Page 26

12 YEARS LATER

“Auntie!” Kora yelled, spotting me first. Her hair and the quills within her hair bounced against her back as she raced towards me.

Elrith’s eyes snapped up from the phone he’d been looking down at, at her exclamation. “Mama!” he shouted, a huge smile splitting his teenage face. He’d grown a lot since we first met him over a decade ago. No longer did he have the baby chub on his cheeks. Now, he was lean and muscular with great control over his shifting, to the point that he currently looked human, except for the horns on his head.

I opened my arms and braced myself as they both ran into me, squeezing me for all they could, which I could thankfully withstand. I, however, had to restrain myself since I could crush them if I squeezed too hard. “My babies!” I crooned. “Did you miss me?”

Elrith looked down at me, now over six feet tall, and nodded. “So much. I love Nana Jolie and my grandpas, but it’s not the same as living with you and my papas.” He frowned and looked over my head. “Are you alone? Mama! You can’t be alone, even now.”

“I’ll protect you, Auntie,” Kora assured me, spinning around to survey our surroundings for threats.

Chuckling softly, I patted them both on the heads, a reach for Elrith. “Calm down, imps. You really think my overprotective mates would let me come here alone?”

Mason flew down from a nearby tree in his crow form, shifting into his man form as he neared us. “Of course we wouldn’t. We were just letting her have her reunion with you before we came in.” He took turns hugging the kids and patted Kora on her head. “I heard you saved Elrith again.”

Elrith scoffed. “I had my scales up. The arrow wouldn’t have even pierced my skin or hurt me at all.”

“Only because I grabbed it out of the air before it could touch you,” Kora said, and beamed proudly.

Even though we’d eradicated the group that had formed with the sole intent of killing demons and preventing them from coming to this world, there were still threats and those who didn’t like the demons being here.

Elrith, being Prince of Demons and Hybrids was a prime target for them. Thankfully, the little imp turned out to be very strong and never missed a training session. He spent his evenings while in this world training with Grandpas Rhys, Nico, Foxfire, and Deryn, or my adoptive fathers, and when in our home in the demon world, he spent evenings training with Great Grandpa Dan.

When Papa Dan had asked to move to the demon world, I had been shocked, but it had turned out to be the ultimate blessing. He trained the kids, helped watch them when we wanted to go on dates or had issues to attend to, and he’d even adopted a couple teenage orphans.

“Are you ready to head home?” I asked. “Kayden is preparing something delicious for our return.”

“We need to grab our bags from Grandma Ember’s house,” Kora said. “We stayed there this week because Nana and Grandpas had a videogame tournament.”

A huge smile split my face as I remembered that my great grandmother and her mates were participating in the newest fighting videogame’s tournament circuit. Their team was dominating and it was one of the rare instances where they could do something they loved and where it didn’t matter that they were royals, since it was all based on skill. I wasn’t as good as Nana Jolie, but my mates and I were improving. It had become a family battle, to see which pack could defeat them. My brother, Tony, Maya, Tony the elf, and Jaeden were really good, too, and our current standings were six wins and six losses. Tomorrow, we would secure another win for sure to beat them.

“That’s perfect, since I know there are fresh baked snickerdoodle cookies at their house,” Mason said and licked his lips hungrily. Bran Bran made the best snickerdoodles, so Mason wasn’t the only one salivating at the idea of getting some to take home.

Elrith draped an arm around my shoulders and hugged me against his side as we walked. “I missed you. How are you feeling? Any improvements?”

My shadow snake appeared and wrapped around his arm in a hug. “Yes, we’re slowly getting better.” About five years ago, my power to summon the shadows had returned, much to everyone’s relief. I knew I didn’t have what my biological grandmother, Third to Reign, had called Goddess Mode anymore, but having the shadows back was a huge relief.

Elrith laughed at the silly shadow snake who had a mind of her own far too often for being my power. “That’s good to hear.”

We climbed into the waiting SUV and Elrith leaned over to hug Trey who sat in the driver’s seat.

“Where are we headed?” Trey asked.

“To my parents’,” I announced as I buckled my belt.

“How’s school going?” Trey asked the kids as he started driving.

“Math is killing me,” Elrith admitted.

“I was invited to the advanced class and the debate team,” Kora announced.

I gasped and spun in my seat to smile at her. “That’s amazing! I bet your dad is super proud.”

She nodded vigorously, her quills bouncing a bit. “He’s coming to see me, us, tomorrow, and said he’s bringing me a gift.”

“Hopefully it’s not another pup,” Trey whispered.

I smacked his arm playfully. “Quiet, you.”

