“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.
CHAPTER 21
“Ryan, you’re back …” Zach said, trailing off quietly as the new people walked into the room.
“These are Lucie’s parents and her aunt and uncle, and they are our guests tonight. I expect you to treat them with respect.” Derrick set a firm gaze on his vampires and watched them all nod in acknowledgment.
“So that’s why Lucie took off. We thought you were ditching Ryan here.” Sabrina giggled.
“Go about your business. I know there are things you all should be doing.” Derrick said sternly. He watched as the group dispersed one by one. He sighed and walked over to the couch, setting Lucie down. He frowned and knelt in front of her. She looked paler all of a sudden, and he kept getting random jolts of pain that he knew were hers. He reached his hand up to smooth her hair behind her ear. “Lucie … you’re burning up.”
“Okay, Lucie, let’s see what we’re dealing with.” Freja pulled up Lucie’s pant legs and inspected the wound carefully.
“I don’t understand. We’ve taken hits from this vervain before. It’s never affected us like this,” Derrick said nervously.
“This special mixture wasn’t meant solely for vampires,” Freja said with disgust. “This mixture is intended for someone who is both werewolf and vampire.” She shook her head slightly as she ran her finger alongside her daughter’s unhealed wounds. The silver wasn’t bothering her daughter, but the vervain was. However, it was the strange mixture that was making it harder on Lucie. What the hell did that witch get into? This wasn’t normal witchcraft. It was dark … it was demonic. Still, this wasn’t why Lucie wasn’t healing.
“Freja.” Hunter walked up and gazed at her concerned face. They seemed to be getting agitated over something.
“They were healing, Mom. I just reopened the wounds,” Lucie said, trying to alleviate her concern.
Lucie.
Lucie looked up at her mother, confused. Why was she mindlinking her?
Take it down.Freja ordered.The barrier you set up to guard yourself against your mate.
Lucie gasped. How did her mother know about that? It was the reason it was harder for her to feel the soulmate connection. It may have leaked through a bit, but the reason she wasn’t constantly feeling it was because she’d been guarding her heart. The truth was that she always had her guard up. She never wanted to overly expose her feelings either, so this helped guard them. She had to be strong. For her pack, for everyone. And letting people in scared her a little.
The truth was she was also a bit anxious about having a soulmate. Someone able to see her true self. What if he didn’t like the person he saw? There was no hiding herself from that.
Freja smiled at her daughter knowingly. She’d missed this before. She should have explained the importance of letting people in on a deeper level to her daughter a long time ago. Especially a mate. Though, to be fair, she’d never talked about the mate stuff since she didn’t want her to suffer. But it was different now that Derrick was her fated mate, and her soulmate at that.
Lucie, you have nothing to be afraid of now. You’re allowed to claim your mate. He isn’t someone you have to reject. You don’t have to guard yourself anymore. You’re blocking your energy from flowing properly. Connecting to your mate will make you stronger.Freja gripped Lucie’s wrist for a moment. She should have noticed this a long time ago. She felt guilty. Lucie was the one she’d never worried about, and because of that, this slipped by her.
What if he doesn’t like who I am on the inside? It feels incredibly revealing … to be connected on that deep level.
No, Lucie. It’s freeing. Trust me. I went years being isolated and having no one. I didn’t think I could trust anyone or bare myself to anyone. But once I met your father, I realized how wrong I was. Having someone to share your soul with is very comforting. It’s someone who truly accepts you for who you are. There’s no reason to hide from someone like that. Look at him, Lucie. There’s only concern in his eyes. No judgment. That’s what’s so amazing and special about having a fated mate. It’s something I never talked to you about before because of your situation … but there’s nothing more amazing than the feeling of pure acceptance.
Lucie turned her head slightly to look at Derrick. She met his amber eyes, which were full of concern. She looked back at her mother, who had a small smile resting on her face. The problem wasn’t just her blocking her mate. It was that deep down she’dalways guarded herself so much that she wasn’t quite sure how to bring those walls down.
She’d always been outgoing and helpful, so she was sure that if her family knew she’d blocked off a part of herself, they’d be shocked. And she remembered when it first happened … It was the time she had gone to spend a week with Derrick when she was ten. It was the summer he’d turned fifteen and had changed completely. She was hurt and didn’t want to feel so much, on that deep of a level. While her emotions were still there, she was able to build up an almost numbing wall around herself. No matter what, the pain would never be that devastating. Looking back, she could almost laugh at herself. It wasn’t even Derrick then. It was some stand-in. A stand-in was the reason she’d closed part of herself off.
Lucie took in a deep breath and tried to focus on her mental barrier, but the moment she did, a quick stab of emotional pain seeped out, stinging her. She stopped immediately. She didn’t want to feel that. She didn’t want to feel that much again.
You have to, Lucie.
