Freeing Luka: The Clecanian Series Book 2 by Victoria Aveline (readict books TXT) 📕

the lab and then in the wilderness, carefully convincing Helas’ he was an intelligent, likeminded male, set on saving their species at the expense of others. During the last week of their trip, Helas had finally offered to show Luka a “project” he’d been working on in his free time.

In preparation, Luka had contacted the Queen and implanted an antiquated tracking device into his calf.

“What happened? How were you found out?” Izor asked quietly.

He turned to face Izor, his head pounding from the onslaught of recalled memories. “I remember him bringing me to an underground facility,” he began. “He took me to a room with viewing screens and showed me some live feeds, explaining they were from other outposts.”

Luka blanched as he recalled what he’d seen on those screens. He looked to his brothers. They knew too. Their somber expressions gave them away. “There were females being held captive,” he croaked.

Guilt washed over him as he recalled losing his temper and exposing himself to Helas. What had happened to the females from the screens? He could’ve saved them if he’d kept up the ruse, but instead, he’d broken character and had allowed Helas to see his outrage.

The last thing he could remember before his thoughts became too muddled was Helas’ two henchmen knocking him out.

“I’m not sure which females you saw, but we’ve found several from two separate locations, and Helas is in custody,” Maxu said quietly, resting his hand on Luka’s shoulder.

A momentary wave of relief washed over Luka, but then the familiar anxiety set back in. There was something they still weren’t telling him. When had he moved so close to the door? And why did he still feel the urgent need to leave? Luka stared at his bedroom door and twitched, suppressing the urge to bolt.

Maxu silently stepped in his path and crossed his arms over his chest.

Luka narrowed his eyes and looked back to Izor, who was staring fixedly at the ceiling and rocking back and forth on his heels. “Izzo, what aren’t you telling me?” Luka asked through gritted teeth.

Izor’s eyes flashed to meet Maxu’s, and they exchanged telling glances.

“You were captured one month ago, and we don’t know everything that happened to you in that time, but one of the females rescued was able to fill us in on the events of the last few weeks,” Maxu said slowly. His eyes were fixed on Luka’s face, never straying. It was as though he were purposefully forcing himself not to look anywhere else.

How would a female know what happened to me?

“Apparently,” Maxu continued, “they were testing a drug on you that allowed them to collect your seed more easily.”

Bile rose in his throat. He felt violated and sick over the fact that he couldn’t recall the last month of his life or what had been done to him against his will.

He dropped to his knees when he thought about the female who’d known the purpose of his drugging. How and why had she known he’d been drugged for this reason? What had Helas forced her to do?

A tangible feeling of mind-blanking lust came back to him, and he paled further. What had I forced her to do?

“The female—” he began. “Is she…? Did I…?”

Izor knelt down before him, his eyes flashing down to his wrists before settling back on his face. “She’s okay. I only spoke to her briefly, but from what she said, I don’t think you did anything to her. She was actually more concerned about you than anything else.”

“Why was she concerned for me?” Luka rasped, not sure he could handle any more revelations right now.

Izor inhaled deeply and gave Luka a lopsided forced smile before continuing, “Well, I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but you guys fought your way out. When your tracker suddenly started working again, we came to retrieve you.” Izor glanced at Maxu and then down to Luka’s lap again. “I sort of had to tranq you when I found you, because you were trying to…”

Izor didn’t have to finish his sentence. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Luka could recall the feel of soft flesh under his palms and warm skin on his tongue.

He hung his head in shame. It didn’t matter that he’d been drugged. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t been in his right mind, or that the female seemed to be incredibly understanding. He’d be sent to prison, and he knew deep down that he deserved it.

Was the panic he was experiencing an impulse to run? To avoid punishment?

“We should go to the Queen now so she can decide my punishment,” he said, standing.

Izor stepped in front of Luka, halting his progress toward the door. “The Queen has already decided there will be no punishment. The female agreed.”

Luka swung his confused gaze to Maxu. “How can there be no punishment? I tried to force myself on a female! Drugged or not, it doesn’t matter.”

Maxu, who’d always been the most reserved of his brothers, stared at him oddly but said nothing.

“I would say it was more like heavy petting, not forcing, and because of your circumstances, and the female’s acknowledgment of your innocence, the law is on your side,” Izor said brightly.

Luka stared at him slack-jawed. There was no law that would protect him from harming a female.

Maxu finally spoke. “The laws of matehood are on your side,” he clarified.

Again, the image of blue eyes flashed through his mind, and his stomach clenched painfully. Luka blinked at him, not understanding. Why would the laws of matehood protect him?

A wave of dizziness came over him as he recalled the feeling of supple hands sliding over his body.

Alice, his mind hissed.

Maxu finally allowed his unwavering gaze to slide down Luka’s body, settling at his wrists.

Luka followed the fixed direction