Page 25

Chapter twenty-five

Roisin

W ords couldn’t describe how excited I was to see Brandon naked. His fingers hovered at the waist of his pants until I climbed off his body. He leaned back on his elbows and slid his pants down. The tip of his cock peeked over the material, then part of the length, then the entire thing throbbed into view.

It was glorious.

Long and proud, reaching to his belly button. Muscles rippled on his stomach. His thighs were firm and muscular, too. Staring at him made everything below my waist clench with desire.

“Well?” Brandon asked.

“You’re bigger than I imagined.”

“Imagine my dick a lot, did you?”

My cheeks heated. I’d had little spare time to imagine his cock since I’d left him, but the thought had popped into my mind at least once. Especially after he’d promised to love me for hours .

I glanced at the door again. This was so wrong, yet it was so right, but what if a demon walked in?

“What’s the scowl for?” He tugged his pants back up.

“We shouldn’t do this. Forget it ever happened.”

He fixed his clothes, jumped from the bed, and gathered me in his arms. “Not a chance in hell that I’ll forget anything about you. About anything we do together. Let me make it very clear.” He kissed my forehead. “I love you.”

“You can’t love me,” I sobbed.

“I can and I do.” He smiled. “You can’t decide my feelings for you. Just as I can’t decide yours for me. If you want me to back off, then I will.”

“I’m so confused.” My head lowered to his shoulder, and I rested it on the thick cord of muscles. “I’ve grown up my entire life thinking I’d find my fated mate and love him… then I met you.”

“Does that mean you love me, too?”

“Perhaps I do.”

His chest bounced under my head as he laughed. “I’ll take that ‘perhaps’ for now until you’re ready to say the words to me.”

“What if I’m never ready?”

“Then I’ll still love you.”

My heart swelled even more for this man. He sounded so sure of his feelings for me, the same way my parents were sure of their feelings for each other. Could I deny my feelings for him? Could I ignore them and wait for who knows how long until my fated mate came along?

“Even when I’m old and gray and you’re still this knockout beautiful immortal Fae Princess, I’ll love you.”

I lifted my head and stared into the devotion in his eyes. He meant every word he said. The unfairness that he wasn’t my fated mate sunk my heart into the pit of my stomach. If I gave into the feelings I had for him, one day I’d break his heart in two by leaving him for another man. An immortal man who’d never die on me like Brandon would.

He claimed my lips in another kiss, and I clung to him like a desperate woman. And I was. Desperate to have him. Impatient for those hours of loving he’d promised me. Eager to have him forever.

A knock on the door had us skidding apart. I swiped a hand over my mouth, remembering what Tay had said about my lips looking kiss-ravaged. I didn’t even have time to dash into the bathroom and check before the door swung open and Tay herself stood in the doorway.

“Sorry kids, time’s up. My brother won’t wait any longer for you two to get your rocks off.”

“Don’t insult the Princess,” Brandon said, stepping toward a sword in the corner.

“Ah-ah. The sword stays there, hero.” Tay waggled her finger at him. “Princess Roisin, your parents are waiting. You’ve seen Brandon is quite safe and sound.”

“Aye,” I said. “I’ll come with you.”

I couldn’t stay in the room and ignore my responsibilities to my family. It was the reason I brought my parents here. So, they’d learn the truth from the Demon King .

“I’ll be back,” I said to Brandon. “As soon as this is over, I’ll take you home.”

Brandon nodded.

Tay walked out of the room, and I followed close behind her. She locked the door.

“Do you need to lock him in?”

“Safety first and always. You should comprehend that as a princess yourself.”

“You injured him while he was here.”

Tay shrugged. “He refuses to see the healer at the infirmary.”

“Why?”

“You’d have to ask him that.”

I intended to do so the moment I returned to him. First, there was the matter of this meeting with the Demon King and my parents. Tay led me into a formal sitting room. My parents sat on a two-seater couch holding hands. Opposite them sat the Demon King, lounging back in a single chair. Tay took the seat next to the Demon King. I sat in the chair nearest my parents.

“Is the Fellowship member safe?” Father asked.

“Aye, although he’s injured from sword fighting, he said.”

“There was no point having him sit around and do nothing while waiting for your return,” the Demon King said. “He’s a warrior. Warriors train.”

Father nodded.

“Are we ready to begin?” Father asked.

“Not yet. We’re waiting for others to join us. ”

“Others?” Father let go of Mother’s hand on alert to any threat about to head our way.

An owl flew in through the open window and perched on the chair behind the King’s head.

“Ah, they’re almost here,” the Demon King said.

Outside the door, the pounding beat of running footsteps echoed, then the door flew inward, and a woman with golden feathered wings burst into the room followed by a towering giant of a demon with leathery black wings.

“Is this them?” the woman asked.

Rexan stood. “Yes.”

The woman gasped and strode closer to Mother.

“Wait.” Father stood and held out a glowing hand. “Who are you and what do you want with my mate?”

The woman’s wings snapped into her back and disappeared.

“I’m Thea, Queen of the Sirens. And you,” she looked at Mother, then me. “Are my descendants.”

“Mine as well,” the hulking demon said.

“And you are?” Father asked.

“They call me Beast.”

It was a very fitting name. His horns looked deadly, as did the talons on his wings, which still filled a quarter of the room.

Thea touched Mother’s hand reverently. “Can you sing for me?”

Mother smiled. She loved singing almost as much as she loved Father and us children.

Fortune found ,

A life worth living.

Family found,

A time of forgiving.

“Stop,” Queen Thea said. “It’s true. I sense every word. You have Siren’s blood in you. My blood.” She turned to the beast. “Our boy had children.”

“So, it appears.” He grinned.

“What if he’s still alive?”

“My love.” Beast shook his head.

“There’s hope,” Queen Thea said.

Mother clasped her hand. “There’s always hope.”

“Thank you for coming here.” She turned to me. “And you, do you sing too?”

“No, I paint and write poetry.”

“But you are still a descendant. Still family.”

“It appears so.”

The Demon King stood. “This calls for a party.”

“I don’t know, Rex,” the Beast said.

“Melanie is dead, is she not?” Rexan asked.

“She is,” Queen Thea said.

“Who’s Melanie?” I asked.

“My evil twin sister. Many centuries ago, she wreaked great destruction when she unexpectedly took my place. We had to hide our son from her, but now she’s dead… and you are here. It’s like the stars are all aligning to bring you to me. Perhaps to bring him back home too.”

“So, the rumors are true that you didn’t kill my grandfather?” Father asked.

“No, I did not. ”

Mother’s shoulders sagged lower, as though the weight of her lineage had sat heavily on them.

“Tell me how you hid your son?” Father asked.

“A lovely Fae couple raised him as their own.”

“I kept track of him for years until those murderous Trappers attacked,” the Beast said. “I couldn’t find him afterward and assumed he’d died.”

“He might still be alive,” Queen Thea said, the hope glistening in her eyes made Mother reach out for her again.

“I hope you find your son,” Mother said.