Lykos ✓

Chapter Forty One | Freedom

George did not heed the warning.

He took a second glance at the man who had bumped into him roughly and realised that man was only her brother. The resemblance was clear and therefore his little warning would not stop him from returning to meet Angelina.

When Angelina showed signs of relief when she showed up the next scheduled meeting, he knew he had made the right choice. Only they could decided each other's boundaries. She was the sweetest escape he had found from the world around him and a little warning would keep him away from his haven.

When he first spotter Angelina jumping down from the tree, he saw something. Not just her beauty, the men's clothes she wore or her body. He saw her wild soul at peace. And he wanted that. Not to capture her or ruin her but rather to join her.

If he could obtain just a single moment of her freedom, he would risk it all.

And he had got more than a single moment.

Multiple memories.

There's not much he knew about Angelina, but she had brothers. And she was hidden from proper society. Perhaps a ruined woman. She was no innocent when they met.

Whenever he found himself curious about her, he bit his tongue. The questions he wanted to ask would only demand answers in return from him. George loved the anonymity. Yes, he was a lord. It was obvious to any fool. The truth laid in the details he didn't want Angelina to know.

Yet she saw the real him. The one who smiled. The one who cherished the holding of hands. The one who finally learnt how to climb a tree as he had dreamt of as a boy stuck within the library to fulfil his studies. The facade just melted away with Angelina's presence.

The life of a lord wasn't as simple as the commoner thought. The responsibilities weighed down on his shoulders. The short respites with Angelina allowed him to focus when he returned from his escape. The heavy burden of carrying a legacy was enough to choke a weaker man. And George was weak.

There was one truth in it all.

George wanted to keep her by his side. He wanted to give her a better live than one hidden from the world.

He tugged his white gloves, turning away from the window facing the orchards. His dreams would have to wait, as a lord he needed to make sacrifices to fulfil his responsibilities.

His parents and her parents awaited an answer, but we all knew it would be a yes.

~*~

Rafael loved his collections of home. Each more luxurious than the last. It was only a matter of time before he somehow got his hands on a royal palace in Europe somewhere. He decided that England would be the best place to settle for his next venture since it was thriving by conquering half the world. Perhaps some human monarchy's weren't so stupid. Maybe they'll find a way to keep the power until an idiot is born further down the line ruins it for everyone.

Rafael stood by the window, enjoying the view. His current home had been won in a game of cards which had cost him nothing. The hearts of men were always own to give away the truth and he used his enhanced hearing to his advantage. The place had come with its own range of staff which made the move a hundred times easier. His favourite part was how his family had adapted to living here. He expected them to disappear and go their own ways, but they followed him across the world.

The head maid knocked on the study door, waiting for his permission to enter. Rafael allowed her to scurry in with the tea. She was doing a lowly maid's job, which meant she had something she wanted to say.

The head maid poured his cup of tea. In comparison to his actual age, she was young, but by human standards, the wrinkles had begun to set and the scorn on her face was permanent from years of holding that expression.

"She snuck out again but this time in a man's attire," she reported, barely keeping the disgust out of her voice. Rafael never asked, yet he got continuous reports of his siblings' movements, mainly Angelina's movement. For most part, he allowed them to do whatever they wanted.

However, recently Angelina had changed.

Something about her was different and she constantly reeked of a man. Usually, her amusements lasted a few weeks max. This man was different. For months now, he had smelt the same scent on her. It was only recently he realised the identity.

"Send her to me when she returns," Rafael replied. The head maid smiled smugly, leaving him alone. He sat down and downed his cup of tea. Now he waited.

He didn't wait long until Angelina barged in. The head maid followed behind, hoping to witness a scolding for her attire. She didn't get what she wanted.

"You need to go to the tailor and get a few more trousers and shirts, you're starting to look on the little rough side," Rafael commented. Angelina rolled her eyes as expected.

"You. Get out," Angelina pointed at the door. Rafael didn't look in the head maid's direction since he knew she probably had some sort of pleading face. She wasn't smart enough to keep out of his family business so he didn't want her there either. Reluctantly, she left.

"You smell of that man again," Rafael said, once they both knew they'd been left alone. He spoke too lowly for a human to hear from the other side of the thick oak doors.

"I fail to see how this concerns you."

"Lord George is a piece of shit. Stay away from him," Rafael commanded. He didn't need to explain to her since it would've all fallen on deaf ears anyway. George was a slippery snake that had gotten beneath his sister skin. In time she would see the truth but now, he needed to protect her until he found a new place to live.

"You can't stop me," Angelina growled.

"Watch me."

And that was the day that Rafael went from older brother to prison warden.

~*~

Yikes, overbearing brothers. 

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