Chapter 7 - The Talk

Luci was so happy to see Xavier on the other side of the door that she slid to the floor in relief and started crying. She had been sure it was one of the men after her.

When she opened the door, Xavier expected her to scream and yell. He wasn't expecting her to cry and look so vulnerable. He had been worried that he was the one to make her cry until he saw relief in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He hesitated for just a minute and then went inside her apartment to sit on the floor next to her.

"I thought you were someone else. I should have never left San Diego, but I did to try and put distance between us. Now I'm so glad you're here because I don't know what to do." Xavier stood up and reached his hand down to help her up.

"Why don't you change into something more comfortable? Then you can tell me what is upsetting you, and I'll try to help, okay?" Luci stared at him. He was the first man to look at her with concern, not lust. She nodded before walking to her bedroom to change.

Xavier watched her leave with concern. Whatever she was scared of was obviously worse than being with him. He looked around her apartment and smiled. It was comfortable and feminine. Her scent was so strong that he felt like he was swimming in it.

Luci removed her dress and slipped into a pair of lounge pants and a T-shirt. She wasn't used to having a man in her apartment or being around one that wanted to talk to her and not just get her into bed. Right now, she needed a friend, and she hoped Xavier would be that for her without any strings attached.

She was almost shy and unsure of what to do when she came out of the bedroom. Luci walked into her kitchen to see what she had. Even though she didn't need human food, she still ate it, so her refrigerator was stocked thanks to her cleaning service getting everything she'd asked for.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" She asked Xavier.

"Uh, sure. I'll have whatever you're having." He watched her move around the kitchen. When Luci wasn't all dressed up, she looked more fragile, and right now, she looked like she was on the verge of breaking.

Luci made them both sandwiches and poured them each a little wine. She didn't want to get drunk; she needed a clear head. When they were sitting down at the bar eating, she looked at Xavier and smiled.

"How did you find me so quickly?" Her sweet innocent smile made his heart melt.

"I have my resources. I showed up at your home in San Diego this morning with breakfast for you and ran into the housekeeper, who said you had left town. One of my contacts found you had taken a flight to New York, and when I got off the plane, they gave me this address." Luci stared at him in shock.

"You were bringing me breakfast this morning after the way I acted?" She couldn't believe it. She'd had sex right in front of him with three different men, and he was bringing her breakfast. She had never been ashamed of her extracurricular activities, but she didn't feel so good about them right now.

"Yes, I was bringing you breakfast. I know you had your own life before I was in the picture, and you don't want a mate. However, I don't give up easily. I had planned on trying to convince you to at least talk to me, but you slipped away." Xavier smiled at her as he sipped his wine.

Luci didn't know what to say. No one had ever done anything for her without wanting something in return. Even something as simple as bringing her breakfast. What man would even care if she was hungry or not when they only wanted one thing? She was starting to doubt herself when it came to Xavier. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." Luci spoke softly as she looked at her hands. Xavier felt his heart break hearing what she said.

"How about you tell me why you were so upset when I arrived, okay? Then we can figure everything else out later. I promise I won't make you do anything you don't want. I just want us to have a chance to get to know one another."

Luci was once again rendered speechless. Was this man even real? She thought they all thought with their penises, but he was the opposite of every man she had ever known. She decided to open up to him a little and see where it went.

"Okay, let's go sit on the couch. I need to feel comfortable after what happened tonight. I'll be honest, I'm terrified." She stood up and walked over to the couch.

Xavier sat on one end, expecting her to sit on the other. He watched her hesitate and look at him. From what he had seen of her tonight, he knew she needed to feel safe. So he reached his hand out to her, and when she took it, he guided her over to sit next to him.

Luci curled up next to him as he put his arm around her. She had never felt so safe or comfortable in her entire life.

Xavier couldn't believe he was sitting with his mate, and she was letting him console her. Whatever happened to her tonight, he knew it must be bad to break her like this. He just knew whatever it was, he would help her get through it, no matter what the outcome was or if she still decided to reject him.

"I went to a club tonight to do what I usually do. Something told me that I should leave, but I decided to stay. After I had only been there a short time, all these men came in with guns and started shooting in the air. They then rounded up all the shifters and vampires putting them in trucks. I stayed hidden with two human women pretending I was human too. The men started pouring gasoline, and the leader said they were going to burn the place down. I was able to sneak myself and the two women out the back door, but everyone else died. I heard them screaming. We went down the alley, and I had the two women stay there to wait for the police, and I took off down the street. The men saw me and started chasing me, but I was faster, so I was able to get back to my apartment by jumping rooftops. When you came, I thought it was those men."

