Chapter 231 – True Luna Book Free: The Darkness Within

I finally wrapped my arms around her. I felt tears fall down my cheeks.

“I didn’t mean anything that I said, Mom,” Sophia cried out. “I really didn’t. I…”

I interrupted her when I let her go and cupped her cheeks.

“I know, Sophie,” I said. “I don’t care about that, honey. The only thing I care about is that you are safe. I only care about the fact that we got you back.”

I smiled through my tears and kissed her forehead.

“I thought that I lost you, my baby,” I said as my heart clenched painfully. “I don’t care about anything other than having you back in my arms.”

Sophie sobbed and leaned into me. I hugged her tightly and looked at my mate. He caressed my cheek and took a deep breath.

I love you. He mind-linked me.

I love you too. I said and gave him a small smile.

I missed him terribly. I felt like I didn’t even get to see him in days even though we were together all the time. I wanted to lie next to him and hold him close. I wanted to relax, knowing that our children were safe.

Logan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to sit next to him. He hugged us both tightly.

“My two favorite girls,” he said with a small smile as he kissed Sophia’s temple.

Sophia looked up at him and a small smile spread across her face. My heart skipped a beat.

“I love you, guys,” Sophia said quietly. “I feel so ashamed, but knowing that I have such amazing parents is making it a bit easier.”

I was never going to stop crying after that sentence.

Logan smiled brightly and I saw a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“Good thing your brother isn’t here,” Logan said teasingly. “He would accuse you of sucking up to us.”

I snorted and shook my head. Sophia chuckled and rolled her eyes.

“He would definitely say that,” Sophia said, smiling a little.

I raised my hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“We love you too, honey,” I said. “You, your brother, and your dad are my whole heart. The four of us will go through this, honey. I promise.”

Sophia took a deep breath and gave me a small nod.

“Did you hear your mom, princess?” Logan said, making Sophia look at him. “The four of us will go through it. You won’t do this alone, okay? Don’t push us away.”

Sophia nodded again and another tear fell on her cheek.

“I won’t,” she said quietly. “I am sorry for asking you to leave before.”

“It’s okay, honey,” I said softly. “We understand. It wasn’t easy waking up after everything that happened and having so many people here. It is understandable that you wanted a moment alone with your brother.”

Sophia nodded and took another deep breath.

“There is someone out there who can’t wait to see you,” Logan said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Sophia looked down at her lap and gulped.

“I am scared,” she mumbled quietly.

“He loves you a lot, Sophie,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “You don’t have to be scared.”

She looked up at me and bit her lower lip.

“Talk to him, honey,” I said softly. “He is your mate and he loves you with his entire heart.”

Sophie took another deep breath and gave me a small nod. I smiled and looked at Logan. He pressed Sophie closer to him and kissed her temple.

I took a deep breath and caressed Sophie’s cheek. I was finally able to relax a little. My daughter was back and she was safe.

I would never let anyone take her from me again.

Hunter’s POV

“Hunter?” Alex called me quietly.

I looked up at him and furrowed my eyebrows. He was smiling at me. Why was he smiling?

“You can go inside,” he said, making my heart stop beating. “My mom mind-linked me. She wants to see you.”

My heart jumped in my throat and it cut off my breathing. I moved instantly, trying to get to her as fast as I possibly could.

I almost knocked Emma over when I ran into her while she was walking out of the cabin.

“Slow down, Hunter,” Alpha Logan said as he caught his mate.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I just…”

“It’s okay, go,” Emma interrupted me, giving me a small smile.

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I rushed toward the room, wanting to get there as soon as fucking possible. I missed her. I needed her.

I glanced through the window as I was passing it and I saw her sitting on the bed, looking down at her hands in her lap. My heart skipped a beat.

I ran toward the door and stepped inside. Her scent almost made me fall to my knees.

“Angel,” I mumbled quietly.

She took a deep breath and looked up at me. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears and it made the pain explode inside my body.

“Oh, Sophia,” I said quietly as I approached her.

I sat next to her and pulled her into my arms. The tingles exploded on my skin.

“Oh, my love,” I said as I kissed her temple. “I missed you. I missed you so much.”

She turned her head and buried her face into my neck.

“I am sorry, Hunter,” she cried out. “I am so sorry.”

I placed a hand on her head and held her closer to me. I could feel her pain and fear and it made me want to scream. She was in so much pain and I had no idea what to do.

“It’s okay, Angel,” I mumbled as I picked her up and placed her on my lap.

I needed to have her as close to me as possible. I needed to feel her whole body against mine. I wished that there was a way for me to somehow tuck her under my skin and keep her safe forever.

“I killed your grandfather,” she said, sobbing hard. “I killed him, Hunter. I am a murderer. You don’t deserve that. You deserve…”

Fear exploded inside me and I pulled her head up so I could look at her.

“Stop it, Sophia,” I said as my heart started racing impossibly fast. “Stop it right now. You are not rejecting me and I am not leaving you.”

Just the thought of it made me want to die. I didn’t want to live without her. I couldn’t live without her.

“That man wasn’t my grandfather,” I continued sternly. “I don’t think of him that way. I think of him as a man who took my mate away from me. I think of him as a man who tortured my mate and almost killed her. If you didn’t kill him, I would have. I would have watched him die and it would have made me so fucking happy. He wouldn’t have survived my anger, my love.”

Sophia took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“I love you,” I told her. “I can’t even explain how much I love you and I am not going to lose you because of this, Sophia.”

My eyes fell on my mark on her neck. I lifted my hand and touched it. She shivered and closed her eyes.

“You are mine,” I continued softly. “I put my mark on your beautiful body knowingly. I want you and I want everyone to know that you are mine.”

She opened her eyes and another tear fell on her cheek. I wanted to lean in and kiss her, but I had so much more to say before I did that.

“I marked you knowing that it might not work,” I said. “I was aware of the fact that the darkness might not leave and I still did it. I did it because I love you, Sophia. I loved you with your darkness and I love you without it. I would have found a way to stay with you if this hadn’t worked. Hell, I would have embraced the darkness and we would have reigned terror together.”

I meant every word that I said. I wouldn’t leave her even if my mark didn’t take away the darkness.

Sophia sobbed and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I love you,” she said through her sobs. “I love you so much.”

---