Chapter 8
1616 Words
~ARTHUR~
Nathan turns to look at me again when I don't comment on his earlier statement.
"Arthur?"
I look up at him and I already know what my decision is before I open my mouth to speak.
"I'm not going to tell father what I saw today."
I see the shock in Nathan's eyes at my words and I understand why that look is there. I have never once lied to my father and I've always done exactly what he's asked of me. This was the first time I was going against him.
"Why?" He asks me. "This is unlike you. In fact if I was in your place I would have told father what I saw here today."
I nod. "I know you would have. That's the way father has brought us up. It's nothing unexpected if you'd done that to me."
"Are you sure you want to lie to him?" He asks me with concern. He knows just as much as I do what would happen to me if father ever found out that I'd deliberately kept the truth from him.
"We can make up something else." I tell him. "Father asked me to search for Lucas. I can tell him that I found out that you were actually out looking for Lucas. I can tell him that you were concerned for our sister and how she must be feeling after learning that Lucas had disappeared and you just wanted to find him for her."
Nathan seems to consider my idea for a few seconds. "You think he will believe that?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I'm not sure what father would believe but that's what I'll be telling him."
My brother takes a few minutes before he finally nods his head. "Alright, I think this might actually work."
"We just need to actually start looking for Lucas now. The only way father would believe us is if we actually have some information on his location."
"So where do you propose we start looking?" Nathan asks as he kicks a stick on the ground.
I quirk a brow. "The last I checked, Hunter seems to know a lot that's going on with Austin and his family since his wife has a close relationship with them."
Nathan's eyes widen. "You can't possibly be suggesting that we go over there?"
"You've come this far, why not go in and actually see her?"
Nathan sighs. "It isn't that easy . . . Whenever I see her . . ." He swallows. "It's harder when she's in front of me . . ."
He doesn't have to explain more. I know what he means. It's harder to resist your mate when they're in front of you, especially when their scent hits you, it's like a drug, you need to be next to them, and you need to touch them.
Gabriella's image makes its way into my mind again and once more I can smell her even though she isn't anywhere close to me. It's like her scent is stuck in my brain.
"I think this will be our best bet." I finally say. "They will have an idea where Lucas is . . . That's if they're willing to talk to us. Hunter already hates your guts."
"Alright, but we need to make it quick."
I nod and we both jump the fence and almost immediately some of Hunter's men surround us.
"We're just here to talk." I tell them.
"Like hell you are." One of the men shouts. "I say we kill the both of them right here, Hunter will be happy if we do."
Nathan gives me an amused look. He clearly knows as much as I do that these men alone can't possibly kill us.
"What's going on out here?" Esma asks as she tries to push her way through the men.
Her eyes widen when they settle on Nathan. The shock is quickly turned into anger and I see my brother wince at the look on her face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She demands from him. "Are you here to try and kill me again?"
A growl escapes his mouth at her accusation. She clearly doesn't know that my brother would faster hurt himself than hurt her.
"We're here to find out some information on Lucas; we believe that your brother will be able to help us." I say to her since Nathan was too busy growling.
Esma looks taken aback by my words. "Why should I tell either one of you anything?"
"Because Lucas can be in some real s**t if we don't give an answer on where he is to our father. He's looking for him and we need to know if there's a good reason why he's gone."
Lucas wasn't the only one that would be in some deep s**t with my father but she didn't have to know that.
Esma folds her arms and glares at the both of us. "Lucas's sister, she's gone missing. Hunter as well as Isabella and Austin's entire family is out looking for her. They haven't been back for days and I believe that the search hasn't been going well at all."
His sister was missing? Who would be brave enough to mess with that family's sister besides us and the council? I could think of a few but I didn't think any of them had anything against Austin or his family.
At least now I had an answer for my father. Hopefully he believed me when I told him where Nathan has been off to.
. . . . . . . . . . .
~GABRIELLA~
Arthur still hadn't returned to see me and I was beginning to think that he was still angry with what I'd said to him.
I immediately stand up when I hear footsteps advancing towards the door. I knew before the door opened than it was not Arthur. I tried to hide the disappointment on my face as an older version of him entered the room.
Gideon Blackner.
Gideon is nothing like his son. There is this scariness in him that makes chills travel down my spine. I still saw emotions in Arthur but when I looked at Gideon all I could see was plain coldness. He was drowning in this anger and hatred, it was eating him up inside and I don't think that he's realizing it.
I don't know how I knew this by just looking at the man but I definitely did.
"Has my son touched you yet?"
His question makes me shiver with disgust. How could a man ask that about his own son? I didn't think the Blackners could be anymore shameless than this.
"I don't have anything to say to you." I hiss.
I watch him like a hawk as he starts to walk towards me.
Even though I'm scared as he approaches me, I do not flinch. Instead I square my shoulders and tighten my fists at my sides. If he comes close enough I'll have a good chance at connecting my fist with his face.
No Gabriella . . . This isn't the right time for that.
The voice in my head distracts me for a second. I've always listened to the more sane part of me in situations like this. It was always right.
"You should be scared of me girl. You're at my mercy. Arthur will get you pregnant and you must not give him any trouble. If you do, I'll make your life a living hell." He threatens. "If you cooperate with us, we will let you go."
"Let me go?" I laugh. "Do you really think that I'm that gullible to believe that you people will let me go after using me for your dirty deeds?"
Gideon looks amused. "I don't go back on my word. It's up to you to believe me or not."
I narrow my eyes. "So you people expect me to have a baby . . . My very own baby . . . And leave it here with you?" I ask in a sarcastic tone. "You must be a special kind of stupid to think that I would ever do something like that. I'll be the worst mother in the universe to leave my baby in your family's care."
"I'm sure we can offer your child a much better life that you will ever be able to offer him." He says causing my body to stiffen. "You have to steal just to get food Gabriella, you can barely afford to feed yourself, do you really think that will be a good life for a baby?"
I don't think I've ever been as angry as I am now. Gideon Blackner was truly the most disgusting man I've ever come across in my life.
"It's clear that my son has not touched you when he should have done so already." He says suddenly, I can tell that he's angry and for some reason I'm worried about what that means for Arthur.
Why was I even concerned about that man? Yet I couldn't help the way that I felt because of the bond between us. Whether or not I wanted to feel like this didn't matter at all.
I was slowly becoming understanding of the fact that I would feel things that I didn't want to. This was normal when you'd found your mate.
I watched as Gideon stormed out of the room but not before reminding me of what he'd said earlier.
I fell back against the wall in frustration.
What would happen to me now? Would Arthur bend under the pressure from his father?
I truly hope that doesn’t happen.
- Writer
