Page 150 of Hunt Me

Luka rolled his eyes, and Matilda cackled as they recalled the guard’s bug-eyed expression when he once opened the carriage door and found them indisposed.

“Aye,” Luka sighed, rising to open the door.

Matilda watched him closely. His movements were graceful despite the lingering injury to his wing. He stepped down and reached for Denalia. Matilda passed her off, and Denalia acted accordingly, squirming and fussing in her father’s arms.

“Silence, my darling. You are only doing this because there is an audience,” Luka gently fussed. Matilda laughed and accepted his outstretched hand. Her boots met the ground, and guards immediately flanked their sides.

The settlement quieted, and the energy changed as soon as they realized who had arrived. Heads turned in their direction, conversations hushed, and one by one, they began to bow.

A woman standing near a half-finished cottage lowered herself into a curtsy so quickly she nearly spilled the basket of bread in her hands.

“Your Majesty,” she whispered.

Others followed.

A blacksmith removed his gloves and bowed his head deeply as they passed. A couple stepped aside, offering quiet greetings while trying not to stare too openly at the infant bundled in Luka’s arms.

Matilda glanced briefly toward Luka as they began walking through the settlement. “You didn’t tell me they would do this.”

“Despite the leather britches, you are royalty, my beloved,” he huffed.

She grinned. “You fancy my leather britches.”

“No.”

Matilda leaned in and inhaled deeply. “Would you like to know the scent of your lust?”

“I’d rather not.”

“Another time then.”

The pathways between homes were still uneven from recent rain, though progress stood everywhere she looked.

A small group approached cautiously from near the well, and Matilda immediately noticed the hesitation in their movements. There were four of them altogether: a human woman, a vampire male, and two young boys lingering behind them.

Hybrid children.

The woman curtsied awkwardly. “Your Majesties.”

Luka offered a small nod, but it was Matilda the woman kept looking at.

“Would you…” The woman hesitated, suddenly nervous. “Would you allow us to see her?”

Luka pushed back the fur covering and lowered her slightly. Denalia stirred, as though sensing the attention, then blinked awake slowly. Her brown eyes wandered sleepily before fixing on the strangers nearby.

The younger boy gasped softly.

“She’s pretty,” he whispered.

Matilda’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

“They’ve never seen another child like themselves before,” the woman admitted quietly.

For a moment, Matilda said nothing. Then adjusted the blanket back for the children to see Denalia properly.

“She looks strong,” the older boy admitted. Luka made a quiet sound that sounded suspiciously like amusement.

The woman’s eyes began to water, and she quickly wiped away her tears. “You have no idea what this place means to families like ours,” she whispered.