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TWENTY

damien

“W il. What’s wrong?” I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles, back and forth, as we stood in the backyard of her cousin’s party.

I could feel the anxiety pulsing through her veins. I thought I’d reassured her earlier, but clearly it hadn’t been enough.

“It’s nothing. But it’s just… been a month.” She looked down at the ground, avoiding my eyesight.

“A month?” I raised an eyebrow. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Willow frowned. “You said you’d stay for a month.”

Oh. I hadn’t promised her any longer. “Fuck. Baby. That was before…” Us . Before I’d realized I was in love with her. Before everything had changed.

“Don’t go. Please.” Willow’s green eyes filled with unshed tears, sparkling in the light. “I couldn’t…” She swallowed roughly. “I couldn’t bear it if you were gone.”

“Willow…” I pulled her into my body, letting her bury her face in my chest as I flattened my palms against her back. “I’d never leave you, my little witch.”

“You promise?” She looked up at me, and I almost dropped to my knees right there.

Fuck, but I loved her.

“With everything that I am, I’m yours.” I kissed her forehead. “Forever.”

She slumped against me, giving me her full weight. “I didn’t want to lose you, but I felt so guilty asking you to stay, too.” Her head stayed buried in my chest, her words slightly muffled through my t-shirt. “I know you have responsibilities and things, and that’s your home, but…”

“You’re my home now,” I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being. “My mate.” I kissed her forehead.

Willow pulled away, and I reached out to grab her wrist. There was still more I needed to say. Things I had to explain. “Listen, there’s something I should tell you?—”

“Have you seen Luna?” She interrupted, looking around with a frown on her face at her cousin’s backyard, and then into the house. “She said she was going to meet us hours ago.”

I shook my head. “Maybe something’s keeping her?”

She whipped out her phone, sending a quick message to her sister. Pacing back and forth, she waited for a response.

It didn’t come.

Worry crept into my veins.

“I’m going to try tracking her,” she said, pressing a few more buttons on the screen. “It says she’s… still at the bakery. But…”

“Why don’t we go check on her?” I offered.

If it gave her the peace of mind, then that was worth it. Especially so we could get back to enjoying the festivities. Not that I cared one bit about spending time with the witches in town, but I knew what it meant to Willow. How much these people meant to her.

Luna was probably fine, in her apartment, getting ready. Or maybe she’d chosen to make another batch of sweets at the bakery. I’d lost count of how many times my witch had come home with a box of something her sister had made.

Willow nodded, heading out the back fence. Following the streets to downtown, she pulled me towards their shop.

The windows were dark except for the soft glow of the lights strung across the counter. No one was inside. The whole place was silent.

“Maybe she’s getting ready upstairs.” Willow rushed around to the side door, rushing up the stairs two at a time. She reached for the handle, pausing to look at me. “It’s… unlocked.”

“Get behind me,” I said. What if someone had broken in? Or were still inside?

But when I opened the door, Willow peeking around my arm, the apartment was deathly still. Dark. Quiet.

Empty.

We looked through all the rooms, but she was gone—without a trace—her cell phone sitting on the kitchen island.

Even her cat, Selene, wasn’t there.

The bad feeling in my gut was slowly getting worse. If she wasn’t here—in town—then there was only one place she could be. Which meant that…

I closed my eyes, detecting faint traces of two different smells in the apartment. Luna’s, and… my brother’s. Fuck.

“Damien. Where’s my sister?” She looked around the apartment frantically. “What happened to her? And Selene…”

Both of them.

“I… Shit .” Shaking my head, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I thought I had more time. He came early.”

“What?”

“There’s something I haven’t told you.” My eyes connected with hers, those beautiful green showing complete concern for her sister. And hurt. Because I hadn’t let her in. “It’s about my brother.”

“ Where. Is. Luna ?” She emphasized each word with a pause, poking at my chest. “What are you not telling me?” Those green eyes that I loved narrowed.

I was glad she didn’t have gifts of fire, or I would have worried about her burning the entire building down.

I grimaced, looking over at Willow. “I think maybe… my brother took her.”

“Your… Brother.” She stood frozen, perfectly still in the dim lighting of the apartment’s kitchen. “The half brother, the fucking Prince of Hell? Why would he take my sister? ”

“Not hell,” I said, cursing internally. Not the time. “But yes, that’s the one. He took her back to the demon realm to…” I didn’t think my witch would appreciate the whole make her his queen thing . “You know how demons believe in mates?” Like we are.

