Page 32 of Taken By the Twins

Plus, he seems to have this idea that he needs to step aside so that me and Lucian can be together. Bullshit. They promised me twin mates. I want twin mates.

I just need to wait until Damien comes around.

I won’t push him. That’s not fair to him, and no matter how hot and bothered I am, that doesn’t mean I have to twist someone’s arm to get them to sleep with me. Even thoughLucian promises again and again that Damien, deep down, knows that the three of us are fated, he’s struggling because he wants me so badly, but he doesn’t seem to think he deserves his own happy ending.

It has everything to do with their weird eye thing. In Sombra, the colors mean something. Lucian taught me since, if I’m staying, it’s good to know what kind of demon I’m facing. The red-eyed demons are fierce hunters. The green are part of the demon duke’s guard and soldier class. Purple, obviously means they have magic powers. Gold is the normal color, assigned to craftsmen, farmers, and those who don’t fit the other categories.

And if I ever see blue eyes on a Sombra demon? I need to grab one of my mates because that’s Duke Haures himself.

But white eyes… white eyes only belong to creatures that don’t have essence. Kind of like animals in the human world, or evil pricks that don’t have a soul. That’s how I understand it. The prey beasts that we eat—and I’ve never contemplated becoming a vegetarian more than when it hits me that I’m eating weirdo shadow critters—have white eyes. Demons that actually turndemonic… they have white eyes, too.

There are no other twins in Sombra. Lucian explains that to me. And it’s not because they’re super rare, either. It’s because, when a demoness gives birth to identical twins at the same time, only one gets essence. The other is basically left in the shadows to perish.

That’s what was meant to happen to Damien. Only Lucian—good from the start—recognized the twin bond from birth and split his essence. It was enough that they both have powers, they both can share a mate, and their mismatched eyes tell their story in a way I never understood until now.

No wonder he believes that I should be Lucian’s mate, not both of theirs. After spending threethousandyears knowing that you were marked for death, but only existing because of thegenerosity and love of your twin… when Lucians makes it clear that the one thing he’s ever wanted was his mate, why wouldn’t Damien believe that it would be the ultimate sacrifice on his behalf to try to pair me and Lucian up by ourselves.

Lucian doesn’t want that, though. As demon twins… as the doppelseers… he’s always known that he would share his mate. I might’ve been iffy about the idea in the first place, but screw it: I’m on board now.

All we have to do is get Damien to realize that we can’t be complete without him, and if I have to take one for the team and give him a little one-on-one attention first so he knows he’s not simply a consolation prize, I think I can do that.

Unfortunately, patience has never been my strong suit. And when a couple of days pass where Lucian is the only twin who comes up to see me, I can’t take it anymore. He went after Jared for me. He cares about me, even if he can’t show it.

If he can’t, Iwill.

One thing I learned about the doppelseers that was obvious from the beginning is that Lucian is the face of their operation. Whenever he has a prophecy to share with one of the demons in this world, the crazy moving house we live in starts heading that way. At first, I thought I was nuts. I could’ve sworn I felt it drifting along, and Lucian finally admitted that the cabin can travel the length and breadth of Sombra on its own.

It’s hidden, too, so as long as I don’t leave it, I’m safe. But while I agree to do so until I’m more familiar with their world, Lucian refuses to invite anyone inside while I’m here. He deems it too risky, so when he visits villages to do his duty as the doppelseer, he leaves—and Damien stays behind with me.

I was waiting for an opportunity like this. Once Lucian kisses me goodbye, then regretful heads downstairs before leaving the cabin, I wait until I see him disappear into the shadows, then go down myself.

Sombra is made up of shadows. Of shadows and ash, fire and a heat that I’m still getting used to. Not all of the shadows are dangerous, though, full of the creatures that could hurt me. Only the edge of the shadows—the deepest, darkest parts of Sombra where theirtwomoons can’t even reach—are threatening to demons and humans alike.

So though my heart jumps every time Lucian slips into the shadows to visit a local village, I know he is safe. He will also return quickly, giving his prophecy, accepting gifts of gratitude, and hustling his way right back to me as though he can’t dare to be separated from me and his twin for more than a little while.

I have one shot at this. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try again at the next opportunity, but my dreams… they’ve been changing lately. I still fantasize about my demons—especially now that I’ve had Lucian once, and instinctively know that that won’t happen again until Damien’s had a turn—but ever since me and Lucian had sex, I dream of one of my demons melting into the shadows, never to return again.

I don’t understand it. I’m not sure I want to. But when I wake up, irrationally certain that those strange dreams will go away once the three of us are fully bonded… it makes me eager to take the next step with Damien before I lose them both.

The gold moon. It’s grown larger, and though I know it’s the night that anyone sleeping with their Sombra demon mate will end up knocked-up, I’ve watched Lucian track its recent growth as if expecting something else to happen that night.

Almost like it’s our deadline. If I’m not their mate by then…

No. I’ve gone all-in. They want a human mate? Well, here’s Tandy Lewis.

Let’s go.

I find Damien downstairs,head bowed over a stove that isn’t lit.

His thick red fingers are clutching the edge of it, claws digging into the crystalline material that creates the demon cooktop. He doesn’t turn to look at me, though his senses are so keen, he has to know I’m here.

Is he waiting for me to approach him? I can do that.

I tiptoe behind him, then when I’m right there, I run my fingertips down his solid back.

“Damien—”

His head whips around. Suddenly, he’s baring his fangs at me, snarling, his white eyes blazing out of a face I don’t know.

---