Chapter 22
“You’re sending me home?” Lucie shook her head. “Why? Don’t you want me here with you?”
“Of course I want you with me, Lucie.” Derrick trailed his hand down her arm and gazed into her green eyes. “I never want to be away from you. But not here. Not part of a battle party. You need to be where it’s safe.”
Lucie let out an airy chuckle. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to be that guy. Don’t go making the same mistake all the guys make about the women in my family. We are not the ones who wait back at home for the men to return.”
Derrick’s eyes flickered in amusement. “My future queen, your existence is too important to risk. I’m not calling you weak.
Just that you’re a target. This witch is after your family, and I won’t make it easy for her.
I don’t know what she’s planning, but judging from the voidless army she created, we need to be cautious. ”
“I won’t be leaving your side, so don’t be ridiculous.” Lucie could see in his eyes that he was going to be insistent. Lucky for her, she had her own tricks up her sleeve. “Very well … if you really want me to leave, then I guess I have no choice but to comply.”
A faint smile spread across Derrick’s face. “Good. I’ll send you back with your parents and come for you as soon as all of this is taken care of.”
Oh, na?ve Derrick … Lucie stood up and walked up to the bedroom door. As if she was really going to obediently listen to him, just like that.
“Lucie, where are you going? I want to talk more.” Derrick jumped up and followed her out the door.
“I’m informing my parents that I’ll be returning with them, of course.”
Derrick noticed the flicker in her eyes and could feel an odd emotion glimmering from his mate. “Lucie … what are you planning?”
She smirked as she entered the dining room.
“Lucie. Much better. I’m glad you got that all sorted out.” Freja stood up and looked at the glint in her daughter’s eyes.
What is it?
He wants to send me home. Since he can’t have me fighting by his side …
Freja could read her daughter clearly. As a parent, she wanted to protect her daughter. But she also trained with Lucie and knew how capable she was. Being the former huntress, she had no problem advocating for her daughter.
“I guess I’ll be coming back with you guys tomorrow,” Lucie said innocently as Derrick walked in, keeping a suspicious eye on her.
Freja smiled and nodded. “Of course. It’s probably for the best.” The devil in Freja’s eyes came out. “After all, we’ll need your help leading one of our armies into battle.”
“What?!” Derrick and Hunter responded simultaneously.
Lucie smirked. Gosh, she loved her mother. She was always in her corner, always fighting for her so she was never overlooked.
“I figure Aedan and Lucie will lead a group while we lead the other.” Freja turned an icy glare on Hunter. “You wouldn’t be thinking of leaving me behind, right?”
“Well … no, but—”
“And after our daughter was injured and taken, we are planning to retaliate in full force, right?” Freja asked, quirking a brow at Hunter.
Chasen chuckled, already knowing exactly what was taking place. Hunter sighed in defeat. His queen has taken the king in this chess match. It was lost before it started.
“Alright. I’ll have Lucie and Aedan lead a group together. Not individually, mind you. They’ll work together.” That would be Hunter’s compromise.
“Perfect,” Freja said, winking at her daughter.
Derrick growled lowly. “With all due respect. I don’t want Lucie fighting. Period.”
Lucie’s gaze moved from her mother to Derrick. “Sorry, ‘Ryan.’ This is official werewolf business. Best not to stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
A deep, dark chuckle escaped Derrick’s throat.
“You’re mine, Lucie. And you are my business.
I won’t risk it. The witch is gunning for your family.
She’s been preparing who knows what for this moment.
” He turned and looked over at Hunter. “Let the vampires handle it. Keep your pack away from this witch.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but you have to understand that we can’t just sit by and do nothing.
We have to set a precedent for attacks on werewolves, making it clear that we will come back viciously and mercilessly.
” He glanced up at Freja and Lucie. “I understand wanting to keep your mate wrapped up in a bubble to keep her safe. Trust me. I know what you’re feeling all too well.
I want to keep my family safe too.” He smiled at Derrick.
“But don’t you think they also want us safe? ”
“Mates are stronger and weaker together. It’s a fact of life.
Mates give you vulnerability, but they also give you strength, and an edge in battle.
It isn’t right for you to ask your mate to stay somewhere safe while you’re out risking your life, especially someone as strong as Lucie.
” Freja gave Derrick a faint smile. “We want to be there, fighting and protecting our mate. As much as Hunter wants my safety, I want his. My desire to fight and protect is just as strong as his.” She looked over and gave Hunter a crooked smile.
“I even fought pregnant in the big demon war because I couldn’t bear not being there to help protect my mate. ”
Hunter chuckled. “I never would have allowed it had I known she was pregnant.” He shook his head.
“You’re fighting a battle that all of us have fought before.
” He looked over at Chasen, who nodded his head.
