Ch. 3 Luca
1320 Words
I wiped my mouth from the small amount of blood Mason had drawn and reached out my hand to help him up. He groaned in pain as he stood. I slapped his shoulder, "You alright Mace?"
"Damn Luca, I don't think I can spar with you anymore," he gasped. "I don't think many of us can."
I couldn't help the grin that spread on my face, "Yeah? Well, then tell Lucian. Maybe he won't make me go through his grueling training anymore and let me go out on missions."
Mason scoffed, "You're on your own there Luca. No way I'm telling Lucian anything like that! He'll put me on the s**t list for that boot camp he runs! I'll keep Gray, thank you very much!"
As if my brother's ears were burning he appeared on the sparring grounds, his arms crossed with his usual scowl in place.
"Speaking of Lucian," Mason whispered, nodding towards him.
"You mean the torturer?"I scoffed.
"He's looking for you Luca," Ty alerted me as he and Mason grabbed their towels and limped off, nodding respectfully to my brother as he headed my way.
I took a swig from my water bottle as he stopped in front of me, "I hear you laid out every match you had today," he said with a smirk.
"Sure did," I replied, liking the pride in my brother's voice. "I don't think it's fair for me to spar with them anymore. I'm ready Lucian."
Lucian's eyes narrowed, "Ready for what little brother?"
I rolled my eyes. Like he didn't know what I was talking about, "C'mon Lucian. Let me go on scouting missions. I can help. I'm ready."
"No," Lucian said firmly. "I need you here."
I clenched my fists in anger, "Bull s**t!" I snapped. "What is it really Lucian?! Are you afraid I'll be better than you or something? That our people will see me as a leader too?!"
"Enough!" Lucian yelled, turning away from me. "This discussion is over!"
"The f**k it is big brother!" I growled at him. "How about I just see what Dad has to say about it, huh? He's just itching to get me out there!"
Lucian tried to ignore me by walking away but I wasn't done. I was tired of being treated less than by my brother. I rushed forward and shoved him with all my might, making him stumble but not fall. Graceful bastard...
"I don't need your approval Lucian! You're not my f*****g father!" I growled at him.
In a flash, Lucian was on me, knocking me flat on my back, his arm pressing on my wind pipe, "Shut up Luca! Shut the f**k up! Why are you so eager to go out there?! Do you want to die? Is that it?"
I was able to get his arm off of me, smashing his nose in. I got the upperhand, tackling him and getting a few punches in but it didn't last long.
Lucian shoved me off of him, then slammed me against the nearest wall by my throat, "You don't remember the attack Luca but I do! I see it in my nightmares! I see you covered in blood! You almost died, Luca! You needed me little brother, not dad! I calmed you during your night terrors! I made sure you felt safe! Not him!"
Lucian released my throat only to jab the scar on my chest so hard I coughed, "You were six and they didn't care! They tried to murder you in cold blood! You didn't die on my watch then and you aren't about to now!"
I saw the raw emotion in my brother's eyes and knew it was a battle I would never win. He still saw me as that scared, fragile six year old when he looked at me. No matter how much I trained, no matter how many matches I won, he would never see me.
"Lucian," I said softly. "I'm not a kid anymore. I know you just worry about me but its also because of you that I'm strong! I can defend myself! Please!"
He let me go, briefly running his thumb down the scar on my cheek that I hate so much, "You are 17, Luca. That's still a kid in my book. The answer is no" he said with finality and then he walked away.
I screamed in frustration before punching the wall. I stayed like that, my fist on the now broken wall trying to catch my breath and calm my rage.
The more I tried to calm down, the angrier I became. Before I could change my mind I headed straight for my dad's office.
I grabbed my shirt that lay on the floor near me and slipped it over my head, covering the tattoos that decorated my chest but not the ones that adorned my arms. Yet another thing that Lucian did not approve of. I got permission for those from my dad, and I was about to get his permission again.
I reached up and knocked on his office door, realizing my knuckles were bloody from punching the wall.
"Come in," he called.
I glanced around his space to see he was not alone. Gray, my dad's number two and like an uncle to me, sat across from my dad who was hunched over a scatter of maps and papers.
"Luca, good to see you son," Gray greeted me.
My dad looked up immediately, surprise evident on his face, "Luca, is everything ok?"
"Yeah Dad, I just wanted to talk to you about something," I said as nonchalantly as possible as my eyes flicked across the pages on my dad's desk. He was tracking something.... Or someone.
He quickly shuffled the papers together into a pile, "Sure son, take a seat."
I sat beside Gray, feeling very small compared to the big man. He was a damn beast, bigger than both my dad and brother.
"What's on your mind?"
I met his eyes with determination, "I want to be allowed out on patrols. I'm ready."
His brow furrowed and he cleared his throat, glancing at Gray, who shifted in his seat, "Luca, that's Lucian's area. He's in charge of our borders, our men. Did you speak with him about this?"
I sat straighter in my seat, "Yes," I admitted. "But The final say comes from you as Patriarch."
My dad rubbed his face with his hands then ran a hand through his hair, "Luca, you know things are different when it comes to you," he sighed.
I clenched my fist but fought to keep my cool.
"I trust Lucian's decisions," he added. "He always has your best interest at heart. And I'm assuming by your reaction and your bloody knuckles, he said no."
"But Dad---" I tried again.
"Luca, I stand by Lucian's call. If he says you're not ready.... You're not ready," my dad cut me off, waving his hand dismissively.
"He's not my f*****g father! YOU are!" I snapped. "Lucian is never going to let me, dad. According to him, I will never be ready just so he can keep here."
Both Gray and my dad glanced at one another in silence before Gray spoke up, "Luca.... We hear you, ok? We hear you. I'll talk to Lucian. Maybe he'll let you go out with me sometime soon ok?"
I let out a breath of relief, "Thank you Gray."
"Don't be so angry at your brother, ok? He's got some trauma from all that happened, you know? We all do," Gray added, meeting my eyes.
I nodded, getting to my feet, "I know. That's the problem."
I cast my dad an annoyed look before turning to leave.
"I promised him Luca," he called after me.
I stopped and glanced back at him. "I promised him I'd never let anything happen to you ever again. And I don't intend to break that promise."
- Writer
