Page 91 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

“I know you are still hesitant about it all, but I’m not going to give up on you. I’m not never to give up. I’ve waited centuries for you, and I could wait another century or two. If it means I get to be with you, then I’m perfectly happy.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

I feel so bad that I don’t fully believe him, but everything is so uncertain right now. Everything is up in the air, and I don’t know which side to believe. I shouldn’t betray my people. At the same time, what if humans were the cause of everything and the Fae never did anything?

Kieran cups my face with his hands. “You don’t have to be sorry. I understand, and I wish it were different, but I’m not mad at you. I’m a patient man.”

I close my eyes and lean into his right hand, taking a deep breath and relishing his touch. If I had to go off the way I feel around him, I would believe that he is my mate. I’ve never felt this comfortable around anyone, but I can’t just blindly believe everything he says.

“Soon you will understand and believe everything I say,” he whispers. “Soon your eyes will be open and you won’t struggle to believe or understand things. Soon.”

CHAPTER 25

“It’s been a couple of days since Father said he would be back. Do you think something happened, or do you think he just decided to stay out for a little longer?” I ask Mother as I finish up mixing the spices.

There have been a couple of times that he has been late by a day, but never three. What could possibly be going on? Worry has been churning inside of me for the past twenty-four hours as we wait for him to come home.

“He’s fine,” Mother replies. “He probably just caught something big and is trying to carry it back and not attract a wolf.”

I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Everything is going to be fine. Father is going to come back soon with several different animals for us to prepare and several pelts to make into things.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My head snaps to the door, and I quickly walk over.

“Fath—” but the words die on my lips as I look at his hunting partner, Flynn. “Oh, hello. I wasn’t expecting you.”

Flynn doesn’t say anything but looks forlorn.

“Father isn’t home right now, he should be back soon,” I tell him.

Sometimes, they don’t go hunting together. Father went out at the very last minute, so maybe Flynn didn’t know about it.

“I know. Is your mother around?” he asks.

“Come in. She’s sitting at the table.” I open the door wider.

“I’ll make it quick,” he replies.

I follow behind him as he walks into the kitchen and stops in front of Mother.

“Flynn, I wasn’t expecting you. My husband didn’t say anything about you coming over. How can I help you?” Mother asks.

Flynn looks uncomfortable as he wrings his hat in his hands. “I regret to inform you that we lost James while hunting.”

Everything goes quiet as those words process in my mind. Father is… dead? No, that can’t be.

Flynn turns to me, regret and sorrow on his face, and he says something, but I don’t hear a word he says. Tears prick my eyes, and before I know it, they are falling down my face.

“Adeline,” Mother calls out. “Adeline!”

I turn to her to see tears in her eyes, but she doesn’t seem as distressed, almost like she is in shock.

“What are we going to do?” I whisper. “What are we going to do without him? How are we going to survive? What’s going to happen to us?”

“Shhh, you’re okay,” Mother gently says. “I.” She takes a deep breath. “I don’t know what we are going to do.”

I wrap my arms around her, letting the tears fall freely. He can’t be dead. He was just here a couple of days ago, telling us he was going to come back with meat and fur for us to sell.