Willow nodded. “Luna’s always had a knack for setting people up. I never really believed in them until…” She trailed off. You, the implication was clear.

“Right. Well… I haven’t told you everything about why I came to your world.”

She cocked her head. “What?”

“Maybe you should sit down.”

The anger in her eyes flared. “I don’t want to sit down. I want my baby sister to be sitting on her couch, safe and sound. Not in the fucking demon realm !”

“I know.”

“She’s my little sister, Damien. I was supposed to protect her. Make sure she was okay.” Her voice choked up as she finally slumped onto the couch. “I can’t believe your brother would kidnap her.”

“He believes that, well…” I shook my head. “That she’s his fated mate.”

Surprise, Willow, I thought to myself bitterly. My brother’s a giant asshole who couldn’t keep his filthy paws off your sister!

Yeah, I was royally screwed.

“Luna?” Her jaw dropped open. “Like… he wants to…” Her brain must have been running a million miles an hour. “How long have you known about this?”

I sighed, sinking onto the floor next to her. “A while. It’s why I was here.”

“In Pleasant Grove?”

I nodded. Whatever had called me here when I was still in cat form, it had been right. “And the human realm. He sent me to look for her.”

“And you found…” Me.

“Yes. Finding you, Willow… That was the happiest coincidence of my life. But I never thought Zain would be looking for your sister.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was almost a whimper. “We could have done something. Stopped this.”

I shook my head. “I didn’t want to lose you. And if he made me go back?—”

“But now I’ve lost her, Damien. She’s my only family. My best friend.”

I pulled her into my arms as the first tears fell, holding her upright so she didn’t fall onto the floor. “I know, baby. I know.”

I held her as she cried in my arms, rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

“We’ll get her back,” I promised. “We can go tonight.”

She blinked. “To the Demon Realm?”

Yes . I offered her my hand, pulling her off from the couch. “We’ll go make sure she’s okay. No harm will come to her, I promise you that.”

Okay. Her sweet voice slipped into my mind, clutching my hand tight.

I brushed away her tears with my free hand, rubbing over her jawbone with my thumb.

I’m so sorry, I murmured into her mind.

Leading her back down the stairs, I moved to the back alley. The same one I’d opened a portal in weeks ago. The day I’d realized who Luna was.

I was thankful that most everyone in the town was currently in the town square, or milling about downtown, because no one was back here to witness this.

Opening up a portal, I commanded the shadows to do my bidding.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Willow murmured, clutching onto my arm as I commanded the shadows to open a portal to my brother. “Me going there?” Her eyes were still red, and full of worry. “What about the demons?”

“I’ll protect you, I promise.”

“I know.” Her voice didn’t falter. “I’m really pissed at you, but I know you will.” Her hand slid up my chest. “Now, let’s go get my sister.”

I nodded.

“Hold on tight,” I instructed her, curling my arm around her wrist to hold her tight to me.

And we stepped through the darkness.

* * *

“This is… nothing like what I expected.” Willow’s eyes trailed over the outside of the palace, catching on all the ornate details. The polished stone shone, even with the moon high in the sky.

“What did you expect?”

“Hm. Darker. More black and red.” She looked up at the sky. “An endless darkness. Blood. I don’t know. Stuff like that.”

“Ah.” I couldn’t exactly fault her for that.

I’d grown up here, so the gray palace walls didn’t phase me, but I could see how they might have differed from what she expected.

The palace itself rivaled any in the human world, that much I knew. It was lavish—unrivaled in its magnificence.

“What do I call him?”

“Him?”

“Your brother.”

“Ah. Well, Zain would prefer Your Majesty or Your Highness, I’m sure. But you can just call him his given name. That’s what I do.” I flashed her a grin. “You’re not his citizen. He can’t touch you.”

“I’ve never met royalty before,” she said, tugging down her dress.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I realized we were still wearing our Halloween costumes. She really looked like a witch in her garb. Thankfully, we didn’t stand out very much in them around here. The demon realm fashions hadn’t changed too much over the last few centuries.

“What?” she asked, tilting her head at my chuckle.

“You realize I’m a prince as well, right?”

“Oh.” Willow flushed. “Well…” She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “You’re different.”

“Why?” I paused, tugging on her arm to bring her face to face with me. “What if I wanted you to call me Your Majesty?”

“Damien,” she groaned, her cheeks growing even pinker. “That’s not who you are to me. You’re just…”

“Just what?”

My Damien.

I kissed her cheek before I guided her in through the palace doors, nodding to the guards standing at attention. I like that even better, little witch.

