Page 35 of Demon Daddy's Nanny

The thought should terrify me. Instead, it settles in my chest like an ember, warm and bright. Eva fits here, in this space between warrior and leader, between father and man. She belongs in ways that defy explanation, like she was carved from the same darkness that shapes me.

My forehead presses against the window. The glass fogs with each breath as I watch her below, so fucking alive it hurts. She's not trying to fix me or change me. She just... exists. And somehow that existence makes everything clearer, sharper, more real.

The revelation rocks through me like thunder. This isn't just want or need or desire. This is something deeper, moreprimal. Something that calls to the ancient magic in my blood, demanding I claim what's mine.

My wings unfurl against my will, responding to the sight of her below. Every instinct screams to swoop down, to wrap her in their golden expanse until nothing else exists but us. The primitive urge claws at my chest - to mark her, claim her, make her mine in ways that would leave no doubt.

But I remain frozen, watching through the glass as she tends to my daughter with a gentleness I've never mastered. My nails scrape against the windowsill, leaving deep grooves in the wood. The sound of her laughter drifts up again, and my body responds like it's been struck by lightning - muscles tensing, blood heating.

When did she become so essential? When did her presence start filling the hollow spaces I'd carved inside myself? Each smile she gives Annalise is another chain wrapped around my heart, binding me tighter. Every graceful movement of her hands speaks to the warrior in me, makes me want to conquer, to possess.

The darkness inside me, the part I've kept caged since Sera's death, rattles its bars. It recognizes something in Eva - a matching shadow, perhaps. Or maybe it's the way she faces my cold distance with unflinching warmth, how she meets my growls with gentle determination.

My forehead presses harder against the glass, wings trembling with the effort of staying still. She's worked her way under my skin, past all my carefully constructed walls. Slipped through the cracks I didn't know existed and made herself at home in the wreckage of who I used to be.

"Fuck." The word comes out more growl than speech. Because this isn't just desire anymore. This is something deeper, more dangerous. Something that makes my ancient blood sing with recognition.

Eva has claimed pieces of me I didn't know were still alive to be claimed. And the terrifying part isn't that she's done it—it's that I want to give her more. Want to lay every broken, sharp-edged part of myself at her feet and let her decide if I'm worth keeping.

20

EVA

The silk sheets whisper against my skin as I toss and turn, unable to find peace in the darkness of my room. Sleep eludes me, replaced by thoughts of golden eyes and bronze skin. My fingers brush against my lips, remembering the heat of Ridwan's kiss from a week ago. The memory burns, sharp and sweet like sugar caramelizing over flame.

I push myself up, padding across the cold stone floor to my window. New Solas sprawls before me, its golden spires piercing the night sky. The view used to fill me with wonder. Now it only reminds me of him - of power and authority wrapped in gleaming metal.

Every time I close my eyes, I see the way he looked at me that day - desire warring with duty in those striking features. The scar on his cheek had seemed deeper, his jaw clenched tight as he'd pulled away. "I can't want you," he'd said, voice rough like he'd dragged the words across broken glass.

I press my forehead against the cool window pane. This isn't just about his touch or the way his massive wings cast shadows that make my heart race. It's in the quiet moments - when he thinks no one's watching and his stern mask slips, revealingthe weight he carries. It's in how his hands shake slightly when he holds reports of border skirmishes, in the gentle way he straightens Annalise's collar despite his intimidating presence.

My chest aches. I've spent days avoiding the great hall, taking my meals in the kitchen, changing my routine to dodge his patrol routes. But distance hasn't dimmed these feelings. They've grown like vines in darkness, wrapping around my ribs and squeezing until each breath hurts.

A shadow passes outside - massive wings blocking out starlight. My heart lurches before I realize it's just another xaphan guard on patrol. Still, my pulse races, betraying how desperately I want it to be him. How pathetic. I'm supposed to be stronger than this, not pining after someone who's made it clear he doesn't want me.

But every accidental glance we share across crowded rooms feels like a secret language. Each time he stiffens when I enter a room, it's like he's fighting the same battle I am. And I'm losing - gods help me, I'm losing badly.

Enough. I push away from the window, anger rising hot in my throat. I'm done being the good little human who knows her place. Done pretending I don't see the hunger in his eyes when he thinks I'm not looking.

My fingers curl into fists as I pace the length of my room. The stone floor bites cold against my bare feet, but I barely notice. I've spent my whole life being overlooked, being told to stay small and grateful. But that's not who I am anymore.

The memory of his lips crashes through me again. This time, instead of aching, it fuels something fiercer. He'd kissed me like a starving man before shoving me away. Like he thought denying himself was some noble sacrifice.

I catch my reflection in the mirror - flushed cheeks, amber eyes bright with determination, chestnut hair falling loose around my shoulders. I'm not some delicate flower to beprotected or pushed aside. I've survived in this gilded cage of a city through wit and will alone.

My hands steady as I braid my hair back. If Ridwan thinks he can kiss me like that and then hide behind duty and rank, he's about to learn differently. Whatever demons he's wrestling with - guilt over Sera, fear of connecting, his rigid sense of propriety - they're his problem. Not mine.

A laugh bubbles up, sharp and wild. Maybe it's madness pushing me forward, but I'm done waiting. Done watching him struggle against whatever's holding him back. If he wants to keep denying this thing between us, he'll have to do it to my face.

The old Eva would have accepted his rejection, would have swallowed her feelings and faded into the background. But I've changed. Living here, watching Annalise fight for her own identity, has taught me something about claiming what you want. I’ve always been fiercely independent…but that isn’t what I want right now.

What I want is him - all of him, not just stolen glances and aborted touches. If he pushes me away again, fine. At least I'll know I fought for what I wanted instead of letting fear win.

I stride through the quiet halls, my footsteps echoing against stone. The familiar path to Ridwan's wing feels different tonight, charged with purpose rather than hesitation. Moonlight streams through tall windows, painting silver paths across floors.

The door to his sitting room stands ajar. Through the gap, I catch sight of his broad frame silhouetted against the night sky. His wings spread loose and relaxed, catching starlight on golden feathers. He hasn't noticed me yet, lost in whatever thoughts furrow his brow and tighten his jaw.

My heart pounds, but I refuse to let it stop me. I push the door wider and step onto the balcony. The night air carries the scent of night-blooming flowers from the gardens below.

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