Page 34

I stretched languidly, every muscle pleasantly sore again from our night together. Beside me, Aldaine's warm body shifted, his arm tightening around my waist.

"Good morning," he murmured, voice still rough with sleep.

I smiled, turning to face him. "Is it morning already?"

"Unfortunately." He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "We should probably start packing soon if we want to get on the road at a decent hour."

The thought of leaving brought a surprising pang. Not because I would miss this place, the Thompson estate had never truly felt like home, but because leaving meant facing what came next. Whatever that was.

As if sensing my thoughts, Aldaine's fingers traced gentle patterns on my bare shoulder. "Second thoughts?"

"No," I answered without hesitation. "Just processing everything."

I sat up, letting the sheets pool around my waist, no longer self-conscious about my nakedness around him. The mark on my neck tingled pleasantly, a constant reminder of what we'd shared, what we'd become to each other.

"I can feel you," I pressed my palm to my chest where a warm pulse that wasn't quite my heartbeat thrummed steadily. "Inside, like an echo."

Aldaine's smile was gentle, reverent. "The bond. It will grow stronger with time."

I leaned down to kiss him, meaning it to be quick, but his hand slid into my hair, deepening the contact until I was breathless. When I finally pulled away, my pulse was racing.

"You're insatiable," I accused without heat.

"Only for you," he replied, his eyes darkening. "And only forever."

A laugh bubbled up inside me, born from something that felt suspiciously like joy. "Forever is a very long time."

"Not long enough," he murmured against my lips.

An hour later, we'd finally managed to extricate ourselves from bed and start packing.

I moved around the guest room folding clothes with methodical precision, trying to reconcile the strange sense of peace that had settled over me.

By all rights, I should be freaking out.

I'd been marked by a demon, had committed myself to what amounted to an eternal bond, and yet. .

I felt right. Centered in a way I'd never experienced before.

"You're smiling," Aldaine observed, pausing with a shirt half-folded in his hands.

"Am I?"

"Like you know a secret no one else does." He set the shirt in his suitcase and crossed to where I stood by the dresser. "Care to share?"

I turned to face him, tilting my head to study the beautiful contradiction that was this man, this demon who had crashed into my life and changed everything. "I'm happy. It's been so long since I felt that, I almost didn't recognize it."

Something soft and vulnerable crossed his features. "Rosie." Just my name, but the way he said it was like a prayer.

His phone chimed with a message, breaking the moment. He glanced at it with a frown.

"Everything okay?" I asked, zipping my suitcase closed.

"Fine. Just a reminder about a meeting next week." He slipped the phone into his pocket. "Nothing that can't wait."

"Speaking of waiting," I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "We should probably head downstairs. Dad mentioned wanting to see us before we left."

Aldaine nodded, lifting both our bags with ease. "Ready when you are."

I took one last look around the room, the tangled sheets, the indentation of our bodies still visible on the mattress, the memories we'd made, and followed him out.

My father and Jan were waiting in the foyer, looking like they hadn't slept much. Jan's eyes were red-rimmed, her usually perfect posture slightly slumped. Dad stood close to her.

"Rosie," Dad stepped forward, arms outstretched.

I moved into his embrace without hesitation. He smelled the same as he had when I was little, aftershave and coffee.

"Don't be a stranger, kiddo," he murmured into my hair. "I know we've got a lot to make up for, but I'd like the chance to try."

"I'd like that too," I replied, meaning it. The anger I'd carried for so long felt less sharp-edged now, softened by understanding and the profound shift in my own life.

When we pulled apart, Jan approached cautiously, looking smaller somehow than she had yesterday. She'd always been this intimidating presence in my life, perfectly put together, untouchable. Now she just looked human and vulnerable .

"Rosie," she began, her voice wavering slightly. "I wish we had more time. There's so much I want to say."

"We'll have time," I assured her, surprising myself with the certainty in my voice. "This isn't goodbye forever."

Her eyes filled with tears, and for the first time in my memory, she didn't try to hide them. "You were always stronger than we gave you credit for," she practically whispered. "I'm so sorry for that. For all of it."

I nodded, not quite ready to offer absolute forgiveness, but open to the possibility of it one day. "Thank you."

She wiped at her cheeks, offering a watery smile. "Come visit, if you want. It would mean a lot."

"I will," I promised. And I meant it.

Dad cleared his throat, turning his attention to Aldaine. "Take care of her," he offered his hand.

Aldaine shook it firmly. "Always."

"The guests have started leaving," Jan noted, gathering her composure somewhat. "Stephany and Roger left last night. I think it's for the best, given everything that's happened."

I nodded, relieved I wouldn't have to face another confrontation with my stepsister. Whatever Stephany's future held, it would be of her own making now.

"Rosie!"

I turned to see Rita hurrying down the grand staircase, still in pajamas and a robe. She'd always been the kindest of Stephany's 'friends', the only one who ever bothered to learn my name.

"I heard you were leaving," she was slightly out of breath. "I wanted to catch you before you did."

"Rita," I smiled, surprised but pleased. "I thought you'd be sleeping in after last night's party."

She waved away the comment. "Sleep is overrated. Besides, I wanted to get your number. We should stay in touch more. "

"I'd like that," I replied honestly, pulling out my phone to exchange contact information.

"And maybe bring this gorgeous man with you when we meet up," she added with a wink towards Aldaine. "Seriously, how did you keep him a secret all this time?"

I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in years. "It's a long story."

"The best ones always are," she grinned, giving me a quick hug. "Text me when you get home safe, okay?"

"Will do."

