Page 40 of Claimed By Shadows

“Go get her knickers,” Hunt orders in a husky tone, and I release our fingers, Iris’s head coming off my shoulder as I get off the bed on trembling legs and grab her knickers off the floor. When I turn back, Hunt is helping her to stand, standing behind her and supporting her weight as she leans on him, her muscles relaxed and her eyes almost shut. “Put them on her.”

Kneeling in front of them, I lift one foot and then the other, sliding the lace up her shapely legs, kissing above her knees as I help her into her underwear. I then grab her leggings and get those on her, all the while Hunt strokes her arms, kissing and whispering praises in her ear.

Once she’s dressed, he gives me a nod, passing her into my arms, and I guide her over to a large chair, sitting down andpulling her onto my lap. She snuggles in as he grabs her a glass of iced water and some sliced fruit.

“Drink, Princess,” I softly command as he lifts the glass to her lips, tilting it just enough so she can drink, but not so much that it spills out of her mouth. “Good girl.”

I smile when she shivers in my arms, and Hunt remains on his knees, feeding her slices of fruit from his fingers. Once she’s had enough, her body grows heavy, and Hunt drapes a blanket over her as she falls asleep in my lap, my arms wrapped tightly around her. I will never let her go. She is more crucial to me than the air that I breathe, and I will hold her for the rest of my life.

I feel lighter than I have in a long time, the weight on my chest loosening as we step from Serene Haven into the early evening and head towards our car. I can’t stop the grin that splits my lips. It’s been there all day thanks to our beautiful Princess.

“This place is good for her,” Hunt states as we climb into the car, Hunt on the driver’s side. My eyebrows raise, not at his words, which are true, but at the fact that he said them. He narrows his gaze at me. “Fuck off. As much as I hate that she’s away from us, she needed help to process what happened.”

My good mood darkens at the mention of what she’s been through. At what we couldn’t prevent. It’s a special kind of hell, not being able to stop the person, who you love, from hurting and not being able to fix them once you get them back.

“And she’s safe here, especially while we help the Knights,” I reply as we make our way down the drive and back towards the city.

“Sergi won’t try to take her again, not after The Fallen intervened,” Hunt comments, his brows furrowed as his eyesremain on the road. “But he could try to make things appear like she has no choice but to go back.”

“How so?” I inquire, studying him as his jaw works.

“If he threatens one of us in such a way that forces her hand to save us, like he did before.” My stomach swoops, his words making acid churn inside me.

“Shit. Though I can’t imagine The Fallen being happy with that either,” I muse, watching as the sun sinks lower in the sky. “And he currently seems hell-bent on punishing us for having her back, not trying to get her back himself.”

“True. Though we should still be on our guard,” Hunt remarks, taking a deep inhale through his nose. “For now, let’s focus on getting through tonight. I can’t believe I’m letting Nik blow up my club.”

His lips draw down, but there’s definitely a twinkle in his eyes that I don’t miss. I might have if I didn’t know him so well, but I do and my lips twitch as I waggle my eyebrows. “Something you want to confess, Daddy?”

His body stills as he refuses to even look at me, which only makes my grin widen.

“Like what exactly?” His voice is low, promising danger, but I was always an adrenaline junky.

“Like the text exchange you had with Nik before you wiped it from your phone. The one where you told him to get on his knees for you,” I casually state, laser-focused on the way his hands clench around the steering wheel. “Look, I don’t blame you. The man is fine as fuck and has a gorgeous dick. Plus, he loves her too, so it seems like a simple decision that you’d want to fuck him as well.”

“I do not want to fuck him. I can’t stand him, arrogant bastard,” Hunt grits out, and I outright chuckle at that.

“Me thinks the Daddy doth protest too much.” I laugh when his growl fills the space with that delicious alpha energy of his. “Ithink it will be hot as fuck watching you both trying to out-Dom each other. I wonder who will come out on top?”

“Clearly that would be me, fucking brat,” he grumbles, and I snap my fingers at him.

“I knew it! You do plan to fuck him! Iris will be so fucking horny to hear that,” I tease, unable to help myself as his cheeks redden. Yep, he definitely wants to fuck Nik as much as I do, and it will be explosive for sure.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“CENTURIES” BY FALL OUT BOY

ROWAN

My pulse is fast, my senses heightened as we saunter into the mansion, Hunter at our side for the first time. The other security have all gone home for the night. Only Roman and I are on official duty, as has been the way for many nights, just like we planned.

We step into the library, the CCTV footage we’ve been studying telling us that is where we will find our rat. He’s there as expected, dark head bent as he stares at a large screen, watching his niece with no clue that the grim reaper has come to collect him.

My jaw clenches to see his attention so unwavering, even if the footage he’s watching is false. Kai Matthews, the Knight’s tech genius, has looped most of the footage since we discovered this pervert was recording Lilly. Kai is as good with tech as I am, perhaps even more, and we’ve spent hours chatting virtually andplaying around, stealing all of this fucker’s money and ruining his various business deals, the usual.

The sun is just setting when we hear the strains of “Ride of the Valkyries” by Wagner, and a smile tilts up on the side of my mouth. I’ve got to give it to these Knights, they know how to do things with style.

“What the fuck?” Adrian Ramsey hisses, getting up and spinning, freezing when he spots us in the shadowed doorway.

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