Page 17 of Their World (Her Royal Harem: Lily #2)

Chapter

Seventeen

I woke feeling sore all over my body in the most delicious way the next morning. Reaching up, I gently touched my three bloodstones in a triangle formation on my left cheek. Along my neck their three marks throbbed as well.

The happiness was sadly tinged with worry as a dream had startled me awake. A dream of me having to choose between my parents and my mates while facing off against the Grand Advisor and Jol.

Kayden blinked open his eyes, met my gaze, and yawned. “You’re awake already?” My reply was cut off as he pulled me down onto his chest. “Five more minutes,” he whispered.

“But I’m hungry,” I whined. My stomach growled, confirming my whining was legitimate.

Mason rolled out of bed. “Our mate is hungry. You know what that means.”

“It means we have ten minutes before she gets hangry,” Kayden grumbled, kissed the top of my head, and slid off the bed. “Everyone, get dressed.”

Trey climbed out and I watched the three gorgeous males walk, naked, out of my new room. It was quite an enjoyable view.

Rolling over in the bed, I drew in a deep breath, smiling wide as the scent of all three filled my nostrils. I could definitely get used to that.

Slowly, I got out of bed, too, and headed to my amazing bathroom to wash and get ready.

Kayden found me in the closet, debating what to wear. Without a word, he walked around the closet, picking out items, and set them on the table. “You should wear this.”

“When did you guys buy all these clothes for me?” I asked as I started putting on the cute sundress, leather jacket, and sandal combo he had chosen.

“Honestly?” he asked.

I scowled. “Duh, of course I want your honest answer.”

“We’ve been buying you clothes for years, but we were too chicken to send them to you since we knew you were mad at us,” he admitted. “Pretty much everything in this closet was an item we purchased for your birthday, holiday, or just because we were thinking of you. We’ve been keeping it in here, hoping to one day bring you to see it all.” He smiled wide, kissed my cheek over the bloodstones, and said, “I’m glad we were finally able to show you.”

“I love it. All of it,” I told him and hopped up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

He draped his arm around my shoulders and said, “Anything for my mate.”

Mate. It was such a wonderful word to hear.

I thought they were going to cook me food, but instead, we all got into one of the vehicles and drove to a restaurant famous for its brunch menu.

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to be out? Don’t newly mated groups usually need to hide away from people because of the possessiveness?” Mom and her mates had secluded themselves away even from my Nana.

“We are no more possessive now than we were before we mated,” Trey explained. “We won’t randomly attack someone any more than we would have previously.”

That was not exactly comforting when Kayden and Mason were concerned. It did surprise me though that they felt so confident in their possessiveness of me.

My surprise grew when we walked to a table where Ezio, Grandpa Rhys, Grandpa Foxfire, Grandpa Deryn, and Grandpa Nico were already seated.

All five stood as we approached, wide smiles on their faces.

“Grandpas. Ezio. What are you doing here?” I asked as they took turns hugging me before we sat.

Trey sat me at the head of the table, opposite Ezio. It was a little odd to be at the head while the kings of our clans sat on the sides of me, but I had a feeling it was important in this moment.

“We wanted to celebrate your mating,” Grandpa Foxfire said with his usual happy smile. “This has been a long time coming and we’re so excited you four finally took the plunge.”

“I like the triangle,” Grandpa Nico said. “It’s cute.”

I focused on Ezio and narrowed my eyes. “There’s another reason you’re all here. I can smell it.”

Ezio smiled. “You’ve always been a bright girl, which is what my slow-witted son needs.” He winked.

“I’m not slow-witted,” Kayden defended himself before realizing Ezio was teasing him.

“We’ve also joined you to discuss you having guards,” Grandpa Rhys, ever the serious one, said. “You and Trey are royals and the demons have a keen interest in you. With this upcoming war, we’re worried that they might try to kidnap one of you to use as a bargaining tool.”

“A tool to be used to make Mom or Dad do something terrible,” I said with a hard swallow. Almost immediately, Trey and Mason set their hands on me, comforting me with their touch. Kayden reached over Mason to rest his hand on my shoulder for a moment as well. It was still odd to feel their emotions through the bonds and know they could feel mine, but it was also really nice not to be alone in my feelings.

Grandpa Deryn’s eyes widened. “A vision? You had a vision?”

Looking down at my hands in my lap, I nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Mason asked.

“Is that why you were startled when we woke up?” Kayden asked.

“Tell us your vision,” Grandpa Nico said softly.

“Was it Nana who had the vision that brought you to us?” I asked instead of answering.

“Yes, it was,” Nana Jolie said as she entered and flicked Grandpa Nico’s ear. “She would have told you if her mates hadn’t come to meet you secretly, too.” Leaning over, she hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Congratulations on your mating. We’ll throw a party once we finish this demon business. Now, someone –”

Before she could finish her sentence, Grandpa Rhys stood and offered her his chair, then he went to grab another one from a nearby table.

