Page 28 of Foretold

“Prince Bane,” a pretty demon says as she approaches our table. Her fangs peek out against her blood-red lips as she speaks.

Wait, Prince?

She runs her hand down his bicep, but he gently catches her wrist and removes it. I look away as he whispers something in her ear, not wanting to stare.

“Prince?” I mouth to Kai and Axe, who grin.

“Bane, you want to explain your title to the princess?” Kai suggests, crooking his finger to a gorgeous blonde fae who saunters over with a sultry smile and sits on his lap.

Bane turns to me, ignoring the demon, who eventually walks off. “My father was the Demon King. He had me before he met his mate, and she didn’t want anything to do with me. When he died, I was banished from the kingdom, and Zython took me in and raised me.”

I swallow hard, realizing his life is exactly why Rave kept Vale from me.

“So, who is the king there now?” I ask, frowning. I don’t remember it being a queen who ruled the demon lands.

“She remarried,” he explains, his eyes not leaving me. “They didn’t have any children together, so really, I could challenge them for the throne.”

He’s the only heir.

The exiled prince.

I want to ask if he wants to do that, but this isn’t the place. “I’m sorry they did that to you.”

He tilts his head slightly and shrugs his broad shoulders. He’s got a drink in his hand, but he hasn’t taken more than a sip. “Just the hand I’ve been dealt, Princess. I still live as a prince, just in adifferent kingdom. I’m lucky that Zython took me in. He’s never treated me any differently than his own.”

It’s interesting because Zython has been raising Bane and not me.

But he’s clearly a good male.

“I’ll have to leave in an hour or so,” I tell the table, wrinkling my nose at Kai, who is now kissing the woman’s neck.

“I’ll zip you back,” Bane states, tipping his head to my glass. “Don’t want you ending up in vampire territory or something.”

“When will you be back?” August asks, brow furrowing.

“I don’t know… in a couple of days? I’ll stay longer next time,” I say, downing the rest of my glass and placing it on the table.

“Is Rave going to allow that?” Axe asks, leaning back in his chair with his eyebrows raised. His shoulder-length hair is tied in a leather band today, and he looks so much like a younger Zython.

“Rave doesn’t own her,” Bane states, a scowl plastered on his lips.

Axe tilts his head to the side, considering. “They are fated mates.”

Apparently, no more needs to be said.

“She is much more than someone’s mate. She is our only princess,” Bane replies, glaring at my brother.

Yeah, about that.

“Why do you think Zython was able to have a daughter after a century of only male heirs?” I ask them, my brow furrowing. “Do you think the curse is over?”

“If we find more succubi, then it’s safe to say that yes, maybe after a century, the curse has been lifted.” Axe nods, hope flickering in his green eyes. “Or maybe you’re just a miracle.”

I hope the curse is over because otherwise, it’s a lot of pressure on me, and I can’t even help them with their bloodlines because I’m mated to a fae instead of an incubus.

The fates must be up there laughing at this whole situation.

Kai stands with the woman in his arms, too lost in his lust to even contribute to this conversation. “I’m heading off, sister. I’ll see you when you get back.”

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