“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 makeyour 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.”
CHAPTER 23
Hunter’s eyes glazed over as he looked at Freja. Lucie could tell by their faces that they were deep in discussion. Her parents’ hands tightened into fists as their private conversation lingered in the silence. Lucie wasn’t dumb. It was obvious from the looks on their faces that this new information had changed things.
She stepped a bit more into Derrick. She was going to have to leave him, and as much as she understood his reasons, it didn’t make it easier.
She knew that look. Had seen it before, and it made her feel like a child again. She could see it in her parents’ eyes, and it was obvious. Derrick pulled her deeper into his side.
“And just like that, I’m no longer the strong, capable daughter anymore, right?” Lucie snorted angrily.
“Derrick is right. We haven’t studied this witch or her allies enough to know what she’s capable of,” Freja said quietly.
