Page 37 of Summoning Mr. Wrong
“Hard to say,” Deus said thoughtfully. “This arrangement is unprecedented, as far as I know. No demon has ever been granted a probationary period based on an emotional bond with a human.”
“So we’re making history,” I teased.
“We are,” he agreed, suddenly serious. “And regardless of what happens when the year is up, that won’t change.”
The possibility that our time might be limited still haunted me occasionally. What if Kobaamoch decided our bond wasn’t genuine enough? What if the rules changed? What if Deus was taken back to The Between despite everything?
As if sensing my thoughts, Deus tightened his arms around me. “Stop worrying about things we can’t control,” he murmured. “We have now. Let’s enjoy it.”
He was right, of course. And most days, I managed to live in the present, treasuring each moment without dwelling on the uncertainty of the future.
We got out of bed eventually, Deus insisting on making his now-famous pancakes while I brewed coffee. Domestic bliss with a supernatural twist—the new normal I’d never known I needed.
As we ate breakfast, Deus suddenly set down his fork, his expression turning serious. “I’ve been thinking,” he began, uncharacteristically hesitant. “About the future. About what happens after the year is up.”
My stomach tightened. “And?”
“I think… I think I want to stay. Permanently.” He met my eyes, those amber irises glowing softly. “Even if it means remaining bound, reduced powers, living as mostly human. If that’s what you want too, of course.”
Relief and joy surged through me so strongly I could barely speak. “Of course it’s what I want,” I managed finally. “I love you. I want you to stay forever, if that’s possible.”
“It might be,” he said, a new hope in his voice. “There are precedents, though they’re rare. Demons who chose to remain in the human realm for… personal reasons.”
“Really?” I’d never considered that permanent residence might be an option. “What happened to them?”
“Most lived out a human lifetime with their chosen partners,” he said. “Aging as humans do, eventually dying as humans do.”
The implications sank in slowly. “You’d give up immortality? For me?”
His smile was gentle, a little sad, but resolute. “Immortality is overrated,” he said simply. “I’ve existed for millennia, Julian. I’ve seen civilizations rise and fall. I’ve witnessed more history than your scholars could ever document. But in all that time, I never found what I’ve found with you.”
The vibration happened again—that strange resonance of truth that the contract magic recognized. It happened less frequently now, but always at moments of profound honesty between us.
“Besides,” he added with a mischievous glint returning to his eyes, “a human lifetime with you sounds far more appealing than eternal bureaucracy in The Between. Have you metKobaamoch? Imagine an entire realm of beings like that, all obsessed with proper filing procedures.”
I laughed, the tension broken. “When you put it that way, I’m definitely the better option.”
“You definitely are.” He reached across the table, taking my hand. “So, what do you say? Want to try for forever, or at least as much of it as we can get?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “Absolutely yes.”
His smile was radiant, those amber eyes glowing brighter. “Then we have a plan. When Kobaamoch returns, we request permanent residency status for me. And in the meantime…”
“In the meantime, we live,” I finished for him. “We love. We build a life together.”
“Exactly.” He stood, pulling me up and into his arms. “Starting right now.”
As his lips met mine, I marveled at how completely my desperate abundance ritual had worked—just not in the way I’d expected. I hadn’t manifested money or material success. I’d manifested something infinitely more valuable: love, connection, a future filled with possibility.
And a demon boyfriend who made excellent pancakes.
Sometimes the universe gives you exactly what you need, even when you think you’re asking for something else entirely. And sometimes, what you need comes in the form of a tattooed, sarcastic supernatural being who refuses to leave your couch and slowly, inexorably, steals your heart.
That’s the thing about abundance—it rarely looks the way you imagine it will. But when it finds you, when you open yourself to it completely, it transforms everything.
Even accidentally summoned demons.
Especially accidentally summoned demons.