Page 48 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“You must stay in the palace.”

By my side.

A muscle feathered along Ember’s jaw. Her lips thinned as she weighed my words. Closing her eyes as if praying for self-control, Ember growled. “I don’t wish to stay anywhere near you. But I will do so for my daughter’s sake.”

“You should be thanking His Majesty for even helping you after you fled and shirked your duties,” Bristell snarled at Ember from where he stood at my side.

Ember opened her eyes, and they glowed like twin golden nuggets. An animalistic growl erupted from her throat, her wolf skimming the surface.

Bristell flinched, ducking behind me. I rolled my eyes.

Holy hell, what is happening to my life?

CHAPTER ELEVEN: AWAKENING

MELODINA & ROSALANA

Iopened my eyes. I was lying on a bed in a room that wasn’t mine. I shot up, crying for my mom. She didn’t answer me.

Where’s Mama?

My body shook as I looked around the room. I sat in a gigantic bed. A big window was to my left. The sun was out, and a garden was beyond the window. I hopped off the bed and slowly walked to the window. I looked outside. In the garden was a horse. He was eating the grass. I gave a small smile. Horses were my favorite animal. Then the horse lifted his head. A sharp thing was on his head. I squinted and then gasped.

It was a horn!

I was staring at a unicorn!

I backed away and pinched my arm.

“Ow!” I rubbed my arm.

“I’m not dreaming…,” I whispered.

Then I remembered home. My nana…the bad men came inside and they…they. I saw blood. Screams echoed in my ears.

I slapped my hands to my ears and cried out. “No!” I crouched. I began to cry. Where was my mama? I needed my mama! She’d keep me safe, hug me, and make it all go away.

Someone knocked on the door. I removed my hands from my ears and blinked. I got up and turned around to look at the door.

The door opened, and a tall man was there. He had white hair and blue eyes. He wore a white dress with long sleeves. He was a pretty man, the prettiest man I ever saw. But something was different about him. Then I saw his ears.

I gasped. He had pointed ears like mine but way pointier.

He looks like the fairies my mom tells me about as bedtime stories.

He walked up to me. He smiled. “Did you see the unicorn?”

I frowned as I remembered my mom. “Where is my mama?” My eyes burned again, but I couldn’t cry now. I needed to find Mama first.

He smiled again at me. “You’ll see your mother soon enough.” He leaned down. “But right now, I need you to do something for me.”

I blinked at him. Then I frowned and backed up, remembering what my mama had told me. “I’m not supposed to help adults. I can’t do anything for strangers.”

The strange man blinked at me. He just stared at me. I stared back. Then he giggled.

“My dear child,” he said. “I’m no stranger.”

I squinted at him. “Yeah, you are. I don’t know you.”

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