“You love me like your own daughter, so hush,” Kora said, and rolled her eyes.

She was completely correct. We loved her like a daughter, same as we loved Elrith as our son. Blood didn’t matter to us, just like it hadn’t my family.

As soon as we pulled through the gates of the hybrid lands, Mom ran out onto the porch.

I stepped out of the SUV and she immediately tackled me onto the grass, hugging me tightly. “My baby!”

Laughing, I hugged her back, not even caring that my tan pants definitely had grass streaks on them now. “Hi, Mom.”

“Give me my daughter,” Bran Bran growled and pulled me away from Mom.

She stuck out her bottom lip in a huge pout. “I never get time with her. You keep stealing her.”

“Go hug the grandkids,” Bran Bran grumbled against the top of my head as we both hugged each other as tightly as we could. After another second, he grunted and wheezed, “I give.”

Chuckling, I loosened my grip. “Hi, Bran Bran.”

He patted my cheek and said, “You look better and that grip has definitely returned.”

“Where’s –”

I didn’t even get to finish my question before Dad pulled me away from Bran Bran to hug me. “My favorite daughter!” he crowed.

“I’m your only daughter,” I reminded him.

“Potatoes, tomatoes,” he growled.

“We can’t stay long,” Trey informed us. “Kayden has food ready.”

“I just have to grab one thing,” I said as I extricated myself from Dad’s hold and slowly started backing up towards the house.

“Oh? And what is that?” Dad asked with a small smile.

Bran Bran turned, eyes narrowed, and asked, “Who told you?”

“Told me what, Bran Bran?” I asked with a sweet smile, continuing to back up. With a wink at Kora, who was at the porch next to me, I spun and darted into the house.

Bran Bran roared and I knew he was hot on my tail.

Calling on my shadow snake, I used her to trip Bran Bran, giving me time to make it to the kitchen, grab a plastic tub of snickerdoodles, and ran back out of the house.

“Thief!” Mom shouted and ran after me.

“Run, kids!” I shouted with a laugh. “Out run your grandparents or you won’t get cookies.”

Dad and Mom were neck and neck as they ran after me. Trey jogged lazily behind us, carrying the kids’ bags, a happy smile on his face, which grew wider when Bran Bran tried to pass him and he tripped him.

Mason flew next to me, laughing his crow laugh.

Elrith ran by me, snatching the cookie tub out of my hands. “Too slow!”

I gasped. “Traitor!”

The hybrids milling around town watched us with smiles as we charged through, tripping and grabbing at each other to try to get the cookies and get to the demon portal.

At the portal stood a familiar, tall male demon, wings that had grown after fully accepting his mantle as king, folded behind his back.

“Jol!” I yelled. “Elrith has cookies!”

Jol’s eyes focused on Elrith and the plastic container in his hands. “Cookies? You must pay tribute to your king, Elrith.”

Elrith stuck his tongue out at Jol and dodged the demon king. “Finders keepers.”

Elrith darted through the portal with a victorious whoop.

“He’s faster,” Mom panted as she stopped next to me and pulled me into a one-armed hug.

“I think Dan’s been giving him speed lessons,” Dad grumbled.

“He’s been training him a lot,” I admitted. “Something about the hybrid king not getting any younger.”

Dad growled and pushed me playfully. “I’m not that old yet.”

“Not that young either,” Mom teased.

He clutched his chest. “Even my own mate?”

She released me to hug him and kiss his cheek. “It’s only facts, darling.”

After a round of hugs, I went through the portal.

“Where’s your mate?” I asked Jol.

“Too pregnant to be away from the castle,” he answered. “Talrinir needs bedrest and the twins are with her now.”

Jol and Talrinir had twins six years ago and she was pregnant once again with twins. The demons were all overjoyed at their king’s family growing so much. We were as well.

“I can’t wait to meet my new nieces or nephews,” I said with a wide smile.

“Hey! You can’t eat them yet!” Kora yelled.

I spun and gasped to find Elrith shoving a snickerdoodle into his mouth. “You close that container right now!”

Jol laughed and patted my back. “I’ll contact you when the twins are born. Go deal with your imps.”

“Tell Talrinir I said good luck,” I called as I ran after Elrith, who was running away from Kora towards the house.

Mason and Trey ran on each side of me, both waving to demons as we passed them on our way.

Elrith threw open the door and yelled, “I’m home!”

Dan and Kayden looked up from the documents they’d been reviewing and smiled at us.

“Welcome home,” Kayden called out as we all joined them.

Home. It was so nice to be home and have it filled with my family.

“Let’s eat,” Dan said as he pulled me into a hug. “I know this pup here is dying for a cookie.”