I thought you might, came her response.

The throne room’s just ahead. I could feel her trembling, so I tightened my grip on her hand to reassure her. I’ve got you.

She tried to force her face into a smile, but even that couldn’t mask the worry I felt pulsing through her body. I know.

Zain sat on his throne. Cool, calm—too calm.

“Ah, Damien. How nice to see you! I see you brought your witch.”

I bared my teeth. “Where is she?”

“Who?” He cocked his head.

“My sister,” Willow said, narrowing her eyes.

“Ah.” Zain gave a lazy smile. “She’s right here. Come on out, moonbeam.” Luna walked out next to my brother, dressed in a white gossamer gown—looking pale, but not in anguish like I might have expected.

Willow choked out a sob. “Oh, thank god.”

My brother whispered something into Luna’s ear, and then she was down the stairs—colliding into Willow’s arms for a hug.

“Are you okay?” Willow tightened her arms around her sister, like if she held tight enough, she could pretend this never happened. But it had. And it was my fault. I could have prevented all of it.

“Brother.” I turned to him, face stone cold as I stepped up in front of him. “We had an agreement.”

He rolled his eyes, somehow managing to look both annoyed and amused. “We had no such thing.”

“I said?—”

Zain shook his head. “Damien. I don’t want to fight. I…” His eyes slid over to Luna, and for the first time, there seemed to be a sparkle there.

“She’s her sister, Zain.” I spat the words.

A sliver of remorse showed on his face, only for a moment. “And you’re…” He looked between my witch and I.

“Yes. Willow’s my mate.” I chuckled. “Funny that you sent me to find your Queen, and it led to me finding mine as well.”

He raised his eyebrows and said, “You’re not planning on returning, are you?”

My muscles tensed. I wanted to stay with Willow, but I still had a vow to my brother. And yet…

“No. I want to stay with her.”

“You love her.”

I nodded. “Yes.” With everything I was. Even if I hadn’t told her that yet. I hadn’t earned hearing the words from her lips. Not yet.

“Will you be staying, brother? I’d love to get to know your mate.”

“I don’t?—”

We cut our conversation short as Willow came back to my side, sliding her arm around my waist. I wanted to bury my head in her hair, inhaling her scent. She looked up at me, and then back to her sister.

Should we go? I asked her.

Not without Luna, she replied, her voice sweet in my mind.

Of course. I nodded at my mate.

“Let’s go home, Luna,” Willow said, offering a hand to her sister.

But Luna shook her head, looking over at my brother. “I…” She walked back to Zain’s side, standing next to him in front of the throne.

Let my brother take her hand in his.

“I know it’s crazy, Wil,” Luna told her sister. “But… I feel like I have to do this. To see where it goes.”

“Are you sure?”

Luna nodded, the action loosening her blonde curls, bringing them down over the silky white dress. All she needed was a tiara, and she would look like a princess. “I want to do this. We made a deal.”

Willow’s gasp echoed through the hall. What had they bargained for?

I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“We’re having a ball tonight,” my brother announced. “You two are welcome to attend if you want to stay. I’ll be announcing my betrothal to my fiancee.”

That was when I noticed the gemstone that sat on Luna’s ring finger.

Willow’s eyes darted to her sister.

She’s really going to do it, Willow thought bitterly. She said yes .

It’s her choice, little witch.

I know, it’s just ? —

“Well?”

Willow’s face smoothed out into a pleasant smile. Anything to hide the thoughts I felt warring in her mind. “We’d love to attend your ball, Prince Zain.”

His face flattened out into a smooth smile. “Brother?”

“My witch’s will is my command,” I promised. I’d stay by her side, no matter what. Wherever she wanted to be; wherever she wanted to go—I’d be there. "I live to fulfill her every wish.”

Zain’s face curled up into a knowing smirk. Whipped already, brother? His face seemed to say.

If only he knew the half of it. How far gone I was for her. How much I loved her.

“We’ll see you tonight then,” he said.

What had we just gotten ourselves into? And what the hell had I been thinking, bringing her here? I hadn’t .

It was just that she’d been so concerned about Luna, and I wanted to make sure she was okay. That Luna wasn’t being kept against her will.

And now, I’d roped us into a party where hundreds, if not thousands, of demons would be present.

Instead of being safe and comfortable in Willow’s house, enjoying the rest of her favorite holiday.

“Let’s go to my rooms, little witch,” I murmured into her ear.

At least we’d be safe there.