Page 125 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

My body felt stiff as I woke up that morning. I glanced over my shoulder. The sheets on the other side of the bed were crisp and undisturbed. The familiar gray of the sheets brought a pang to my chest instead of the warmth of being home again.

I scanned around the room. Same log walls, with family photos—pictures of my siblings and me as children flanked the wall. The familiar high-definition TV mounted before my bed, the same floating bookshelves that smattered the room. I inhaled a steadying breath, then wrinkled my nose. Even the air was stagnant, filled with my scent. No rich notes of cedar and the smoke of fire and spice that was Damon. A lump wound its way into my throat. I swallowed, yet the lump didn’t budge.

My thoughts rushed back to Damon’s wicked smile, the way he looked at me with such tenderness every time I’d winced in pain. The moments my eyes would crack open to dawn’s light and I’d find Damon gazing down at me. “Good morning,” he’d purr. Those two words would lift my spirit into the light far better than any sunlight could. The offer of sugar cookies as an apology, despite his uncertainty, brought tears to my eyes.

My inner wolf sank to her belly and lowered her head on her paws. She let out a mournful whine that reached deep into my heart and made the muscle ache and writhe. I drew in a ragged breath, fisting my shirt above my sternum.

No, it can’t be…

I had fallen in love with Damon Hunter. The Werebear Alpha of the Stoneclaw Clan. My hands shook, and I fisted them to staunch the trembling.

Where would that leave me? Would he still reject me? Werebears and werewolves were enemies, after all. A temporary truce between us to solve a crime wouldn’t change hundreds of years of hatred. Damon’s sudden warmth and my newfound feelings didn’t make a damn difference in the scheme of things.

When something wet plopped on my hand, I glanced down… a clear smattering of liquid.

I raised trembling fingers to my cheek, then drew them back. Tears were all over them. As if the realization had opened a dam, torrents of tears cascaded down my face. I bit my trembling lower lip.

Stop it,I chastised myself. There was no use wallowing in bed.

I swiped at the tears and slid my legs over the side of the bed. It was time to set about getting dressed for the day. Once finished, I stepped out of my room and my Beta Garret approached me. He bombarded me with updates on the pack’s condition since my absence. I started walking down the corridor to my office in the neighboring cabin. Garret strode alongside me.

“And the investigations?” I asked him. “Where are we with that?”

His lips thinned. “We have a list of possible suspects as to the murders of the humans. Mainly witches, who we believe were aiding the Dark Fae.”

Brows raised, I asked, “No Dark Fae suspects.”

“Not a one,” Garret growled. “Those bastards are as elusive as ghosts. Hell, ghosts would be more detectable than they are.” His claws sliced out. “Our knowledge of the Dark Fae dates back only as far as our late ancestors’ knowledge and the Great War. We have no way of tracing individual royal fae, or even the common fae. They have cut the realm off from us for a millennium.”

I groaned. “There has to be some way,” I told Garret. “We need a break in this case.” I pressed my fingers along my temples and rubbed, though the mounting headache didn’t abate.

I stepped out into the afternoon sunlight that bathed the grounds in amber. The faint scent of rain lingered on the breeze from last night’s shower. Garret and I trotted down the stairs and made our way across the common yard. A pair of children rolled around in a mud puddle. I paused and scooped one up: Melody, a young girl around the age of four. After lifting her dirty summer dress, I blew raspberries into her soft, plump belly. She threw her head back and laughter erupted from her lips.

I leaned back and narrowed an eye at her. “What are you two doing in the dirt?”

The other child, a young boy named Aaron, clung to my leg. “We’re playing wrestling,” he chirped.

I glanced down at him. “Yes, I could see that.”

Returning my gaze to Melody, I asked, “Wouldn’t your parents disapprove?”

Both children’s faces paled, eyes enlarging.

I hid a smile. “Run along and dip in the river,” I whispered. “You’ll dry out in this heat before you know it. Your parents won’t be the wiser.”

They nodded like dutiful children, and as soon as I lowered Melody to the ground, scampered off.

A deep chuckle rumbled from behind. I glanced over my shoulder. Garret shook his head. “You amaze me sometimes.”

I raised a brow. “What?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just…” Garret blew out a sigh. “I want you to be happy, Alpha. You know I do.” I nodded. “So, I just see you are so good with the kids of the pack, so good withus, yourpack mates. I don’t understand why you haven’t settled down yet? Somewhere out there, there has to be someone for you.”

His words chilled me to the core.

Damon.

My inner wolf whimpered. I straightened and schooled my facial features. “Thanks for your concern, Garret, but I’m fine.”

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