*Daphne*
I was relieved that Rion seed certain that horrible man wasn’t their father, but he had to be related to Eva and Rion. Sothing inside wouldn’t let shake the feeling.
I looped my arms around myself and looked at the floor as Eva and Rion continued to discuss Priest Varge. Rion even admitted a vague mory of the man.
My stomach sank and my eyes drifted in the direction of the nursery.
Was that why he was after Ayla and Selene, too? Did he want to turn them into little dark magic puppets like he had with Eva’s kids?
Was it all because of so desire for family?
I shuddered and shook off those creepy thoughts.
If Eva and Rion didn’t have specific mories of him, then he probably wasn’t their father... hopefully. I couldn’t deny the unusual resemblance though. Maybe he was related to them in another way.
All I knew was that I hated him. He had sent kidnappers after my girls, and he took Eva’s children. He left her in a horrible, vulnerable state and made her think her own kids were dead. There’s no greater nightmare for a mother.
I gasped and covered my mouth, tears springing to my eyes.
Damn pregnancy hormones.
“Daphne, are you okay?” Rion ca to my side and looped his arm around my shoulders.
“Yeah... I just... this is a lot.”
“Yeah, I know what you an.” Rion nodded and he wouldn’t et my eyes.
I could see how much this affected him too. I couldn’t imagine finding out my father, or family mber, was a guy like Priest Varge.
“It’s getting late. We’ll work out the details tomorrow. For now, keep this between the four of us.” Rion pointed to , Eva, and Jasper.
“Yes, of course,” Jasper agreed.
Eva swallowed audibly. “Rion....”
He nodded. “I know Eva. Don’t worry. I’m not going to let your boys end up like us.”
She gave a grateful nod before we all retired.
As soon as Rion and I were alone in the bedroom, he sighed, and I saw his shoulders slouch. He looked like he was about to crumble under all the weight. He’d been holding himself tall and strong for so long.
“Rion.” I went to him and put my arms around him. “Again, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just... wanted more information.”
“It’s alright, Daphne.” He wrapped his arms around and pulled closer, burying his face in my neck. “Sotis the answers we want aren’t worth seeking, you know.”
I nodded and cradled the back of his head. “I’ll call my parents tomorrow and talk to them. They’ll have so ideas. Don’t worry. We’ll get your nephews away from this guy.”
“Thank you, Daphne.”
“And when we do, we’ll get rid of these Lycaon extremists once and for all!”
“That would be nice.” He sighed and kissed my neck.
After Rion went to sleep, I went down the hall to the nursery and looked in on my girls. They were sleeping soundly, blissfully ignorant to the dangers that crept closer or how close they’d co to being taken by those extremists.
My heart clenched. I couldn’t bear the thought of them getting taken from . I thought of Eva and what she must be going through—to learn that her kids were alive after two years, only to find out they were with a madman.
There was no telling what he had filled their heads with. She’d worked so hard to co back from a dark place. I hoped this discovery would only make her more determined to fight back and not lead her back into the darkness.
***
I called my parents first thing in the morning and filled them in on the situation.
“Priest Varge. Honestly, we didn’t think he was around anymore,” my father said. He sighed heavily through the phone.
“Has he been laying low or sothing?”
“Apparently. It’s easy to disguise himself as a leader of a shadow group. He just has to stop using his na,” my mom explained.
“Anything you can tell about him will be helpful.”
“He’s a horrible man. Daphne, do not get tangled up with him. He is as ruthless and brutal as they co,” my mother said sharply.
“I wish it was that easy. You know he has Eva’s sons. They are my nephews now, my family. I can’t abandon them.”
“I know, Honey. I just had to say it.”
“Priest Varge hasn’t been on our radar for so ti. We don’t have any recent information on him, but if you contact your mother’s cousin Oliver in the Light Realm. He might know a thing or two,” my father suggested.
“Oliver, got it.”
“He’ll want to know about this threat anyway, and he’ll have so resources for you. I’m sure he’s been monitoring the Lycaonian activity in the Light Realm, given the chaos they’ve been causing over the past few years,” he continued.
“From what we know so far, Priest Varge and his extremists are in the Southern Jungle. It seems like we’re going to have to go there to eliminate him and get Eva’s sons back,” I said.
My mother gasped. “Daphne, you’re pregnant. You shouldn’t go anywhere near that place or those people.”
“Mom... I need to do this for my family. These are the sa people after my twins.”
“I... just be careful, sweetie. You have too much to lose.”
“Then I won’t lose.” I promised.
