Chapter 20
“You move well for an old man.” Chasen laughed, shifting back into his human form.
“Old man? You’re older than me!” Hunter chuckled and then looked over at Freja, who was wiping her daggers clean. “I think she still managed to outdo us both.”
Jin swirled the bodies together, gathering them in a whirlwind and stacking them up. “Ready to be torched … and what the heck were they?”
Hunter frowned as he walked toward Freja. “That’s what concerns me the most. But I think we know what’s causing those attacks now.”
“Someone is coming!” Freja said, snapping her head to the side. She immediately relaxed and smiled. “Seems like our girl doesn’t need to be rescued after all.”
Lucie jumped through the bushes and was shocked to see her parents, aunt, and uncle.
She was expecting a battle. Though from the pile of bodies, it looked like they didn’t need any help.
She quickly shifted back to her human self and could see her father studying her attire.
She was wearing Derrick’s shirt and pants.
“Lucie!” Freja said with outstretched arms.
“Mom! Dad!” Lucie jumped into her parents’ arms. They held her tight, squeezing her between them.
“Let me see you. Are you hurt? What happened?” Hunter knelt down as he got whiffs of the fresh blood from his daughter. He lifted her pant leg slightly and saw the blood trickling down.
“I’m fine. Those reopened on my way to get to you. A messenger fairy told me you were fighting—”
“Why do you still have these wounds?” Freja asked as she bent down to investigate.
“The dark elves attacked with a liquid silver and vervain mixture. The silver didn’t bother me, but the vervain did,” Lucie watched her mother analyze the wounds.
“Dark elves dared to attack my daughter?!” Hunter snarled. His eyes began to darken as Chasen growled in anger.
“Did you get my message?” Lucie asked.
“Yes, and we’re going to deal with that little witch,” Freja said in annoyance.
“And you know your mom and dad aren’t about to just sit around even if you say you’re fine.” Jin giggled as she leaned into Chasen. “So here we are to bring you back. Ta da!”
Freja looked at Lucie and frowned. “It’s odd how the vervain is affecting you. It’s just as severe as it would be for a full vampire. How long ago were you injured?”
“It’s going to be dark soon. We need to get set up somewhere and then we can talk,” Hunter said, looking up at the fading sky.
Freja suddenly raised her dagger and narrowed her eyes. “Come out or die.”
“Nice, Freja! I’m impressed.” Jasper chuckled as he hopped down from the tree above them. Derrick landed behind him, his gaze fixed on Lucie.
“Oh, Jasper! So, you already found Lucie.” Freja put her dagger away and looked at her daughter, confused. “Why are you by yourself then?”
Lucie leaned into her father’s side, and he kept a protective arm around her.
She smiled smugly at the two vampires. “I was annoyed with them, that’s why.
” She looked at her mother and gave her a sweet smile, then flicked her gaze back at Jasper and Derrick.
“What are you two doing here?” she asked icily.
“We heard you shifted and took off running, so we came after you.” Jasper shrugged, a small frown on his lips.
“So? What if I was running home? Were you planning on stopping me?” Lucie asked, quirking a brow.
Derrick sighed loudly. “You aren’t getting away that easily.” The moment the words left his mouth, Hunter and Chasen released a low growl.
“I don’t like the way you’re looking at my daughter.” Hunter snarled as he stared at the stranger.
“How else should I look at my mate?” Derrick asked with a small smile.
“Your … mate?” Hunter asked, looking at his sweet baby girl tucked safely under his arm.
“You look just like how I remember you. Sorry it’s been so long,” Derrick said, looking between Freja and Hunter.
“Are you really …” Freja started, and Jasper nodded his head. Freja knew better than to utter his name. The forest had ears sometimes. It’s Derrick … I guess Selene strikes again? she mindlinked to the others.
Hunter stared at Derrick. His eyes narrowed on the boy who was his daughter’s mate. “Are you mistreating my baby girl?”
“It isn’t like that—” Jasper quickly came to Derrick’s defense.
“She’s clinging to her father and not her mate,” Hunter growled. “I don’t care who you are. No one will mistreat my daughter.”
“I’m sorry,” Derrick said quietly. “I’ve wronged your daughter. I can’t change what I’ve done. But …” He set his gaze on Lucie. “If you’ll let me, I’ll spend eternity making it up to you. Please, Lucie … I need you.”
