Page 37 of Demon Daddy's Secret Twins

I edge the door open wider, careful to avoid the one creaky board I discovered last night. The hallway opens into her main living space, though from this angle I can only see the corner of her reading nook, sunlight streaming through the leaves beyond.

Through the doorway, I spot June perched on one of Loxley's wooden stools, her bright red hair a splash of color against the muted browns of the kitchen. She's setting out fresh bread and what looks like honey, while Loxley?—

My thoughts scatter as movement catches my eye. Two small figures dart past the kitchen table, their laughter echoing off the walls. Bronze skin, wild dark hair that shifts between auburn and black. One leads while the other follows, their feet pattering against the wooden floor in perfect rhythm.

The air leaves my lungs.

The first child turns, copper-gold eyes flashing with mischief as he tugs his brother along. Tiny horns curve from his forehead, barely visible but unmistakable. His smallercompanion hesitates, studying the room with mismatched eyes - one golden-brown, one deep red.

My red. They both have my eyes.

Their features strike me like physical blows. The shape of their eyes, the set of their jaws, the way they move with an innate grace that seems impossible for children so young. Everything about them mirrors pieces of myself, mixed with...

The smaller one's golden-brown eye is exactly like Loxley's. The other’s auburn hair matches her.

Three years. It's been three years since that night before the xaphan took me. Three years since I left without explanation. Three years...

My claws dig into the doorframe as pieces start falling into place, but my mind refuses to complete the picture. It can't be. It's impossible. And yet...

The bolder one shields his brother as they pass near the window, positioning himself between the smaller child and the perceived exposure. It's such a familiar gesture - one that has my mind stuttering to a stop.

They're still running, still laughing, completely unaware of my presence. Unaware that they've just shattered every certainty I thought I had.

I push the door all the way open, my wings brushing the frame as I step into the main room. The floorboards creak beneath my weight, breaking the spell of laughter.

Loxley whirls toward the sound. Her golden-brown eyes lock with mine, and the color drains from her face. Her hand grips the edge of the counter, knuckles white against the wood. In that split second of raw panic, I see the truth written across her features.

The boys dart around another corner, their footsteps fading down the hall, still lost in their game. They haven't noticed me. But I can't tear my gaze from their mother - the woman I leftbehind three years ago, the woman who's been raising my sons alone.

My sons.

The words echo in my head, foreign yet undeniable. Their copper-red eyes, the curve of their horns, the shape of their faces and their darkened skin - every detail screams of my bloodline. Of a legacy I never knew existed.

June slides off her stool, heading down the hall to where the boys have gone. I didn’t even notice it last night but there must be another room on that side of the house. One I’ve never seen.

I barely register her exit. My focus narrows to Loxley, who hasn't moved from her spot by the counter. Her chest rises and falls in quick, shallow breaths. The morning light catches the auburn in her braids, highlighting the slight tremor in her hands as she crosses her arms.

Questions crowd my throat, fighting to break free. But the raw fear in her eyes holds them back. I know that look - it's the same one she wore when we first met, when every shadow held a potential threat.

The boys' laughter echoes from somewhere in the house, oblivious to how their very existence has just shaken my world to its core. My wings flex unconsciously, an instinctive response to emotional turmoil.

Just how much has changed?

27

LOXLEY

Istand frozen as June's gentle voice breaks through the thick tension.

"Hey boys, want to show me that new climbing spot you found?" Her bright red hair catches the sunlight streaming through my treehouse windows as she moves the twins toward the door.

Kaelar's copper-gold eyes dart between Mazan and me, his small hand gripping Sorien's. My youngest son presses closer to his brother, one golden-brown eye and one deep red studying the towering demon before them.

"But Mama—" Kaelar starts, practically ignoring June.

"Come on." June's freckled face breaks into an encouraging smile. "I heard there's a really big branch perfect for sitting on."

The boys hesitate, but June's warm presence draws them toward the door. Sorien glances back at me, his mixed eyes full of questions I'm not ready to answer. The door clicks shut behind them, leaving me alone with their father.

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