Page 59 of Wrath of the Fae

The words came through to my mind. A voice I know well.

‘Lucca?’

The creature leans down further, snarling in my face.

‘I could kill you, Pup. You’re so desperate to take your mind off Reid, you’re willing to lose your life? HUH?! To end up back in the portal?’

‘What are you… Are you… are you hitching?’

‘You left me little other choice. You disappear and tell no one where you’re going. This was the only way I could find you.’The creature sniffs me.‘I followed your scent. That and the smell of wine.’

I gave him the device that held Della’s power. I guess he used it.

‘Whatareyou?’

He moves off me, freeing me to sit.‘No idea. It’s the creature that answered me when I called. It was deep in the forests, sleeping in an underground tunnel of some kind, when I appeared in its head.’He snaps his teeth at me. ‘I’m so mad right now.’

‘I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to wander off. We just…’

‘Drank the wine cellar.’

‘I guess so.’ I look back at the kids, who all look traumatised just seeing him. ‘You’re scaring them.’

He sits and covers his teeth with his lips, looking from the pile of children to me.

‘Do I look that scary?’he asks.

‘You’re a monster, Lucca. Like an actual monster! You are terrifying!’ I reach out and run my fingers through his fur. ‘Beautiful but utterly terrifying!’

‘Raven, stop stroking that thing!’

Tessa is sidestepping her way closer, watching Lucca with unblinking eyes.

‘It’s Lucca,’ I tell her.

‘Are you still drunk?’ she spits, beckoning me to join her. ‘Get your arse over here before it eats you.’

‘Talk to her.’

Lucca, the beast, faces her.

‘Calm your bad influence of a backside down, Tessa. Or I will eat you!’

Her eyes widen even more. If possible.

‘You are so lucky I was able to find you. Are you aware there are three dead soldiers about a mile away? Do you have any idea what would have happened if they had found you lot?’

‘I think we may have found them first,’ Tessa replies, looking at the blood on her clothes.

Lucca sniffs again, and his many eyes look at the blood on me.‘You killed them? I’m impressed, but how could you be so-’

‘Will you stop telling me off like a damn child?! You’re making my headache worse. We need to get these kids back to the Thirteenth. That’s all that matters.’

He growls.

‘You want me to be a queen and lead? Then do as you are told. Lead them back to the Thirteenth.’

Another growl.

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