Page 134 of Hunt Me

“And I took her from you.”

The words hung heavy in the quiet room.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry, little one. I made a choice no father or husband should ever have to make. I chose a path that stole your mother’s first moments with you.”

His hand trembled as he cupped the back of her head.

“But I swear to you, I did it to bring her back forever. I did it to give you a mother who will walk beside you for centuries, not just years.”

Denalia shifted again, and a soft sound escaped her. Luka closed his eyes, letting the warmth of her tiny body seep into the cold places inside him.

“You deserve the world,” he whispered. “And I will give it to you. Every corner of it. Every wonder. Every joy.”

He leaned back, rocking her gently.

“You are destined for greatness, Denalia. I can feel it in your blood. You are the child of a queen and a king. You will change Night Falls for the better.”

His voice softened reverently.

“But until your mother returns… I am yours. I will protect you. I will raise you. I will make sure you never feel alone. You are my light in this darkness,” he whispered. “My reason to keep breathing. My reason to wait.”

Denalia’s tiny hand unfurled, brushing against his chest.

Luka caught it gently, holding it against his heart.

“And when she rises,” he murmured, “we will be whole again.”

He rocked her until her breathing deepened and her fingers laxed.

His thoughts took a sudden darker turn.

“Loving you means protecting you. It means removing the thorns that threaten to prick you. It means protecting your claim to the throne. It means killing Draven.”

49

The Truth Comes

Luka thought the dungeon felt draftier than usual, but that abnormal cold feeling could also be from Matilda’s absence.

He descended the stone steps slowly, each footfall echoing off the damp walls. Torches flickered as he passed, and the sound of scurrying rats intensified the deeper he entered. He was mad with grief, but had to lay his misery aside temporarily to get answers. He craved closure.

Draven sat chained to the wall, half his body and face hidden in the shadows. His eyes lifted as Luka approached.

“You came,” Draven murmured.

Luka stopped just outside the bars. His lips curled as he caught the scent of his prisoner’s hybrid blood that was similar to his.

“Tell me what I want to hear,” Luka demanded unceremoniously.

“You won’t like what I tell you.”

Luka’s jaw tightened. “Start talking.”

Draven shifted, and the chains clinked softly in the muted darkness. “You want to know about my origins, yes?”

Luka refused to respond, letting the silence linger between them.

Draven took a breath. “Reynard would travel to Moonshire for diplomatic reasons; however, peace was the furthest from his mind. Getting his dick wet was the climax of his trips. He’d frequent the brothels where he met my mother, Raya.”