Page 50 of Beauty and Her Beasts (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 1)

I winced in pain as my ankle rolled.

“Are you okay?” both Declan and my father asked.

I took a few deep breaths then slipped out of the shoes. “I will be fine.”

“Maybe you should carry her?” my father suggested.

Declan didn’t hesitate to swoop me into his arms and carry me out the door with my father in tow. He held me close to his body and I smelled his cologne. The tips of his hair, tied back into a low ponytail, danced along my hand clutching his back as he carried me.

The night air was cold. Each breath came out as a puff of cloud. Papa clutched his jacket around him tighter.

“How far is it?” I asked.

“About half a mile,” Declan said. “We’ll be there in about 10 minutes.”

I settled my gaze on my father. He nodded toward me. Even flashed a small smile. I sighed and rested my head on Declan’s shoulders. I fell into the sensation of Declan’s body moving and relaxed further into his arms.

Ten minutes went by as though they were seconds. Declan stopped. I lifted my head up and took in the surroundings. We were deep into the woods that surrounded the hotel. Shadows blended and moved between the trees, and I knew it was only my eyes playing tricks on me. I sucked in a breath and peeked over Declan’s shoulder to find my father blowing into his hands and rubbing them together.

“I’m going to put you down now,” Declan said.

I met his gaze and nodded. My feet touched the frozen ground, shocking my system. I gasped and shuffled my feet to keep them from getting too cold while Declan opened the door to his small cabin.

“Come in,” he said. “I’ll get a fire started.”

Shuffling of massive feet rushed toward us. I sucked in a breath and turned around to find Moon prancing toward the cabin. He glanced at me, wagging his tail, and licked my hand before hobbling inside.

I intended to let my father step in first, but he insisted I walk in before him. Once inside, Declan got a fire started, and shortly after that, warm broth boiled in a pot above it. Declan poured us each a cup and we sat waiting in relative silence until my father yawned.

“Tired, Papa?” I asked.

“It has been a long, eventful day. Hasn’t it?” he said.

I nodded.

Declan snorted. “That’s one way to put it. And it’s not even over yet.”

“Is there a place for him to rest?” I asked.

He nodded and walked to a corner of the cabin where a small cot sat covered in things I could only guess at. I imagined it was clothing, blankets, and tools, but I wasn’t too sure. Declan removed the items, tossing them underneath before shaking out the quilt that covered the cot.

“It’s not much, but it’s the best I have to offer,” Declan said.

“It will do just fine. Don’t fret, Declan.” Papa made his way to the cot and took a seat. Once he knocked back the last of his broth, he took the quilt and covered himself as he laid down.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” Declan said then whistled for Moon to follow him as he stepped outside.

I smiled at my father and sat on the floor next to him. “Are you warm enough?”

He nodded. “I am. Don’t worry about me. Go spend time with him.”

The light of the fire reflected off his smile. I couldn’t help but return the gesture. With a sigh, I stood and bent over to plant a kiss on my father’s cheek before heading outside to join Declan.

A fire roared to life as I closed the door. It was a large, round pit about fifteen feet from Declan’s cabin but the heat bled into my skin even from the door. A bench made from an old log sat off to the side of the fire. Declan took a seat on it, and Moon laid down at his feet.

I was caught by the way the light of the fire danced off Declan’s skin and hair. He stared into the flames, seemingly caught in a trance. I quietly took a seat next to him and wrapped my arms around my torso.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance,” Declan muttered.

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