Page 48 of Demon Daddy's Secret Twins

Slowly, I pull back. My hands tremble as I touch each of their faces, counting breaths, checking for injuries. "Where were you? I couldn't— I thought—" The words tangle in my throat.

"We were at the beach." Mazan's deep voice rumbles through his chest. His wings curl around us, shielding us from the curious glances of passing villagers. "The boys were playing in the water when their magic suddenly sparked. Before I could grab them, they vanished." His copper-red eyes meet mine. "I've been searching every inch of this island."

Kaelar tugs at my braid. "We flew, Mama!”

"Not flew. Jumped." Sorien corrects his brother, still pressed against my side. "The magic felt funny."

I barely register their words through the thundering of my pulse. My fingers dig into Mazan's obsidian skin, the faint golden lines there pulsing with residual magic. The terror of thepast hours bleeds away, replaced by a relief so profound it makes my knees weak.

Mazan's arm tightens around my waist, steadying me. "I should have been watching them more carefully. Their powers are developing faster than I expected."

I shake my head against his chest, unable to form words. It’s not his fault and he found them. That’s what matters.

Sorien's small hand finds mine, his empathic nature picking up on my distress. Kaelar stands guard in front of us, his copper-gold eyes scanning the area like he's protecting his family from invisible threats.

The warmth of Mazan's embrace lingers as we break apart. He sets the boys down with gentle hands, his movements precise despite his massive frame. The moment their feet touch the ground, Kaelar grabs Sorien's hand and they dash toward Lamain, their excited chatter filling the air.

"Uncle Lai! We did magic!"

My focus stays locked on Mazan. The sunlight catches the golden lines etched into his obsidian skin, and something shifts inside my chest. All these years I've carried the weight of abandonment, let it shape every decision, every interaction. But looking at him now - the way his copper-red eyes track our sons' movements, the protective curl of his wings, the careful distance he maintains while staying close enough to catch me if I fall - I see the truth I've been too afraid to acknowledge.

My fingers twist in the hem of my shirt. "I was wrong not to trust you immediately."

His gaze snaps to mine, intense and unwavering. The quiet strength I remember floods back - how he never pushed, never demanded, just stood steady as a mountain while the rest of the world spun chaos around us.

"These past three years, I've been..." My throat tightens. "I've been so scared of trusting anyone. Of letting anyone close enough to hurt me or the boys. But you?—"

Kaelar's laughter rings out as Lamain swings him up onto broad shoulders. Sorien clings to Lamain's leg, his mismatched eyes bright with joy. Mazan watches them with such fierce protectiveness it makes my heart ache.

"You care about them. About us." The revelation crashes through years of carefully constructed walls. "And I can't keep letting fear rule my life. I won't make that mistake again."

His hand lifts, hesitates near my face. I lean into his touch, feeling the rough calluses on his palm as he cups my cheek. The golden lines in his skin pulse faintly, matching the rhythm of my heartbeat.

"I will always care, Loxley." His voice drops lower, meant only for me. "Nothing will change that."

Through tear-blurred vision, I catch Lamain's knowing look as he guides the boys toward the village center. Kaelar chatters about their magical adventure while Sorien glances back at us, his expression thoughtful beyond his years.

My attention returns to Mazan's touch on my cheek. The warmth of his palm anchors me as memories flood back - every gentle word, every patient moment when he let me set the pace. Even that first night, when I'd been so wary of letting anyone close, he'd shown me what it meant to be cherished rather than possessed.

"I spent so long building walls." My voice cracks. "Teaching myself not to need anyone. To never trust. Because trust—" I swallow hard, fighting against years of instinct screaming at me to run. "Trust meant pain. Meant being broken again and again until there was nothing left."

Mazan's wings shift closer, creating a private space just for us. The copper-red of his eyes holds such depth, such understanding, that my carefully constructed defenses crumble.

"But you never tried to break through those walls. You just... waited. Steady. Patient." My fingers trace the golden lines on his chest, feeling the magic pulse beneath my touch. "Even with the boys, you're so gentle. So careful. Everything I never dared hope for."

His other hand finds my waist, steadying me as truth spills from my lips. "I love you, Mazan. I think I always have. And it terrifies me because I've never— I don't know how to?—"

The words tangle, but his quiet strength gives me courage to continue. "I'm tired of being afraid. Of expecting everyone to leave or hurt me. You're not them. You never were."

My hand presses against his heart, feeling its strong beat match my own. "I want to trust again. To love without fear. I want—" I meet his gaze, letting him see everything I've kept hidden. "I want you. Us. A family. All of it."

Mazan's thumb brushes across my cheek, wiping away tears I hadn't realized were falling. His wings draw closer, the midnight blue leather blocking out the world until there's nothing but us.

"I understand now." His deep voice carries the weight of revelation. "When they vanished today, that terror—" His copper-red eyes darken with remembered fear. "I've faced armies. Survived torture. But nothing compared to thinking they might be hurt."

My hands press against his chest, feeling the slight tremor beneath his obsidian skin. The golden lines pulse faster, betraying his emotional state despite his controlled expression.

"You hid them to protect them." His fingers thread through my hair, cradling the back of my head. "I would have done the same. The thought of anyone using them, hurting them—" A low growl rumbles through his chest.

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