The New One ➳ The Selection trilogy sequel [discontinued]

» Chapter Eight

My jaw drops as I glance back and forth between Lucas and the man on the sofa. How could this fierce, tattooed, heavily-muscled war machine be related to Lucas, the most polite and gentle person (other than Maxon, but that was different) I have ever met? 

I look at Maxon, my mouth still agape, and he looks as shell-shocked as I am. Who wouldn't be, really, after this monstrosity of a revelation? 

But know that I looked at it, I did see some similarity between the two men - the same piercing blue eyes and the same build, although Lucas' father was much, much, much more muscled than he was. I picture a lean, thinner version of Lucas' father and compare it to him, and the mental picture I conjure is Lucas' twin, save for the different hair - while Lucas' is a chestnut shade of brown and isn't too long or too short, his father's is pitch black and shaggy. My hands twitch as I feel the urge to grab a pair of our garden shears and snip away all his hair until it's a neat length. 

"What's wrong, son?" Lucas' father asks, his eyes twinkling in a dark sort of amusement, and I shudder at the sinistry in them. How this man and Lucas could be related, I'll never know. "Am I not allowed to pay my dear eldest son a visit every now and then?" 

"Every now and then?" Lucas spits out, fury evident in his tone. It's the first time I've ever seen him like this, and it's a large change from the gentle, caring, funny boy I know. He laughs bitterly. "I'd say there's something wrong with it - ha, this is the third time I've seen you ever since you left Mother, Sienna, Castor, and I to fend for ourselves over 10 years ago." 

My head snaps to Maxon, and we exchange a silent, surprised conversation with our eyes. Lucas had siblings? He had never - not even once - mentioned a Sienna or a Castor to us. 

"Oh, son, there's no reason to be angry right now, you know I was busy with plenty of important affairs that had to be taken care of immediately." Lucas' father laughs, acting as if his 10-year absence was just a few-week business trip. 

"No reason to be angry?" Lucas yells, even more furious now, his voice rising and rising with each word. "You left us for 10 years without so much as a note or a warning that you would be gone! I have every single right in the world to be angry! We were terrified and weak and poor for weeks on end, hoping you would come back, but just as we start to get back on our feet, what do we find out?" He laughs bitterly again. "We find out that our dear, dear father has left us to join the Southerners." 

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DUN DUN DUN DUN CLIFFHANGERRRR

Hiya! Sorry for the 488-words chapter and the cliffhanger at the end, but I procrastinated in the middle of the 3rd paragraph and just rushed everything so that I could finish earlier and go on Neopets, so.. hehehe. 

I'll be updating either tomorrow or the day after that, but don't expect any updates on Thursday, since Riley and I will be graduating on that day! *throws party*

xoxoxoxoxo,
Wendy xxx