Page 22

TWENTY-TWO

willow

“L una!” I exclaimed, finally coming within an arm’s reach of my sister for the first time all night.

She was so popular with the demons, I’d barely been able to keep track of her all night. Plus, when you added Damien thoroughly distracting me with that show in the shadows… this was my first opportunity to actually talk to her.

When I made it to her side, I instantly wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight before pulling away.

Her dress was even more intricate and beautiful now that I was seeing it close up. It sparkled every time it caught the light under the chandeliers. “Wow. This is beautiful.” She exuded an air of elegance, with every detail on her expertly curated. Not a strand of hair was out of place, and her makeup was flawlessly applied. The work of demons, I was sure.

“Thank you.” She messed with the skirts. “Did Damien give you yours?”

I nodded. I still had no idea how he’d been able to procure it in time.

But that wasn’t what was important.

I just wanted to spend the little time I had with my sister talking about her. To know what was going on inside her head.

“Can we talk?” I asked, pointing to the outside balcony with my head. My hand was occupied with another glass of the sparkly gold beverage. I was a little addicted.

Luna nodded.

The breeze was cool against my balmy skin as we stepped out into the night. Luna rested against the railing as I propped my arms against it, looking out. “This place is… Wow. Definitely not in Pleasant Grove anymore.”

“Mhm,” she agreed.

“Luna.” My voice was stern. “Talk to me.”

She turned, looking into my eyes as she emitted a deep sigh. “I am, aren’t I?”

I sighed. “You were right.”

“About what?”

“Damien. Telling him how I felt.”

“And you told him you love him?”

“Er… Well… No.” My cheeks went pink. “I only realized that today.”

“Willow.”

“Hey. Don’t sister me while I’m sistering you .” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“So, you get to fall in love with a demon and be with him, but I can’t?”

“Do you?” I asked softly. “Love him?”

Luna shook her head. “No.” It was a whisper of an omission. “But…” When her eyes connected with mine, they were watery. “I can’t explain it, Wil. But when I saw him, my heart knew.”

“Knew…?”

“That he was mine. That I was his.” She used her hands to indicate everything around us. “Maybe I’m supposed to be here , you know?”

“But… Your bakery. Our lives. You’re leaving everything behind.”

She fidgeted with the ring that sat on her finger. “Lately, I’ve been thinking, well… I don’t know how to describe it. Like I was missing something. And when he asked me to come with him, I didn’t even have to stop to think about it. I just… said yes.”

“But he’s a stranger. You don’t even know him.”

Luna blinked. “Well… That’s not entirely true.”

“What?”

But… Damien had told me he’d been sent to the human world to find her. When would Zain have had the time to meet her?

“We’ve met before. At the bar.” She shrugged. “And a few other times.”

“You didn’t think to tell me you met someone?” I dropped my voice, hoping she couldn’t hear the hurt. “I’m your sister, Luna.”

She sighed. “I know. But you were all wrapped up in Damien, and I didn’t want to pop your bubble. Plus, it’s not like you were one hundred percent truthful with me, either.”

“Right. Well, maybe I should have told you about his, er… demon-ness . In my defense, I thought I was doing the right thing. Keeping him safe.” I didn’t think I’d needed to keep her safe too.

Luna laughed. “I don’t think he needs you for that.” She stared off into the distance at the palace gardens, the silence growing between us.

“A witch cursed him,” I offered. “That’s the spell I did. Reversing it.”

“I thought I would hate it here,” she admitted. “This place. I thought it would be hell. But it’s not. People are free to be whoever they are here. Monster and demon alike. It’s nothing like Pleasant Grove.”

“No, it isn’t,” I murmured. The moon was high in the sky, and the sky was scattered with stars—constellations I didn’t know, didn’t have the names for.

Luna picked up my hand, squeezing it tightly. “I don’t know what will happen, but I can promise you I’m safe here. I’m not here against my will. I chose this... I choose him. ”

“Okay,” I whispered, squeezing back. “And if you decide this isn’t what you want anymore?”

“Then I’ll come back.”

Back, she said. Not home. Because maybe Pleasant Grove wasn’t her home anymore. Not when her soulmate was here.

“Okay,” I agreed as we dropped hands, still staring out at the palace’s surroundings. I still couldn’t believe a place like this could exist in the demon realm. How much that we’d been taught was wrong.

But maybe… hiding Damien had never been the right thing to do from the beginning. Maybe I needed to show the other witches that demons weren’t all bad. That they were capable of love. Life.

“There you two are,” Zain said, wrapping an arm around Luna’s shoulders. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Damien stepped to my side, and I instantly wanted to bury myself in his warmth. It hadn’t been that long since he’d touched me last, but I’d already missed it.

