The Bully's Hated Mate
The Bully’s Hated Mate – Chapter 53

CASSIA’S POV:

“Time out!” The man from earlier screamed in the arena and everyone either booed or murmured.

“Contestants, step out!” He yelled again, and Devil’s Bones and Lucius went to two seperate parts of the arena.

He limped as he walked towards a chair that I may have never noticed until now.

What the hell was wrong with him? I have seen him fight before and never have I ever seen him get so beaten up to this point.

Immediately I helped him sit down on the chair, I gave him the nastiest look I could muster.

“What?” He asked me behind nearly shut eyes.

“What the hell was that back there?” I asked him, throwing my hand in the arena to prove my point.

I watch him deflate like a sack of rice thrown out through the window.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly puzzled by if it was something I had said or something that had mysteriously happened while we were in there.

“I deserve it, Cassia” I heard him mutter and spit out some nasty b***d clot.

I frowned deeply.

“What did you say? Lucius?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t about to repeat that nonsense that had just come out of his mouth again.

“I said, I deserved it, Cassia. Every punch, every whip, every pain that that dipshit throws at me. I deserve it all!” He shouted and further sunk.

Who was this and what the hell had he done with the Lucius I knew?

“What do you mean? What are you saying?” I asked him and he looked away.

I felt the insane urge to slap his head forward, maybe that would knock some sense into him.

“What do you mean by you deserve it? Do you have a death wish?” I asked him again, trying to be calm but my confusion was causing some octaves in my tone to be a second higher than what I intended.

“I’ve hurt you, Cassia. I’m an a*****e, I’ve treated you way worse than anybody has ever treated you. I’ve lied to you, I’ve connived with Ariadne to humiliate you, I’ve humiliated you myself, I’ve lied to the public, to my father. I’ve tortured you, I’ve slept with you, I’ve angered you. f**k! I’ve betrayed you! Name one thing I’ve not done to you. One” He said and brought out his index finger to indicate.

I didn’t understand where any of this was coming from. This sense if remorse that was going to destroy him and now me if I didn’t get him sensible again.

“I could think of a couple of things you haven’t done to you. I can think of a couple of things you haven’t done for me.”

His face got turned away and I squat in front of him.

“You haven’t made me proud and you can. You really can.” I said to him and that got his attention fast but his sparkle dies immediately his eyes met mine.

Goddess, what now?

“What is it?” I asked him, irritation gathering momentum.

“You don’t mean that. Cassia, everytime he throws a punch at me, all I see is the pain I’ve caused you. The sorrow I brought to you. The anger, the disappointment… There’s no room for pride. There’s no room. I’ve filled it up with disgusting things. I’m a disgusting person, Cassia, you know that.” Something about the way he said things like this got me riled up and ready to fight.

I stood up immediately and finally did the thing I’be been wanting to do.

I smacked his head so bad, I’m surprised I didn’t draw b***d.

“Will you stop that nonsense?” I yelled at him.

He was so surprised but at least, I got his attention.

“What do you mean by those nasty things that flew out of your mouth without a seatbelt? I’m pretty sure you didn’t bring me all the way here to just watch you get killed and then watch myself get harmed because I could think of a million things I could be doing in my bedroom right now and none of them involves unnecessary drama and unforeseen trauma!” I yelled at him even more.

He held his head in his hands and looked at me like I was speaking some form of a totally different language.

“Look!” I said and again squatted, this time, taking a piece of my shirt and wiping his face to remove whatever b***d I could, gradually scrubbing parts of his face to get them out.

“I know we’ve been through alot. Rough times and all of everything bad…” We really did though, now that I was really thinking about it.

“But we’re here today and we’re here together. I think that should count for something, being that I’m on my knees, cleaning your jerkface.” I said and smiled.

He smiled back and touched my face, something he had never done.

I masked the surprise but showed the way it made my cheeks immediately flush.

“I believe there’s a reason why the moon goddess chose us to be together, don’t you think?” I asked Lucius.

He suddenly went quiet and I was already thinking where else and how hard I was going to smack to jolt him to reality.

“Yes. I think so.” He managed to croak out, and I smiled even more.

“I forgive you, Lucius, for every time you put me through alot! Put me through despair and agony. In the last few minutes, you have shown me that there are so many layers to you and we are working on a lot of things, aren’t we? So many things I have yet to discover and to be very honest, I’d rather have you alive and well and discoverable than dead and tolerable. So, for the last time. I forgive you, Lucius.” I said, my eyebrows creasing in emotions.

He touched my face one last time, caressing my cheeks.

I felt our bond thicken at this moment.

There was an instant connection that we shared the first time we met, but this? This was a lot better and a lot deeper.

Maybe it was because either or both of us may not make it out alive, or it was the adrenaline. But I could swear something was different. A Lot of things flashed before my eyes.

How he opened doors for me, got me food, brought me flowers,showed me his father’s house…

He was a good man. I saw this now. It may have taken a while for me to actually see this side of him but I saw it, I’m currently still seeing it.

His remorse and the way everything finally affected him.

He’s been through a lot but the fact that he’s willing to change, has my heart beating for him. It has Maya wanting to wrap herself around him and just stay there.

Our heads touched as we decided to bask in this moment.

“Aww, cute thing!” We broke our contact as I turned to see Devil’s bones currently giving us the dirt eyes from his corner of the ring.

“You better make sure you rip every muscle in his body, or you’re sleeping outside.” I said, venom dripping in my voice, immediately making me unrecognizable.

Lucius chuckled and as my head wound up to meet his, his lips sealed mine in a k**s.

It was more of a peck than the deep k**s I was used to but a rush if feelings crept up my spine, making my legs tingle with so much happiness as he helped me stand up, our heads not leaving each other as he touched mine for contact and kind of stayed there.

I enjoyed the moment but the bell rang.

“Time out is over!” He yelled.

If there was anybody that had a talent for shouting, it was this guy.

“Coward!! Come on!” Devil’s Bones screamed from his side of the ring, shaking the barricade with fury to finish what he started.

Lucius finally let go of the contact, our hands intertwined and when I looked into his eyes, they glazed gold.

His shoulders seemed to have broadened and I saw his claws come out. Never have I ever seen Lucius’ claws.

These ones were as deadly, and I could tell by the way they glinted and were ready to cause serious havoc.

I felt Maya jump in happiness as I silently crept to the side and even though we still held contact with our fingers, I managed to get to the barricade and as he looked back at me, his brows furrowed in a death stance, I knew something had changed within him.

I knew he was back now that I had let him know there was nothing else to be sorry for.

“I believe in you.” The whole arena seemed to quiet in that moment as I spoke to him.

“Now, crush him!” I shouted and quickly threw my legs over the barricade, going back to my original spot.

The whole crowd went mad as Lucius walked towards the centre of the ring.