Page 38 of Gemini Hunted (Dark Witch Academy #5)
Biblical language aside, here’s the truth. My sweet second cuz cut his baby teeth on my heart. By the time I was old enough to do anything about it, he was Ronin’s. Then, after he healed up from the horrific injuries Ronin gave him (body and soul), he was Ash’s.
Never mine.
I mean, he was always the Dark Fae King. I was just the awkward weirdo no one wanted.
By the time we were both old enough to know what we wanted?
We were enemies.
Maybe here, now, with Zara, I got me another chance. A chance to win both of them. My untouchable royal kinsman and his bewitching mortal queen.
Plus Babydoll.
Him—Vasili—hells, I wanted that guy from the sec he summoned me, all smoldery and hot and powerful as fuck, with insecurities a fathom deep hidden under all that pretty.
I wanted him before he even gave me his mating bite.
Even when V’s not visible cuz he’s wandered off down the tunnel, probably hunting the rest of our missing crew, that shifty snake of a warlock’s lurking in the back of my mind. His bite on my neck pulses with seductive warmth.
But Zara’s the queen, and she’s waiting.
“You were saying?” She lifts her teal brows. The psi fire in her witchy eyes has dimmed, but she still fucking slays me. “About your heart?”
“Imma be your knight in shining armor, baby queen. Your knight of hearts.” I lift my head with a grin to lock onto her wary eyes.
“So you can either tap my shoulder with a sword like Queen Guinevere in the Arthur legend, or we can seal this deal with a kiss. Me, if I got a say? I vote for Option Two.”
“Hmm.” She pops one curvy hip like a runway striking a pose, which is sweet as shit. Her turquoise eyes narrow on my hopeful face. “Tell me something, Aquaman.”
“Hit me.” I lean into my trident and wait.
“Did you really go after Zephyr’s throne because you didn’t have a choice?” she says quietly. “And either way, do you still want it?”
My royal cousin hisses in a breath and glares at me over her shoulder like he’d love nothing more than to douse me in oil and toss a match. I shift my gaze from her serious face to meet his burning jade stare.
“Reason number ninety-three why being a demon sucks ass,” I tell him. “Gotta do what my summoner says, don’t I? Some of the bunch, like your Auntie Blossom, they’re real shits. That whole life, liberty, pursuit of happiness thing? They ain’t exactly constitutional rights for a demon.”
I keep my tone light and my face set in a lazy grin, because these are truths too painful to share. I don’t give a shit about anyone’s throne. I ain’t a free demon, and I never will be.
I gave up on the idea of belonging a long time ago. A freak like me? I’ll never belong anywhere. With anyone.
I’d settle for my freedom.
But I’ll never have that either.
Because, yo, demon.
I’ll always be at somebody’s demonical beck and call. Benevolent summoner’s the most I can hope for. One who’s strong enough to keep me. Considering some of the shits who’ve summoned me and circled me over the years? Let’s just say the monster isn’t always the guy inside the circle.
Maybe Babydoll and Cousin Z and this sweet-faced Gemini queen are the ones I’ve been waiting for.
But I’ve been painfully disappointed so many times I don’t even wanna hope.
“Then it wasn’t your choice to go after your cousin’s throne,” Zara murmurs, watching me close. “Do you still want it, Mordred? Tell me the truth.”
The lure of her closeness pulls me toward her. Under the chalk of rock dust still floating in the air, her lush scent of cream and roses, spiked with tangerine, makes my kraken purr.
Dayum.
The way she smells, that dragon of hers is ripe for breeding. There’s a reason all her shifters are in full rut. If I ain’t careful, she’ll trigger my own kraken into a mating rut.
Under my pants, right on cue, my junk swells up like a blowfish. Both barrels locked and loaded. I shift my weight subtly to ease the pressure.
“Do you want to rule,” Zara says softly, “or serve?”
“I’m on my knees. I look like the ruling type to you?” I glance at Cousin Z for affirmation. “Back me up here, cuz.”
