Zackory - a fateful touch (Vol. 2) ✅

Chapter 23

"We should take a break," said Lucan, who had noticed that Zack was moving more sluggishly than usual. Sweat covered his skin and his hair glued to his temples. They were protected from heat, but not against physical exhaustion.

Zack looked at him and nodded. With a soft moan, he sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. Then, he closed his eyes and his pulse calmed down. I am really tired. But he didn't want to admit this weakness. He is hundreds of years older than you, no reason to compare strengths. To whom did he want to prove something here? Himself?

The silence made him somehow nervous. So, he perceived the demon more intensely, who had sat down next to him with some distance between them. The scent Lucan emitted and the masculine, strong, wild aura that surrounded him.

For the first time, he looked at Lucan properly. He had avoided it so far, didn't want to perceive any details that would burn into his memory. He knew this demon was getting under his skin. Lucan had never imposed himself on him, had always kept the distance that Zack prescribed. He had never penetrated his comfort zone.

His gaze wandered from his hands with long fingers, over the warrior's forearms, to the shoulder. He remained on his biceps for a second; muscular, but not ostentatious. His chin and facial features were hard and exuded an animalistic ferocity that anyone would call beautiful. His hair was to his waist, black with white stripes that he had tied into a braid. It looked incredibly soft and shiny and reminded him of fur. The white stripes must have come from his white eagle, but what was his second animal form? From his chin, his gaze wandered further to his aristocratic nose and eyes, where he remained enchanted.

His eyes were different colors: the right one was blue and the left yellow. The yellow one comes from the eagle. That means his second animal form must have black fur and blue eyes? Should I just ask him? But Zack hesitated. Suddenly, Lucan's eyes turned to him and captured him. Lucan's nostrils flared.

"Zackory, you're exuding your decoy scent again," Lucan said, tearing him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry," Zack whispered, turning away in shame. He had known that he shouldn't have looked closer.

Lucan was confused. He had sensed Zack's wandering look and pretended not to have noticed. Joy had risen in him that he now showed interest in him, even if it was only in his appearance. That's when he came up with an idea to bridge the embarrassing silence. "Zackory, what was your childhood like?"

The succubus was surprised by the question, because it came out of nowhere so suddenly.

"Hmm."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Lucan said, he felt like he had stirred the hornet's nest – again.

"I actually had a normal childhood – a family that loved me, a nice apartment where we lived and my friends from the neighborhood. My biological father was an incubus, my mother a human. They fell in love and shortly afterwards she became pregnant with me. They were very happy, but when I was two, my father passed away. I don't know how he died.

"I don't remember him, I just know his name. However, I remember my mother. She was the most lively and gracious person there was. She never treated me any differently. Every time she brought my grandma over, who was taking care of me, she picked me up and swung me in circles laughing."

"She must have loved you very much," said Lucan, who saw love in Zack's face. If only he looked at me like that. Then his expression turned sad and Lucan knew something had happened.

"One day she met him – Aleksander's father. I don't know the exact circumstances, but they came together and were happy. He often had to go back to heaven, he would be away for weeks at a time. But that never seemed to bother my Na. She waited and welcomed him every time with a radiant smile. Then Aleksander was born. Everything was perfect. I had a little brother whom I loved idolatrously."