Page 37 of Hidden Pain

Both the mother and the father bear murmured their agreement.

“I want to let all of you out of these cages and send you on your way with Ethern—he’s the representative from the Council. But first, I need your assurances that you’ll not hurt Kingsley. He’s a friend…a human but still a friend.

“If my daughter trusts him, then so do I.” The mother bear smiled toward her happy little girl, and all the other animal shifters agreed.

“Jessica,” Hunter called the witch in, and she made short work of freeing all of them from their cages.

Some of the shifters needed urgent medical attention, especially the elderly lions, so Ethern and Jessica transported them first to Berlin. The bear family were the last to go, and Lily promised she would come and see them in a couple of days to check on their progress. The circus people in cages, and their children were transported next. Ethern promised he would make sure the innocents were freed and re-homed with no memory of what had happened here.

The last person to go was Frederick. Lily stood in front of his cage as they prepared to take him. She didn’t speak to him—she just stared down at him. It was funny how the tables had turned, seeing the tyrant of her childhood reduced to nothing. Brayden handed her the ignition switch for the explosives. The snow leopard had been busy setting the compound up ready to detonate. Jessica probably could have done it herself, but Brayden was a fan of the old fashioned methods and had taken the task upon himself with much glee.

“I thought I would feel more joy when I got my revenge on you, but in reality, it fills me with little happiness,” Lily told Frederick who looked defeated for the first time. Hunter and Kingsley appeared at her side and both linked an arm each through hers. “My revenge came from living on after I left here. From finding a life and loves. You didn’t break me, no matter how hard you tried.”

Lily looked down at the detonator switch that would send her past into just that: the past. She pressed it and was immediately surrounded by the sounds of the explosives igniting around her. Ethern placed a hand on the cage containing the ringmaster and transported him to Berlin to face his punishment. As the sky turned orange, all of Lily’s past disappeared forever, sucked into the depths of a hell she hoped one day soon her childhood tormentor would experience for himself.

Brayden took the detonator from her and walked over to Jessica and the others.

“I feel like I’ve asked this so many times today, but are you ok?” Kingsley questioned.

“You have.” Lily laughed.

“A door shut on the past?” Hunter queried next.

“Well and truly, and a thought planted.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Hunter looked at her with a worried expression on his face.

“It’s nothing bad.” She chuckled. “Just my future.”

“Justyour future?” Kingsley joked.

“Come on, let’s get home. You can tell us all about it while I sink into your body. It’s been nearly six hours since we last had sex, and I’m ready to go again.” Hunter tapped his watch

“Finally!” Kingsley and Lily both exclaimed. “We were ready to go straight after the last time.”

They joined hands with Jessica and the others, and before Lily knew what was happening, they were back in Hunter’s mansion with screaming and shouting coming from the room above them.

“What the fuck?” Kingsley looked at the ceiling.

“How dare you touch my things!” a shrill female voice screamed.

“That’s Ebony.” Hunter looked defeated and trudged toward the door.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” warned another terrified sounding feminine voice. “Please.”

Brayden turned white. “And that’s Selene.”

Chapter Nineteen

Hunter raced up the stairs with Brayden at his side, and the others followed behind them. They headed to the source of the screams and shouts, bursting into the rooms the Glacial Blood pack members had been sharing since coming to stay in Hunter’s mansion.

Objects were thrown all over the floor: diapers, wipes, a baby chair, clothes, even a mattress. Selene was starting to glow, her skin turning green with magical symbols appearing all over it.

“Ebony, out,” Hunter ordered, and the now cowering she-wolf looked at him in fear.

“What is she doing?” she asked.

“Get out. Now!” he repeated.

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