“Elrith already snuck one,” I said with a pout.

The wrinkles around the edges of Dan’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Is that so? I guess that means he won’t mind double training tonight, then? To work off those extra calories.”

Elrith set the cookie container on the counter and said, “I’m going to win this time. Today is the day I defeat you.”

“Good luck,” Kayden said with a scoff and patted Elrith’s shoulder. “Of all of us, only Lily and Mason have defeated Dan.”

“I won, too,” Kora said.

We all turned to look at her in disbelief.

“Yep, she defeated me last weekend,” Dan replied. “I swear she used a speed enchantment or something.”

“Just pure skill and talent,” she said and flipped her hair and quills over her shoulder, though I could see how happy she was to have defeated him.

“Maybe you’re just getting slow?” I taunted.

“What to test it out?” he asked.

Laughing, I patted his shoulder. “No, thank you. I’ve retired from fighting. I’ll leave it up to Elrith to defeat you.”

“No more fighting for you,” Mason grumbled and slid his arms around my waist from behind, hugging me back against his chest. “You just get pampered and loved.”

“Come on, let’s eat,” Kayden ordered as he pulled out a dish from the oven.

We all sat around the dining table after saying bye to Dan. Looking at my little family, the freedom I had now, I couldn’t have stopped myself from smiling even if I had wanted to.

It’s good to be home. It’s good to be loved. It’s good to be their princess.

“I love you all,” I said as I looked at the five of them.

Trey reached over and threaded his fingers with mine. “We know. We love you, too.”

Elrith and Kora smiled at me and both suddenly announced, “We started courting!”

My jaw dropped. “What?”

Kora nudged Elrith, who cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well, Kora and I were talking and she agreed to let me court her, but then she found out that I’m not the only one she’s connected to.”

We had discovered on their sixteenth birthday that they were soulmates, a golden bond had formed between them, one they’d seen since they were kids, but hadn’t known what it was. Then, much like what I’d done, Kora had used shadow powers to connect her and Elrith.

It shouldn’t have been surprising that they were courting, they were seventeen, after all, with their eighteenth birthdays coming up in a few months.

“She’s also being courted by two others,” Elrith announced, though that wasn’t as happy an announcement.

“Three,” she corrected. “Turns out, I’m much like you, Auntie. I have four mates, though, not three.”

“When do we get to meet them?” Mason asked, far too calmly for the protectiveness flowing through our bond from him.

“Tomorrow,” she admitted with reddened cheeks. “They want to meet Dad and you all.”

“Are they demons?” Trey asked.

Her cheeks were fully red now. “One is a hellhound with the ability to shift like me, he’s a hybrid, his mom’s an elf. The second is a hybrid from a dragon and a wolf. The last is …” She paused before finishing, “… full demon.”

“I’m happy for you, Kora. Just remember, you’re the princess here, and those males need to convince you that you want to fully accept the bond. Make them prove their worth and show they’re devoted to you. You don’t have to accept just because there is a bond if they aren’t ready for you.”

“But be willing to forgive a time or two,” Trey said and squeezed my hand. “Sometimes we make mistakes.”

Looking at my three mates, it felt like a lifetime ago that we’d been separated by a misunderstanding. They were a part of me that I could never live without.

“Yes, remember to forgive, but only if they’re actually repentant,” I clarified with a wink at Trey.

“I think they shouldn’t get a chance to court her unless they can defeat Mason,” Elrith muttered.

“So, you can’t court me either?” Kora asked with an arched brow.

He dropped his fork and gaped at her. “I defeated Mason.”

“Once and while he wasn’t at one hundred percent,” Kora argued.

Elrith shoved his chair back as he stood. “Outside, now!” he ordered Mason.

Mason rolled his eyes. “You can wait until I finish eating.”

Elrith scowled, but returned to his seat and food. “Fine, when you’re done eating.”

Holding in my laughter was hard, but I did allow myself to smile wide.

Life was never boring with this group, that was for sure, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for my adopted children.

It was certain to be full of fun and challenges. With our family at their backs, though, they would defeat whatever they faced. Because that was what found family did. We supported each other no matter what, even if it meant letting your son challenge you to a duel to prove he was worthy of his soulmate.

I kissed Mason’s cheek and whispered, “You better not go easy on him, you big softie.”

He rolled his eyes at me, but didn’t respond, since he knew I was right.

“Hey! Don’t amp him up,” Elrith growled.

“Don’t growl at your mother,” Trey ordered and pointed his fork at him.

Elrith pouted. “Sorry.”

Yes, this family would be together no matter what the universe threw at us. Just as fate intended.