Page 13 of A Surrender Of Hope

“No, I don’t. She has four giant Demon Princes watching her every move. Hell, that one hasn’t stopped touching her since she came into the room,” Drakos mutters, gesturing at Valen, who blinks back at him, face stone-cold.

“We can’t trust them,” Jenning grinds out, and I scowl at the boy, wondering if I could get away with thumping him a little.

“Yeah, well, according to you, you can’t trust me either. So what's the difference?” Drakos snaps, looking more than a little upset.

“I… You… Dammit! Fine. Whatever, but if she gets hurt again, I’m never going to forgive you,” Jennings snarls, turning in bed, trying to get comfortable and wincing when he jostles his injured leg.

“Stop moving, idiot!” Drakos darts forward, readjusting the pillow under Jennings’ leg. Meyer watches them with a hopeful smile as Valen slowly wraps her in his arms and moves toward the door.

I reach out a hand, trying not to laugh when Jennings kicks Drakos again; Elaine’s son curses, then thumps Jennings on the head like a naughty toddler.

“They’re going to kill each other if they don’t figure their shit out soon,” Meyer remarks, letting us pull her from the room.

“They’re going to do something. Not sure if they’ll be killing each other, but it will be explosive,” I agree with a wink, making Lemon Drop grin back with a devilish smile. The sexual tension between those two is so thick I could cut it with a knife.

“Maybe we should… help them along,” she muses, ambling down the hall, tucked safely between Valen and me.

“I’m game,” I whisper, looking down at her and seeing her small hands tremble at her sides. The dark circles under her eyes look worse than they had earlier, and I can tell by the slight limp in her gait that she’s struggling to walk on her own; she’s just too damn proud to ask for help. I look up at Valen, who’s watching her, one hand holding hers, the other pressed lightly to the small of her back just in case she falls. He doesn’t look at me or offer any conversation, and at this moment, I’m not sure if I’m more worried about Lemon Drop or my brother. “Naps first,” I suggest, hoping to get Valen to sleep with her. Once they’retaken care of, Nox, Razar, Jesthren and I can finally sit down and devise a plan to fix this mess.

SEVEN

Lennox

“How is she?” Elaine asks, rushing down the hall at my side, not once complaining at my brisk pace. Hunters and Rangers alike give us a respectful nod when we pass, their eyes moving to Elaine rather than me, with a faint scent of fear drifting in the air around them.

“Alive,” I manage to say, the ache in my chest constricting increasingly the longer I’m away from my Little Demon. I managed to stay away long enough to shower off the blood I still wore from the battle and to change, but it almost killed me to do it.

“The mark on her wrist?” she asks, stepping closer to me and keeping her voice so low that I have difficulty hearing her.

“Still there.” My fury triples at the reminder that the devil himself has a mark on my mate. “I need to bring her to my father,” I admit, not knowing what else to do. The fact I took a mate so young will cause a commotion, and my stomach sinks at the realization that I will disappoint my parents. I didn't get approval for my mating from my father, which will cause a fight, not only with me but with the Brakatise Legion since I waspromised to their eldest daughter. As heir, my mate was selected for me.

Mother always said she would never force an unwanted mate on me, and that if I chose someone for myself, she would stand by me. But I know how important it is to keep our political alliances, especially the one with the Legion, who owns most of our kingdom’s weapons and blacksmithing forges.

But what’s even worse than all of these concerns combined is the fact I don’t know how to protect my mate. Knowing that she’s in danger, and yet there is nothing I can do. It makes me feel like fucking dirt, the lowest of scum. I need to get her to Versipellis and see if anything can be done about the mark on her wrist.

“I figured. With what happened and your brother showing up,” she adds, making me grind my teeth so hard I’m worried I may crack one. “I thought you would have already left.”

“I need to ensure the castle is secure before we leave, and we’ll only be gone for a week’s time. I don’t want the Seniorem to return while the castle is defenseless.” Elaine snorts at my words, and her tiny fingers wrap around my arm, forcing me to stop and look down at her.

“The castle is fine, and with the Russians here, I have more than enough Hunters to defend it. The enemy lost far greater numbers than we did. Take your girl home and make sure she’s okay. You lot will be worthless to me otherwise,” she says softly, her words blunt and to the point, which is why I like her so much.

Trying not to cringe from the feeling of her hand on me, I gently pull my arm away from her, ignoring the twist in my stomach from a female who is not my mate touching me. If this is what mating is like, the ache in my chest, the aversion to touch from anyone other than her, I’m not sure I want it.

“The crypts were breached, and the walls are still being repaired. Not only did the enemy win, but they somehow hadmy brother working with them and even took the sarcophagus of Inanis! I don’t think I need to reiterate againhow detrimental that is for not only the Demonic realm but the human one as well. Everything that happened that night was a miserable failure on our part, and I don’t see how you’re staying calm right now,” I hiss between my teeth, trying to keep the growl from my voice but failing miserably if Elaine’s unimpressed look is anything to go by.

“Watch the attitude, Nox. You may be a Prince back home, but you rank below me here,” she snaps, crossing her arms over her chest, her simple black velvet gown swishing around her ankles as she steps closer. “I understand the last forty-eight hours have been trying for you,” she continues, and I have to hold back an eye roll. Trying is a lackluster word for the last two days, but Elaine doesn’t deserve my anger or fear, and that’s what this is.

Anger and fear.

Anger that the Devil himself has somehow come back from an exile that should’ve kept him locked up for an eternity. Fear that my family has not only been ripped apart by Archer’s betrayal, but that we are divided on what to do next. I need to get Meyer to the Demonic realm to ensure she’s okay, but Archer is out there somewhere, and I know Razar is itching to find him.

“I’m sorry,” I manage to get out, then turn and point at Valen’s room. “Your boys are in there,” I say just as something loud crashes on the other side of the door, and I freeze, my heart lodging in my throat as I hear raised voices.

“What in the world?” Elaine says, rushing forward before I throw myself toward the door and make sure Meyer isn’t in there. Elaine throws the door open, gasps, and ducks just as a hurricane lamp flies directly at us. I manage to catch the damn thing before it hits me, but only just. If Elaine hadn’t been quick enough, it would have crashed into her.

“You’re being ridiculous!” Elaine’s son shouts, holding a pillow in front of his face like a shield as Ranger Jennings reaches for the small brush on the side table next to him. The brush is launched through the air in the next moment, the injured boy throwing it with a strength I didn’t think he would possess, considering he’s still healing.

“I’m being ridiculous? You’re fucking kidding me, right? You’re the one who was keeping secrets!”

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