Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 16

Lucien's P.O.V.

When Bella begins to tell me about her near death experience and the struggle she's been having to find some kind of normalcy in her life, I want to find the perpetrator and take him apart in front of her. How can humans treat each other with such disregard? I guess that's why they inevitably find themselves at our gates on their day of reckoning. As I listen to her explain how she felt so terrified, lost and ungrounded, I begin to realize why my father wanted me to spend time with these young people - to find empathy and understanding while maintaining my righteous indignation. When Bella tells me she was choked unconscious and left in a field to die, I swear and make a silent vow to find the asshole that did this to her. I feel this inexplicable need to protect her, to avenge her, and I tighten my arms around this fragile yet incredibly strong young woman. I know this isn't easy for her, but I need a place to start looking, to search for the scumbag who hurt her so badly, so when I ask if the man who attacked her has been apprehended, she just shakes her head and starts crying. Her tears are like a punch to my gut, and I cannot believe I ever thought torturing her this weekend was going to be a fun way to pass the time. I'm the biggest asshole in the universe.

I tell her she's a survivor, a strong and beautiful woman who shouldn't waste another moment thinking of the lowlife who did this to her, and then I'm dumbfounded when she removes herself from my protective embrace and looks at me like she did at the campground. "Wait, wait, where are you going?" I ask, bereft of her warm skin against mine as I reach for her hand again.

"You don't need to call me beautiful when we both know I am not," she says quietly, stepping away from me.

"Excuse me?" I ask, clearly thinking I heard her wrong as I scramble to my feet.

She sighs heavily. "You don't need to lie to try and make me feel better, Lucien. I'm not stupid, and I don't need, or want, your pity," she says, turning away from me to walk back to camp.

"Hold up," I demand, grabbing her shoulders gently to turn her back toward me. Her incredible hazel eyes are glassy when she gazes up at me, etched with pain, and what she said finally breaks through to my conscious mind. She thinks I'm lying about her extraordinary beauty?

"You are incredibly beautiful Bella. Your eyes are luminous, the color of sun-kissed moss. Your skin is translucent and soft, your hair makes me want to run my fingers through it, and those lips...they are what poets write about in their sonnets. You are absolutely perfect, never let anyone tell you otherwise," I retort, my voice cracking. What is happening to me? I've never been emotional around women, never put their needs before mine. I think I've just had an epiphany - everyone is beautiful and everyone has value. Wow, my father might actually know what he's doing by sending me here. I see tears running down her face again, and I press my luck when I tuck her into my chest, trying to shield her from her own self-loathing. I breathe a sigh of relief when she puts her arms around my waist, allowing me to comfort her. I did not realize until that moment how important her show of trust in me actually is.