A Knight's Purpose (Book 1) ✔️

Chapter 13 - Short and Sweet

As the sun lowers and plunges the world into darkness, I'm subjected to the most scrutiny any person in the history of this world has ever undergone. It feels like if Camden finds even a single leg hair pointing the wrong direction he's locking me up and taking Sereya out to watch the start of the hunt himself. I'm sorely tempted to stick out my tongue or muss my hair just to see what he'd do, but spending time with Sereya is more important than my petty thoughts so I resist.

"Don't leave the house." He finally growls before stalking over to Sereya and kneeling down.

"Hey, chicky, you promise to behave?" He says in a mock serious voice. She looks a little uneasy to be without him - she'd slept through the last time.

"Yep. You promise to be safe?"

"Yep. I'll be back before you go to sleep so don't you worry. You can stay up as late as I'm out," He gifts her with a huge smile before plopping a kiss on her forehead and rising. He looms back over to me.

Yippy, I though I was done with my intimidation quota.

"If anything happens to her or if she isn't here when I get back," He leaves the whispered threat hanging in the air around my head.

"I won't live out the day, yadda yadda yadda," I wave a hand in the air as if to shoe away his words. "Go for a run, Camden, you clearly need it." I flash a wolfish grin and walk over to put a hand on Sereya's shoulder. "Us girls will have a grand time without you."

He growls but finally leaves. As he walks down the stairs April walks up them and I heave a sigh.

"Atti, why don't you like April?"

Well this is awkward. I often forget how observant kids can be, not that I've really had a chance to be around many of them in the past few millennia.

"I find her presumptuous and not at all deserving of the attitude. At least Camden looks like he can follow through on all his threats." In for a penny, in for a pound - I speak loud enough for April to hear me.

She growls but lets it drop. Footsteps fill the house as everyone flows out to where Rose and Camden are waiting at the forest edge. 

"Do you want to go watch the start of the hunt?" I ask, and at Sereya's nod we join the people leaving the house and move to stand on the porch - I promised not to leave the house after all, so I won't step off the foundation. Cars fill the large opening in front of the house and people hop out and join the tide that gathers at the forest's edge.

April moves so she's between me and the edge as if to stop me grabbing Sereya and running. Has the woman learned nothing? I could shove her over and be off with my niece should I chose and she couldn't even catch me. Not that I would, especially with the hunt going on. One predator might not be an issue but a pack hunt could take down a stronger opponent easily. Plus, there were much easier ways to steal the girl if I wanted.

I'd already said I wouldn't though. Didn't that mean anything to her? Probably about as much as it would have meant to me had someone walked up and said they weren't going to kidnap Sereya but hugged her. I get it, I just don't like it.

Sereya giving a full body wave jolts me out of my annoyance. Her arm is flying above her body so fast she's literally shaking her entire body as she waves at Camden. It reminds me of a puppy so excited to see it's owner it skids its body across the floor as its tail wags. It's entirely adorable.

"Have you ever been on a hunt, Maia?" I make myself use her human name.

"No, Camden says it's too dangerous. We always go out and watch them shift and start the hunt and then April goes with them."