Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 72
Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Selene
Evelyn placed the tray of food carefully on the table, bowing her head. “My lady, here you go.”
“Thank you. Give us some privacy to talk.”
Her eyes flicked immediately to Lucas. He still hadn’t acknowledged her existence, his gaze was fixed on the food.
“Yes, my lady. Just… be careful with him,” she muttered into my ear. “He acts like a crazy person.”
I nodded, and she finally left, I turned back to Lucas. He was still staring at the plate, not touching it. I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair across from him. “I brought you food like you demanded. So why aren’t you eating it?”
Lucas finally moved. He extended one finger and poked the chicken thigh, then he stared at the rice with even more disdain.
“You call this food?” he asked, his tone making it sound like I’d piled a mound of dirt on the table.
“Yes,” I nodded. “Is it not to your liking?”
“It doesn’t look like food.”
“Then what do you eat?”
Lucas shrugged like it was obvious. “Depends. I mostly eat beasts around me.”
“You eat them raw?” I asked.
He frowned at me. “Is there any other way to eat them?”
I sighed. Right. I’d almost forgotten that Lucas was a phoenix, even if he looked human now. And I doubted a phoenix cared about cooking. He probably ate whatever he killed without giving a second thought to flavor, or spice.
“It’s similar to what you eat,” I explained. “But cooked meat has flavor, and seasoning. It tastes good. We don’t only eat to survive. We eat to enjoy ourselves.”
Lucas stared at me as if that concept was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard in his very long, very chaotic life. His suspicion didn’t fade, so I reached for the roasted chicken, grabbed it by the bone, sliced the thigh from the whole bird, and held the piece toward him.
“Here. Try it. It won’t kill you. If you don’t like it, I’ll find a beast for you.”
Lucas stared at the piece of chicken in my hand and narrowed his eyes. “You better find a big beast. Unless you don’t mind me feasting on the people around you instead.”
I rolled my eyes. I knew he didn’t actually eat werewolves. He only ate unintelligent beasts. But of course he would threaten
me anyway.
He leaned forward and took the chicken from my hand with his teeth. I could tell he was about to complain, but when he chewed, his entire expression froze. His eyes widened like a child discovering candy for the first time in his life.
He stared at me, then at the chicken, and back at me again.
Before I could even say anything, he snatched the piece right out of my hand and took another aggressive bite. His eyes widened even more, and he devoured the rest.
I watched silently, amused.
12:57 Tue, Dec 23
Chapter 72
He finished the thigh bone clean, tossed it onto the plate, and reached for the rest of the chicken with both hands, before suddenly stopping. He caught my expression, and paused. Lucas coughed loudly, straightened his back, and lifted his thin.
“The food you presented is not bad, kid.”
Not bad? After he practically inhaled the entire thing?
He gestured generously at the table. “To show my hospitality, I will finish everything here.”
Just as Lucas reached in again, hands already hovering greedily over the roasted chicken, I slid the entire plate out of his
reach
Very slowly, his golden eyes lifted to mine, staring at me as if I had just committed an unspeakable crime. He didn’t say anything, but the look alone was pure disbelief.
I kept my hold on the plate. “Before you continue eating, let’s have a little talk.”
“Talk?” Lucas leaned back in the chair, head tilted as he studied me. His voice dipped into that low, dangerous drawl he used whenever he wanted to intimidate me.
“You want to talk to me while I’m hungry?” A slow smirk curved his lips. “Kid, you’re really biting off more than you can chew. What if I decide to turn my attention to you, and eat you instead?”
“I’ll live. Now listen.”
He lifted one brow, unimpressed. “Fine. I’m in a generous mood. I’ll humor you. What do you want to talk about?”
“To live peacefully, there are some extra conditions we need to discuss.”
He rolled his eyes. “More conditions? You really are a cautious one.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I said. “Now, about the conditions, you’ll have to put effort into keeping your identity a secret. You don’t need to act like you’re above everyone. Keep doing that, and people will start noticing. And once they notice, they’ll start connecting the dots, especially with how paranoid the world is right now because of you.”
Lucas scoffed. “But I am above everyone.”
“They don’t need to know that.”
“They will eventually find out, kid. Power like mine can’t be hidden forever.”
“Not yet. And definitely not like this. I don’t need people knowing the phoenix they fear is sitting on my bed eating chicken.”
He shrugged carelessly, as if the world’s panic was the most insignificant thing he’d heard all day.
I went on, “And another thing, if you’re going to stay by my side, you have to be my bodyguard. It’s the only identity that makes sense. A man following a moonborn for no reason will cause drama I do not need.”
Lucas didn’t respond. He just stared at me, unreadable, while the scent of warm meat drifted between us. I noticed the faint movement of his throat as he swallowed, hunger flickering in his eyes again. So, I leaned forward slightly and slid the food just one inch closer.
“If you do this, I will feed you this delicacy whenever you want. There are countless kinds of food out there. I know you’ll want to try all of them.”
His eyes flicked to the plate.
“So,” I said, meeting his gaze directly, “do you accept?”
Chapter 72
Lucas lifted an eyebrow at me. I could see in his eyes that he knew exactly what I was doing, baiting him with food like a child. And instead of being offended, he seemed entertained by it. His lips curled into a smirk that was mocking.
“Fine.” He leaned forward, grabbing the plate from my hands with a little more force than necessary. “I accept. I’ll hide my identity. And I’ll be your bodyguard.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He tore another piece of chicken off the bone, the sound crisp, and took a huge bite. A pleased, involuntary groan escaped him as he chewed.
After a while, I finally asked, “It’s been days since you left. Where did you go?”
He didn’t even look up from the chicken. “I visited an old friend, and took a look around. It’s been a century since I was sealed. The world has changed a lot.”
I watched him quietly.
He said it as though it didn’t bother him, he was a creature who had outlived too much and seen too many things replaced. I understood why he wanted revenge. If I were him, I’d want it too. He hadn’t done anything, and yet he ended up sealed. Just as I was lost in thought, a sharp knock sounded against the door, pulling ine abruptly back to reality.
“My lady…” Evelyn’s voice came from the other side. “You have a visitor.”
I glanced toward the door, then at Lucas. He still hadn’t looked up from his food
It must be important, Evelyn wouldn’t disturb me for anything trivial.
I let out a sigh. “Come in.”
The door opened. Evelyn entered first, her hands clasped politely in front of her. She stepped aside, and an older man walked in behind her. He was dressed in the formal dark robes of the palace staff, embroidered with silver threads. I recognized him instantly.
The head eunuch of the royal palace. The man who served the Alpha directly.
His sharp, calculating eyes swept across the room, taking everything in. Then they settled on Lucas. Suspicion flickered in the eunuch’s gaze, his brows tightening just slightly, but he said nothing.
I wanted to roll my eyes, for the Alpha Eunuch to come here personally, I already knew what this was about, but I had to play along. I inclined my head politely. “Good morning. And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
He bowed deeply. “Good morning, Lady Selene. I have been sent by the Alpha with a message. He requests your presence at the palace tomorrow morning to discuss the mate bond between you and Prince Adrian.”
12:58 Tue, Dec 23 MG.
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