SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirteen: Cole
The island possessed more than just a sanctuary to make out on as Ava discovered after spending twenty minutes with Lucas against a tree. It took a while for her to get her head back to reality and push his pouting, swollen lips off her before they explored the area and entered the cave.
It was magic. The walls held a particular glow to them that she couldn’t quite place, and the small pool led out through a tunnel system that led under the island and back out into the ocean. They had learnt this when they were looking into it and saw the male mermaid from before swim past and come out from the ocean moments later. Ava didn’t recognise him at first once he appeared from the distance she was standing, but she knew the way he had turned and looked at them from within the cave.
She didn’t know this feeling when she saw the two mermaids. She didn’t know why she felt like she had met them before but their eyes, one the colour of Sapphire and the other the colour of emeralds, it was like she had known them her whole life. And she wasn’t the only one as Lucas had voiced her thoughts moments later.
They took their time not wanting to go back after that. Ava kept her eyes open to see if she could spot more mermaids but it seemed as if the waters were silent. It wasn’t until her stomach grumbled that Lucas realised that he forgot to pack food and offered to take her back to his ship to which she agreed.
And now she was back to the same position she was in when they first arrived. Her fingers grazed the water’s edge while Lucas rowed. She had offered to do it, but he had insisted that he treat his lady like the princess, which only made her blush and look away. He didn’t have to be so sweet but with every look, touch, and word that fell out of his mouth without a second thought, she knew that she was slowly falling for his charms.
Although it didn’t take much. He had been on her mind for the last four years and now that he was hers, it was like a fantasy come true. She didn’t know what the moon goddess thought when she decided to give Ava a second chance with a mate that she desired but she wasn’t going to question it. Instead, she was going to allow this feeling of home to consume her.
The boat came to a stop as she lifted her head and watched as Lucas jumped out and pushed the boat up the shore. She felt useless as he did this but he did it so flawlessly, her help would have been pointless but she made a mental note to make him something sweet as a thank you for today. It was the least she could do considering he was doing all of the manual labour.
“Are you sure you don’t want any help?” She asked as she looked up and saw that one of the crew members had lowered the rope.
Lucas shook his head and smiled so sweetly that she felt her heart swell. “No, stay in the boat, I’ve got this.”
Ava wanted to argue, she wanted to help, but he moved so swiftly as if he had done this a million times, that she felt like she was suddenly enchanted. He tied the rope to the handles before he quickly disappeared. At first, she wondered if he wanted her to stay in the boat for when it gets pulled, but instead, she found herself looking up again to find that he was pulling.
She felt herself move, the sudden movements making her squeal and giggle to herself as she held the sides. It was a strange feeling, but she trusted Lucas, and if he were to drop her, he’d hate himself and she didn’t want to see him go through that mental torture.
“Take my hand.”
She bit her lips, feeling a little nervous as she stood and wobbled. His hold on her hand was strong and as she felt his other hand on her waist, she felt her heart stop entirely. Ava didn’t know what was wrong with her, all she wanted to do was take his clothes off and ride him like no tomorrow which contradicted her need to get to know someone before she gave her body up. She refused Shane for so long but all Lucas needed to do was smile and touch her waist and suddenly she wanted to know what he sounded like while he was deep inside her guts.
Ava felt herself blush and tried not to make eye contact as he made sure that she didn’t buckle once her feet touched his ship. His hold lingered longer than she thought he would touch her for as she met his eyes and felt her breath hitch. The tension was so strong that she wondered what suddenly changed.
They kissed each other for so long on that island and the trip back wasn’t like this so why was it now? Why was she so willing to take him into his room on this ship and give herself to him? Beg him to turn her into his property and never let go.
“Still hungry or are you going to eat me?” He questioned with an amused look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t fight you if you did.”
Her eyes widened before she slapped his chest. “I want food, not your di-“ She cut herself off before she finished that sentence. She could feel how hot her face had turned and his amused chuckling was only turning her on even more.
He came up behind her and placed his hand on her back before he gestured towards the stairs to enter the ship entirely. “After you, milady.”
She puffed out her cheeks, shaking off the feeling of his touch before she entered. The meal that he had provided didn’t disappoint and neither did the small kitchen as they ate together and enjoyed the peace. She had almost forgotten about what Cole was having to do today and where Eugene was as her attention was solely on the man in front of her.
Normally her attention was on her brothers. Her entire life has been about them as the same has gone for them towards her. Even when she was with Shane, her attention was never deterred like this but Lucas seemed to have such a grasp on her that she found herself agreeing with everything he offered.
