Page 81 of Lucie
“No,”Yulenreplied softly. “This is a first.”
They stared out at the empty landscape.Yulenmoved up next to his son and placed his hands on the top of the wall. “Luc, I want to talk to you about affairs of the heart.”
Lucien propped an arm on the wall and leaned against it. “You meanJohna.”
“Yes. Her.Luc, how do you feel about her?”
“Are you asking me if I love her?”
“Do you?”
“I think I do.”
“But you’re not sure.”
Lucien made a disparaging sound and shrugged. “Kind of hard to claim to love someone when I’ve never felt like this about another woman before. How do I knowit’slove?”
“You’re confused. Uncertain.”
“Yeah. We haven’t known each other that long.”
“Tell me. When you’re with her, when it’s just the two of you, how does she make you feel? Does she make you smile?”
“Yes.”
“Does she make you laugh? Does she surprise you? Do you enjoy being around her to the point where you seek her out when she’s away?”
Lucien grinned. “Why doI get the feeling you’re not talking about me andJohna?”
“Because I want you to realize that what you’re experiencing isn’t unique to just you. You’re uncertain as to whether or not what you feel for her is love. Just answer me one more question. If she should turn out to beDamaged, would you be able to kill her to protect others?”
He felt the blood drain from hisface and congeal inside his stomach. The look of devastation on his face wasn’t lost on his father.
“You’ve already been thinking about it, haven’t you?”Yulengently asked.
He couldn’t deny it. His parents had always been able to read him, as well as his two siblings.
“Well?”
“Yes.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. Hot tearsrose into his eyes, but he forced himself to keep his hands away from his face. He wouldn’t cry. Not now, and not in front of his father. “Yes, I would.”
“Why?”
He stared angrily at the man. “Why? Because no one else has that right but me.”
“You mean no one else loves her the way you do. And maybe because she may not want anyone else to do it.”
It took him a moment to swallow around the lump forming in his throat. “Yes.”
Yulenpatted him on the shoulder. “You’re at a cusp, Luc. You andJohnahaven’t known each other that long, that’s true, but that doesn’t meant what you’re feeling isn’t the forever kind of love you want in your lives.”
“Which we may never have.”
“There is that possibility.But you can’t give up on her. Not yet. There’s still hope.”
Lucien studied his father’s face. “What makes you so sure?”
His father tapped him on the chest. “Because I believe your blood is the cure. Your mother andJohnaare alive and getting better because of you. You’ve seen it for yourself. Even Iain’s commented on how quickly they’re recovering. That’s enough togive me hope they’ll both come out of this sane and whole.” Giving him another clap on the shoulder, the battle lord turned to leave. “I’m going back to try and get another hour or two of sleep. I suggest you do the same.” Without waiting for his son to comment, he descended the stone steps.
