Chapter 306: Darkness No One Knows
"W- what?" Lucy’s eyes momentarily widened in shock, her heart pounding in her chest as she understood, to a meaningful level what that word meant in terms of vampires. A mixture of fear and an unexpected flutter of emotion churned within her, and she was looking at the dazed vampire, unblinking in the eyes.
"What did you say?" She stammered, needing confirmation of the words that now hung in the tense air. She knew she heard him mention mate, or was it just a figment of her dream playing tricks on her again? She won’t really know unless she hears him say it again.
"Your Majesty?"
Duncan suddenly hesitated at the call of his name, as if realizing the weight of his revelation. His crimson dark eyes met her caramel-brown ones, and for a moment, the intensity between them softened, whilst his thin lips parted.
"Forget it." He muttered, his tone inexplicably distant. It was as if he had been momentarily entranced and snapped back to reality. Even for him, he was finding it difficult to believe that such a word could leave his mouth, and he had said it to no one but her.
Confusion and longing battled in Lucy’s gaze, and when he tried to walk away, she demanded with a wavering voice, "I heard you say mate, what.. what do you mean by that?"
"It’s nothing," Duncan’s expression tightened, a hint of regret flickering across his features, "just a slip of words, I clearly didn’t mean it." He deflected, but the charged air between them spoke of an unspoken truth. His eyes seemed to look everywhere else as he avoided Lucy’s stare, and he could perceive a subtle scent in the air– it was as alluring as the bed of Jasmine on a summer night, and that scent came from her.
"Watch your step on your way out." He said and returned to the table where he worked. Lucy’s gaze followed him as he reached for his table, whilst he picked up the spike-filled chains. He was back to concentration mode, a sign that the matter would no longer be discussed between them.
Ever.