With final goodbyes and promises to call soon, Aldaine and I made our way out to his car. The estate looked different in the morning light, less imposing, less perfect. Just a house, albeit a very large one.

Aldaine stowed our bags in the trunk while I settled into the back seat, watching him through the window. Every movement was graceful, efficient, the contained power of his body was evident even in these mundane tasks. And he was mine, in a way that went beyond human understanding.

He slid into the seat next to me, casting a glance my way. "Ready?"

I reached over to lace my fingers with his. "Ready."

The drive was peaceful, the countryside gradually giving way to suburbs and then the familiar landmarks of the city. We talked about everything and nothing, favorite books, childhood memories (his stretching back centuries), plans for the coming week.

About halfway back to my apartment, Aldaine fell silent, his hands tightening slightly on the steering wheel. I could feel his nervousness through our bond, a fluttering sensation in my chest that wasn't my own.

"Everything okay?" I prompted when the silence stretched too long.

He cleared his throat, eyes fixed determinedly on the road ahead. "I've been thinking."

"Always dangerous," I teased gently.

A small smile tugged at his lips before his expression grew serious again. "Your lease isn't up for what, four more months?"

"About that, yeah. Why?"

He shifted in his seat, a gesture so endearingly human it made my heart clench. "I know it might be too soon, and you may not want to decide anything yet, but," He paused, took a deep breath, and plunged ahead. "I'd like you to stay with me. Permanently."

My pulse quickened. "You mean move in with you?"

"Yes." He glanced at me quickly before returning his attention to the road. "My home is yours now, Rosie. It has been since the moment you summoned me."

The sincerity in his voice made my throat tight with emotion. I swallowed hard, trying to form a coherent response that wouldn't reveal just how deeply his words had affected me.

"Hmm, I don't know," I kept my tone deliberately light. "Do demon lords leave wet towels on the bathroom floor? Because that could be a deal-breaker."

His laugh was surprised and delighted, the tension in his shoulders easing visibly. "I assure you, I'm very tidy for a creature."

"And what about closet space? A girl needs room for her shoes."

"Our entire home is yours to rearrange as you see fit," he promised solemnly, though his eyes danced with humor. "Including every closet, cabinet, and drawer."

I pretended to consider this, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "And will there be breakfast in bed? "

"Whenever you desire it." His voice dropped lower, intimate. "Among other things."

Heat flooded my cheeks at his tone, at the memories it evoked of the night we'd shared. "Well, in that case, how could I possibly refuse?"

Aldaine pulled the car abruptly to the shoulder of the road, threw it into park, and turned to me in one fluid motion. His eyes had darkened, hunger plain in his expression.

"Say it properly," he demanded, voice rough with emotion. "I need to hear you say it."

I met his gaze steadily, all teasing forgotten. "Yes, Aldaine. I'll move in with you. I want to be with you, every day, for as long as you'll have me."

"Forever," he growled, leaning across the console to capture my mouth in a kiss that stole my breath.

His hand tangled in my hair, holding me steady as his tongue swept inside, claiming me with a possession that made my entire body tremble. I moaned into his mouth, heat pooling low in my belly, desire sharp and immediate.

Just when I thought I might combust from the intensity of it, he pulled back, his breathing as ragged as my own. His eyes glittered with wicked promise as he straightened in his seat and put the car back in drive.

"That's not fair," I complained, pressing my thighs together against the ache he'd awakened. "You can't just stop!"

"Can't I?" he asked innocently, though the smile playing at the corner of his mouth was anything but. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. At home."

Home. The word sent a warm glow through me that had nothing to do with frustrated desire and everything to do with belonging.

We drove in comfortable silence for a few more miles, my hand resting on his thigh, his occasional glances warming me from the inside out. Then, almost casually, "There's that family meeting next week."

"Family meeting?" I echoed.

"Not blood relations," he clarified, his posture tensing slightly. "Other demons. My clan. The ones under my protection and authority."

"I remember you telling me about that." I hadn't considered that aspect of his life, the responsibilities and connections he must have built over centuries of existence. "And you want me to come with you?"

"Yes." The word was simple but weighted. "They're all complicated. Powerful, intimidating. A little dangerous. And very, very nosy."

I raised an eyebrow. "So basically like meeting any new in-laws?"

That startled another laugh from him. "In a sense, yes. But with more capacity for destruction and significantly less social grace."

His grip on the steering wheel had tightened again, betraying his anxiety. "There's that gathering scheduled next week. I want you there." He glanced at me, his expression softening. "They're complicated, but you're already part of my life. Part of me. I want them to see that."

The vulnerability in his admission touched me deeply. This powerful being, anxious about introducing me to his family. It was so achingly human.

"Well," I drawled, deliberately casual. "I don't know if I'm interested in meeting a bunch of stuffy old demons who probably just want to interrogate me about my intentions."

"Rosie," he began, then caught the twitch of my lips. "You're teasing me again."

"Payback," I informed him primly, "for that little stunt you pulled with the kiss-and-drive routine. "

His laugh was rich and full, filling the car and warming me from the inside out. "Fair enough."

I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Of course I'll come to your family meeting. I can't promise not to embarrass you with tales of how you begged me to move in with you, though."

"I did not beg," he protested with mock indignation. "Demons of my rank do not beg."

"Mm-hmm," I nodded solemnly. "If you say so."

His hand found mine, twining our fingers together. "Impertinent human."

"Your impertinent human," I corrected softly. "Always."

The smile he gave me then was worth everything. Every fear, every doubt, every moment of uncertainty.

Whatever came next, we would face it together.