Chapter 29. Guilt and Guardianship

Looking down at Lottie, who slept cradled in my arms, I found myself wondering if she realised she might have been on the brink of death. Did she understand that by throwing herself into the fray to protect me, she had endangered herself and her unborn children? Why did she feel the need to protect me—a grown man who had consciously decided to engage in that fight? She was an innocent who had already suffered enough at the hands of fate.

The silent drive in Liam's car was a heavy one, the quiet only amplifying the turmoil churning inside me. The darkness outside mirrored the dark thoughts swirling through my mind, punctuated by the soft rise and fall of Lottie's breathing. The guilt of seeing her in harm's way because of me gnawed at my insides; I should have been the one protecting her, not the other way around.

"Wow, you are stupid," Astaroth's voice cut through the quiet, his tone laced with disdain. I bristled at his presence—a demon entwined not only w