Page 14 of Taken By the Twins

I sigh, then rise back up so that I’m standing. “I know.”

Poor Damien. My twin has never been so close to losing his constant battle with letting go of his tenuous hold of our essence, releasing it completely so he can go fully demonic. I thought having Tandy near would help him, but not while he refuses to woo her himself.

But he hungers. I know he does.

I want my mate desperately, but Damien. Heneedsher.

And with time slipping quickly through our claws, I suddenly understand that we will never have the chance to claim Tandy fully before the half-demon, half-human spawn is born if Damien doesn’t treat her like she is his mate.

“Go to her.”

“What?”

“You must talk to her, Damien,” I tell him firmly. “You haven’t attempted to learn our mate. Get to know our dear one.”

“I do.” Damien taps his temple with his claw. “I have her essence, Lucian. I know everything about her.” He drops handto his heart. “I sense her every movement. Her emotions. Her thoughts. I know it all.”

“So why won’t you tend to her? She needs to know you, too, brother.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he admits, “I know how badly she wanted to leave before, and how she seems to be more comfortable with the idea of staying the more you talk to her. I won’t risk your chance of having a mate at last by frightening her again.”

My forehead furrows as I look at Damien. “You mean,ourmate.”

“Of course,” Damien answers quickly. “But that doesn’t change what I mean. You’re making headway with her, Lucian. You go.”

No.

“She is not my mate,” I tell him. “She is ours.” Waving my hand, I summon a tray that comes with fresh-baked bread, cubes of cheese, and some charredungez.“Here. Tandy has not had her evening meal. Share it with her.”

“Lucian—”

“Now.” I put as much power into that one word as I can. I’m sure my purple eyes is flaring now, but though I usually let Damien do what is best for him, in this, I must choose what that is for my twin. Though my guilt from earlier only increases so I do add a gentled, “Please.”

Again, he’s quiet for a moment as though deciding his next move. Then, with a short nod, Damien pushes up from his seat at the table.

He holds out his hand, wordlessly taking the tray. I give it to him, and after another moment’s hesitation, he snatches the bottle of demon wine from the table.

Damien adds it to the tray, then stalks out of the room without a backward look at me.

I take his seat and exhale roughly.

My twin is right. I have been making headway with Tandy. Only before I came down here, I had a vision of her clinging tightly to a demon male in his shadows, her head thrown back in ecstasy as he held her to him, mating her with wild abandon. It was so fleeting, I couldn’t tell if it was Damien or me, but the fact that I had a vision including Tandy at all gave me hope.

Hope that we can change the prophecy.

Hope that we can save Sombra.

Hope that she can save Damien.

And, most importantly, hope that—after so many centuries of plotting—we’ll have the one thing we’ve ever wanted:her.

CHAPTER 6

JUST A KISS

TANDY

Idon’t know why I thought that, if I played along nicely, did what they wanted—within reason—the demons would decide that they’d troubled me long enough and send me back on my way to New York.

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