CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bane
“She’ll be fine, Bane. She’s all healed. She’s just sleeping it off now,” Astrid assures me, pushing Saylor’s hair off her forehead.
“If you weren’t here…”
I could have lost her. How the fuck did I allow this to happen? Xan is dead, and someone decided to shoot an arrow at my mate. The thing is, no one saw anyone. Silver and Sage checked the castle and the balconies but found nothing.
The Demon Kingdom, my birthright, is mine once again.
But I can’t trust anyone… yet.
Someone here has already tried to kill my mate, and I’m not going to rest until I find out who it is.
“But I was here,” Astrid replies, sitting back on the chair she pulled up to the bed. “And we will find out who did this.”
“Yes, we will.”
“You just rest with Saylor. Her brothers are dealing with the army and the staff here until you can go and talk to them,” she continues, scrubbing her hand down her face.
“I’m going to give everyone the option to stay and be loyal to me or leave,” I say, lowering my head to kiss Saylor’s soft cheek.
Astrid nods. “I think that’s a good idea. I want to go and help Shadow in case he needs a healer, but I have no idea where they would have gone. I can’t believe Laurel is his mate. I’ve been worried about her since I first saw her, so I hope now she can live a happy life away from King Bax.”
I don’t tell her that I don’t think King Bax will be breathing for much longer.
“I’m sure they will come looking for us if they need us.”
Saylor stirs, and I move my body closer to hers.
“You both rest. I’ll be around if either of you need me,” Astrid whispers, pausing with her hand on the door. “Bane?”
“Yeah?”
“She’s going to be okay. You think we can end the storm and find some sunshine again?” With those parting words, she leaves my new bedroom.
Looking down at Saylor, I picture sunshine and hear the heavy rain stop outside.
Glancing around the room decorated in black and gold, I wonder if Saylor knows exactly what she’s signed up for.
Queen to a kingdom that doesn’t know us. We’ll both have to prove ourselves and earn the trust.
Saylor makes a slight whimpering sound, and I start to sing to her again, something that has been settling her. I don’t remember much about my mother, but I do remember her singing to me and us singing songs together. She had a beautiful voice.
I watch Saylor as she sleeps for another two hours before waking, her hand going to her chest where the arrow hit. “Bane?”
“I’m here, Sunshine,” I whisper, cradling her cheek with my palm. “How do you feel?”
She smells different, my blood-scenting magic picking up on something. I don’t know if I should bring it up with her now or wait to tell her.
She’s pregnant.
I can scent the baby, a mixture of our bloodlines, combining to create our legacy.
And I couldn’t be happier.
I hope she is, too, because we never actually spoke about it. I didn’t take the herbs, but I had no idea if she was or not.
Going by this, it’s clear that she wasn’t.
Fuck. Yes.
A little baby with her eyes and smile has made me feel happier than I can ever remember. Saylor and my child will want for nothing and be so loved.
“Good,” she replies, her brow furrowing. “What happened to me? I remember getting hit in the chest.”
“Someone shot you with an arrow. Astrid healed you. I was so scared…” I trail off, clearing my throat. “We don’t know who it was, but we will find them.”
“An arrow? Of all the ways I could go out, I never pictured it being that one.”
“And it won’t be that one ,” I growl, my brow furrowing. “You are going to live forever.”
“Bane—”
“I love you,” I whisper, choked with emotion. “You aren’t ever going to leave me.”
Smiling, she snuggles into me, and my arms come around her. “You were singing to me.”
I press a kiss to the top of her head, smiling. “I was. You seemed to like it.”
“You have a beautiful voice,” she says, yawning as her eyes close. “What happens now?”
“Hmm…” I murmur, playing with her long strands of hair. “Now we run a kingdom.”
“Is that all?” she replies, sounding amused. “King Bane has a certain ring to it.”
Yes, I guess it does.
