Page 21 of Within the Veil

I look at him sharply, eyes narrowing. "I hope you aren't insinuating what I think you are, King." I look around the room meeting everyones' gaze.

Li'Ella suddenly jumps down from Grayson's arms, "Sorry Queen mommy, daddies and uncles. My other mommy needs me," she runs out of the room and we look back as she retreats.Smart girl.

"Shit, can I go too?" Luca murmurs to Jensi. I glare at them.

"I will not be shoved away in a box, King. You all need me and so does the village and all the other thousands of Fae currently stuck under Nici," I sat up.

Hunter scoffs, and we all turn to look at him.

* * *

Hunter

* * *

I feltlike I was fighting an internal war with myself from the moment she walked into that kitchen and I wrapped in her my arms. Once I got over that shock it took everything in my power to quiet the fury building within me and keep it from leaking into our mate bond. I went so far as to stay against the wall in the living rather than to place her in my lap and never let her go. From the time she started to divulge everything she had learned from Gaia, I bit my tongue, literally. I focused on the tanginess of the blood in my mouth as everyone hung on every word falling from her beautiful lips. I fought harder with my heart, my anger, my very existence. I needed to get a grip on my emotions. Needed, but couldn't. And, the more I looked at her walking, breathing, and smiling, the angrier I felt myself grow. My anger aimed at her being here, not exactly anyway, but because seeing her standing with her belly round and a smile fixed on her face, kept reminding me what I almost lost. My mate, my children, my sanity and my tether to the world.

Djinn, in general, were feral, cruel, unhinged beings. Arallu being one of the most violent by nature. We were a very small group of people, our mutual love of destruction the only thing that kept us together as a 'family.' Although, that was a very loose term for what we were. Especially considering one of our favorite pastimes was wreaking havoc among families, breeding general distrust and contempt. No, we were a clan of walking locusts, destroying everything in our path.

My only saving grace, if you can call it that, was that my mother was a lower Fae, a kind soul if there ever was one. What she saw in my father, I would never know. But despite being kidnapped, and the verbal and sometimes physical abuse, she stayed. She taught me how to find kindness within my very dark soul and helped me fight my nature in order to hide my inclination towards kindness that she tried to ingrain within me from birth. My father still noticed. He claimed I took less pleasure in the murder and mayhem that was the Arallu's due. In truth, Arallu's were technically part of the Unseelie, our darker natures not aligned with the Seelie. However, we stood apart, choosing our own clan instead of answering to a Monarchy.

I do not remember what happened to my mother. I assume that particular memory may be one the of ones that we have yet to be able to access. Regardless, I knew that the love of the right person and in my case my mate, is what helped me regain control after I finally broke the enchantment and went full blown Arallu. Without her? I would have been unleashed and I shudder to think of what destruction I could have caused. So the knowledge that I almost lost the other half of my soul and four pieces of my heart, was choking me and despite my joy of knowing they were all safe was very real, I just couldn't put my anger to the side any longer. I refused.

* * *

Hudson

"Oh. Now we need you?" Hunter pushes up from his position on the wall, his lips curling. Remi reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder as if to say, not now, but he shrugs it off. He shakes his head, "no. Now is as good a time as any."

I push myself up from the couch, not easily. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what that means Hudson. Now all of a sudden we need you? Where was that attitude when you put yourself in danger, cut off our bond and decided to sacrifice yourself?"

I stared at him in disbelief, "I was thinking that I was saving people who have been under a regime of torture and anguish and that it was my duty to protect them."

"Did you think about us at all? I mean, other than cutting us off that is. What if it was one of us that decided to sacrifice themselves and leave you and the others behind?" He banged on his chest, the thump echoing throughout the room. Everyone looked at each other, refusing to meet my gaze but I felt their emotions. I knew they all agreed with him. I understood, to an extent, how they all felt. Abandoned, saddened. But I had a duty, to them, to the Fae. I couldn't simply stand by and watch them all in danger.

"Of course, I thought about you all," I stepped closer to him, hands up in supplication. "I had to stop Alvor before he put you and more people at risk. I didn't think..."

He roars, turning and punching through the wall, "EXACTLY! You did not think. We would have done anything, ANYTHING, to keep you here with us. You," he turns, pointing at me. "You took our children with you when you left. Did you even realize that? Even if you are here right now Hudson, you chose to cut us off. You chose to cut out our hearts when you left and our SOULS when you decided to sacrifice yourself and, in turn, our children. Our babies," his voice hitches and his fists clench.

"Hunter, that is enough." Zane steps up.

"No. It is not enough," Hunter shoves Zane back and it's a testament to how strong he was that he only took one step back from the impact. Hunter walks over to me and Grayson and Ryder move to block him. I hold my hand up, with a shake of my head.Let him come, I say silently. He needed to get this off his chest as much as I needed to hear it. What I did was selfish, but I did it to spare myself the pain of losing them. But I didn't consider them losing me and the children as well. I deserved all of his wrath, theirs too.

Despite his anger he steps close and cradles my face, his eyes frantic, breathing shallow. Suddenly, as if a wall drops from between us, I am hit with a cannonball of emotions. A pain so profound my breathing wavered and suddenly...I'm back on the battlefield.

* * *

Hunter

* * *

Hudson fallsto the floor and I feel the connection in our hearts snap. I roar out in pain, and cut down who ever the fuck was left in my haste to get to her. I throw myself at her body, "No, no. NO!" I roar out, my heart splitting into pieces. "You are not allowed to leave me, you hear me Hudson?" My voice pitched higher.

* * *

"Hunter,snap out of it. Open your connection, she is still there. Let's get her back," Zane, choked out. I felt the guys come closer and I shoved them off as I cradled her body. Standing up, I run to bring her back to the house. That's all she needed. She needs to lay down, rest. We would give her a bath, she hates being dirty. Then she will wake up, she will be okay. The babies will be okay, everything will be fine. It has to be. I can't... I just can't lose her. My thoughts grew frantic and I must have been stuck in the same spot as Ryder and Grayson took her from my arms and laid her down, in my stead.

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