Chapter 07

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T E M P T E D


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"Are you familiar with Niccolò Machiavelli's work as well?" Lucas questioned, startling Irina. He walked over to the table and began collecting the disheveled books. The girl quickly withdrew her hand from the cover so that he could gather it with the rest as well. She placed her limb on her lap with her other hand and reluctantly nodded her head. "Really? That's astonishing. Not many girls your age know about him. Usually the response I get is Nicco—what?" He chuckled dryly, trying to make light conversation. On his face was a rather crooked yet charming grin, nowhere near the image she was displaying.

Irina looked at the boy with a peculiar expression, one he was not able to decipher. Suddenly, he felt like he had made the situation awkward and uncomfortable. His smile dimmed down right away and he wondered if he might have made an offensive, sexist remark. Lucas was mentally scolding himself as he arranged the books into the small shelf he had by his bed.

When he returned, Irina let out a soft laugh and shook her head, stunning and easing him at the same time. "Tell me about it," she said. "I can never have an intellectually fulfilling conversation with any of them. All they babble on about are the latest fashion trends, makeup, parties and boys. How absurd and tedious. Are they not aware that there are other things much more meaningful and beneficial waiting to be acknowledged by them?"

A mocking smile greeted Lucas and he watched the girl with utter fascination. Although he had been in isolation for two years now, he knew that every word coming out of her mouth was very true. Whenever his father hosted a party, he was always forced to greet, accompany and or entertain the daughters of their guests. There were a lot of them, too many to count and keep record of, and everything they talked about were either superficial or materialistic. The things the boy could not stand to listen to.

Every time he tried to initiate a conversation about poetry or literature, they would always refer to gossip columns and magazines. Whenever he would mention Renaissance artists and their beautiful artworks, they would refocus the attention on themselves and ask his opinion on their appearance for the evening instead.

Honestly, Lucas was getting, just as Irina had phrased it, bored and tired with the conversations they held. He didn't find anything they said interesting. However, it was forbidden for him to act ill-manneredly toward the girls or else he'd get into deep trouble with his father. He had to play the part of the good and obedient son and, for the last fifteen years of living under his father's care, that's exactly what he did.

Don't misunderstand Lucas though. Just because he had to put up such a façade didn't mean he was a hypocritical, heartless monster behind closed doors. There were just some things that bothered him and those typical, pompous and shallow girls fell into that dreadful category. Now that he had put some thought to it, Irina was the only person he encountered who was bold enough to make such a claim. The first person who was brave enough to voice out her personal thoughts bluntly.

Even he never dared to do that at times when he desperately wanted to.

With questioning and curious eyes, he observed Irina who was still smiling. He cocked his head to the side a bit and took everything about her in. She was breathtakingly gorgeous. More beautiful than anything he had ever feasted his eyes upon. Her skin was fair, not a single blemish in sight. She had eyes as blue as the waters on the coasts and her long, blonde locks added a nice contrast. Lucas felt his breath get stuck in his throat as he watched her curl a piece of dampened hair behind her ear. But then, as he stared harder at her, he noticed how pale and grey her complexion appeared to be. He also took note of how her face lacked color and vibrancy.

Next, she lifted her head and met his gaze. Her smile disappeared and that's when he saw the sadness behind those mesmerizing orbs. All had fallen silent, excluding the storm outside and his heart felt as though it was being suffocated. He could clearly see the pain harbored within her. Irina closed her eyes and when they were in view again, he saw the color had flickered into a bright and golden auburn. A quiet gasp slipped out and she immediately glanced away.

"You're..." Lucas paused, not knowing what to say. "You're a werewolf, aren't you." His remark was nowhere near a question though because he was aware that the only creatures in Elysium who had such winsome and mystifying eye colors were werewolves. There was just this sort of glisten and gleam they had which distinguished them from everyone else.

Irina's eyes widened, baffled by the fact that he was able to discover her so quickly. She turned to him, lips quivering. "How did you know? Are you, perhaps, a wolf as well?" A mixture of emotions whirled inside of her. What was she doing? She should keep to herself and mind her own business, but she couldn't help her curiosity.

