CHAPTER 17

Lucas woke up on the floor, and he stretched, releasing the kinks. He had stayed up late last night, trying to figure out a plan.
He wasn't even aware when he had slept off. He rubbed his neck, groaning. "This is fucking bullshit." He made his way around the room, finding a bathroom behind a wall of vines.
"How cute. I wonder if she put me here because it resembles a forest." He ran his hands over the wall, marvelling at the architecture. It felt just like the walls near his town's waterfall.
The door opened and he moved back inor the main room to see her holiness standing there. She had changed her robes, and was wearing this dress that shimmered like gold. "Good morning, my Lord. Shall I fetch clothes for you?"
Lucas gave her a sly smirk, folding his arms. "How sure am I that they wouldn't be charmed?" She just smiled. "You have my word that they would be completely normal."
Lucas ignored his wolf's protests, nodding at her. "I will see you in ten minutes then. I trust the clothes would be here before I am done showering?" She nodded, bowing before she left the room.
He shook his head as he made his way to the bathroom, ignoring his wolf. He pushed him to the back of his head. The shower felt like rain.
Lucas laughed, as he ran his fingers through his hair. Trust the witches to do everything almost perfectly. He used the soap that was kept there, almost regretting it since it made him smell like roses and lavender.
True to her word, he found clothes waiting for him on the bed. It was a simple tunic and shorts.
Can I smell it? Maybe I can smell if something's off.
Lucas obliged, lifting the clothes to his nose. He didn't snell anything but that damned shower soap and his wolf burst into laughter.
You are going to be trying to intimidate her smelling like a fucking garden.
It's not about your smell. It's about your aura and to be fair, you smell like this too.
His wolf kept silent after that, making Lucas laugh. He put on the tunic, and it immediately moved to fit his form.
He shook his head, slipping his legs into the shorts. He had no time for this. He needed to get his plan over with. Moving towards the door, he lifted his hand to open it, but the door slid open on its own.
Of course. Her holiness was standing there, giving him a smile that hid nothing. It was clear she was proud of herself, and Lucas didn't push. "Are you to be on your way shortly, my Lord?"
Lucas pushed her aside gently, walking down the hall. "I am not unfortunately. We have business to discuss, My queen." "May I ask what kind of business this is?"
Lucas looked at her over his shoulder, giving her a smirk. "You would know in time. I am absolutely famished. Is it possible to eat breakfast first?" She narrowed her eyes, walking faster to catch up to him.
"You best mind your tone. I wouldn't tolerate it again, especially since we are in my house." "My deepest apologies then. I am still terribly hungry."
She grabbed his forearm, propelling him forward. "We can talk about it over breakfast. We have already prepared a table." "When did you..." "Witches wake up with the first streak of sunlight. It is better for our magic."
Her nails dug into his arm. "And you should stop asking too much about our practices. I am not sure you would return the favour." Lucas rolled his eyes, gently pulling his arm off her grip. "There's literally nothing about werewolves that's a secret at this point."
Her holiness only smiled, showing her pearl white teeth. "I highly doubt so. Alexander Firadus was one of a kind, was he not? I am sure you have your secrets you hide." Lucas didn't respond, recognising a bait when he saw one.
He didn't know what she was trying to get, but he wasn't about to risk anything. "Why so many tunnels?" "We call them pathways. They are so intruders would find it hard to locate me." Lucas tilted his head, taking in her aura.
He was willing to bet he could track her down just by smelling it, but he kept silent. "We mask our auras. For someone so secretive, your eyes don't hold back your thoughts." Lucas fought the urge to slam her into a wall. "You talk too much."
Her holiness smiled widely, poking his arm. "I definitely hit a nerve there. You shouldn't be ashamed of such a trait. It's refreshing." Lucas bit his lip to keep himself from responding to her. He lifted his head to see a dead end in front of them and before he could talk, she lifted her palm.
She lifted her hood over her head, waving her hand at the wall. Words he couldn't understand left her mouth and the wall melted away. "That's a pretty neat security system. Why can't the wall be broken down?"
Her holiness lifted her skirts, smiling. "It's simple magic. We use charms and spells everywhere. Some walls are fitted with silver and mercury. Others with garlic and holy water." "Holy water affects witches, does it not?"
Her holiness nodded at him, moving over the threshold. He followed suit and they walked into a room that was similar to the room he slept in. There were so many people milling around and he grabbed her arm.
"We need to speak in private." Her holiness just scoffed, yanking her hand out of his. "I trust my people." "That's completely bullshit. There are still people who are traitors. Who don't totally agree with your ways."
