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Lucan hesitated He had no idea why the wanker was talking to hi hatchet already" Shock sounded soet the girl I’m free Noe can all shit unicorns and rainbows and be happy or whatever"

"Sounds fun" But he still didn’t understand why Shock was asking hi

"Honestly? Ice will hate me forever, which is no loss to ed "Don’t know the git at all See The twins are off in their oorld If they weren’t related, I’d think they were having a bromance That leaves you"

Shock usually didn’t want to talk at all, but Lucan decided that he could play along for aand see if Felicia needs anything Take five"

He walked to the far side of the rooly Shock followed Anka watched with a frown, but he stayed her, holding up a hand For once, she listened

"So you don’t absolutely loathe me anymore Splendid That all?"

"Oh, I wouldn’t say that But Anka will always be important to me, even if she loves you for some reason I can’t understand If I have to make nice with you in order to see her, I will"

"But she isn’t the mate of your heart"

"Apparently not" He peered around the roo anywhere but at Lucan, as if the whole conversation was too uncomfortable "I’ve been sober for a few days no clarity and all that shit"

"Enlighten ht be more inclined to let you see Anka now and then"

Shock scowled "Oh, God, you’re one of those touchy-feely types ants a bloke to spill his guts? Oprah in a wizard’s clothes? Fuck All right What do you want to know?"

"Why fixate on Anka?"

"Brilliant That’s a really si idiot" He shook his head "She’s beautiful And she’s really decent Kind I’ve known her most of my life She keeps secrets She’s loyal"

"But you never had theinstinct with her You never Called to her until I was interested When you feared you would lose her, that’s when you acted"

"Thank you, Dr Freud I’ instinct stuff is rubbish, so I picked a witch I thought I could tolerate for the rest of my life She’s still a fe a few months to rub your nose in the fact that Anka slept inyour torht Shock wasn’t a co

"Go fucking crawl back into a bottle and leave me alone" He moved to stride past Shock and resume work No tirabbed his ar Anka’s ht about was you And the only tihts out hen I was pissed drunk Happy?"

Incredulity slid through Lucan "What?"

"If you didn’t hear it the first ti myself"

Shock had just ad Anka wanted her former mate That he had never really loved her as , too?

"No, Chicken Little" Shock heaved an annoyed sigh "I like her and I thought, why should the Privileged prat get the girl all the time?"

So Anka had been a prize to win He’d meant for her to level the field between the two of theirl, but because he hated to lose Stunned didn’t begin to cover Lucan’s reaction

Lucan looked to Shock for confir wizardbarht

Shock swung away and headed back toward Felicia and the other warriors Lucan stopped him "You can see Anka She cares for you I’ll never take so away from her that makes her happy You’ll never threaten her safety" And Lucan knew that, once he and Anka were ain "I won’t stand in your way"

Big shoulders taut, Shock stopped in his tracks and turned "Thank you Now really, fuck off"

Lucan laughed as he watched the other wizard walk away, sending Ice an obscene hand gesture just to pick a fight And what do you know, it worked He rolled his eyes at the tizards rolling around on the ry children, then wandered over to Felicia

Kneeling in front of the Untouchable, he stared with concern as she rested her forehead on her knees, shoulders sluh for now"

Felicia’s head popped up "We have to keep going I have to make this work It’s just that, I’d already had time with Sabelle and so men is so much more difficult for me"

He re this reluctant beauty to believe in hih Don’t put too much pressure on yourself"

"Everyone’s safety is inI can’t let you all down" Her eyes filled with tears of frustration

"It ait five minutes" Lucan bent and scooped her up in his ar her to her concerned mate "No need to kill yourself Rest up a bit"

"But I’er with every uard down" She slapped her palently "We’ll pull through I have faith in your ability You should do the sa mate approached them and held out his arms Lucan slid the small blonde into them, and she curled up into Duke’s chest "You don’t have to coddle reed "Part of the job description when I signed on to be your overprotective mate I’m sorry, sunshine You’re stuck with me"

She smiled tiredly at Duke, then turned back to him "Thank you"

"Take a few lance up to Duke "I think she skipped most of her lunch"