Page 69 of Kai's Hunger

Wyatt nodded. “And Fostine is staying, too,” he announced. “She’s needed here. I know she’s going to bust my balls about this, but Fostine has seen enough of Patterson’s depravity to last a lifetime.”

“Agreed,” I replied. “Besides I think it’ll be good for Lily to talk to another female who understands what she went through.”

Wyatt nodded, then pulled out his cell phone and checked the screen. “Now, let’s go find Trakker and bring him home.”

Everyone filed out of the room, but before Wyatt could leave, I caught him by the arm. He quirked a questioning brow at me.

“I should be going on this mission with you. We both know it.”

“No, you should be taking care of Lily.” My brother’s gaze softened. “You found your mate, Kai. There’s nothing more important than her right now.” He paused, then added, “Before she arrived, I believed that our family wouldn’t live to see another century. Her presence here changes everything. For the first time in a long while, I have hope.”

“The next generation ofYucilons, you mean,” I concluded. And how did I feel about being a father?Petrifiedpretty much covered it. But there was also excitement. And if the child looked like Lily...

“Maybe,” Wyatt replied. “It’s never been done before, but Lily is strong and your bond is powerful.” He clutched my shoulder and squeezed. “Protect her with your life.”

I didn’t need to be told. Lily was my life. And I wouldn’t lose her again.

Chapter Thirteen

Lily

The sterile white room blurred and shifted as I slowly regained consciousness. The remnants of my ordeal with Patterson haunted my every sensation. My body ached, and each breath was a reminder of the pain I had endured. I tried to blink away the haze, struggling to piece together my surroundings. As my vision steadied, a figure came into focus by my bedside. It was Fostine. Kai’s sister. My conversation with Kai came back.Yucilon. Fostine and the creature from the woods were one and the same. As I stared at her, my brain couldn’t quite make sense of it.

My eyes locked onto Fostine’s face, reading the same conflicting emotions that stirred with me. Fostine’s guarded expression reflected the shadows of her ordeal. I felt a pang of empathy; I knew that Fostine had suffered the same atrocities at Patterson’s hands.

“Hey,” Fostine’s voice was soft, though there was unease beneath its surface. “You’re awake.”

My throat was dry, my voice barely a whisper. “I see him when I close my eyes.” Silence hung between us, heavy with the weight of unspoken words.

Fostine’s features tightened, her jaw clenching as she struggled to contain the emotions that threatened to spill over. “Me too.” Her voice trembled. “I know the kind of monster he is.”

My eyes welled with tears. Pain and sorrow mingling. “I’m so sorry,” I choked out. “I’m so sorry that you went through this, too.”

Fostine’s shoulders tensed, her gaze averted before returning to mine. “Don’t do that. Don’t pity me,” she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. “Pity is for the weak. You and I, we aren’t weak.”

I nodded, my heart heavy with the weight of our shared trauma. “I don’t know how to ... how to heal from this.”

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