Page 73 of Wickedly Yours

She’dalwayshad a choice. And she always would have one. If she didn’t want to be here with me, I’d let her go. It would hurt, but I’d do it. No matter what I’d said.

Because her happiness was the most important thing to me. She was my light in the dark, even if I’d grown accustomed to living in the shadows all these years.

My brother clenched his fists. “You went behind my back, even though youassuredme I had until the end of the month?—”

“I couldn’t wait.” Huffing out a breath, I interrupted him. “Fuck, but I needed…”Her. Couldn’t he see that? My desperation? “Time was running out.”

His fists balled up in his hands. “You didn’t see Willow’s face when she realized her sister was missing. She was terrified. That look of devastation, not knowing if I could fix it…” Damien ran his hands through his shaggy black hair. “If she hadn’t forgiven me for the role I played… I don’t know what I would have done. She’s myeverything, Zain. Truly, I…” He looked away, voice rough. “I never expected to find her.”

I knew that. Because finding your mate wasn’t guaranteed in our world. And finding them was a bit like learning there was another half of your heart living outside of your body. No matter what happened, you had to keep them safe.

“Then you understand why I needed Luna.”

Damien sighed, his blood-red eyes flashing with resignation. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

“I don’t want to fight. Not today.” The day I was marrying the woman who would become my queen. The one the fates chose for me. “Would you ever consider coming back?”

My brother’s red eyes connected with mine. “You know that I never asked for this. Any of it.”

I narrowed my gaze at him. “And Idid?”

“You’re the Crown Prince. This is your legacy. I’m nothingmore than a bastard child who’s been dragged around on his leash his whole life. Now that I have Willow… I don’t know.” Damien shoved his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to force her to uproot her entire life.”

He wasn’t wrong, and maybe that was the worst part of all of this. If I didn’t have this obligation, this role, would I still choose to be here? Or would I have also run away to be with my mate?

“You don’t have to. But once he’s gone…” I looked over at the crown that sat on my desk. “One day, when the kingdom is mine, I hope you’ll come back.”

Damien nodded. “Willow wants to live in Pleasant Grove for a while yet. But eventually, I think we’d be back. After he’s gone.” He sucked in a sharp breath, violence clouding his eyes. I knew he shared my thoughts about our father, and it was easy to see where his mind had gone. “That asshole doesn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as her.” He slammed his hand on the wooden desk. “Bringing her here…”

“I know,” I agreed. “But now I can end this. Take him down.” My voice shook as a bolt of lightning struck outside. “It’s time.”

He looked over at me in surprise, red eyes meeting my gold. “You mean…”

“Now that I have her, there’s only one thing stopping me.”

Damien hummed in response, leaning against the edge of my desk. “How much longer?”

“Soon, I hope. Once she’s ready.” That was all I could offer until the final puzzle pieces were slotted into place.

My brother nodded, and I changed the subject. Not wanting to dwell on the topic, even if this room was guarded with magic and the chances of us being spied on were low.

“What was it like? Claiming her?” My canines ached evennow, the delayed mating driving me mad with need. “I know what they all say, but…”

“It’s nothing like when you experience it,” my brother offered, his tongue darting out to swipe over his lower lip as if he was thinking about it. “The need, the want—it feels like you’re blinded with lust. But after…” His hand slid over his chest, resting over his heart. “You feel whole.”

“And it was… pleasant? For her?”

My brother pinched between his eyes as a strangled sound left his throat. “I cannot believe we’re having this conversation right now.”

I thrust my hand into my hair—probably messing it up, but fuck if I cared about that. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You won’t.” He shook his head. “If you love her…” Damien paused, giving me a look. “You do, right? Love her?”

Did I? Love wasn’t something I deserved. Besides, she might have been fated for me, but it wasn’t like she loved me, either.

I cleared my throat. “It’s been a month.”

He shrugged. “I knew after those first two weeks. Even if she hadn’t been my mate, I still would love her. She makes me feel alive in a way I never did before. And all those silly human things she makes me do…” His lips tilted up in a dopey grin, and then he cleared his throat. Refocused. “You’d know.”

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