, I press myself to her lips—and melt.

Everything sparks hot and heavy around us as she lets me in, and my kiss turns possessive, needing…desperate.

My hands squeeze everywhere they can touch. In response, her arms wrap around my neck. I know she doesn’t give a single damn about where we are, and the thought is intoxicating. I stoop down, grabbing her thighs, and lift her so she can wrap them around me. I think it surprises her, how easily I can take her weight, but she moans softly.

~Just hold back, not too far.~

But I don’t stop our kiss. It’s everything I ever dreamed it could be. The way her tongue dances with mine, the sweet honey taste of her mouth—it’s complete heaven.

~“Sir,”~ Kia says through the link and I reluctantly pull away from her.

~“What?”~ I ask him, resting my forehead on hers as we catch our breath.

~“The alpha is requesting his daughter return home.”~

~“Get the car.”~

~“Yes, sir.”~

I breathe her in once more and gently set her down, placing a much softer kiss on her mouth. I can feel the flushed heat in her cheeks against my palms. It’s beautiful.

“Your father has asked for you at home,” I say quietly.

“Shit,” she mutters and I feel her stiffen a little as I nod. “That was…”

“It was. Very.”

She chuckles at my response and takes my hand, now knowingly helping me navigate our route to the car. The weight of my secret has been lifted. Now I just hope I can trust her to keep it. If her ambitious daddy ever finds out about the king’s weakness…