Page 127 of Wickedly Yours

Willow stretched her arms out before standing. I followed, getting up and heaving my daughter onto my hip as she moved into the kitchen.

My sister sighed deeply, and I watched out of the corner of my eye as Opal tugged Selene’s tail, my cat meowing in protest.

Any time we left the demon realm for too long, we brought her along with us and would stay in my old apartment over the bakery. Even if we’d hired a manager and a whole bakery staff, it still felt like ours.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, nudging her with my elbow.

“I’ve just… been thinking,” Willow murmured.

“Yeah?” I leaned my head against the wooden cabinets as she moved around the space, doors opening, cups flying around without being touched, and then two cups of coffee sat on the counter.

She picked it up and then took a sip before turning back to me. “About what I want.”

I raised an eyebrow. “If you’re about to tell me you’re goingto run off and join the traveling witches, I have news for you.” I used my head to indicate the people we’d left in the other room.

Willow laughed so hard she had to place her hand over her chest. “No, no. Nothing like that.” She gave me a small smile. “I love our life. And Opal’s perfect. Everything’s great, really.” She looked out the window that looked into the big backyard. “But I never really figured out what I wanted to do with my life.”

“And it’s time?” I asked because I truly wanted that for her. To follow her heart, to find her passion. She helped me follow my dream, and I’d always have her back to find hers.

Her face brightened. “Yeah. I know someday we’ll leave the human realm entirely, but I’ve been thinking about going back to school. Do something forme.”

“Oh, Wil.” I nuzzled the head of my fast-asleep toddler. “That sounds like a great idea. Have you decided on what yet?”

“No.” She shook her head. “But I know it’ll come to me. What about you?”

I shifted Rae. “What do you mean?”

“Do you ever miss it? Having a purpose?” I’d said that to Zain once—that I needed to have a purpose. A reason for being. Something that brought me joy.

“They’re my purpose now,” I admitted, burying my nose in her hair. “That, and running an entire kingdom. Taking care of our people. Sometimes, it feels like I’m exactly where I’d always dreamed I’d be.”

That my life would end up just like this. Happy. In love.

Still baking whenever I could.

I sighed happily as I held Rae tighter. At least she resembled me, with her blonde hair and curious demeanor. And those lavender eyes—just like Zain’s mom. It made me feel closer to her, even if we’d never met. I wished I could thank her for giving me her son, for the man I’d fallen in love with. Thesame way I’d wished my parents could have met the men we married.

My husband came in from the living room, scooping a sleeping Raelynn out of my arms.

“How are my girls doing?” He leaned against me, pressing his nose into my hair as he inhaled my scent. Did he suspect…?

“Good.” I peeked into the living room and found Rion playing with a black cat on the couch. “Looks like your brother’s at it again.” I playfully rolled my eyes.

Willow smirked. “One day, that trick is really going to bite him in the ass.”

Little toddler feet padded across the tile floor, and then a tiny pair of hands tugged at the bottom of my jeans. “Up! Up, Mama!”

“Rion,” I laughed, lifting him up into the air like a plane. “Did you have fun playing with Uncle Damien, buddy?” He nodded, babbling incoherent words to me, a conversation no one could understand but his twin sister.

Then Damien was there too, their little one riding on his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around Willow, my sister instantly relaxing into his hold.

“Want me to start dinner?” Damien asked her, passing off Opal, who didn’t seem to want to let go of her dad’s thick locks.

“That’d be great,” Willow said, carrying their daughter into the little playpen. I set Rion down with her, and he immediately started playing with a set of toy cats.

You good with her?I asked Zain, who was now leaning against the doorframe, rubbing smoothing circles on our daughter’s back.I can take her back.

We’re great.

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