Page 39 of The Demon's Secret Baby

He shrugs, his carapace shifting with the movement. "Oh, you know. Business as usual." His gaze drops to Kaelox, and I feel my son press closer to my leg. "And who might you be?"

I tighten my grip on Kaelox's shoulder. "This is my son, Kaelox."

Azrathel's eyes widen with interest, and he crouches down to Kaelox's level. "My, my. Aren't you a fascinating little creature?" His voice drips with honeyed venom. "Tell me, boy, what sort of magic can you do?"

Kaelox looks up at me, uncertainty clear in his mismatched eyes. I give him a reassuring nod, but every instinct screams at me to get him away from Azrathel.

"I... I can make fire," Kaelox says quietly.

Azrathel's smile widens, revealing sharp teeth. "Fire, you say? How delightful. And at such a young age, too." He reaches out as if to touch Kaelox's face, but I swiftly step between them.

I step forward, placing myself firmly between Azrathel and Kaelox. My voice drops to a low growl, "We need to be going, Azrathel. It's been a long day of training."

Azrathel's eyes gleam with interest. "Training, you say? How fascinating. What kind of training does a half-breed require?"

I clench my fists, fighting to keep my temper in check. "That's none of your concern."

"Oh, but it is," Azrathel purrs, his gaze sliding past me to Kaelox. "A child with both demon and human blood... the potential is intriguing. Tell me, boy, what other magic can you do besides fire?"

I feel Kaelox grip my leg tighter, his small body trembling slightly. Before he can answer, I cut in, "Enough, Azrathel. We're leaving."

But Azrathel isn't deterred. He sidesteps, trying to maintain eye contact with Kaelox. "Can you manipulate shadows like your father? Or perhaps you have some unique abilities from your human side?"

"I said, enough," I snarl, my patience wearing thin.

Azrathel raises his hands in mock surrender, but his eyes never leave Kaelox. "I'm merely curious about our young prodigy here. After all, it's not every day we see such a unique blend of bloodlines. Tell me, Volezimir, does he take after his mother at all?"

The mention of Zylpha sends a jolt of protective rage through me. I take a menacing step towards Azrathel, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "My family is off-limits, Azrathel. This conversation is over."

"I was just trying to be friendly." His smile is anything but.

"We should be going," I say firmly, my voice low and threatening. "It's almost time for Kaelox's dinner."

Azrathel straightens up, his red eyes never leaving Kaelox. "Of course, of course. We wouldn't want to keep the young one waiting." The way he says 'prince' makes my skin crawl. "I do hope we'll be seeing more of each other, Kaelox. Your... potential... is most intriguing."

As we walk away, I can feel Azrathel's gaze burning into our backs. Kaelox tugs at my hand. "Dad, who was that?"

I swallow hard, trying to keep the anger and fear out of my voice. "Some demons are just curious about new things, Kaelox. But remember, not everyone has good intentions. Stay close to me or your mother when we're in the city, understand?"

Kaelox nods solemnly, and I pick up our pace, eager to put as much distance between us and Azrathel as possible. The encounter leaves me unsettled, Azrathel's predatory interest in my son setting off every protective instinct I possess.

As we enter our wing, I try to shake off the encounter with Azrathel, but the tension refuses to leave my shoulders. Kaelox immediately runs off to play with his toys, oblivious to my unease. I watch him go, grateful for his innocence.

Zylpha approaches me, her green eyes searching my face. "Volezimir, what's wrong? You look... troubled."

I force a smile, not wanting to worry her. "It's nothing, Sunshine. Just a long day of training with Kaelox."

She frowns, clearly not buying it. "I know you better than that. Something happened in the city, didn't it?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "We ran into another demon, and he was just interested in Kaelox. Demons and humans do mate here, but it's not that common, yet.." Zylpha steps closer, placing a hand on my arm. "Did he threaten Kaelox?"

I shake my head. "No." I can still see the worry on her face, so I pull her into an embrace, trying to reassure her as much as myself. "No. I won't let anything happen to either of you. Azrathel's just... curious. It's probably nothing."

But even as I say the words, I can't shake the feeling that this encounter with Azrathel is just the beginning of something much larger.

Zylpha turns to me, and I can already see she's not letting this go. So I lean down and pinch her chin between my thumb and finer. "I've got you, Sunshine."

And then I kiss her.

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