He frowns at my plea, but mooches up next to Zara to slip an arm around her waist. “Regarding my unfortunate aunt, I’ll allow the demon may speak truly.
Still, I remind you, he isn’t a proper cousin.
We’re second cousins, once removed. Lest you fear I’ll suddenly sprout tentacles in our bed, my bride. ”
His queen slides me a sidelong look that perks my sulky kraken (who never likes being landlocked like he is now) right up.
Oh, fuck me.
In those dreams I sent her back on Avalon, she liked my tentacles fiiiine.
Meeting my heated look, her soft mouth curls. Then she gives me a headshake of reproach.
“It isn’t his tentacles that are the problem,” she murmurs. “It’s his intentions. Vasili can’t hold his leash forever. And I can’t read his mind. Fae brains are a black box for a telepath. But I need to know if we can trust him.”
“Worked out okay so far, ain’t it?” I lean my weight into the butt of my trident, since I’m still kneeling on this hard-ass floor.
“I’ll swear any oath you like that I’m yours, long as I ain’t summoned into someone else’s circle and told to fuck you up.
I don’t have control over that shit. But no one on this particular plane—the mortal plane—except He Who Shall Not Be Named Babydoll—no one else holds my leash.
And I ain’t free from him till I’ve completed his task and returned your Horn to the Vault. ”
“Which means we can trust you… for now.” Zara sighs. “Okay. I’ll take it. Even though I’ll probably regret it.”
Elation fizzes through me like champagne bubbles.
Dude. This young mortal queen’s definitely got under my skin.
“We gotta seal the deal.” I shoot her a hopeful look and give my dimples free rein. “With a kiss?”
She rolls her pretty eyes at me, but her own grin slips out. “A kiss might be on the table, just to say thank you for helping today. But only if you don’t sex me up, demon. I mean it.”
“I promise not to sex you up… much.” I stay on my knees and grin up at her.
Cousin Z looks as though he’d like to protest, but he hasn’t been back in his bride’s good graces long enough to get cocky.
Instead it’s the prof, Lucius Aries, who looms suddenly at Zara’s shoulder.
Looking sexy as fuck-all, bare-chested and rangy, all sinewy thighs and ass, poured into Ronin Pendragon’s leather pants.
Chest hair like a wolf pelt covering his powerful pecs.
Plus the prof’s got knotted abs I’d like to lick.
“My dear, we haven’t much time,” Lucius murmurs in her ear. Which I can hear, no problem, with my shifty senses. “Those hyenas will return—”
“Hey now, not cool to cock-block the kraken.” I give Lucius a wink that brings color to his pale cheeks. “Gotta wait your turn, professor.”
With a muttered oath, Cousin Z pivots sharply on his heel and strides for the tunnel. Like he can’t stand to watch me flirting with his mates.
“This won’t take long.” The Gemini queen, bless her royal bad girl heart, seems to have made up her mind. She crouches before me (which is a treat to watch in that little schoolgirl skirt, believe me) and cups my chin gently in her small hand.
This ain’t my first rodeo, I’ve kissed plenty, but right now you’d never know it.
My heart kicks against my chest like it wants out. My mouth is dry, and my tongue sneaks out to swipe across my lower lip, so I ain’t all chapped when she kisses me.
Her thumb strokes the fork of my short beard. None of her guys are bearded, except for that cute goatee on Lucius, so I guess I’m a novelty for her.
“Soft,” she breathes.
“Not everywhere,” I try to joke, because no lie, my junk is very interested in having her this close and hopefully a whole lot closer.
Her sea-colored eyes lock on mine, and I’m aquatic, I can breathe underwater. But I swear to fuck, I’m drowning. The gills tucked behind my ears flutter and flare. My kraken stirs and uncoils in my skin.
“Your eyes are turning black,” she whispers. Her fingers rest against the racing pulse in my throat.
“Just my kraken,” I tell her, all husky. “He likes you.”
“Mmmmm. I think maybe I like him too.” Light as breath, her soft warm lips graze mine.
And my whole gods-damned world shifts sideways.