Page 36 of The Demon King's Unruly Mate

“So, Cal. I understand your parents suggested the match,” I prompted. This was the part that mattered. “Did they pressure you? There’s no shame admitting you want something different for yourself.”

“No, no quite the opposite.” A small smile broke through his anxiety. “They noticed I mentioned Nira in every conversation and finally asked if I’d considered having a conversation withher.When I admitted I was too nervous to approach her directly, they offered to speak with her family.”

“And if she refused the match?” I asked.

“I… Well, I’d be disappointed. That she felt she couldn’t tell me herself.” The green tinge returned to his complexion. “But I’d respect her decision. There are plenty of ifrit who prefer to find their mates through less traditional means these days.”

I nodded, keeping my expression blank. “Tell me about her.”

His face transformed. The nervousness fell away, melting into something soft and warm. “Nira’s brilliant. We’ve been meeting for coffee the past month, and each conversation flows easier than the last. She has this way of explaining complex financial regulations that makes them fascinating.” He chuckled, his smile going wide. “And she laughs at my terrible jokes.”

I leaned back in my chair, watching. No signs of coercion or rehearsed answers. Just an ifrit clearly smitten with his prospective mate.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. I’d purposefully scheduled this for the end of my day, and time was running short. “Is there anything else you’d like me to know?”

“Just that I’m grateful for these meetings.” His tail flicked behind him. “My grandmother was pushed into a match set by her parents. Even when we were little, my brothers and I could spot the difference after Grandfather passed. I’m glad to know that won’t happen to us.”

Pride filled my chest. It wasn’t a perfect system—none were—but I had to believe it was better than what came before. Between Talia’s information network and these little interviews, we’d managed to save a handful of young ifrit from lifetimes of unhappiness. We didn’t want to see anyone else forced to be a pawn instead of a mate.

“I’ll consider everything you’ve shared,” I said, rising to signal the end of our meeting. “You’ll have our decision within the week.”

He stood and bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

I gestured for the guards to escort him out, already convinced he’d receive our approval. I quickly gathered my notes and slipped them into a folder for Talia to review later, then checked the time again.Shit. Three more hours until Talia would be home, and I still had clan business to handle before I could start preparations for tonight.

Our anniversary. One year since we’d claimed the throne together.

One year of waking beside Talia, of building something neither of us had dared imagine when her father forced us together. My fingers absently traced the claiming mark on my neck, the skin still warm to the touch even after all these months.

I’d never expected to fall in love with the sharp-tongued princess. Never thought I’d find a partner who matched me in ambition, intelligence, and fire. But Talia had become everything: my queen, my confidante, my mate.

And tonight, I wanted to show her exactly how much that meant to me.

Fifteen minutes and a non-emergency emergency later, the familiar scent of earth and steel washed over me as my smoke cleared. The converted warehouse had come a long way from the mess of boxes and tangled wires we’d first moved into. Clean lines, organized workstations, and reinforced walls spoke to both Malak’s obsession with order and Zane’s paranoia about security.

“Look who dragged himself in from the hells,” Zane called from his sprawl across one of the couches in the common area, idly flipping a knife. He tipped his head back to look at meupside down. “Slumming it with us peasants today, Your Royal Hind Ass?”

“Damn, Zane. Only a year to come up with that? Should I assume your letters are coming along, too, or can we keep spelling out secrets around you?” I replied without heat and dropped into a chair across from him. “Where’s Malak?”

Zane jerked his thumb toward the tech room. “Where else? Something about satellite tracking and unholy firewall configurations.”

I snorted. “He kick you out again?”

“Absolutely not. I’m a housebroken gentleman, as well as letter-learned. Not my fault he doesn’t understand desks are viable footrests.” He sat up and stretched his arms overhead. “Malak thinks he has a lead on that vampire smuggling ring we’ve been after. You staying for the briefing, or just checking in?”

I glanced at my watch again. “Just checking in. I’ve got plans tonight.”

Zane’s grin turned wolfish. “Ah, yes. The anniversary. Special plans for our queen?”

“None of your business.”

“That means yes.” Zane leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Come on, give me details. I need ideas for when I finally settle down.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You? Settle down? The world must be ending.”

“It might.” He shrugged, but there was something almost wistful in his expression. “Met someone interesting last month on that job in Prague.”

That caught my attention. “Interesting how?”

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