Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos

It's been a few days since we returned from Malta.

Things have been uneventful except for Rueben being kicked in the nuts by Juniper. At least we had a good laugh each time we saw Rueben walk around like he was wearing a diaper. He flipped us the bird each time, making us laugh harder. I forgot how beautiful and simple life can be.

Yet, not everything is so simple in my life.

Things with Ansel are...strange. He's more quiet than usual. Not even Olivia can pull him out of his state.

I don't know what to make of him. I don't know how to talk to him. He probably thinks that we see him differently because he's a Nephilim. I won't lie and say it didn't come as a shock when I learned about who he used to be. The others weren't happy either, especially since we know that Nephilims want to destroy us.

Olivia risked her life for Ansel. She wouldn't have done so if she didn't think he was on our side.

It wasn't until Ansel gave us a brief explanation of what happened that me and the others remembered that Ansel was our blood-brother and had saved our butts more than once. Ansel has been my friend ever since I moved to Veross City. If he had any ill intention toward any of us, we would have realized it by now.noveldrama

The meeting at the Blood Lodge is tonight. Unbeknownst to Ansel, Jasper had already told the Elders what was happening. Jasper didn't want the Elders to be taken by surprise. While they are not happy with Ansel deceiving them for so long, they are willing to listen.

Ansel is not the only one acting strangely.

Mose has been spending more time in the kitchen, lost in thought, burning food, which he never does. Olivia has been eyeing him from time to time, a slight frown on her face.

When I asked Olivia if she knew what was going on with Mose, she told me that he was worried about Alma. While I don't doubt that is true, after all, Mose and Alma have been business partners for more than three years, I have a feeling Olivia hasn't told me everything.

Amongst the chaos, there's a little ray of shine.

My son.

Spencer is a joy to have around. He is smart and curious, and his questions never stop. I love being a father so much. I'll never repeat the same mistakes my father made with me. Spencer will only experience love because all children deserve parents who love them. Unfortunately, not all parents deserve children.

Mine didn't.

No wonder I turned out so fucked up in the head. Maybe my family knew it all along; that's why they mostly ignored me. Only Rueben and Ansel loved me. Camila, too, in her own way.

But the only one who loved me deeply and unreserved, giving her entire heart and soul to me was-

The cabin's door opens, and someone steps out. A sweet fragrance envelops me.

-Olivia.

She sits next to me on the top step of the porch, wrapping her arms around me. I snake my right arm around her shoulders.

"What are you doing here?"

I take a swig of my beer before replying, "Thinking."

"Another author's block?" Olivia inquiries.

I lean my head against hers before replying. "I was thinking about how much I wronged you. All of us."

Most Lords are unapologetic, but Olivia deserves to be loved the right way.

Olivia stiffens for a moment. "You know I left all that in the past when I decided to accept all of you as my men. Besides, not all the memories at the farm are bad." She looks at me, her gaze full of love. "Life is not always easy. We all made mistakes. Me, maybe more than others. But I am finally starting to live the life I had always dreamed of. I'm so happy, Tyson. I got my son and beloved grandparents back. Let's not dwell on the past."

Jon and Khloe plan to tell Olivia soon about how she came to be. I kiss her forehead. "I'm glad to hear that. We will have to leave soon to get there in time for the meeting."

"Right. The meeting. The Elders won't harm Ansel, will they?"

I want to lie to her, but all I can offer her is what I know. "I don't know, Olly. This is the first time something like this has happened."

Olivia chews her bottom lip for a moment or two before saying, "I won't hesitate to protect him."

Rueben is right. We did become too lenient with Olivia because of our guilt, but no more.

I don't know why her hellstar mark is a butterfly since she is so quick to put herself in danger for the sake of others. Ansel's tattoo of the butterfly with broken wings represents Olivia the best. Only that her wings are not broken anymore. "If you even think about putting yourself in danger, I won't hesitate to leave you home."

Olivia glares at me. "You can't tell me what to do. Not anymore."

I wrap my fingers around her slender neck and say into her ear, "You might have powers, but if you ever put yourself in danger like you did in Malta, I will punish you, Little Queen." A shiver runs through her body. Good. She might be the most amazing hellstar out there, but she's our bonded. As Lords, it is our right to correct her when she is wrong. I run my thumb over her pulse. "Even if you don't like it, I'll spank you, Olivia. The others will do the same once I'm done with you. And after that, we will fuck you until you learn to obey us."

"I'll behave." Her tone is strained, and while it pains me, she needs to have some boundaries. We can't let her do whatever she wants all the time.

I kiss the shell of her ear. "Good. Now, go get ready."

Olivia quickly disappears inside the cabin.

Rueben, who's painting the picnic table close to the lake's shore, nods at me approvingly. I'm not sure how much he heard, but I'm sure he guessed what I talked with Olivia about since I've been worried about something bad happening ever since Senator Deymar set foot on the farm.

Cirro is very close to having someone being the Senator's new secretary. When his man is in, we will know the schedule of every movement the Senator does. Jason is still on the run, but I'll get my hands on him sooner or later. From what Cirro knows, Jason is in Canada. He has yet to find out the identity of the woman who's with Jason.

I finish my beer while I watch Ansel and Jasper teach Spencer how to play baseball. When Spencer finally hits the ball, he turns to me with a huge smile on his face. "Daddy, did you see?" he yells while running toward me.

I catch him in my arms. "One day, you will play for a big team." Spencer's eyes lit up. I kiss his temple. Knowing how much he likes baseball, I add, "And I'll be your biggest fan. Always."

Spencer looks into my eyes. "I love you, Daddy."

He's not afraid to show his emotions. As a future Lord, Spencer needs to learn to hide what he's thinking about, but not right now. There's time.

He needs to be a child a little more before this world destroys his innocence.