Page 79 of The Hunt of Night

“My uncle insisted. Since my father was killed in cold blood, he’s taken the reins.” The sneer on her lips does nothing to my conscience and the lack of care I have for her father’s demise. If anything, I want to hunt out a party popper and fucking celebrate.

“Your uncle,” I repeat like a fucking parrot as she somehow sits taller in her seat, glossing over the fact that Adrianna was the one to bbq her father with her magic.

“Since you won’t be fated mates with me, my uncle is a little less lenient with the errors you’re making,” she explains slowly, like I’m a child who can’t keep up.

“I’m struggling to see the errors I’m making,” I insist with a shrug, and she gives me a pointed look with a flat smile that has no intention of meeting her eyes.

“Of course, you wouldn’t, but if you need me to spell it out for you, you’re hooked on fae pussy, and it’s going to be your demise.”

“Wow. A bit brash don’t you think?” my father says with a snort, opting for a drag on his cigar this time, and I roll my eyes.

“Brash as always,” I state, and my father’s drawn brows turn back to the thorn in my side.

“It’s unbecoming, Vallie. If your uncle insisted on this, consider my son thoroughly scolded.” He waves her off, but her lips twist in distaste as she rises to her feet.

“You haven’t?—”

Her words fall off as my father discards his glass and cigar, letting them tumble to the floor as he charges. There’s no time to avoid his rage, and there’s no point delaying the inevitable as the room thickens with trepidation at the sound of his glass shattering.

The sound ricochets around the room at the exact time his hand finds its way to my throat. His nails pierce into my flesh, giving him leverage as he lifts me off my feet.

I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can’t do anything but feel his wrath, all while trying to act as unfazed as possible.

“Don’t interrupt the frenzied again. That’s an order.” His dark and sinister voice booms around us, and I hear Vallie gasp before my father discards me just as quickly as he approached.

I fall to the floor, my knees hitting the ground with a thud, and brace my hands against the awful rug beneath me as I try to catch my breath.

“There you are. You can be on your way now,” my father declares.

“Let’s go, Raidy,” Vallie says with a sniffle. Like this is deeply upsetting to her when it only happened because she wanted it to.

“I’m good,” I rasp, my throat burning, and she scoffs in confusion.

“You can’t want to stay here with a man that harms you so effortlessly.”

“Trust me, out of the two options I have right now, it’s still my preferred,” I grunt, pushing to my feet and meeting her stare with a bored expression.

Predictably, she rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I’ll see you in the morning,” she states, heading for the door.

“Preferably not,” I mutter as she saunters from the room without a backward glance.

The door clicks shut behind her and I sag on the spot.

“I’m sorry, son.”

I peer at my father, watching as his lips pinch with sadness and his eyes remain fixated on the floor.

“It’s fine,” I breathe, rubbing at my neck as he shakes his head.

“It’s not, and no words of apology will stop the pain I’ve caused. Any of it.”

“I’m sure?—”

“Do you want a vial?” he offers, swooping over to the cabinet in the far corner where he keeps a ridiculous amount of blood available to him.

“I’m good.”

“I can sense you’re weak,” he pushes, concern flickering between his eyes as he assesses me, but I shake my head.

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