From chocolate-covered strawberries to the sweetest tarts, she found herself enjoying everything because he was there. His goblet filled with what she assumed was blood and the gentle touch of his fingers as he played with her hair and stared down at her as if she was the only reason why he breathed. It was some kind of magical experience that she never thought that she would ever experience until it was suddenly ruined.
Ava smelt her Alpha before she heard his booming voice calling Lucas out. Her eyes met his before he cupped her face with his hands. “Stay here.”
“He could hurt you.”
“I’d rather he hurt me than watch him hurt you.” He said before he kissed his lips. She felt herself moan at the contact before he slightly pulled back. “Please, stay here.”
She nodded, watching him hesitate before he let her go and left the room. Lucas closed the door behind him, her eyes subconsciously waiting for him to lock the door but he didn’t. He was blindly trusting her not to follow him but she needed to know what was going on, she needed to make sure that he was going to be okay and that determination made her leave the room.
Ava didn’t want to be caught, she didn’t want to be seen as her Alpha didn’t know about her mate bond with Lucas yet. He didn’t believe in second-chance mates and that gave her the advantage she needed to pretend that Lucas was nothing but some vampire to her.
Her eyes drifted towards his room knowing that his window was the only access outside. Ava knew that she was too short to reach it but she had to think fast as she looked around and eyed his bedside table. It was small and she hoped that it would be able to hold her weight but it was the only item in his empty room that she would be able to climb other than his bookshelf but that was on the other side of the room and filled to the brim with books.
Ava pulled the table towards the window, her fingers fumbling with the latch of the window before it swung open. A heartbeat later she heard a deep growl and a whimpered scream that she instantly knew came from Cole. Her heart sank, her body beginning to shake as she tried to convince herself that he would be okay, that her Alpha wouldn’t harm him but as she climbed up onto the side of the ship, she knew that her hopes were slowly disintegrating.
“Bring out that little slut of yours and everything will be okay,” Alpha growled. “You are on my lands boy! You do as I say!”
“Don’t do it.” Cole breathed out before another groan took his next breath. She couldn’t see what was happening as she climbed up the sides and held onto whatever she could but the pained groans coming from Cole only made her panic and wish that they had left this stupid island a long time ago. They were never truly loyal to their Alpha and as much as they hated the idea, living as a rogue wouldn’t be as scary as this.
“I will never sacrifice my mate!” Luke seethed, the anger in his tone made her eyes widen and her core ache as she shook her head and had to question what was wrong with her to like the sound of his anger. “She has already done what you asked, her family shouldn’t be punished for your lack of brains.”
“Hiding that she was your mate from me is a crime punishable by death! And this mutt refused to admit that he knew about it.” Her Alpha calmly said as she finally found a spot where she could see them. Lucas’s back was to her but she could see her Alpha holding Cole by his hair while his hands were tied behind his back. His blond curls were covered in blood and just as she started to wonder where Eugene was, her eyes landed on him. His own hands were tied behind his back and his mouth was gagged while a knife was held against his throat. Her Beta looked like he was enjoying himself as he watched this play out and that only fueled her sudden, protective anger. “If she doesn’t come out in the next ten seconds, her mutt of a brother is going to watch his mate die before his own throat is slit.”
Gene’s eyes shot from Cole to Luke before he shook his head as if he were trying to tell Luke not to say anything. She felt her breath hitch, her eyes blurring with tears as she watched him sacrifice not only himself but Cole as well to protect her. And he wasn’t the only one as Cole had closed his eyes and was waiting to die, he was ready and there was no way that he was going to give her up knowing that she was safe inside of this ship however none of them knew that she had snuck out.
Ava heard Lucas respond but she didn’t pay attention to his words. She was trying to find his crew members but the whole ship was empty besides the people she was currently looking at. He only had a part of five members but they were nowhere in sight and she dreaded the thought that her Alpha had harmed them before pulling this stunt.
She found herself moving forward, watching as her Alpha raised his hand and went to command his Beta to hold Gene still before she spoke through her mate bond and hoped that Lucas would hear. ‘I trust you, I trust you with my entire heart and although we have had a short time together, I love you, Lucas. I love you so much and I can’t sit here and watch this. Please, please trust me.’
Ava didn’t wait for his response but she saw him jump and turn around just as she crawled out of where she was hiding and jumped down onto the dock. “I’m here.”