Page 13 of Royal Beast (Royals of the Underworld #1)

DARCY

M y knuckles are white as I grip the wheel, my eyes flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. Kellan lies across the back seat, still and battered, blood streaking his face. Every bump jars him, and I hold my breath, watching for any sign that he’s waking—or slipping away.

Rose, far too young for the front seat, is buckled up beside me.

Her little hands fidget in her lap, her wide eyes darting back and forth between me and Kellan.

She was so excited at first, calling him her superhero for saving us.

But now, her lips tremble, and her voice is small as she asks, “Mama, is Kellan gonna be okay?”

I squeeze her knee, trying to anchor us both. “Yes, sweetheart,” I say, softer than I feel. “He’s just resting.”

The words taste like a lie, but I have to believe them. For her. For me.

I can’t do this to my daughter. She should never be exposed to this kind of violence. I was supposed to protect her from this, yet here we are, running from danger with an unconscious man in the backseat.

I pull into the parking garage and cut the engine, the silence lingering heavily like a weight on my chest. My hands shake as I sit there for a moment, trying to breathe.

My heart is pounding in my chest. I glance over at Rose.

She’s staring at Kellan, who’s struggling to sit up in the back seat.

Her little face is scrunched with worry, and an ache settles inside me.

This isn’t fair to her. I shouldn’t be putting her through this.

“Petal,” I say, my voice shaky, “I'm going to take you upstairs now, then I’ll come back for Kellan, alright?”

Her eyes remain trained on Kellan. “Is he really gonna be okay, Mama?”

I paste on a smile and say, “He’ll be fine. Let’s get you to your room, and I’ll come back down to get him.”

With one last glance at Kellan’s slumped over form, she nods and climbs out of the car. I hold her hand as we walk to the elevator, letting out a shaky breath.

Fuck. She shouldn’t have had to see any of this.

Once we’re upstairs, we head to her room. I help her into her pajamas then take her into the bathroom to help her wash her hands and brush her teeth. I tuck her into bed and kiss her forehead, brushing a stray curl away from her face.

“Goodnight, Mama.” Her little voice is a quiet murmur as she settles in for the night. I give her one last glance before partially closing the door and heading down the hallway. After turning on some lights and locking the door behind me, I head back to Kellan.

Back at the car, I open the back door. Kellan doesn’t move. For a moment, I panic, worried he’s not breathing, but then I hear a rasping gasp and my heart starts working again.

“Okay,” I whisper to myself. “Okay.”

I slide my arms under his shoulders and try to lift him. He’s heavier than I expected, all dead weight and limp limbs, and I almost drop him right there. “Kellan,” I grunt, my voice strained. He doesn’t respond.

Somehow, I get him out of the car. His body leans into mine, heavy and uncooperative, and every step toward the elevator feels like a marathon. My legs are shaking. My breath comes in short gasps. I don’t think I’m going to make it, but there’s no other option.

I grit my teeth and push forward. One step, then another. I just have to keep moving.

By the time I get him upstairs and laid out on the couch, my arms are screaming in protest and my back is on fire. He looks pale, too pale. He’s breathing, but his breaths are shallow and spread out. I pull a blanket over him, worried he might be cold. I don’t know what else to do.

I kneel beside him, my hands trembling as I inspect his wounds.

His face is bruised and swollen, blood caked in his hairline and dripping from his lip.

I try not to let my breath hitch as I begin cleaning him up.

I dampen a washcloth, my hands moving over his skin as I dab at the cuts, carefully avoiding the swollen areas and open wounds.

Kellan moves as I touch him, groaning weakly. His eyes flutter open and he stares at me, gaze unfocused.

“You’re awake,” I whisper, trying to keep my voice calm and steady. I’m not sure what I feel right now. Fear? Relief? Perhaps a little of both.

His lips twitch into something that could almost pass for a smile, though it’s strained. “I’m fine,” he insists, his voice hoarse. “Were you worried?”

I keep my mouth shut, trying not to let him know how worried I was. I don’t want him to think I care. I’m only here to help him after he fought to protect us. Still, his presence makes me feel disoriented and off-kilter.

He looks a little better when I finish cleaning and bandaging his injuries. His face is still bruised, his jaw still tight with pain, but he’s breathing easier and he’s less pale. He no longer looks like he’s teetering on the edge of death.

I sit back, my hands on my knees, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“You shouldn’t have run,” he says suddenly, his voice tight. There’s a flash of something dark in his eyes as he meets my gaze. “You put yourself and Rose in danger. Again.”

I freeze, his words like a punch to the gut. “I–I wasn’t thinking,” I murmur, my voice soft. “I was angry.”

“Of course you weren’t thinking. You don’t get it, do you?

” Kellan’s voice is softer now, but there’s still a bitter edge to it.

