Page 75 of Claimed By Prince Daddy

“Oh stars, Melodina! You’re safe.” I said.

“T-the bad fae…,” Melodina said, hiccuping on a sob. “They took Momma! They took her away!”

My mother stopped before me, her chest heaving with her pants. “Melodina teleported into my living room,” she said. “Your father is away on a business trip, so it was just me in the house. After Melodina told me who she was and what had happened, I teleported us here. We came out of hiding once the danger had passed.”

I grasped the sides of Melodina’s face. “You did good going to your grandmother.”

“How did she even find me?” My mother asked.

“I showed Melodina pictures of you and Dad. From the family album. I showed her weeks ago how to teleport by following someone’s blood as a guide. She must’ve felt you during teleport and changed course to your house.”

“I-I want my Momma!” Melodina cried, burying her head into my chest.

I ran my hand down her back, pushing aside my own pain over Ember being taken in order to comfort my daughter. “I know, I know,” I said. “We’ll get her back.”

But Melodina shook her head fiercely. She wiggled out of my embrace. Throwing her arms out, she cried, “But they took Momma when they really wanted me!” She fisted her tiny hands. “I-I heard them, along the bond Momma said that a mommy and daughter share. They were looking for me!”

My heart broke for my daughter to see the distraught tears, the guilt that was eating her up inside. I reached out a hand. “Melodina…,” I said, unable to think of what to say next. What words of comfort to give against the harsh reality that her mother was gone? Taken.

Melodina squared her tiny shoulders and lifted her chin in determination. “I will give myself up to save Momma!” Though her body shook with repressed fear, the child stood bravely before me, willing to serve as an exchange for the mother that she loved.

I shushed her. “No, Melodina. I won’t lose you, too.” I grabbed her upper arms and stared deep into her eyes. “Never give yourself up to the enemy. Understand?”

Her lower lip trembling, she gave a nod.

“Good,” I said. I wiped her tears from her ruddy cheeks.

She sniffled. “What are you going to do?”

I gave her a warm smile. “I’m going to fix things.”

I pushed to my feet and called for the guards, that escorted me to take Melodina to her bedroom and guard her. Once she was out of sight, my mother turned to face me.

“What are you going to do?” She asked me, her brows creased with worry.

I stared intently into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll look after Ember and Melodina for me.”

Her eyes widened as realization sank in.

My frown deepened. “Promise me.”

“My son,” she breathed. “You can’t turn yourself into the summer fae. You can’t!” I shook my head, not wanting to hear this. Her eyes grew moist with tears. “Please, don’t go…,” she begged.

My mother had been a proud queen. She had begged for nothing and bowed to no one. Hearing her become so broken because of me struck me in the heart. But my heart bled for the woman I loved more.

I threw out an arm, slicing the air. “I can’t leave my mate there to die!” I snarled. “I won’t!”

My mother’s lips thinned as she tried to stifle the wobbling. She swallowed thickly, the tendons in her neck growing distended. After a long moment, she gave a brief nod. “I know you can’t,” she said. “No matter how much I want my baby boy to stay here with me, to be safe.” She cupped a palm to the side of my face. “I love you, my son. Always.”

I placed my hand over hers. “I love you, too, Mother.”

Then I stepped back a few steps. Her hand slipped from my face to fall at her side. I called upon my powers to teleport to the summer palace, and the world spun as I winked out of existence.

I teleported straight inside the Summer Fae palace. The warriors that milled about stared slack-jawed for a brief moment before they immediately moved into action. Theyformed a tight circle around me, unsheathing their swords and drawing on their power of light shards. I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and dropped to my knees.

“I surrender myself in exchange for Ember’s freedom,” I announced, my voice booming with authority.

I could see the warriors exchanging confused glances, some suspicious glowers. I could wipe all of these bastards out if I wanted to. But then, Ember wouldn’t be free. That was the only thing that tempered the primal side of my power roiling within.

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