“Lucie is a strong fighter. And even though I tend to baby her because she’s my little girl, I know she’s an asset in battle. ”
“I don’t doubt that Lucie would be an asset, and I don’t want to send her away from my side.
But the things we’ve been seeing … like these mixtures that have been used in fights like the vervain and silver, the experiments they’ve been conducting, and the voidless army …
we have things we need to discuss.” Derrick met Hunter’s sharp silver gaze.
“This isn’t just about Lucie. This is about your whole family, Hunter.
It’s my recommendation that your family stand down. Let’s discuss this in my office.”
“I think you do need to hear about these things in more detail so you can see the complete picture and then make your decision.” Jasper finally spoke up. He knew what Derrick wanted to talk about, and he knew why he wanted Lucie somewhere safe and far away from the witch.
“Jasper, would you please show everyone to my office?” Derrick said as he focused his gaze on Lucie.
Lucie watched as everyone slowly followed Jasper out of the room, leaving her alone with Derrick. He stood there quietly, just watching her for a moment, then he walked up to her. Pressing himself against her, he backed her up and held her captive against the wall. She looked at him curiously.
“I didn’t want you to hear about this … what I’m going to tell everyone now. But I guess it’s only fair for you to hear it too,” Derrick whispered against her forehead as his lips lightly brushed her skin. “My little mate.”
She looked up into his eyes. His amber eyes reflected so much emotion, but anger was not one of them.
“Don’t think that I don’t have faith in your abilities for a moment.
And NEVER think that I don’t want you by my side.
Sending you away is going to be incredibly painful.
” He leaned his head down, resting it against her forehead.
“I’m afraid to lose you. I’m afraid for your family to fight this time.
Listen to what I have to say in there, please …
I don’t want you to be upset with me. Please listen and understand my actions here.
” He brushed his nose over hers and smiled near her lips. “My feisty Lucie.”
She felt his breath beat upon her lips, making her shiver.
His voice, which started out almost sad and pleading, ended in a sweet, raspy breath.
Every inch of her body craved him. She raised her arms up and rested them around his neck.
She couldn’t imagine him saying anything that could convince her she shouldn’t be by his side, but she would listen …
really listen to what he wanted to explain.
“You aren’t mad at me?” She bit her bottom lip as she watched a smile spread across his face. A low chuckle reverberated from his throat.
“I actually think it was quite adorable. You went to your mother to try to get your way.”
“I went to the person who always has my back. Regardless of my gender.”
“I’ll always have your back. Forever and always.” Derrick closed the small gap between them and brushed his lips against hers. Her lips were soft and sweet. He really wished the timing could have been better for them. He’d wanted to spend more time with her and really connect to her as his mate.
“I love you, Lucie,” he breathed out against her lips. “Come on. We shouldn’t keep everyone waiting.”
He reached up and took one of her hands, interlacing their fingers together.
Looking down at her with a sweet smile, he led her to his office where everyone was seated, waiting for them.
When they walked in, he continued to pull Lucie along with him instead of having her sit beside her parents.
Jasper had taken a seat next to a dark wooden desk, and there was another large chair behind it.
“Jasper, did you get out the pictures?” Derrick asked, and Jasper pushed a yellow envelope toward him on the desk. He grabbed the contents and walked over to Hunter without letting go of Lucie’s hand. “Take a look at these.”
Lucie watched as her father opened the envelope. He reached inside and pulled out several pictures that she couldn’t see, but she noticed her father’s shocked face immediately. Her mother even gasped at the pictures as they scanned through them.
“What … what caused this?” Hunter asked softly.
Lucie raised up on her tiptoes, trying to get a better look. When that didn’t work, she got closer and leaned to the side, trying to see around them. Freja grabbed one of the pictures and turned it around so Lucie could see.
It was a picture of a girl lying on the ground, blood pouring out from her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.
“She was a werewolf,” Jasper said quietly. “But within an hour of being injected with one of the witch’s creations, she was dead.”
“It was like nothing we’d ever seen. This was one of the first cases we documented.
We watched in secret, studying the events.
She was in her werewolf form at first when they injected her with something.
Then she started coughing up blood, and within fifteen minutes, she shifted back to her human form.
Blood soon started dripping out of her from everywhere, and she was screaming in pain.
Within the hour … she was dead. But that’s not all.
We later got a hold of the discarded body and ran our own tests.
She no longer had any traces of being a werewolf. It was as if she was a normal human.”
Hunter shifted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”
“Whatever was injected into her … it was like it pulled her wolf from her. Losing her wolf is what ultimately killed her. She was the first of many cases we’ve witnessed, and every one we were able to test was the same way. They lost their wolf blood. They were no longer werewolves.”
Derrick wrapped his arm around Lucie. “This is why, this time, the werewolves need to stand down from this fight. And why I need Lucie far from this battle.”