Page 43 of King's Obsession

Blushing hard, he shook his head. “You’re biased.”

“That may be so, but mates don’t lie to each other.”

Love, god it could slay better than a warrior with a sword. “You’re a charmer, you know that?”

“Can we come in?” called Christa. “Wanda’s getting impatient.”

They all laughed when it was Christa who sounded impatient.

“Yes, bring the lass in to meet our little one,” Dougal answered only after seeing Asmodeus nod.

Wanda was the first into the room and Asmodeus grinned tiredly at her. He liked to spend time with Wanda, there was something about her peaceful nature that reminded him of Dougal, just in female form.

He considered if maybe Elara would be much like Wanda if they spent time together.

“Why isn’t she just the sweetest thing,” Christa murmured, grinning at them. He noted she kept her hands to herself and tucked them behind her back.

“She is,” Wanda agreed, coming closer, wearing a look that was all yearning.

Dougal scooped Elara out of Asmodeus’s arms, and he kept his protest to himself, knowing he’d get plenty of time to hold her.

When Dougal stood holding their daughter, his nose burned, and his eyes ached at the picture they made. Nothing was more beautiful. Dougal kissed her forehead, then went to Wanda. “Say hello to Elara, Auntie Wanda.”

Held to her chest, she glanced at Christa and gave her a trembly smile. “I’m an Auntie.”

Christa went to her and wrapped an arm around Wanda’s shoulder. “We both are.” Then she gave Asmodeus a cheeky wink. “Will that get me brownie points if I need anything?”

Dakata shook his head, laughing. “Trust you. Always the chancer!”

Dougal came and sat down next to Asmodeus so he could rest his head on Dougal’s shoulder. There, in the house in the forest, the place where he came to find solace from his grief, he found so much more. Acceptance. Friendship. And most of all, unconditional love.

Who could need or want more than that?

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dougal

“Is the king all right?” Baal hissed urgently. “Did the birth process affect his mind somehow?”

“Nope. He’s fine.” Dougal gently rocked their sleeping daughter as he watched his mate stomping around the throne room. “Asmodeus just wants to be sure that the demon realm is safe and comfortable for the new princess.”

“There’s a queue of people outside waiting to see him. It’s been weeks.” Baal was very dedicated to his job, and Dougal appreciated that, he was also prone to dramatics.

“It’s been four days, six if you include the weekend, and during that time your king, my mate, has given birth, and learned to adapt to a small person in his space, and none of that was easy for him to do with you pinging him every day wanting to speak to him over ridiculous pettiness.” Dougal eyed the Baal, making sure he understood he was serious. “We’ve talked about this. The demons in this realm have to learn patience. It’s a skill that will help them in all aspects of their lives going forward.”

“Tell that to the demons who’ve had to wait,” Baal said darkly. “I hope you brought earmuffs with you because there’s going to be some raised voices in here today, especially as the ten o’clock appointment has been here since nine, and it’s already close to ten thirty.”

“No one will raise their voices.” Asmodeus clicked up a huge sign, complete with a heavy stand, and plonked it down in the middle of the floor. “There will be no touching of the princess.” Another sign got plonked next to the first one. “No one will stress me out when I am holding the baby, or if my blissful one is holding the baby.” He delivered the last sign with a thud to the floor.

“Death, do you hear me?” Asmodeus glared at Baal. “You’d better tell them I will wreak death, or worse, on anyone who upsets my princess.”

“Yes, Sire.” Baal bowed in jerky movements. “I’ll tell them, but—”

“There is no butt more important in this realm except that of my princess,” Asmodeus' whisper-roared. “If my precious needs her diapers changed, then we will change her diaper, here in the throne room. If anyone, and I mean anyone, dares to suggest her poops aren’t anything but the most wonderful scent of freshly grown daffodils they’ve ever smelled, I will smite them, too.”

Dougal quickly lifted a hand to hide his chuckle. Asmodeus was adapting to life as a new parent very well. He could handle the lack of sleep caused by a perpetually hungry infant, he understood Elara seemed to have a sixth sense anytime Asmodeus got horny, and would immediately start to cry the instant things got interesting. The one thing he still struggled with was the mess Elara made in her diapers.

“Were you going to put in a crib so Elara can sleep while we’re seeing the people who are demanding your attention?” Dougal reminded his mate, keen to move things along as well.

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