Felicity's Beast World Apocalypse-Chapter 131: Teleport

Lucan watched her take the candy.

She did not notice the way he was looking at her.

Her attention stayed on the wrapper twisting between her fingers and the heat still lingering in her cheeks from running out of the yard like that. She slipped the sweet into her mouth and sighed softly as the sugar hit her tongue.

The sound was small.

Lucan felt it like pressure against his ribs.

She leaned against the crate behind her and finally looked at him properly.

And then it happened.

Felicity felt the pull.

It was faint at first. A quiet tug somewhere under her sternum. The same strange instinct she had felt earlier in the yard when the men from Leaf Team had looked at her. This time it was sharper because Lucan stood so close.

Butterflies stirred in her chest. Her heart gave one confused little kick. She did not understand why.

Lucan noticed.

Of course he noticed.

Predators noticed those things.

He did not move quickly. Sudden movement would break the moment. Instead he reached out one hand slowly and offered it to her.

"Come on sweetie, they’ll be worried" he said softly.

His voice carried the same honeyed warmth it had before.

"I’m Lucan, by the way."

Felicity blinked.

The name caught her off guard for some reason. She hiccupped quietly and pressed her hand to her mouth.

"I.. oh.. um... I’m Felicity."

The moment the name left her lips Lucan’s brain detonated.

Felicity.

The fox.

A fox didn’t make sense for this little female, she should of been a bunny Lucan thought.

The scent he and Exile had been tracking for a week.

The anomaly inside Dimitri’s domain.

The woman who made Snow Team tighten around her like wolves around a fire.

His instincts surged hard enough that for one dangerous moment he nearly stepped closer instead of offering his hand.

Mine.

The thought arrived without invitation.

Lucan smiled.

Friendly.

Easy.

Nothing about his face showed the explosion inside his skull.

"Nice to meet you."

Felicity placed her hand in his. Lucan’s fingers closed around hers.

Her skin was warm.

Soft.

He helped her up.

She stood.

Her balance wobbled immediately.

"Oh!"

She tripped forward.

Lucan caught her.

His arm slid automatically around the small of her back while his other hand steadied her shoulder. Her body bumped lightly against his chest.

Lucan chuckled.

The sound came out deeper than before. Rich. Slow. The kind of voice that made people lean closer without meaning to.

"Careful, sweetie."

Felicity froze.

Her hands pressed lightly against his chest while she looked up at him with wide watery eyes and a faint pout still lingering on her lips.

The butterflies in her chest exploded. Her heart started beating too fast again.

Her stomach flipped.

Up close, Lucan smelled faintly like something clean and expensive dark wood, cold air, something sharper underneath that made her chest feel tight in a way she didn’t understand. The scent wrapped around her head and refused to let go.

His chuckle was still echoing in her ears.

Deep.

Slow.

It wasn’t loud, but it vibrated through his chest and straight into her where she was pressed against him.

Her lip caught between her teeth before she even realized she’d done it.

Oh.

That sound...

Her stomach twisted again, worse this time, something warm and embarrassing unfurling under her ribs.

Why does his voice sound like that?

Like it belonged in quiet rooms and low lights and people leaning closer just to hear the next word.

Her cheek was still dangerously close to his chest.

Too close.

Close enough that if she leaned even a fraction forward she’d be touching him again. The thought made her breath hitch.

Her eyes lifted.

That was a mistake.

Lucan was looking down at her.

Not casually.

Not politely.

Watching.

The kind of attention that made her pulse trip over itself, slow and heavy, like the entire room had narrowed to the small space between them.

His gaze wasn’t embarrassed like hers felt.

It wasn’t rushed.

It wasn’t awkward.

It was steady.

Intent.

Like this moment, her nearly falling, his arm around her, her gripping his shirt like she needed something solid to hold onto had unfolded exactly the way it was supposed to.

Felicity’s fingers tightened on his shirt before she could stop them.

The fabric bunched slightly under her grip.

She felt the movement in the muscles beneath it.

Oh no.

Her brain scrambled wildly for something normal to say. Something safe.

Something that would break the strange quiet building between them.

Instead a nervous little laugh slipped out "I’m not usually this clumsy." Which was a lie.

A terrible one.

And somehow saying it made the moment worse. Because Lucan’s arm at her back didn’t move.

If anything, his hand adjusted slightly, fingers spreading just a little more against her waist as she shifted her weight.

Steadying her.

Holding her there like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Like he had already decided that was where she belonged.

Her heart kicked harder.

Felicity became painfully aware of how small the space between them was.

Of the warmth of his chest.

Of the slow, controlled rise and fall of his breathing.

Her pulse was beating so loudly she wondered if he could hear it.

Her gaze dropped quickly to his chest again.