“Hi,” I murmured, slipping an arm around his middle.

“We were just getting some air,” Luna responded. “It’s a little stuffy in there.” She tugged at one sleeve of her dress.

My sister’s demon prince—her fiancé , I had to remind myself—chuckled. “They’re just fascinated by you, my bride. Give it time.” He kissed her cheek.

I was surprised at how tender and loving he seemed to be. Was it all an act?

She sighed. “I know.”

He turned his attention to Damien and I. “Did you two enjoy the party?”

“Oh, yes,” I said, thinking about the demon wine. Definitely not what we’d done in the shadows. “It’s been lovely.”

Zain laughed. “She smells like you now.”

My cheeks were on fire, like he’d caught us red-handed, and Damien nuzzled his nose against my neck.

“I had to keep the other demons away from my mate somehow.”

Zain looked down at Luna, humming slightly in response.

“I can take care of myself,” she muttered, rolling her eyes as she stared out at the gardens.

Sounds a lot like someone else I know, Damien muttered into my mind.

Shut it. I’m pretty sure your brother knows what we did earlier.

So?

So, I’m mortified.

He laughed. So you don’t want to do it again?

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I didn’t say that.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head.

I’d have time in the future where I could explain our weird telepathy thing to her. Who knows, maybe she had it too? We hadn’t exactly had a lot of time to compare our demons with each other.

Resting my head against Damien’s chest, I shivered. The cool air had felt nice before, but now it was getting chillier.

Plus, I was exhausted. I’d been up since this morning, and Halloween felt like yesterday. It was weird to remind myself that it had been tonight. It must have been close to two in the morning already.

He scooped me up into his arms for the second time tonight. “Come on, my mate. Let’s get you to bed.”

I yawned. Nothing sounded better.

“Goodnight, you two,” Luna said, offering me a smile.

I gave her a wave. “Night.” I looked at Zain. “Don’t hurt my baby sister, or I’ll tear your heart out.” I looked at Damien. “Or turn you into a cat. Might be just as effective.”

My demon laughed. “I think you had too much demon wine, baby.”

“Uh-uh,” I argued, feeling myself get sleepier as we walked away. But it was hard to deny the fact when I’d had a glass in my hand most of the night. I didn’t feel drunk, though. Just a warm, pleasant buzz.

“Sleep, little witch,” he soothed. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

I nodded into his chest.

Yes. In the morning, I’d tell him everything I’d left unsaid.

Starting with those three words.

* * *

Stretching my arms, I sat up, clutching the sheet around my naked body. Damien was sprawled out at my side, one arm possessively over my stomach.

I’d passed out in his arms the night before as he carried me. He roused me from my half-sleep to help me out of my dress before we took a brief shower together. The day had left me feeling completely depleted.

I watched him sleep, curling my fingers through his dark hair.

“I’m so glad I adopted you,” I murmured. “Thanks for being my not-cat, Demon.”

He stirred at my touch, grabbing my hand and kissing my knuckles as he woke.

“Good morning, Willow,” he said, voice groggy from sleep. But he didn’t give me my arm back—no, he placed gentle kisses all the way up my arm before pausing at the mark he’d left yesterday on my neck.

“I like my mark on you.” The sound of his voice was like a deep, rumbling growl. “Fuck. What it does to me…” He kissed the mark before tracing his tongue over it.

“Damien.” I ran my fingers through his hair once more. “I need to tell you something?—”

“I still owe you a favor, you know.”

I kissed him to shut him up. “You are my favor, demon.”

He laughed against my mouth.

I sat up, not caring about bringing the sheet with me. “I mean it. You… I never could have imagined this. You. Us. And I l?—”

He shook his head. “Don’t say it. Not yet.” The fangs popped out from his upper lip. I want to say it first.

I shook my head, even though I loved his possessiveness. “Why did you stay?” I let the words slip out. I’d asked him something similar before, but this time, it was different. “Besides me being your mate.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Maybe I need to hear it. The words.”

“Willow.” Damien’s forehead rested against mine. “I stayed for you , little witch. Because I couldn’t bear to be apart from you. Because you’re mine.” The corner of his lip tilted up, exposing a canine tooth. “I’ve never had somebody of my own. Somebody to…” His voice choked up. “Love.”

“You…?” My eyes filled with tears. Maybe I’d thought it was too soon to say the words myself. Even then, I’d been seconds away admitting the same thing to him. How could I not, after letting him claim me yesterday? My fingers fluttered up to the bite, tracing the puncture wounds.

“I love you.” He took my hands in his, intertwining our fingers together. I marveled at how perfectly we fit, just like always. “I think I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you, Willow.”

“But you…” My eyes widened. You were a cat.