Lucas slowly shook his head and rejected her suggestion. "I'm human. But your eyes..." His voice trailed off as he extended an arm towards her face. She was confused by his actions and words. After a moment, she realized they must have transformed colors. "They're so beautiful," he finished wistfully as his fingers brushed against the corner of her eye.

She expected to feel uneasy, but all she felt was his warmth spreading throughout her entire body. Irina stared at Lucas and his expression was gentle, filled with nothing but affection. Her vital, blood-pumping organ hitched and, for a second, the thought of her family vanished. All she could see was Lucas. All she could think about was Lucas and the crazy thing about it all? They hadn't even formally introduced themselves to one another yet.

They were practically strangers but, oddly enough, Irina felt like she had known the lad her entire life.

Completely enchanted by the girl, Lucas received the urge to lean in and press a kiss on her irresistible looking lips. Her eyes eventually returned back to their original shade of blue yet the need to taste her was still lingering in his mind. He had never experienced such an overwhelming sensation before and, gradually, he found himself leaning over the table. His eyelids began to droop lower and lower but then the girl spoke up.

"The soup is bubbling." Irina shot up from her seat, forgetting about her hold on the blanket as she stalked over to the stove with her legs in plain sight. Her cheeks were inflamed while her heart continued to pound into her ribcage. She couldn't deny the chemistry between the two of them but it was all too abrupt for her to accept so easily. Her breathing was ragged as she searched for a ladle. She turned the fire off and, as her eyes scoped the area, she spotted the dining utensils.

She was stirring the soup mindlessly, when the thought of her family returned. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she felt completely disgusted with herself. How could she forget about the people she loved the most because of some mere boy she had just met? She felt sick to her stomach. How could she be get distracted so easily? What was wrong with her?

The expression on her face saddened and soon hardened as she turned around and looked at Lucas. He had his eyes set on her naked legs. When he saw that she was staring at him ogling, he turned away, embarrassed that he had been caught red-handed. He expected the girl to scold him but she didn't. "Where are we?" Was the sentence which left her lips and for a moment he was stunned. He managed to shift his attention back toward Irina and again, her face was stale and unreadable. "Please, I have to know. It's a matter of life and death." So she wasn't a local he guessed.

At those words, Lucas picked up on the tinges of horrification and anxiety mingled in with her voice. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but refrained from doing so since he felt like it wasn't his place to ask. "We're in Eden," he answered as he stood up.

"Eden?" Irina repeated as she released an alleviated puff of air. She knew exactly where they were. Eden was a suburban and secluded provincial town but it bordered the capital city. How joyous the news was for her! Whenever her family had to travel to Savannah, where their summer estate was located, they would always cut across Eden. "And how far would you say we are from Collier?" she bombarded, trying her best not to sound too eager.

The boy gave it some thought before coming up with an estimation. "A little under two hours perhaps. Why are you asking?"

"A little under two hours," Irina mumbled. That was the only amount of time separating her from her family. She ignored Lucas's question as she glanced out the window. The storm was still thriving and she prayed for it to end sooner than expected because she was aware that once the sun began to set, her family was going to be executed. She had to get to them and she had to get to them fast. Storm or no storm, she was going to leave. So she decided that once the rain lightened, she would resume her journey back to the place she had once called her home.

Little did she realize that it was easier said than done because Lucas Vanderbilt was not a boy who would allow a lady to travel alone, especially when there was a dangerous storm at bay.

* * *

"I can't pick up her scent!" Kaleb growled in his wolf form. "Where the hell did she go?" His fur was getting heavier because it was soaked with water but he didn't care about that at the moment. His head snapped left and then right but all he caught sight of were the trees. He had been searching for Irina for hours now and thanks to the bloody weather, all traces of her were practically washed away.