***
“I’m not going to force anyone to stay here. If you want to leave, you are free to do so,” I announce, sitting on my new throne and looking over my people. My father’s gold crown sits atop my head. “No one will be harmed for whatever decision you make. But please know, whoever harmed my mate, your new queen, will be dealt with. And anyone who protects them will be punished as well.”
Thunder booms in warning.
The throne next to me is empty, my queen still resting with Astrid watching over her.
“Hope you don’t expect me to bow.” Axe smirks, once everyone starts to clear out, scanning my throne room. “Not too shabby at all, brother.”
“What brings you to The Circle,” I tease, standing up and stepping down the stairs to greet him. “Does Zython know what’s happened?”
“Yes, and he’s thrilled for you. More connections for Chaos.” He grins, making me laugh. “We’ll be taking over the whole realm soon.”
“What do you need from us?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Just some guards until I know who I can trust or not,” I admit, glancing toward the Demon Army standing at the door. “I don’t know who is still loyal to Xan.”
“Done,” he replies, slapping me on my shoulder. “You never told me there were so many sexy demon females. Maybe I’ll find my mate here.”
“Soon, there will be no one of pure blood left,” I mutter, and Axe barks out a laugh. I wonder if our child will be able to shift or will be more demon. Speaking of shifting, it’s the full moon tomorrow, and I know Saylor will want to be with her brothers. I want to watch over her, though, and see her in her element. I want to learn all about the wolf side of her, for her and our unborn child.
“Okay, I’m going to go check on my mate,” I say, turning to leave the throne room and heading upstairs. The castle is much more lavish than I remember it, but I suppose times have changed since then as our realm became more advanced. The door to our room is open, and as I’m about to step inside, I hear Astrid’s voice.
“I’m pregnant?” I can hear Saylor’s surprised voice.
“Yes, I wanted to tell you before I told Bane, but I could tell when I healed you.”
Of course, Astrid would be able to tell.
“If that arrow went lower…” she trails off, her head turning when she hears me approach. “Did you hear what Astrid said?”
“I did,” I say, sitting on the gold velvet couch between them, taking her hand in mine. “I figured it out after you got shot with the arrow. You know I can scent bloodlines, and your scent changed.”
“How am I the last to know,” she mutters, and Astrid and I laugh. “And weren’t you taking the herbs?”
“Weren’t you?” I fire back, smirking. Not wanting any secrets between us, I decide to go with the truth. “I stopped taking them when I bonded with you.”
“And I thought I was the impulsive one,” she mutters, her jaw dropping as she shares a look with Astrid, who is frowning. “Lucky I’m taking them because Rave better not try that shit with me.”
“You don’t want a little shadow baby?” Saylor teases, wiggling her eyebrows.
“One day, yes. Now? I don’t know. We already have Vale, and he keeps us pretty busy,” she replies, twisting the end of her long braid.
“Well, thank you for telling me about my pregnancy before my mate. I’m glad we could get over the whole…” Saylor points between Astrid and me, never one to be subtle.
Astrid laughs, her cheeks turning a little red. “And the whole Rave taking your virginity. He took mine, too, so we have that in common.”
A low growl escapes me, not wanting a reminder of that fact. That fucking bastard. That was mine. I don’t want Saylor and Astrid to be able to bond about both sharing Rave’s dick.
“What are we doing to do with you, Astrid?” Saylor smirks, laughing to herself. I kiss her temple, trying to distract myself from the jealousy that’s hitting me. “Hey, don’t look at me like that, Bane. You drank from her. We’re basically a swinger’s couple at this stage.”
I cover her mouth with my hand. “Stop right now before I try and kill Rave again. No one is touching you, and we are not sharing any-fucking-thing.”
“Not even a sense of humor, apparently,” she says, still talking with her mouth covered.
“You know this is the vision I had,” Astrid admits, smiling widely. “This exact moment with Bane wearing his crown.”
“Wow,” Saylor whispers, sharing a little smile with us.
It’s an intimate moment and one I won’t ever forget.