She glared at him, rubbing her hand. "Well, I am sorry, wolf. I trust my people. Either we speak here, or we don't speak at all." Lucas wanted to beat sense into her. Preferably with a stick.
"You are smarter than this, Jezebel. You don't want to risk anything. Trust me when I say not every witch is happy with my presence here and they wouldn't mind killing me."
Jezebel smiled, shrugging. "Oh I know. The difference is that, I don't care. I am bloody serious. I trust my people. And if you are so paranoid, I can cast a spell to give us privacy."
She adjusted her crown. "But I always eat breakfast with my people..Your prense is not enough to change that." Lucas was slowly getting infuriated with her stand so he bent down and slipped his hand under her knee, the second coming to rest at her back.
She screamed and grabbed his neck, making every witch and Wizard in the room turn to face them. "She is fine. Get back to your business." They still gave him that wary look and it wasn't until her holiness spoke from his hands that they did turn back. "I am fine. Listen to what he says."
He marched out of the room, dropping her down immediately he got over the threshold. "We go somewhere private. I am not about to tell you what I want to tell you when nearly all your people are in there."
She nodded, turning around so comically he had to hold in his laughter. He moved quickly to catch up with her. Her holiness took him down another passage, opening another wall to led him inside an office.
It was different from the first place he had met her before and he found himself admiring the decor. It was obvious she wasn't the first one to inhabit this room. "Happy now? Sit down I am going to get some maids to bring in food."
He watched her as she left the room, but he remained standing. He moved over to the portraits on the wall, admiring the artist hand.
These are the past her holiness. It's a family tradition passed down.
Lucas noticed his little spit fire was number 13 and he curbed his thoughts. His? She wasn't his. He wasn't even attracted to her. He was just here for the plan and he would be on his way as soon as it was over.
His wolf laughed like he knew something Lucas didn't and Lucas wasn't in the mood to entertain him. "Oh! I am so sorry!"
Lucas turned around to see the maid from yesterday. She had her head down, so down he could only see the top of her head. "It's fine. You may lift your head." She did so almost instantly, her eyes meeting his's.
She was pretty in that untouched fragile flower type of way and he waved her closer. "Come. I need your help to explain this." "I am not good at witching, my Lord. It is why I am nothing but a simple maid servant."
He was about to open his mouth to tell her otherwise when Her holiness walked in with least 5 more girls. "What are you doing here?" The girl bowed her head again instantly. "I only came here to clean, My Queen. I did not expect him to be here."
She gave her a quick curtsey, moving out of the room in a motion that almost resembled a rat in the presence of a cat. Her holiness waited till all her maids dropped the trays and she didn't miss the way they stared at him.
It was something that resembled longing and want. She hated it. She gave him a once over, crossing her arms. "You are distracting my women." Lucas shrugged, sitting on her desk and crossing his legs. "I am sorry they haven't seen a werewolf in the flesh before, but I can't stop their emotions...or arousals."
She shook her head, trying to ignore what that last whisper made her feel. She waved him over to the sette, gesturing to the food. "I am famished. You said you were too. You should come over and tell me what was so important it had to be private."
Lucas slid off the table, moving to sit on the pillow across her. "It's a form of a deal." She dropped the hand that was lifting oats to her mouth, arching her brows. "Deal?"
Lucas picked up a sandwich, biting into it with relish. He let himself let out a low moan, before he answered her. "Yes. A deal."
She folded her arms, arching a brow at him. "A deal between whom, if I may ask?" Lucas picked up a cup of steaming tea. "Witches and werewolves."
Her face was so comical he had to laugh. "Excuse me? Come again. What would we benefit from making a deal with your tribe?" Lucas snorted, taking a sip of the tea. "I could ask you the same question." "We bring many benefits and you know it. Your kind have nothing to offer us."
She laughed, shaking her head. "You talk about making a deal between us and werewolves? How sure are you that you are righteous enough to hold up your end of the bargain?"
Lucas shook his head, dropping his cup. "It's not that kind of deal. It's more of a treaty." She still looked confused so he cleared his throat. "You said you were sorry for what your tribe had done, did you not?"
He waited till she nodded before he continued. "Well, my plan is simple. Your kind doesn't come into our tribes' border and we stay away from yours. We both avoid each other."
Her holiness looked at the hand he lifted towards her. "We can make deals between ourselves, but for the most part, we stay on our side, you stay on yours. Do we have a deal?"
She looked at his hand for so long he nearly dropped it. Lucas released his breath. Whatever her answer, he was going to be ready. Because Lucas of the Crescent Moon tribe always got what he wanted. Always.