Page 60 of House of Demons and Bones

“Everything shared here stays here,” Killian warned. “We’ve all sworn to keep each other’s secrets. Now, let’s move to the next heir.”

“Barbie hasn’t taken the blood oath,” Silas said. “Don’t get me wrong—I’ve always liked Barbie. But everyone knows our Barbie is unpredictable. A ticking bomb.”

“She isn’t your Barbie, and she doesn’t need an oath,” Killian said curtly.

“Since when do you speak for her?” Louis snapped. “She belongs to the House of Mages now.”

“I can speak for my true mate whenever I want, just as she speaks for me,” Killian said.

Cade blinked. “What? What are you talking about?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Louis said angrily.

“Aren’t you betrothed to the Queen of the Underworld?” Silas’s lips curled into a sneer. “Word is, you’ve already sealed a mating bond.”

I bared my teeth at the heirs.

"A fake bond I never consented to," Killian bit out.

“Barbie isn’t yours!” Louis lunged forward, fury twisting his features.

"Agreed." Silas's voice dripped venom. "Just another of his lies."

“Unfortunately, Barbie is his true mate,” Rowan said, dragging a hand down his face. “Can’t believe this asshole got blessed with a true mate. Then again, you should not envy him—he got Barbie.”

I glared daggers at him.

Killian unleashed his starlight, revealing our uncloaked mating bond. He lifted his wrist, displaying the glowing icon—two half-circles embracing in eternal unity—while the same mark blazed dark gold on my skin.

A perfect, undeniable match.

The heirs inhaled sharply.

“The mating bond symbol,” Cade breathed. “Stronger than any force.”

"Well, that's an unfortunate turn of events," the vampire prince drawled. “Very disappointing.”

“My mate is off-limits.” Killian’s warning glare swept the heirs. “Don’t even think about poaching her. Barbie isn’t just my true fated mate. She’s also mated to my dragon—the one I never told you about.”

A growl rumbled from his chest as his dragon announced his existence by puffing out a jet of fire from Killian’s lips.

“Your turn, Silas,” Cade said, in a hurry to dispel the tension and get the ball rolling.

The shifter prince drained his silver goblet and exhaled in defeat. “No judgment, fuckers. All right?”

“Just spill it,” Killian snapped. “We don’t have all day.”

“At thirteen, I broke into my mom’s vault and read her diary,” he said. I leaned in—diaries always held the juiciestsecrets. “She wrote about her affairs. Two men, before she discovered she was with child—me. One was the current alpha king. The other”—he jabbed his finger at Killian—“was your fucking father. He seduced her during her court visit.”

Everyone’s eyes ping-ponged between Killian and Silas. Looking closer, I caught the subtle resemblance.

“My father had many affairs,” Killian said flatly. “But you can’t be my half-brother. No fucking way. Fates aren’t that stupid and cruel.”

“Fates can be,” Rowan said. “Nature is crueler.”

“Have you done a DNA test just to make sure, Prince Silas?” I asked. “Denial isn’t a good attitude to begin with.”

Silas’s glare shifted from Killian to me then to Killian again, whose face remained cold. “I’ll never do a fucking D-whatever test. I don’t give a shit about finding out.”

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