Page 36 of The Princess and Her Grand King

"Huh. That's something they never taught us in those'Dead and the Living''study sessions." Daemonikai smiled. "So you are keeping me company?”

"Yes, I am. Our sons, too.” Evie returned his smile and continued walking, pulling him gently along with her “But whenever you seek them out, they retreat."

Daemonikai's smile faded as he followed. "But why?"

"Come back, beloved."

That voice again. It went through his entire being, spreading like the finest wine. "That wasn’t you."

Evie's head moved from side to side. "You know who."

"It's not possible." His jaw tight, he looked away. "She is far, far away."

"I don't think so. For her voice to pierce the veil between worlds and reach you here, she must be in Urai, close to your physical body," Evie countered, her lips curving into a subtle smile. “She's the first to find you, even here."

Daemonikai’s heart clenched, and he shoved down the feelings stirring inside him.

The emotions he thought he had buried long ago.

"I don’t like it. Reality has no place here," he said. "I want to stay here with you."

"No, you don’t.” Evie stopped walking, turning to face him fully again. “Guilt is a cruel companion, it tarnishes even the most beautiful things."

"This is the second time you are saying that," Daemonikai noted, a frown creasing his brow.

"Guilt drives you, dearest. Not because of our deaths, but because you care for her." Evie raised a hand when he opened his mouth to protest. "Let me finish, please. You believe you dishonor me by acknowledging these feelings. You would rather remain here, not because you truly want to be here, but because reality is moretempting. You're not sure how much longer you can fight what you feel. And fight you think you should… because if you don't, you feel guilty for replacing us. Replacing me."

That was as preposterous as it was untrue. Daemonikai opened his mouth to voice the protest lodged in his throat…

But nothing came out.

His mouth opened and closed, yet no sound followed, because a horse was suddenly trampling on his chest.

She is wrong.

But is she?

Now, a wholeherdof horses were stampeding over his chest.

"Don't be like that, Daemon," Evie said gently. "I love you. I will always love you. But I'm not your soulmate. You think I didn’t know how hard it was for you to accept me? Your beast resisted, took his precious time. You wouldn't even go into rut when I went into heat."

Her eyes glimmered with sadness. "At first, I thought something was wrong with me, that I was faulty. But now I see. It was because I wasn’t the one meant for you."

"Don’t say things like that," Daemonikai rasped.

"Ukrae never intended for you to be alone, Daemon. He gave me to you, knowing your true mate wouldn’t come into existence for another five thousand years. She’s your special person. I was just meant to fill the space. You replacedherwith me, not the other way around. You dishonorherby denying your feelings, not me."

She cupped his cheek. “She is your fated mate, dearest. The beginning and the end. Let the guilt go. Stop running from what you feel. Stop letting the bitterness and grief win."

Daemonikai gave a hard blink, keeping his eyes dry. "You shouldn’t be so perceptive," he grumbled. "You are not real."

Evie laughed. "You wish."

That same soft laugh that used to stir him up inside. Now, there was nothing.

For the first time, he admitted the truth. The real thing he felt for the female he had spent the last four millennia with was no longer love,it was guilt.

Facing the truth hurt.He should know, he had been running from it for a very, very long time.

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