“We’ll send so extra hands your way to help fill in for the wounded warriors. We have so good scouts that can help you root out information. I’ll also send along additional supplies and fortifications until the threat is gone,” my dad said.
“Thanks, Dad. That ans a lot.”
“Oh, Daphne, be warned that Southern Jungle is where your uncle Jared killed Hestia. Whatever is going on has been brewing for quite so ti.”
I swallowed hard. That was news to , and not the kind I wanted. “Alright, thank you,”
Rion and I had breakfast on the patio while the twins played in the garden. They practiced their telekinesis and made a little competition out of it. They were getting surprisingly good. I didn’t know if I should be proud or worried.
I told Rion about the conversation with my parents, what they had told and about the resources they were sending us.
He digested it all while slowly sipping his coffee.
“I’ll reach out to Oliver this afternoon and see what he has for us.”
“The sooner the better,” I agreed.
“Regardless, it is clear that we’re going to have to go to Southern Jungle and confront this threat.”
I took a bite of toast and nodded. “Yes, that much is clear.”
Rion fixed with a look over the rim of his coffee mug. “Daphne, I don’t want you to co along. It is a dangerous journey for anyone, let alone soone in your condition.”
I rolled my eyes. “Rion, I’m not an invalid. Being pregnant doesn’t make incapable.”
He grunted. “That’s not what I an. We have no idea who, or what, we are really up against. The Lycaonians already want our kids, and you want to show up, pregnant?”
“The girls and I are coming with you as far as Valoria. I can stay with the Drogomor pack while you go to the Southern Jungle, Rion. You can’t stop .”
He chuckled lightly and shook his head. “No, I guess I can’t. Are you sure it won’t endanger the baby, given the complications you had at the beginning?”
“I’m feeling a lot better. The doctor cleared , so I don’t have to be on bedrest constantly. The baby and I are fine. This is a family matter, and all our family needs to be there. We are stronger that way.”
“I agree. Eva will be grateful to have you there. I know she sees you as a sister and soone who believes in her.”
“And she’s a sister to , too. I’m not going to sit back here and wait to hear if you’ve succeeded in freeing them or getting rid of this threat. They’ll need all the family they can get.”
Rion sighed. “You’re probably right.”
I bit my lower lip and smiled. “Of course, I’m right. I guess that settles it. The whole family will be traveling to Valoria. This wasn’t exactly what I imagined as our first family vacation, but... it will do.”
“After the Moon Ball,” I added.
Rion raised an eyebrow. “You still want to go through with the ball?”
“Eva and I have spent too much ti planning and setting up to cancel now. Besides, the pack is so excited about it. They don’t know about this threat yet.”
“And they won’t. We just recovered from the battle with Gareth. I’m not going to send them into a panic again over sothing that is so far away.”
“I agree.” I nodded. “So, we should keep things as normal as possible, like by having the Moon Ball.”
Rion smirked. “You make a compelling point. Alright, we will have the Moon Ball, boost morale, see the pack happy and carefree... then go face off with inexplicable evil.”
“Just another day in paradise.” I winked at Rion.
He rolled his eyes. “Ayla, Ayla, stop trying to levitate your sister!” He jumped up suddenly and ran into the yard.
I giggled and watched him chase the girls around for a mont, a ga of tag quickly evolving from him breaking them up.
I drank my herbal tea and finished breakfast, enjoying the playful, peaceful mont with my family. Given what was to co, I didn’t know how many more of these monts we would have.
Out of breath and gasping, Rion ca back and plopped down in his chair.
“There’s sothing else we need to figure out before leaving,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Well, you know Jasper will want to go with Eva, and I’m not going to stop him. Eva will need him, too.”
“Yes, she’ll need all the support she can get,” I agreed.
“We’ll need to pick soone to look over the pack while we’re gone, soone who won’t ask too many questions, get suspicious, and will do right by the pack.”
“It should be easy enough to convince them not to be suspicious. You already ca up with the perfect cover.”
“I did?” Rion arched an eyebrow and glanced sideways at .
“Family vacation—we can sell that to anyone. Alphas and Lunas are entitled to family vacation. It just so happens our Beta is part of that.”
“Ahh, that’ll work.” He nodded.
“Maybe we should have a vampire watch Thorn Forest. I think it would be a nice gesture, and hopefully get them to be more accepting of Eva.”
Rion shrugged. “We’ll figure it out. It isn’t a decision we have to make today, but sothing we should both think about.”
Ayla and Selene ca rushing over to us. They grabbed Rion’s hands and tugged him from his chair.
“Play with us, Daddy,” they demanded.
He had no choice but to obey.
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