At the start of his search, the boy was able to track her movements and get an idea of which direction she had gone because of her footprints in the dirt. But a few miles later, the storm had settled in and destroyed all the evidence he could have followed up on. It was getting frustrating for him and then he heard a howl. He turned to his left and found a black-furred wolf with icy blue eyes staring at him.

It was Xavier. "Did you find her yet?" the older boy questioned.

"No. Not with this damn weather but how the hell did you know she would leave?" Kaleb snapped, irritated.

Xavier lowered his head, "I put myself in her shoes and figured she wouldn't be able to stay away from her family. I just didn't expect her to run away in the middle of the night without a word though. If I had known, I would have stopped her."

Kaleb clawed into the ground underneath him with fury. "She's so fucking going to die either way if she keeps this shit up. If her people don't kill her, I will," he snarled venomously as he sprinted in another direction.

As Xavier watched the younger wolf disappear, he could only whimper in agony. She's braver than I am, Lyra. Why am I such a coward? But he wasn't a coward. He was only following his lover's last death wish.

He had lied to Irina when he told her he wasn't able to see her sister because of the tight security. The truth was he managed to sneak in and through one of the small, barred windows he was able to talk to Lyra along with her mother and brothers. The worst part was that Lyra begged him to leave her. She told him to let her die because if he tried saving her, it would only end in vain, especially with the enchanted collars locked around their necks.

. . .

"Lyra, do you know what you're saying right now?" Xavier hissed with his eyes watering.

"I do, Theo," Lyra croaked out as she looked away from him.

"I can't just leave you like this. I won't," he declared. He wanted to break off those stupid iron bars but there was no point because it was a nearly impossible task. Yet he tried doing so anyways. It was the middle of the night and the guards were patrolling the vicinity, making it all the more dangerous for him to be there.

"Theo, you have to leave! If they discover you, you will be killed on the spot," Lyra ordered worriedly but he didn't listen.

"I can't, Lyra. I love you so much. I'll die with you because a life without you will be a meaningless one," he confessed sincerely and brokenly.

The girl held his hands and shook her head. "You can't die. If you die with me then who will protect Irina? She's out there My baby sister is out there all alone and she needs you."

"You need me more!" Xavier nearly shouted.

"If you really love me, you will find Irina and do everything to keep her safe. Do you hear me, Theodore? If you love me, save my sister. Protect her because my family and I will no longer be able to do that. Irina, she's special. She has to live; she's Elysium's only hope," she cried out. "Please, Theo. We have already accepted our fates and so must you. Just know I will love you even until the last breath I take." Then she removed the bracelet she had gotten when she was able to transform at the age of sixteen and handed it to him. It was one of her most cherished possessions. "I will always be with you. So please leave or I won't be able to rest in peace."

Xavier gripped the bracelet and more tears fled from his eyes. He knew how determined Lyra was and when her mind was set on something, there was no changing it. She was as solid as a rock. His heart clenched a great deal as he took one last longing and earnest look at her. "I will protect Irina, Lyra. Because I love you that much. If this is what you really want, I'll do it."

Lyra sniffled and nodded. "It is. Thank you so much, Theo. And don't you dare blame yourself for any of this."

"Wait for me up there, okay? I'll see you one day," Xavier whispered as he kissed her hand. The pain was excruciating and the departure all the more dreadful. He didn't want to leave her. Leave them, but he could tell Lyra cared much more about the prosperity and well-being of her people, along with her sister, than herself.

She was always selfless and sometimes he couldn't tell if it was a gift or curse.

. . .

Irina Kavalier, for your family's sake, I hope you're still alive because everyone is counting on you, Xavier thought before he darted in the opposite direction as Kaleb so that they could cover more area.

- - -

Author's Thoughts: Wow, so many people have been reading and I'm honestly flattered <3 thank you for giving my story a chance <3 Did you guys enjoy this update? Yes, that's Lucas. Well, that's him in a couple of years haha. My heart broke for Lyra and Xavier. My poor babies! Vote and comment if you'd like! It might be confusing but Theo is Xavier's real name.

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