“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 thisalone, 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.