Lucie pondered his words in silence. His actions hurt her, whether intentional or not. When she thought about how long she felt unwanted …
She felt a deep burn inside her chest, like her lungs were filling up with water and it was hard to breathe. But she realized this wasn’t her. This was coming from Derrick. She looked up to see his pleading eyes, scared and watering slightly, and she could feel a deep pang of regret from him.
She knew by looking at him that he was full of remorse. But she could feel it too. She could also picture her brother doing something similar. And he would, except he had a sister smart enough to beat some sense into him, something Derrick didn’t have.
The truth was she was never going to reject Derrick.
She’d just planned to make him suffer a bit.
But how could she continue doing that now?
Especially in front of her father, who would think badly of him if she did.
Her father might not get past this moment if she acted too wounded.
Plus … he was suffering. Her lungs felt constricted by Derrick’s feelings.
He was scared. Now she felt like she was the one being cruel.
She wanted him to fret about it a bit, but the pain coming through was almost at an agonizing level.
He was breaking, and this broke her resolve.
He was her mate after all, and obviously her soulmate.
Very obvious at this point, from the flashes of his emotions that were invading her.
“Okay. But we have to rehome Jasper.” Lucie raised a challenging brow.
“Hey!” Jasper gasped.
“Done,” Derrick said simply with a small smile on his face.
“HEY!” Jasper’s eyes darted to Derrick in exasperation.
Lucie giggled. “Okay, Jasper can stay.”
“Thanks for your benevolence,” Jasper whimpered out with a small pout.
“Lucie, you don’t have to. Even if he is your fated mate, I’ll—” Hunter stopped as his daughter raised her fingers up to his lips.
“I know, Daddy. This is my choice.” She smiled softly.
“It’s what I want.” And for the first time, what she said was true.
She wanted Derrick … her fated mate. She turned back and looked at Derrick, whose eyes were still glued on her.
She took a step away from her father’s side, his hand reluctantly dropping from her, and slowly approached Derrick, pausing just in front of him.
She could feel the suffocating feeling inside her slowly subside as she stared into his eyes.
“You’re an idiot,” Lucie said, and Derrick grinned.
“I know.” His eyes gazed back into hers, his heart hammering in nervous excitement. He wanted to hold her but was waiting for her. He needed to feel her in his arms. He screwed up. He didn’t think things through and ended up hurting his most precious person.
She smiled, walked toward him, and leaned into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and the sparks and tingles rippled over her body. This time, she could enjoy them. He rested his head against hers.
“My Lucie,” he whispered into her hair.
“So what are those things?” Freja said, turning her attention to the pile of corpses.
“We call them voidless or soulless. They are the witch’s doing,” Derrick said, lifting his head up. “She isn’t doing this alone, though. The real culprit we believe is Wicker, disguising himself as a witch doctor. But he won’t show his ugly face. Jasper … burn the bodies.”
Jasper walked over and lit the pile of bodies on fire. “You guys can still fight for being … off the battlefield for a while.” He winked at Chasen, who chuckled dryly and rolled his eyes.
“I’d like to hear everything you know.” Hunter looked at Derrick, who nodded.
“Come back and stay with us tonight. I’ll tell you everything we’ve learned. I’m Ryan … and I will explain all that as well.” Derrick looked down at Lucie. “And why I haven’t been by her side.”
“Is there chocolate there?” Jin asked and smiled brightly.
Jasper chuckled. “I spied chocolate cake in the refrigerator.”
Jin’s eyes widened. “Well, what are we waiting for? It’s going to be dark soon, so we better hurry.”
We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Derrick is her fated mate. Stop pouting, Freja mindlinked to Hunter.
I guess deep down I hoped she would reject the treaty and just stay with us … now she’s going to move away.
Yes, but she’ll have a piece of the black pearl. We can visit her anytime. Just think how your parents felt having to be apart from both of their children. At least we know Aedan is never leaving the nest. Freja smiled at Hunter, who returned it with a nod.
Hunter wrapped his arm around Freja and pulled her into his side. “Alright, let’s go.”
Lucie went to take a step but was immediately hoisted into the air. Derrick smiled down at her as he held her bridal style. “I don’t think so. You used your legs way more than you should have, and I can smell your reopened wounds.”
“I’m a werewolf, not a glass doll.” Lucie frowned, even as she leaned into his chest.
