Chapter 343

Chapter 343

Damien

“Daddy?” Dottie had dropped her spoon in her cereal bowl and was staring at me with wide bright green eyes and a stuck out bottom lip.

“You should finish your breakfast. You have a big day today.”

She screws up her nose. “I can’t eat.”

“And why is that?”

“You’re sad.” She mutters with a tiny frown “And if I go to school, I can’t keep an eye on you.”

“Is that right?”

“Uh huh!”

“Well, I have a lot to do today so you don’t need to worry about me. I’m taking the oath later to officially be part of Black Shadow. And it’s important that you start school.”

“Why?”

“Because you are a clever little girl. Besides, school is here in Black Shadow so I won’t be far and you get to hang out with kids your own age.’

“If I’m clever, I don’t need to go to school. Neah didn’t and she is an Alpha!” She pouts at me and hugs herself

I sigh, Dottie had an answer for everything these days.

“But I wish I had got to go to school.” Neah mutters as she makes her way into the kitchen with her boys toddling along next to her. It’s not as fun learning to read and write when you are an adult.”

Dottie hikes her shoulders up around her ears. “Fine, I will go!”

We had been making plans for this for about a week. A lot of the Lycans had brought young kids, pulling them from schools to be here. They were worried that their children would fall behind so Dane had agreed to set up a small school. And I think now, Dottie’s nerves were settling in.

She turns to Neah, “Will you look after Daddy? He’s sad.”

Neah’s blue eyes flash in my direction as she settles Logan into a high chair. “Sure.”

I wish Dottie would stop telling everyone I was sad. Raven was dead, that was the end of it.

“Do you think my other Daddy will come with us and walk me to school?”

“I can ask, but you need to finish your breakfast. I know you Dottie. You will be hungry again in ten minutes.”

She gives me a guilty smile and starts shovelling cereal into her mouth.

Dottie holds my hand with a tight grip as we walk across the grounds to the small building that had been turned into a school. She was more jittery than usual. Her eyes darted all over the place. Probably because Brax hadn’t turned up like he said he was going too.

She isn’t the only one who is

hesitant. Other kids are protesting too. Ryken has his youngest boy trapped under his arm as he carries him towards the school with a look that suggested he had also had a rough morning convincing the boy to go to school.

“He’s scared.” Dottie whispers to me.

“He hasn’t been here that long. Remember, you were scared when you first came here. Maybe he needs a friend.” “Like Auntie Mallory is your friend?”

“Exactly.”

She nods and straigthens out her pink dress. Confidently, she strides away from me, stopping in front of a Ryken. “My name is

Dorothy. I can be your friend.” She offers her hand to the boy but Ryken

just stands there, staring at her like she had some kind of disease.

I hadn’t considered that the Lycans wouldn’t be happy that a daughter of a Hunter would be going to the school.

“She is just a kid!” I snarl as I get close.

“I know.” Ryken mutters. “But do you think it’s wise? The room will be full with young Lycans.”

“I think you are worried about the wrong person.”

Dotties hand slides back into mine. “It’s okay Daddy, I can just go home.”

I force a smile for her. “No, you have the right to be here just as much as anyone else.” I turn my eyes to Ryken. “Doesn’t she?!”

“Of course.” He mutters, but there is no truth behind it. And if I can see that, she could too.

I make sure she is settled before I leave, though the way the parents are looking at her doesn’t go unnoticed. I was starting to thinkit was a good idea Brax didn’t turn up. He would have shot every single person in this room and maybe he knew that.

Kissing dottie on the cheek, I promise to pick her up later and make my way to the teacher.

“Any problems, anything at all, give me a call immediately.” I slide my number across the table to her.

The sooner I take this fucking oath, the better.

“Wait!” Ryken calls as I stride back towards the house.

“What?”

“I’m worried about my boys.”

“You’re their parent, you should be.” I snap and carry on walking.

“You know that is not what I’m talking about! And you are one of her parents in that weird relationship you have going on.”

I glare at him. “She is a little girl that has probably seen more horrors than all the kids in that classroom combined. But more importantly, she just wants to learn. Why do you have a problem with that?”

“Damien, you know exactly what I’m talking about. She’s a Hunter of our kind. She is a threat.”