Bad idea.

Because now all she could think about was how close she still was.

How his arm was still around her.

How he hadn’t let go.

Her voice came out quieter this time, softer, like it had gotten caught somewhere between her lungs and her mouth.

Lucan felt it. The instinct inside him coiled tighter.

Mine.

He inhaled slowly.

And then he felt him.

Damien.

Lucan sensed him approaching the same way he sensed prey shifting in tall grass.

Fast.

Focused.

Territorial.

His smile widened slightly "Oops," he murmured.

Felicity blinked.

"What.."

"Hold on."

Before she could ask what that meant Lucan’s arm tightened around her waist.

Space folded. Teleportation snapped around them.

Felicity yelped.

The world blurred.

The next second they were back in the center of the training yard. The reaction was immediate. Growls erupted around them.

Not one.

Several.

Deep.

Raw.

Possessive.

Snow Team closed in instantly. Victor stopped three steps away. Voss appeared beside him. Ivan was already moving.

Damien’s gaze locked on Lucan’s arm where it still rested at Felicity’s back as he slithered back into the yard.

Sarge stepped forward.

Kai’s distortion rippled around the edge of the ring.

Ash went very still.

Lucan released Felicity immediately and raised both hands.

"Relax," he said calmly. The smile never left his face.

"She’s fine."

Felicity wobbled slightly.

Lucan tilted his head toward her.

"Aren’t you, sweetie?"

She blinked again.

Still dazed. Still trying to process the teleportation.

"Yes.. I I’m fine"

Ivan was already beside her.

His hand closed around her shoulder while his eyes scanned her from head to toe with the focused attention of a predator checking for injury.

"You alright?"

"Yes!"

"You sure?"

"I think so!"

His gaze lingered for another second before he stepped half a pace closer to her side.

Across the ring Leaf Team had straightened. Richard’s shoulders were rigid. Thane’s wings tightened sharply.

Dawn’s jaw flexed.

Exile stared at Lucan like he had just watched someone step off a cliff.

Dimitri’s expression did not change.

Lucan shrugged slightly.

"What?"

Snow Team did not laugh.

Victor stepped forward. The distance between him and Lucan shrank to two steps.

Lucan met his gaze easily.

Behind Victor the rest of Snow Team had formed a loose half-circle around Felicity.

Protective.

Possessive.

Territory drawn without words.

Felicity looked between them in confusion.

"Why is everyone?"

Voss stepped forward. His amber eyes were locked on Lucan.

"Duel."

The word landed flat.

Lucan tilted his head slightly.

"Oh?"

"You touched her."

Lucan’s smile deepened.

"She tripped."

Victor did not blink.

Lucan spread his hands.

"I caught her."

Ivan’s teeth showed slightly.

"Convenient."

Lucan chuckled softly.

Leaf Team watched the exchange carefully.

Richard spoke quietly.

"Lucan."

Lucan glanced back.

"Yes?"

Richard’s voice remained calm.

"You are provoking them."

Lucan shrugged.

"Am I?"

Thane exhaled slowly.

Dawn folded his arms.

Exile had not moved.

His gaze remained fixed on Felicity.

Mine.

The word repeated quietly in the back of his mind.

Across the ring Snow Team shifted again.

Kai stepped closer to Felicity.

Damien’s eyes remained on Lucan.

Ash had already moved without anyone noticing and now stood near the edge of the ring where several of his traps would trigger if someone lunged.

Tommy rubbed the back of his head from where Sarge had thrown him earlier and muttered under his breath "This escalated quickly."

No one laughed.

Voss rolled his shoulders once.

His weapon appeared in his hand without warning.

Steel shimmered into existence like it had always been there.

"Duel," he repeated.

Lucan’s smile sharpened slightly.

Victor did not speak. He did not need to. The challenge had already been accepted.

Leaf Team reacted instantly.

Richard stepped forward half a pace.

Thane’s wings spread slightly.

Dawn’s presence thickened across the ground.

Dimitri watched everything with quiet attention.

Snow Team reacted just as quickly.

Ivan stepped beside Voss.

Sarge cracked his neck.

Kai’s distortion rippled outward.

Pope’s earth shifted underfoot.

Draco and Shadow moved closer from the wall.

The air in the yard tightened.

Felicity stood in the center of it all holding the empty candy wrapper and looking from one face to the next "I think I missed something."

No one answered her.

Lucan rolled his shoulders lazily.

"Fine," he said.

His voice was light.

Too light "But if we’re doing this we should at least make it interesting."

Voss’s amber eyes flashed.

Snow Team moved closer.

Leaf Team stepped forward.

The yard felt too small.

Felicity’s heart started racing again.

And no one looked like they were planning to back down.