He reaches up with a bruised hand, his fingers brushing my cheek in a gesture that’s almost tender, even though the pain in his eyes is palpable.

“I didn’t make you part of my world to hurt you.

And I damn sure didn’t marry you to put you in danger.

But your running away like that only makes things worse. ”

I don’t know what to say. His words hang in the air between us, forcing guilt to claw its way up into my throat. I know what I did put all of us in danger and I don’t need reminding. It’s my fault he’s hurt. I ran, and he came after us.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice small. “I never meant for any of this to happen. But it’s not all on me.”

Kellan’s expression softens for a moment, but before I can let myself believe he understands, something in me snaps.

“You’re just as much to blame. You took away my choices and you made me feel like I had no other option.

If it wasn’t for how much of an asshole you were, I wouldn’t have wanted to get away from you.

I wouldn’t have run and you would never have been in danger.

I never wanted this. I never asked for it! ”

His jaw clenches, his body stiffening. A flash of hurt passes in his eyes, vanishing just as quickly as it appears, replaced with a cold anger.

“You think I wanted to make you feel like you had to run away from me? You think I wanted you to be afraid, to feel like I’m some kind of monster?

You’re an adult, Darcy. You’re capable of making your own choices.

Don’t make me out to be something I’m not here.

I’m just trying to look out for you. You made your decision the moment you walked away from me. ”

I know what he’s saying is true, but it doesn’t make the sting any less painful. “I wish I’d never met you,” I snarl. “You drew me into your world and I never wanted that. You knew that was a possibility by forcing my hand. That’s why I was attacked, because of you .”

The tension between us is thick, but neither of us is willing to bend.

Kellan shakes his head, his expression hardening as he edges off the couch and limps away from me.

“I’m done,” he mutters. “I can’t deal with you right now.

I need space. Let me know when you’re ready to stop blaming me for your choices. ”

Hobbling into the bedroom, he slams the door behind him, the sound echoing through the penthouse.

The lock clicks, and I stand there for a moment, completely frozen.

My heart is in my throat and the room suddenly feels small and suffocating.

I’m angry, I’m hurt, and I’m tired. Tired of trying to deal with Kellan, tired of trying to fight him every step of the way.

Guilt still weighs heavily on me, reminding me that everyone is in this situation because of my decisions.

His words echo in my head. I never asked for this, but he’s right. I made my bed. I chose this life when I signed that contract.

I just wish I’d thought it through more. But then I’m reminded that even that choice was taken from me. Kellan pushed me to make a decision too fast, and now I’m stuck regretting it.

But did he? a little voice in my head asks. Did you choose this because you felt you had t, or because deep down, you wanted to?

A pang of regret rises, sharp and cold. I wanted to keep Rose safe. That was why I distanced myself from Kellan after our night together, especially after I found out I was pregnant. I knew then that getting involved with someone like him could only lead to trouble.

Maybe I owed it to him to tell him that Rose was his child, but I justified it at the time by telling myself that I was doing what was best for my daughter.

I head to her bedroom, standing outside the door, watching her sleep. She looks so soft, so angelic, so innocent.

I sigh as I push open the door, the soft glow of her nightlight casting a gentle warmth over her. She’s curled up in a fetal position, her little face peaceful, framed by the messy strands of her hair.

It’s as if all the events of the day never happened. I hope she doesn’t have nightmares from this. I never wanted her to worry about things, not like I had to as a child.

I think about my own childhood, which was so much harder than I’d ever let hers be. My father’s face comes into my mind unbidden. He’d dive into one get-rich-quick scheme after another, each one more ridiculous than the last, keeping our lives on an emotional and financial rollercoaster.

He’d scrape together any money he could find, putting it into what he believed was the next big thing, only for it to fall apart and leave us with nothing.

It wasn’t just his ideas that let us down.

It was his inability to accept responsibility for anything.

We moved from one mess to another, each failure worse than the last, and every time he came home empty-handed, it felt like a stab to the chest.

That’s why I’ve been so focused on keeping us safe, on making sure nothing ever interferes with Rose’s sense of security.

I’ve become obsessed with controlling everything, making sure she never feels the fear I felt as a child.

But now, looking back at the mess I’ve created, I realize that in trying to protect Rose, I’ve overcompensated.

I’ve built walls so high, trying to shield her from the world, that I’ve ended up hurting the very people I’m supposed to protect.

I know I’ll always put Rose first—that’s non-negotiable.

I realize that putting her first means learning to get along with Kellan, at least for now.

I’ll have to put aside my anger and my pride and act like I can follow his rules, if only for Rose’s sake.

I don’t have to like him or the life he lives, but if I can make this work, if I can make this easier on Rose, maybe I can find a way out without dragging her through more danger.

So for now, I’ll behave myself. I’ll play nice.

For her.