Page 46 of The Royal Engagement

Damek pulls me to a stop. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I turn to face Damek, my stomach in knots. “No, but we probably should talk about it.”

He gently puts his hand to the side of my face, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “You can talk to me about anything. We’re in this together.”

His words only make me feel worse. While Damek was fighting to make me a queen and give me a lengthy engagement, I was questioning everything and kissing another guy.

“You might be mad at me.” My voice comes out low, barely above a whisper.

“Nothing could ever make me mad at you,” he says.

I boldly meet his eyes, seeing the love in them.

He deserves to know, even if I’m scared.

I take a deep breath. “Do you remember when I told you that I kissed another guy? Right before we got engaged.”

“Yes, I remember.”

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. “Well… it was Kaine.”

Dameksmiles. “Maddie, I already knew that.”

I suck in a sharp breath. “You did?”

He shrugs. “It was obvious to me. But Kaine also told me. It was shortly after we got engaged—the night of our engagement party. He took me aside and told me what happened. And he gave me his blessing. He said that he knew he couldn’t pursue you. He made me promise to treat you like you deserve.”

My heart skips a beat.

Damekknows. And he doesn’t hate me.

“And you’re really not upset that I kissed him?” I ask.

He pauses. “Well, I’m not happyabout it, but I understand it. After meeting your family, I understand it better than before.”

“Thank you. I am sorry that I did it.” I look up at him through my lashes.

“You don’t have feelings for him?” His shoulders are tense.

I shake my head. “No.”

His entire body relaxes at my reassurance.

“You saw what it was like for me at home.” I lower my head. “You saw how my family treated me, and that is howallthe incubi treated me. I thought I wasn’t attractive.”

Damek nudges my chin up. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I trust you, Maddie.” He wraps his arms around me and embraces me. I lean into him, letting him take my full weight.

“You really are the best.” I put my head against his chest and sigh. “Thank you, Damek.”

He kisses the top of my head and I know that this is supposed to be. It’s not the dramatic feelings my cousins used to have every time they met a cute guy. It’s actions. It’s the things he’s done for me because he wants me to be happy.

A few hours later, after dinner and after Damek goes home, I sit with Eden in the living room. Mom went to bed hours ago—she’s still not used to the vampire sleep schedule. Dad and Julien are working on something, I’m not sure what.

Eden is quiet as she works on some sort of crochet project, but she glances up at me. “You look happy.”

I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. “I didn’t realize it was possible to be so happy.”

Her face softens. “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy.”

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