Xavier couldn't believe what he was hearing. Obviously, these men were interested in vampires and shifters for something criminal. As Luci cried, he held her tightly, stroking her back. She may be the strongest woman he had ever met, but he could tell she needed someone by her side.

"I'm so sorry you went through that tonight. I'll do everything I can to find these men and have them pay for what they're doing. My dad is the king. Even if he isn't the king of the vampires, he is the king of the shifters, and if his people are being kidnapped, he needs to know."

Luci dried her eyes and looked up at Xavier. She knew he was a lycan but didn't know he was a prince. He could have any woman he wanted because he was royalty, but he was chasing her across the country.

"You're a prince?"

Xavier realized he had never disclosed that to her because they had never had a real conversation. Luci was looking at him in astonishment, and he smiled.

"Yes, I'm a prince. The crown prince, actually." Luci was even more shocked. If he were the crown prince, he would eventually be king.

"What are you doing here with me if you're the crown prince? You could have any woman you want from any species. I'm a nobody who has been trying to get away from you." Luci felt like she didn't deserve to be in his company.

"You're my mate, and that's all that matters to me. I don't want to be with someone who is only after my money and title. I've always wanted to be with my fated mate. That's why I would chase you to the ends of the earth if I had to. I want you." Xavier smiled at the confusion on her pretty face.

"So you want to be with me because I'm your mate? Don't you have any other motive? How is that even possible?" Luci was almost speaking to herself.

"Yes, I want to be with you because you're my mate. I have no other motive than the bond that binds us together. Have you never seen anyone that has a mate bond connection? How about your parents?" Xavier was starting to feel that Luci had witnessed a bad mate experience, which was the cause of her no-mate plan.

"My parents, yes, their bond was strong, and they have always wanted me to find my mate. I had a sister, Amelia, who wasn't so lucky. She found her mate, who was another vampire. When they first met, everything was great, she moved in with him, and they were getting along fine. That's what she told us anyway. In reality, he was abusive to her. He was slipping her a potion so she couldn't use her vampire abilities, so basically, she was a human. He eventually left her to be with his chosen mate, who he was seeing before meeting my sister. Amelia was weak, still having the potion in her system, and it broke her when he left. She ended up killing herself by setting herself on fire. That's when I decided I wouldn't accept my mate if I ever met him because I didn't want to be broken like she was."

Xavier's heart hurt for Luci and what her sister went through. How could a mate be so cruel? He held her a little tighter.

"That's not how a mate is supposed to treat their better half. If you ever decide to accept me, you won't regret it, and I'll spend my entire life proving it to you." Luci looked up into Xavier's eyes and saw that he was speaking the truth. She wasn't ready to accept him yet, but she figured keeping him around for now wouldn't hurt.

"If your dad is the king, can he really help catch the men from tonight?" Luci was wondering if she should say that she recognized the leader.

"I promise they'll pay for what they're doing." Xavier took a chance and leaned down, kissing her forehead.

"I know the leader. He's a friend of my father's. His name is Nolan, and he's a vampire." Luci said. She tried not to think about the sparks that shot through her body from his kiss.

"I'll let my dad know so he can start an investigation. Let's turn on the news and see if there's anything about what happened tonight." Luci nodded and stood up.

"Let's watch the news in my bedroom. Will you sleep with me tonight? I don't want sex, but you make me feel safe. After what happened earlier, that's what I need." She hoped he would understand.

Luci had a feeling that sex with Xavier would be different than the men she had been with. He was her mate, and even she knew it was deeper than just sex.

Xavier understood what she meant, and he would do whatever she wanted. He wanted to make her see that he was there for her, no matter what. He would hold her all night long as long as she was safe. He stood up and hugged her.

"I'll do and be whatever you want." Xavier pulled away from her and looked into her beautiful deep brown eyes. She gave him a small smile.

Luci led the way into her bedroom and pulled the covers back after she turned on the TV. She lay down as Xavier took off his pants, shirt, shoes, and socks. He then slipped into bed next to her and pulled her over so he could wrap his arms around her.

Luci took a deep breath and snuggled into his warm embrace. She was enjoying the feel of him rubbing her back when she heard they were talking about the fire at a club on the news. She and Xavier both looked toward the TV.

"Tonight, a club in Manhattan was set on fire, killing at least a hundred people. The NYPD has stated that at this time, they have no leads on the men who set the fire and kidnapped an estimated fifty people. We spoke to two witnesses who wished to remain anonymous. They said they would have died with everyone else if it weren't for one woman's bravery. They didn't know her name, but they described her to one of the sketch artists. If anyone has seen this woman, please call the NYPD. They would like to talk to her about what she witnessed."

The newswoman then held up a sketch that was clearly Luci, and it terrified her. There was no doubt if Nolan saw that picture, he would be coming after her.