“You have to pick your battles, Lucie. If we lose, it’s because we lose on purpose.” Freja winked at her daughter.
Lucie felt a sharp pain jolt up her leg. She remained motionless and kept it hidden from her face, yet Derrick stopped walking anyway, frowning as he looked down at her in confusion.
“Lucie, what hurts?” Derrick’s voice was laced with concern. Freja and Hunter were instantly standing in front of them both.
“I’m fine,” Lucie said quietly.
Derrick set his jaw. “Don’t lie to me. Lucie. I felt it.”
“You felt it?” Hunter asked. He flicked a glance at Freja before returning his gaze to Derrick.
“Yes, I can feel Lucie. It’s hard to explain, but it’s been getting stronger. Her thoughts, her feelings … her dreams.” He looked down at Lucie, his eyes flashing in amusement for only a brief moment. “And throughout the day, this connection has been getting stronger.”
“You haven’t marked her yet,” Freja said, her eyes widening.
“Even with my parents, that connection didn’t start until after they marked each other.” Hunter looked at the couple in front of him. “You two are soulmates … but from the sounds of it, it’s a connection like none we have ever witnessed.”
“What hurt?” Freja narrowed her eyes at her daughter. Hearing Derrick’s explanation, she now knew her daughter was hiding her pain.
“Mom, I’m fine.” Lucie sighed as she saw the anger building in her mother’s eyes.
Her mother was more relaxed about things, but if she asked for an answer, she expected one.
“I pushed off my leg when I was running. I jumped off a boulder and I think I tore it worse. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but—”
“With the vervain still in your system, it is.” Freja sighed.
Derrick’s eyes were dark, his jaw was set, and he trembled slightly.
Lucie tried to calm Derrick down. “It’s just a tear. I’m okay.”
Hunter slapped Derrick on the back. “Get used to it. She is her mother’s daughter, and she’s going to keep you on your toes. Remember this day. You asked for her, no takebacks.” Hunter winked at Derrick, and Jasper and Chasen chuckled behind him.
Hunter understood exactly how he was feeling. As a new mate, your senses are heightened, and you become extremely protective. It must be even worse for soulmates.
Derrick smiled at Hunter and curled Lucie deeper into his chest. “I can’t handle her being in pain.”
Lucie felt her heart clench as the butterflies fluttered in her chest. She could see the pain in his eyes because of her. “It’s not that bad. Honestly.”
“If these feelings are this strong now, they will only be worse after the marking.” Freja looked at Lucie and frowned.
Her daughter wasn’t getting a possessive, protective alpha …
she was getting a possessive, protective vampire prince.
She was going to have a lot of fights in the future about having some independence.
She’d raised her to have a mind and will of her own and trusted she would make it through the fights ahead.
“I’m worried about marking her with the vervain in her system,” Derrick said quietly.
“You can’t mark her until the ceremony anyway,” Jasper said.
“I don’t care about the ceremony. I’ll be more connected to her once she bears my mark. It’s safer that way.”
“Look, I like to think I’m a pretty progressive dad. A mark is a fact of life. But another fact is that she’s my baby girl—”
Freja elbowed Hunter’s side. “Well, at least he’s being considerate and taking his time with the marking.
You know, instead of just planting it on her the moment they met.
” Freja raised her brow at him and he gave her a sheepish smile in return.
Their marking was different, and in a normal situation, he never would have forced his mark.
He still felt bad about it, and Freja liked to tease him over it from time to time.
“Sorry, Hunter. I know she’s your daughter. I’ll try to be more mindful of those things around you.” Derrick met Hunter’s silver eyes. “She might be my mate, but she’s more than that to me. I love your daughter. She’s precious to me.”
Lucie’s cheeks heated with embarrassment. What was he saying in front of everyone?! The way he was staring at her father right now. So determined, with so much conviction.
Hunter smiled. “Good. Because I couldn’t hand her over to anyone who she wasn’t precious to.”
“Can’t we talk about this after I have my chocolate … I mean, after we’re inside?” Jin giggled.
“Yes, we need to get back. I need to look at your wound and treat it.” Derrick looked down at Lucie, whose cheeks were slightly flushed as she gnawed on her bottom lip.
She was so damn adorable. He wanted nothing more than to taste the sweet peach in his arms, but with her parents there, that would have to wait.
Still, his chest felt ready to burst with happiness.
He had his Lucie in his arms. His love. His soulmate. His queen.