Page 55 of Ruthless Monsters

I swallow hard, terrified that in the time since I last saw her, she might no longer be breathing, but then she lifts her head, peering at me with those beady eyes I love.“What happened?”she asks groggily, and her gaze finds King Celzar’s torn body.“Oh crap, I missed seeing him get his ass kicked?!”

Laughter bursts out of me, tears springing to my eyes, and my mates press in closer. Nate nudges me with his large nose, and I stroke his soft head, letting his fur slide through my fingers. A loud, possessive rumble starts in his chest, and I grin as the vibration works its way up my arm.

“So, princess,” Dante drawls. “Can we go home now?”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

~ Princess Blake ~

“I’m just saying it’s not fair that I missed seeing the massive birds in action,”Shade complains for the second time as she swallows down her beakful of fruit.

I shake my head at her and spear another piece of cured meat with my fork. Sweet Lady it’s delicious. In fact, all of the food on the table in front of me is mouthwatering. There’s even a dish with apricots, and I’m about ready to worship the pie like it’s a new deity.

After Princess Nerelia was officially crowned as queen, a grand banquet was called in our honor, but my mates and I requested a more private affair. The new queen sits at the head of the dining table with only Mason between us, both of the Perstalian royals in their non-centaur forms. Dante is on my other side, and Alaric, Prince Callan, and Nate sit opposite us.

“Is something wrong, my mate?” Mason asks, resting his large, callused hand on my thigh beneath the table. It takes me a moment to realize he must have noticed me shaking my head.

“Not at all,” I tell him with a smile, watching as Shade sticks her beak back into the flesh of a peach.

“So, what now?” Queen Nerelia asks softly, drawing my attention to her as she swirls her goblet of wine. “You’ve done us a great service. Will you stay and let us show our gratitude? You must be exhausted from all you have endured, and the celebrations will carry on for days.”

“Yesss, time for a vacay,”Shade comments eagerly, her face covered in peach.

“Vacay?”My friend always comes out with the weirdest language.

“Vacation,”she replies, exasperated.“We need to find out more about this Perstalian hospitality.”

I grin.“What we need, is to get home,”I remind her.

She sighs in my head.“How did I know you were going to say that?”

“Because it’s true.”

“Unfortunately, we need to get back home to Seral,” I say aloud to Queen Nerelia, though I’m speaking to Shade as well. “Who knows what the situation is like back there?”

Dante spears an olive with his fork. “Yes, I can’t imagine King Dalton is happy about his daughter’s disappearance.”

“I understand,” Queen Nerelia replies, not hiding her disappointment. Placing her goblet down, she turns to Mason. “And you, my brother. I presume you’re going with her?”

My heart stutters, and I nearly choke on my latest mouthful. My new mate and I haven’t had a chance to discuss what he plans to do now that King Celzar is out of the picture, and the Perstalians and rebels are free once again.

Like he can sense my stress, Mason’s hand tightens reassuringly on my thigh. “I must go with my mate. She helped save us, and now I must help her and demonkind.”

Queen Nerelia nods, and while there’s sadness in her eyes, she smiles, and it’s obvious she’s happy for her brother.

“But I will return,” he assures her. “While we are free from Celzar’s rule, the Perstalians are still confined below ground, in a world we didn’t choose. I will search for a way for us to return to the sun.”

Guilt twists inside me. I want to offer for the Perstalians to come to Seral. To say they can live amongst the demons, but that’s not a decision to be made lightly. There’s no telling if the witches have further infiltrated Seral City, and until I’m queen of the demon realm, times are uncertain. “We’ll figure something out,” I tell Queen Nerelia, and I bump Mason’s shoulder with my own. “And don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.”

Queen Nerelia’s lips quirk up. “Of that, I have no doubt,” she replies, her eyes sparkling. Still smiling, she lifts from her chair. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some rest. It’s been an… exciting day, and I’m sure tomorrow will also be eventful.”

She gives Mason one last look, and we all dip our heads respectfully as she leaves the room.

The moment she’s gone, Nate blows out a breath and relaxes in his chair. “So, when are we plannin’ to leave?” he asks, shoving three olives into his mouth at once, and then wrinkling his nose as he swallows them down.

Grinning, I say, “Tomorrow.” But then I frown, turning to Mason. “Is that possible?”

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