Page 50 of Hunt Me (The Skulls #1)

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Fauna

‘F aun ’ s back! ’

‘ Who took you? ’

‘ I ’ ll gut them. Tell me where they are—’

‘ I ’ ll track them down. ’’

The girls bombard me with questions the second Ruaridh guides me through the door. Amelia and Luna had been guarding it behind strategically placed desks, and I know Elizabeth is somewhere in the shadows with her bow without needing to spot her.

‘ I ’ m fine, stop fussing. ’ I playfully slap them away. ‘ Where is Isla? ’

Ruaridh doesn ’ t wait for them to respond as he barrels through them all, dragging me behind him as he keeps a hold of my hand.

‘ Vish! ’ He shouts, ‘ Vishrut where the fuck are you. I swear if I find that my sister isn ’ t—’

‘ Isn ’ t what? ’ Isla muses from an open door not far ahead of us.

She looks tired, made worse by the two black eyes blooming against her pale skin and a trail of blood-stained skin below her nose. She looks awful, but at least she ’ s standing.

‘ You okay? Feel like anything ’ s off? ’ I ask, worry clear in my tone.

Isla runs a palm across her bump, ‘ Baby ’ s been kicking. ’ She smiles softy, ‘ So for now, I ’ m hoping he ’ s okay. ’

Hope blooms inside my chest. ‘ He? ’ I ask. She ’ s never spoken about a gender before.

‘ Yeh, something about it now feels like he ’ s a little fighter. ’ Pride shines in her expression as she looks lovingly at her bump.

‘ Wee man was raging at his ma being hurt wasn ’ t he, darling. ’ Vish leans against the doorway beside where Isla is standing, something shining in how he looks at her that I can ’ t quite decipher.

I ’ m about to ask what the whole darling is about when a male voice cuts me off.

‘ Princess? ’

We all turn towards the voice and find Liam standing there looking like he can ’ t believe his eyes.

‘ Please tell me you ’ re real, and I ’ m not dreaming, ’ he gapes, taking hesitant steps towards us. But his eyes aren ’ t on me or either Skull. They are glued to the woman behind us, Isla.

I look back at my best friend, who has a look of panic in her eyes as she looks over Liam ’ s frame. Her lips part, but no words come out.

‘ It ’ s me. You remember, right? ’ His voice is pleading as he passes where Ruaridh and I are standing.

A glance Ruaridh ’ s way shows he ’ s as lost as I am.

‘ What… I don ’ t … ‘ Isla fumbles.

Liam tugs something from his pocket, pulling the fabric over his head, and Isla brings a shaking hand to cover her mouth.

‘ Recognise me now, princess? ’

Oh fuck. He can ’ t be, can he?

‘ How. How are you here? ’ Isla ’ s eyes are wide and in shock. ‘ You can ’ t be here right now. ’

‘ Someone tell me what the fuck is going on, ’ Ruaridh interrupts from beside me, and I try to tug him away. He ignores me, pulling Liam ’ s shoulder so that he can stand between them. ‘ What is going on here? ’

‘ Ru, maybe we should—’

‘ Shut the fuck up, Vish. ’

Oh no.

‘ Well, ’ Ruaridh motions to Liam ’ s masked face. ‘ You going to explain. ’

Tugging the mask off, ‘ It ’ s her, Ru. She ’ s who I ’ ve been searching for. The woman I told you about. ’

If a person were capable of turning to stone, Ruaridh would be the perfect portrayal of it.

‘ Ru, don ’ t. ’ Isla warns, but he doesn ’ t take any note of it.

‘ You ’ re telling me, ’ he points to Isla. ‘ She is the one you ’ ve been obsessed with. The one you…’ he cuts himself off before he can finish his sentence, choosing to clench his teeth so hard I ’ m half listening for a shattering sound.

‘ No way! ’ One of the girls shouts behind us. ‘ This is the baby daddy? ’

‘ Looks like you and Faun have mask kinks because dam. ’ Another hoots.

‘ Not helping, ’ I scold.

‘ So when you said you never saw his face, you meant he fucked you wearing his mask. ’ Another points out as a chorus of ‘ Yass girl ’ sounds behind us.

Ruaridh ’ s red face makes him look like he ’ s about to burst. ‘ You got my little sister pregnant! ’ his fist connects with his best friend's cheek.