Page 20 of The Demon King's Unruly Mate

Understanding dawned on his face. Worry, anger, and fear rushed in soon after. He threw a quick glance toward the door we blocked and the emergency exit a few aisles over, and reached for Leona’s hand.

I raised my hands, palms out. “We just want to talk. We’re not here to hurt you.”

Leona’s eyes narrowed. “Then why are you here? Did my cousin send you?”

Beside me, I felt Talia go rigid.

“Your cousin?” she asked, her tone suddenly sharp.

“Emil,” Leona confirmed, her chin lifting slightly. “He said he would help us.”

Emil Malum.The name clicked into place as a noble with distant royal blood. I’d heard of him through security briefings, but never paid much attention to court personalities beyond assessing potential threats.

I glanced at my mate, watching as her face transformed. The haughty princess vanished, replaced by a warm, concerned friend I’d never seen before.

“Emil sent us,” Talia said, her voice gentle and reassuring. “We’re here to help.”

I nearly choked on my own tongue. The lie rolled off her lips so smoothly that for a moment, I questioned my own reality.

Leona’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though wariness still clouded her eyes. “He said he would arrange safe passage.”

“And he has,” Talia continued, moving closer with a conspirator’s smile. “We’re to take your place here while you move to the next location. Make sure no one follows your trail.”

The human—Aaron—finally spoke up. “And where, exactly, is that?”

Talia turned to me, considering for a moment. “London?” she asked, as if confirming a plan we’d discussed at length.

I had no fucking idea what she was doing, but I nodded and forced confidence into my voice. “London will be perfect.”

Talia beamed at me before turning to nod at the shadow behind her. “Griffin, will you get the penthouse open?”

The male nodded, and vanished in a cloud of red smoke.

Leona’s tail swished nervously behind her. “Why would you help us? You’re the crown princess.”

“And you’re in love,” Talia said simply, as if that explained everything. She softened with a small sigh and smile. “If I wanted to drag you back to court, I would have done so already. But I understand wanting to choose your own path. Your own mate, perhaps?”

The words hit far, far too close to home.

Talia draped an arm over Leona’s shoulders and eased her toward the door before anyone voiced another objection. “Now, you booked a room somewhere close, yes? Let’s get your things packed. Griffin will accompany you once he’s returned.”

An hour later, we’d moved into the B&B room Leona and Aaron had vacated. Griffin had teleported the couple to Talia’s London penthouse, promising to return by morning. The room was small but comfortable, with a queen-sized bed dominating the space. I tried not to think about sharing it with Talia later.

“I’m surprised you let them go,” I said, watching her as she explored the room, running her fingers along the dresser andpeering out the window as twilight settled over the town. The proud tilt of her chin, the fire in her eyes, the full lips that had been pressed against mine just hours ago. She was infuriating and brilliant and beautiful, and despite everything, I wanted her.

“Are you?” she asked, not looking at me. “I would have thought you’d be pleased. Isn’t this what you wanted? To avoid dragging an unwilling female back to a fate she didn’t choose?”

I moved to the well-stocked minibar the lovebirds had left behind and poured us glasses of whiskey from tiny bottles. “Yes, but I didn’t expect you to be the one to suggest it.”

“I did it for more than sentiment for the happy couple.” She turned to face me, fingers drumming against the windowsill. “Emil is playing some game here, and I want to know what he’s planning.”

I studied her face, trying to read beyond the mask she wore so effortlessly. “And the quickest way to find out is to step into his plan.”

“You might not be hopeless at ruling after all.” She smiled, a small, genuine thing that made her shine. “Though I’ll admit, I prefer when kindness isn’t wrapped in politics. But I will take that kindness wherever I can find it.”

The admission caught me off guard. This small crack in her perfect facade, this glimpse of the woman beneath the crown…

I liked it. Too much.

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