She kissed his cheek as she sat in his vacated chair, folded her hands in her lap, and looked at me, her expression turning serious. “Last night, I had a vision. I saw Mason, Trey, and Kayden defeated by demons. A demon male gave you a choice, a choice between becoming his queen and ruling over the demons or losing your mates and our world.”

My eyes widened. “That … that is not the same vision I had.”

Her eyes widened in response and her mouth dropped open.

A mixture of fear and worry filtered through my three mate bonds.

The waiter chose that moment to walk up and ask for our orders.

Trey and Grandpa Foxfire ordered for us while I stared at Nana, wondering how our visions could be different.

Once he was gone, she nodded at me.

“Hundreds of demons flooded through portals, focused on killing my mates. I faced off against Jol, their king, trying to convince him I wasn’t his enemy, to fight the spell that he was under. The Grand Advisor defeated you and your mates and gave Mom and Dad the choice, give up our world or Jol would kill me and my mates.”

“Has this ever happened before?” Kayden asked. “That two people have had two such different visions?”

We both shook our heads.

“Does that mean both might come to pass?” Grandpa Deryn asked.

“Or that both are versions you will each see from the Advisor’s powers?” Grandpa Foxfire asked.

Nana Jolie and I stared at him. That was a very good possibility and one I hadn’t thought of.

What if he was that powerful? Could he make my parents, Jol, and I do various things based on what version he was showing us?

“I don’t know anyone that powerful,” Nana said and shuddered. “I hope he’s not that powerful.”

“Have you looked into the curse more?” I asked.

She waved her hand. “Let’s stop discussing this. We brought you here to celebrate and to convince you to let us assign some guards to you. We don’t need to discuss other matters right now.”

Our drinks came out, and I smiled at the mimosa with a strawberry on the rim. Nana had the same drink and we clinked our glasses together before taking a sip.

“So tasty,” I purred.

Nana nodded and relaxed a bit against her seat.

“So, have you decided where you are going to live?” Ezio asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

Trey nodded. “My castle just outside the Den.” He turned to me and smiled sweetly as he said, “We were able to finally show her the room we’ve been preparing for the last few years.”

Nana smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m so glad you were able to work out all of your issues and ended up together. I’ve been rooting for you four since you all met.”

Mason set his hand on my leg and I felt his happiness through our bond.

I squeezed his hand and let my happiness show to them all as well.

“Neutral territory,” Grandpa Rhys said with a nod. “That’s a good spot since you’re royals of different clans.” He looked at me a moment before looking away.

Was he thinking about me being the Demon Princess?

“I’d prefer you were closer,” Ezio mumbled, “but that is a good place.”

“About guards,” Grandpa Deryn said. “We have a list of suggestions and we would like you to choose three from the list.”

“Three?” Kayden asked with a scowl. “You want us to have three guards? Do you have so little faith in our abilities? We’ve been fighting, honing our skills, for years.”

“Even we had guards,” Grandpa Nico reminded him.

I didn’t join in on the conversation since it would make me feel better to have guards, not for myself, but for the guys. Yes, they were strong, powerful, and deadly, but more claws were always better.

Especially with the number of demons that the Grand Advisor could send over at any given moment.

We finished our meals, promised to send our chosen guard names within the next hour, and headed out of the restaurant while Nana and her mates teleported back home, taking Ezio with them.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Mason commented as we walked toward our waiting SUV.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. “You’re one to talk.”

“I’m always quiet. You’re not,” he countered. His eyes darted to my neck where his mark was and I felt a surge of pride through our bond. Possessive brat.

“Out with it, Lily,” Kayden demanded.

I opened my mouth to reply, but snapped it closed and spun around as my chest warmed. My hand reached for the spot where the necklace used to be, but it was gone.

Had that heat, the feeling of the demons, been me and not the necklace the whole time? Had it just unlocked my demon side?

“Demons,” I whispered as a portal opened in the middle of the sidewalk.

Mason drew his sword and Trey and Kayden took warrior shifts, the three of them forming a triangle of protection around me.

Letting my scales flow over my body, I waited anxiously to see who was going to come out of the portal.

The black smoke continued to swirl silently.

“Is it one of the random portals?” Kayden asked.

“Opening right behind Lily? That seems unlikely,” Trey said.

“I think … it’s an invitation,” I whispered, and swallowed hard.

“You are not going through that portal. Everyone is still deciding how to proceed now that Jol is brainwashed and your parents are captured,” Mason said sternly.

“Maybe I can talk to them, convince them?—”

“No!” all three snapped simultaneously.

The portal closed and I felt a deep sense of despair fill me. Once again, I was unable to help those I loved. What good were the powers I did have if I could never use them to save others, if they weren’t useful in saving others?

Kayden’s arms wrapped around me, squishing me against his chest. “Lily, we are going to rescue your parents and we are going to save our world.”

“We’re going to save Jol and the demons as well,” Mason added.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” I whispered, and rubbed my face against Kayden’s shirt. “I hope it does come true, though.”

“Come on, let’s go to your house so we can help you pack,” Kayden said and steered me back towards the vehicle.