Claimed by the Devils

Chapter 24

Lucian POV

She got to her feet, and I had no choice but to follow her into the kitchen. She washed out the empty container, then put it into the recycling. The other bags, she put into the trash.

For several seconds, she stood perfectly still.

I counted the numbers off in my head until she finally turned around.

Fifty-six. She gripped the counter, tucking her hair behind her ear.

I did like her hair. In fact, over the past couple of weeks, I’d started to realize there was a lot more I liked about her.

“You’re describing my role here as a w***e,” she said.

“I’m going to get rewarded for sleeping with you all.”

“You will also be protected for life.”

“Life?”

She glanced to the right before focusing back on me.

“This is a lifetime? It’s not just an All Saints thing?”

I shook my head.

“No,” she said.

“I don’t want to be … any of that.”

“Aria, there’s no choice.”

Tears filled her eyes, and I wanted to go to her, to help her. She pressed her lips together. When the first tear fell, it went straight to my gut, tightening it. She took a deep breath, swiped at the tear, but more kept falling.

“Do you know that all I ever wanted to do is write? I want to be an author. My parents told me I had to be a lawyer or a doctor. To follow in their footsteps.”

She sniffled.

“My old nanny…”

She stopped to lick her lips, and I saw the pain in her eyes. This was hurting her.

“She told me that I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard enough. That’s not true. This … this goes long before now, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“Aria, I knew before the end of last semester we were going to pick you,” I said.

“We have summer break to get whatever partying s**t out of our system so we can focus on the selection.”

“Who told you?”

Fuck!

“Look, that doesn’t matter.”

“I think it does. I’ve got to be a w***e for the rest of my life. Where exactly does that leave me? What happens when you find a wife? I’m the piece on the side.”

I wasn’t exactly sure how it all worked, and to be honest, right now, I didn’t want to know.

“We can make your dreams of becoming an author real.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I didn’t know if we could make it happen. What I knew for sure was that I had to get her to agree. We had to be ready come Halloween. That day was fast approaching.

I’d always hated Halloween. It was bullshit.

Now, I despised it in a way I never had before. I had reason to.

“What?” she asked.

“I can make sure your parents don’t get involved. You can have a life away from them. Your future can be your own within reason.”

She tilted her head to the side.

“You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. You’re just scared because this offer is so f*****g tempting. What do you think? You are living your own life, no longer having to be under your parents’ rule?” I asked.

Damn, it even sounded great to me. One day, I knew I would be in that position. Not that I could do anything about my father. He would always be around. His place within The Society guaranteed it.

Aria still had doubts. I saw them swirling in her gaze as she stared at me.

“How can you make that kind of promise?”

“I’m the leader, Aria. I’m the next generation, and one day soon, my word will be f*****g law.”

I took a step toward her.

“Submit to us. We will bring you nothing but pleasure. You will love every second of your time with us. You’ll be protected, and you will get to do whatever you want to.”

“What if I want to be let go?” she asked.

“Then when the time is right, if I can make it happen, I will.”

That was the biggest lie of all. I hated bringing her false hope, but what else did I have to offer her? Nothing.

My dad’s suggestion of hurting her left me sick to my stomach. I didn’t get off on r****g a woman or using force of any kind, not when she wasn’t into it.

She gripped her shoulders, and I saw her struggling to make the decision.

Had I won her over?

She nibbled on her lip, staring at my chest, and I waited.

“I don’t want you to shout at me again or treat me like that. I don’t want to feel like a w***e,” she said.

“I’ve never had s*x with anyone, and up until tonight, I’ve never kissed anyone.”

“Who did you kiss?” I asked.

Her cheeks went bright red.

“I, er, I told Heather about … you know, and she offered to be my first kiss.”

Her hand went to her lips.

“You do realize Heather is completely in love with you, don’t you?” I asked.

How dare Heather steal our f*****g first kiss.

“What? No, you’re wrong. She’s my best friend.”

“And she can’t keep her eyes off you. It’s clear for anyone to see. She wants to f**k you.”

Aria gasped and shook her head.

“No. You’ve got it all wrong. She’s not like that. We’re good friends.”

This time, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re so blind.”

I rubbed at my temple.

“Does she try to find ways to touch you? Are there times she seems to linger on parts of your body? Her hugs last a little long? That kiss tonight seemed to hold so much more?”

Her gaze went even wider as she shook her head, and I simply nodded.

“I don’t believe it.”

“Well, why don’t you ask her?”

“You did this on purpose,” she said.

“Do we have an agreement?” I asked.

She ran her fingers through her hair at the same time as blowing out a breath.

“I don’t want anything to happen to Heather. She’s so nice, and this place is so awful.”

“We’ll take care of her.”

Aria smiled.

“Then yes, we have a deal.”

She reached out and shook hands with me.

Now I just needed to prepare her for Halloween.