Dante stayed quiet, but his silence felt heavier than any loud scream. His presence was cold and sharp, like a knife, and the whole room seemed to tense under his controlled anger.
Alina looked at him and realized he wasn't just angry he was afraid too. Behind all that power and Anger, he was still a father. He might have been a terrifying demon, but first and foremost, he was a dad.
She turned her eyes to Kelpie, who stood frozen his tiny body trembling under Dante's piercing gaze. The little water spirit looked like he wanted to disappear into mist. His breath came out in shallow gasps, his wet hands balled at his sides, and his soft lips quivered.
Without thinking, Alina stepped forward and gently scooped him into her arms.
Kelpie gasped in surprise, his eyes wide.
But Alina just adjusted him quietly against her chest, one hand gently cradling the back of his head, the other patting his soaked back in a slow, calming rhythm.
His small body stiffened.
