Page 31 of Deranged Demons

By now, my body had transformed back, and I stayed by the edge of the water, determined to stay conscious as I waited for what felt like an eternity. Too long. They were in the water for too fuckin’ long, but then they were there, gasping as they broke the surface.

I didn’t want to acknowledge the relief I felt, but it took everything in me not to cradle my queen to my body. I wanted to stroke my hands through her hair, to touch every part of her, and to tear apart whatever had harmed her, but instead, I simply watched intently.

Ah fuck, I’m in trouble,I think as I force my thoughts back to the present. The princess hardly says a word as we walk past buildings, meet alphas, and navigate the maze of streets. On the outside, she’s as sassy and feisty as ever, but I didn’t survive this long without learnin’ how to read others. Something is bothering her, and the thought makes my inner beast unsettled.

I tear my gaze from her face now as we walk, and I point to a large house not far from us. The walls looksolid despite the layer of black covering the bricks, and I can’t detect any alphas nearby.

“Let’s stop here for a while. I could use the rest,” I say, pretendin’ I’m only thinking of myself. Whatever happened in the water has affected her more than she’ll admit, and I get the feelin’ this female is even more stubborn than I am.

“For once, I agree with Nine Lives,” Prince Callan drawls.

To my relief, the princess nods absently and heads in that direction. The two-story house looks much the same as the others on this street, with a wide entranceway and dead vines crawling up the side of the building. The place is empty, and I follow Blake into the living room at the front. “I’ll take the first watch,” I volunteer. Truthfully, after the archangel healed me, I feel better than I have in quite a while.

Blake opens her mouth to protest, but Shade squawks in agitation, and Blake sighs. “Fine, but we’re only stopping for a few hours, and then we’re continuing on.”

She moves to the broken couch across the room and dusts off the aged material. Then, maneuvering her body, she begins peeling off her wet clothes and hanging them out to dry. The archangel turns, giving her privacy, but I stand there gaping like a dumb fuck who has yet to bed his first female. It’s not until she turns, her fingers stilling on the straps of her pants, that I mumble about walking the perimeter.

By the time I return minutes later, the princess isasleep, and the archangel is watching over her with a severe expression on his face.

“Careful prince, you’re startin’ to act like you like her,” I comment in a low voice as I stalk into the room.

“If things were different, I probably would,” he admits, and I’m surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “Not that you can talk. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you’ve been glancing at her. Are you serious about wanting to live in her palace?”

Guilt makes my stomach roil. “It’d be an easy life.”

He sighs. “Life as a royal is many things, but it’s not easy.” Then as if he realizes he’s just confessed that out loud, he clears his throat and turns to me. “You might want to work on that lie if you expect her to believe it. I don’t know what you’re hoping to get from her, but if you try to harm our mate, I’ll happily put you back in your place.”

“I don’t doubt that, prince. I haven’t forgotten what you did in Toralyn.”

He looks at me strangely for a moment before turning his attention back to the princess.

“What about you?” I prompt. “What are your plans when it comes to the princess?”

I know his response before he even opens his mouth.

“You know why I can’t,” he replies coldly, his gaze as hard as stone. I would regret asking him if I didn’t remember what an asshole he is.

“I’ll be on the roof,” I grumble, leaving the room.

~ Princess Blake ~

Neither Prince Callan nor Nate are there when I wake, but Shade is perched on the back of the couch, and she peers my way as I sit up.

Yawning, I stretch out my limbs.“How long was I out?”

“I’m guessing around three hours.”

“Three hours?”I yawn again and my mouth is wide open when the familiar scent of chocolate reaches my nose. It’s the same smell from when I exited the bathhouse, and I snap my mouth shut, scanning the room.

“Everything okay?”Shade asks, picking up on my unsettled energy.

I narrow my eyes, my gaze flitting over the broken furniture.“Has anyone else been in here?”

“You mean aside from your mates who are trying their hardest to pretend they don’t want you, even when it’s obvious they want to bury their faces into your vagina?”

“What?”

“What?”she parrots.

---