Damien sucked in a breath. Nodded. I didn’t need to say the words, because he knew what I was thinking. Our bond gave us that, always. “Even then, I think I knew what you were to me. But it wasn’t until you helped me get back into this form that I knew . But it’s more than that.”

I blinked. “It is?”

“You’re mine , but that’s not why I fell in love with you, little witch.” He brushed his fingers over my chin. “I fell in love with you because you’re clever, and kind, and you never give up on people.” Damien gave me a small smile. “Especially not on me. And I’ve never had anything that was mine before. Really, truly mine. Never had somewhere that felt like home before you. But fuck, Willow. I’d give up anything for you. Do anything for you. Burn down hell just for a chance—just for a moment with you.”

“I love you too,” I said, unable to contain all of the emotions flowing through me. “I have for a while. I wanted to tell you, but I was just… scared.”

“Of what?” Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, gently, he looked more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him before. More open, too. “I’d never leave you.”

“I know that now.” I sighed, burying my head against his pecs. “But before… I thought you’d have to go back here. That you wouldn’t be able to stay.”

“You were something I never expected, never hoped for, but… I’d never trade you for the world, Willow. My mate,” he murmured. “My beautiful mate.”

“Damien…” My eyes filled with tears. “I love you. So much.” I wrapped my arms around him, letting our lips connect.

Kissing the man I loved.

Kissing the man who loved me.

“Do you want to go home?” He tilted his head up to look at me, pausing all of the little touches I loved. I wanted them—craved him, but there were more important things right now.

“You don’t want to… stay?” I asked, surprised. We had each other, but I hadn’t known what our plans were. If he’d have to stay here, because of his brother. “This is your home.” I would have hated every minute of it, even if he’d asked me to stay with him. But I would have understood. Even more so after Luna had decided to marry his brother.

He shook his head. “This isn’t my home.”

“What?” I laughed. “Isn’t it?” I gestured to the room around us. These giant suites we’d occupied for only a night.

He cocked his head to the side. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh.”

“I do though. Have my own house, away from the palace.” He laid his head on my lap. “I’ll take you there sometime.”

I traced a finger over his jaw. “I’d love that.”

“You’re my home, Willow,” he said, taking my hands in his. “I told you that. And wherever you want to be… I want to be there, too.”

“Okay.” I liked the sound of that.

“Home?” He asked again, his voice quiet.

“Home,” I agreed.

* * *

After we’d finally extracted ourselves from the bed, washing up in the giant bathtub once again, we’d put on fresh clothes. I didn’t ask where he’d gotten my clothes from. How his magic worked, exactly.

“I’m sorry,” he offered as we walked back outside of the palace. Despite my initial reservations of the place, I was surprised how beautiful it was.

Damien and I had talked about Luna earlier while we were getting ready. My conversation with her.

“It’s hard to rescue someone who doesn’t want to be rescued.” But if she wanted to be here—if she would be happy—then I’d let her go.

“No.” He took my hand. “I mean, for not telling you. I should have told you that Luna was destined. That my brother would come for her. I’d spent weeks trying to figure out how to get around it. But…”

“I know.” I cupped his cheek with my palm. “But as long as she wants to be there, then… It's her choice. She’s an adult. If she wants to be with her…” My voice choked on the words. “ Fated mate, then who am I to say anything? After all, I found you.”

“Willow…”

My body tensed. “He won’t hurt her, right?”

“No. Fuck. No, never.” He took my hands in his. “He might be the heir to the demon throne, but he’d… He’d never harm your sister. Or force her to do anything she didn’t want to do.”

“Okay.” I paused, looking back at the glittering tops of the palace. “We can come back, right?”

“Any time you want.”

Still holding hands, I watched as Damien opened a portal back to my world with his magic. He used the darkness to walk between realms, and it was mesmerizing, almost. How beautiful it was. His magic might have frightened people—but not me. Never me.

“Home,” he murmured, the sound low under his breath.

I love you. I almost missed it, but I knew in my heart that he said it. Could feel the way he felt it, too.

The shadows wrapped around us, taking us back.

Taking us home.

I love you too, I sent back through our tether.

* * *

I felt defeated, like I’d lost something today. It hurt to think about Luna not being here whenever I needed her. She was my little sister, my twin flame—but more than that, she was my best friend. The one who knew me better than anyone else. The sister I’d do anything for.

But looking up at Damien as we stood in front of the old Victorian manor I called home, I realized I hadn’t lost everything at all.

Because he was still here.

And we were home.

And… he loved me. I loved him.

I stared at the pumpkins sitting on the front porch. They’d lasted through the end of Halloween, the tree he’d carved for me and the cat I’d carved for him.

I didn’t know what would happen next, what was coming for us in the future, but at least we’d be together.

Where we belonged.