Hunter’s POV
I was in shock.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around what happened.
Emma took Sophia’s darkness? She was dying? She sacrificed herself for Sophia? She was dying?!
I was lying on Sophia’s bed, holding her tightly in my arms. She was still asleep and I assumed that Emma did it. She knew that Sophia would fight her on this. She knew that Sophia would try to stop her. She had to put her to sleep so she could do what she needed.
I looked down at my mate and my heart clenched. I was so fucking happy that she was back in my arms. I was so happy that she didn’t have darkness anymore. I was so happy that she wasn’t in danger anymore.
But I knew how she would react once she woke up and realized what happened. I knew how devastated she would be. I knew how scared she would be.
I kissed her forehead and tightened my arms around her.
“I love you, Angel,” I said quietly. “I will be here every step of the way.”
If Emma died…
No.
I couldn’t let myself go there. I couldn’t let myself think about that. Emma wasn’t going to die. She was so fucking strong and she couldn’t die. She simply couldn’t.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I tried to calm my racing heart down. I couldn’t let myself freak out. My Angel could wake up any second now and she needed me to be calm.
I let her scent soothe my soul and calm the panic inside my body. I ran my fingers through her hair, reminding myself that she was right here next to me.
My heart skipped a beat when I finally felt her stir a little. She groaned quietly and sighed.
I opened my eyes and looked at her beautiful face. Her eyes were still closed, but her eyebrows were furrowed a little.
“Hi, Angel,” I said softly as I caressed her cheek and kissed the tip of her nose.
She sighed contently and a small smile spread across her face. I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t. I knew that her smile would disappear as soon as she realized where she was.
“I love you, Sophia,” I said. “I love you so much.”
She smiled again and raised her hand to cup my cheek.
“I love you too,” she mumbled quietly and opened her eyes slowly.
She still had a smile on her face as she looked at me. I didn’t say a word. I kept caressing her cheek and holding her tightly. I was waiting for her to wake up fully. She would know that something was wrong immediately.
I was right because a few seconds later I saw her eyebrows furrow. She looked away from me and her eyes widened when she realized where she was.
“Why am I here?” she asked, trying to get up. “What happened?”
I stopped her from getting up and pulled her to my chest.
“Hunter?!” she exclaimed, trying to get out of my arms. “What happened? Why did you get me out of that room? The darkness could come back any second now!”
I cupped her cheeks and leaned my forehead against hers.
“It will never come back, Sophia,” I said softly. “It is not inside you anymore.”
She stilled for a few moments. I kept my eyes on hers, trying to find a good moment to continue. She beat me to it when she gasped and got out of my arms.
“Mom!” she shouted as she tried to untangle herself from the blankets.
I pulled her back to me, trying to stop her from leaving.
How did she know it was her mom?
“Shh, Sophia, it will be okay, Angel,” I tried calming her down, but it was useless.
She started thrashing and sobbing loudly.
“Let me go!” she exclaimed. “I need to go there! I need to take it back!”
I would never let that happen. I tightened my arms around her and flipped us so I was lying on top of her. I couldn’t risk her leaving me. I didn’t know if Emma was okay. If she died… If Sophia saw her like that…
“Hunter, move!” she screamed at me, but I didn’t listen.
“No,” I said sternly. “I am not letting you go there. Not yet. Not like this.”
I needed her to calm down a little. I needed Alex to call and tell me that Emma was awake.
The anger I saw in her eyes almost made me move. My need to protect her was stronger, though.
“Don’t make me use my magic on you, Hunter,” she said angrily. “Move or I will move you myself.”
I studied her face carefully, trying to find a sign that she was bluffing. I couldn’t find it. She would really do it.
So I had no other choice than be honest with her.
I sighed and caressed her cheek.
“Sophia, Angel, I need you to stay here with me,” I said softly. “I need you to stay until Alex calls.”
She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes a little.
“Why?” she asked angrily. “What happened to my mom?”
I gulped and tried to take a deep breath. It was impossible. A huge lump formed in my throat, stopping me from breathing normally.
“She didn’t take it so well, love,” I said softly. “She is unconscious.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. The look of anger was replaced with a look of fear.
I could tell that she mind-linked someone. It was probably Alex. She gasped quietly and she tried to get me off her.
“Sophia…,” I started speaking, but she interrupted me when she used her magic to throw me off her.
“I am going there and you are not stopping me!” she exclaimed as she jumped out of bed and started running out of the room.
I groaned and started following her.
“Why would she do that?!” Sophia shouted as she ran out of the house. “Why?!”
Because she wanted to save Sophia.
“I was handling it!” Sophia continued yelling. “I knew how to handle it! She doesn’t! It will hurt her! She will get hurt!”
I caught up to her and I took her hand in mine. I wasn’t going to stop her, but I wasn’t going to let her go in there without me.
I had no idea what Alex told her. I had no idea what would we see. I had to be there for her. I had to be strong for her.
I was just hoping that Emma was okay. She had to be okay.
