429: SEVEN YEARS OLD (3)

SEVEN YEARS OLD (3)

"No…" Hope threw her arms around Kace's neck and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. "I love you all." She said softly.  2

Kace hugged her small figure tightly, but not strong enough to hurt her. "I know you do."

He cradled her like that for a few moments until her small voice broke the silence. "Why don't I have parents? Do they not want me?"

Kace rubbed her back as he leaned against the backrest of the sofa. "Of course, they want you. They love you." He placed a tender kiss on her forehead as he could feel that fact had upset her. 

The fact that she didn't have parents.

A fact that Hope didn't realize until she got enrolled in a school and understood that she was different. She knew Serefina wasn't her mother and Lana was not her sister, just like what people assumed they were. 

"So, why are they not here with me?" Hope raised her head and looked at Kace sullenly. "I have never seen them."

There was a slight frown on Kace's face when he heard Hope's words as he didn't know how to explain it. "I will explain it when you grew older, okay?" For the meantime, he would settle with that.

"But I am older." Hope pulled her lips into a frown. "I am big already."

"Yes, you are a big girl now." Kace agreed. "But, I will tell you when you are bigger than this. Okay?" By then, Kace would be able to find a way to explain the whole situation to her. 

Though Hope disagreed with Kace's idea, which could be seen from the way her eyes shone in dissent, she nodded anyway. 

"Alright, are you still upset now?" Kace tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ears and the little girl nodded again. "How about we go out to buy some ice cream and snacks?" 

"Yes!" Just like the bright sun that appeared after a gloomy day, Hope's smile bloomed beautifully. 

"Change your clothes first, I have to talk to Serefina about something first, okay?" Kace put her down and she ran toward her bedroom excitedly. "Be careful, or you will trip."

Yet, she still ran down the corridor regardless Kace's warning and he could only shake his head helplessly. 

Kace stood up and walked toward Serefina's bedroom, but before he could knock on the door, the witch had opened it.

"What?" Serefina closed the door behind her and crossed her arms as she stared at Kace. 

"I will bring Hope outside for a moment." Kace told Serefina about his plan. "She is quite upset because of what happened in the school, we will take a walk for a while."

Serefina raised her eyebrows. "You will risk our situation."

"She had already been locked for five years of her life and now you have been locking her for another two years." Kace argued. 

"She goes to school." Serefina said in a matter of fact tone. 

"Yes, but she needs to see the outside world too." Kace pulled his lips into a scowl. He didn't want Hope to be locked away from the world. That wasn't the life that he wanted her to have.

"Alright." Unexpectedly Serefina agreed. She shrugged and opened the door to enter her room again. "Come back before sunset."

Because after the sun had set, the power of her protection spell would wear off, the spell that helped them stay hidden from unnecessary troubles and uninvited creatures. 

"Don't worry, we will come back before that." Kace gave her a wolfish grin, but a second later his face turned serious. "Have you heard anything about Gluttony?"

Kace lost the devil's tracks two months ago when he tried to escape from Jedrek's people. Kace had been leading them to the west side of this realm, making them believe that he was somewhere in that region. 

Serefina thought about that for a little while longer before she spoke in concern. "Be careful. She is a determined one." But, then she added. "Well, all the seven of them were always highly determined to get to their targets."

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"I can't see it." Hope jumped a few times, but because of the crowd on the street, she couldn't see anything. 

Apparently, it was the season of festivity and there happened to be a long parade and carnival in the streets. Hope was very excited because this was her first time watching something like this. 

"I want to see it." Hope used Kace's feet as her footing, yet it didn't help much with her height and all she could see was only the backs of people in front of her.

Kace let out a joyful chuckle upon seeing his little mate futile attempt, he liked the way her eyebrows scrunched in frustration or the way she got angry and annoyed.

But, definitely Kace wouldn't ruin his precious little thing's mood just to enjoy a look of annoyance on her face now. 

"Come here." Kace bent his body to pick her up as if she weighed nothing. Well, that was true though. Hope was like a ball of cotton; fluffy, cute and pure, everything that Kace loved. 

"WHOA!" The lycan picked her up and put her on his shoulders, letting both of her legs dangle on the front side of his body as he held her hips carefully while Hope grabbed onto his hair. 

"Can you see it now?" Kace raised his head just in time to see how her face beamed in happiness as her obsidian eyes shone beautifully. 

"Yes!" Hope laughed and clapped her hands, following the rhythm of the parade in front of her. She was very happy, smiling widely, forgetting her missing tooth. 

And for Kace, there was nothing else that he wanted in this world. He would trade everything in his possession only to see those eyes shine with dazzling happiness. 

Unknown to them, there were a pair of golden eyes, staring at them widely among the crowd. Her golden eyes too were shining in delight, as she licked her lips and gulped hard. 

A wicked, devilish smile tugged on her lips. She finally found her…

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