Esmeralda had been gone for hours. She had effectively disabled his ability to fight for her. He was still struggling to come to terms with the graphic and horrifying scene she had shown him. He had felt powerless to stop it. And maybe she had been. But why didn't she want a lawyer? And how exactly was her uncle going to sort it all out for her? He was still sitting on the porch steps of the pack house as the black limo pulled up in the predawn grey of the early morning. He looked up to see a very large man step out of the back seat. He had long dark hair and pale skin and was dressed from head to toe in black. There was no sleep on his face. And he muttered something about stupid bastards not knowing their proper place under his breath. Derik heard an almost cheerful giggle as Esmeralda also stepped out. She had changed out of her blood stained dress into a dark T-shirt that read rebel in scrawling metallic green script across her large breasts. She also wore a black leather jacket and blue jeans with a pair of black hiking boots. He could tell that she was stressed still. He could see it in her eyes when she turned to him. He stood up as Esmeralda rushed into his arms. He felt his worries melting away when he buried his nose in her hair and lifted her up. "Is she okay." Esmeralda murmured against his neck as she wrapped her legs securely around his waist.
"Don't know. Her father arrived three hours after you left and kicked everybody but James out. He was pissed. Looked ready to kill everyone."
"That's standard for angels. It really doesn't take much to set them off." The stranger grumbled. "Rats with wings really. And they get the devine smite. Cheap ass bastards use it for everything."
"Uncle! It's a valid reason to be pissed!" Esmeralda snapped. "I'm not saying that it's not. But he didn't even know he had a child until last night. If he had he would have stepped in and taken her before it became an issue." He growled angrily. "Mother didn't want him to know. I already told you that. To inform him of Victoria's existence would be to admit to her own infidelity. She would never do that."
"She should have kept her legs closed instead of acting like the whore of Babylon!" He snarled in response."What happens now?" Derik asked weakly. "I mean Esmeralda might have killed him."
"Not might have. She did kill him. As for Ruth, her fate is irreversibly tied to her child's. If Victoria dies, so will Ruth."
"Oh, Derik, this is my uncle Ballthizar." She said without bothering to let go of him. He could feel just how exhausted she was. He could hear it in her slightly slurred speech."Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ballthizar said and inclined his head with his hand over his heart. "Prince Derik." The title took him off guard.
"Oh, no. I don't have a title yet. when I do it will be Alpha." He rushed out.
"Derik! Meet crowned prince Ballthizar of the Demonic court." He heard his father say behind him. "Lord Ballthizar, I must have mistook our meeting date and time. Please excuse this miscalculation. I will arrange -"
"Nothing. I was just seeing to it that my niece got safely back to where she belongs." He cut off the Alpha as if it weren't a big deal. "I do apologize for the confusion that my arrival has caused you. Esmeralda is a princess in the Demonic court as she is the only child of my late brother, Callisseth. Therefore, as her bonded you hold the same title she does."
"I don't understand." He stated as he realized that Esmeralda had gone limp in his arms.
"Esmeralda should sleep for about two days. She's been through hell and back. Perhaps you should put her to bed and then we can discuss some things." Ballthizar said with the same bow to Derik as before.