Page 65 of Their World

Our drinks came out, and I smiled at the mimosa with a strawberry on the rim. Nana had the same drink and we clinked our glasses together before taking a sip.

“So tasty,” I purred.

Nana nodded and relaxed a bit against her seat.

“So, have you decided where you are going to live?” Ezio asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

Trey nodded. “My castle just outside the Den.” He turned to me and smiled sweetly as he said, “We were able to finally show her the room we’ve been preparing for the last few years.”

Nana smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m so glad you were able to work out all of your issues and ended up together. I’ve been rooting for you four since you all met.”

Mason set his hand on my leg and I felt his happiness through our bond.

I squeezed his hand and let my happiness show to them all as well.

“Neutral territory,” Grandpa Rhys said with a nod. “That’s a good spot since you’re royals of different clans.” He looked at me a moment before looking away.

Was he thinking about me being the Demon Princess?

“I’d prefer you were closer,” Ezio mumbled, “but that is a good place.”

“About guards,” Grandpa Deryn said. “We have a list of suggestions and we would like you to choose three from the list.”

“Three?” Kayden asked with a scowl. “You want us to have three guards? Do you have so little faith in our abilities? We’ve been fighting, honing our skills, for years.”

“Even we had guards,” Grandpa Nico reminded him.

I didn’t join in on the conversation since it would make me feel better to have guards, not for myself, but for the guys. Yes, they were strong, powerful, and deadly, but more claws were always better.

Especially with the number of demons that the Grand Advisor could send over at any given moment.

We finished our meals, promised to send our chosen guard names within the next hour, and headed out of the restaurantwhile Nana and her mates teleported back home, taking Ezio with them.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Mason commented as we walked toward our waiting SUV.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. “You’re one to talk.”

“I’m always quiet. You’re not,” he countered. His eyes darted to my neck where his mark was and I felt a surge of pride through our bond. Possessive brat.

“Out with it, Lily,” Kayden demanded.

I opened my mouth to reply, but snapped it closed and spun around as my chest warmed. My hand reached for the spot where the necklace used to be, but it was gone.

Had that heat, the feeling of the demons, been me and not the necklace the whole time? Had it just unlocked my demon side?

“Demons,” I whispered as a portal opened in the middle of the sidewalk.

Mason drew his sword and Trey and Kayden took warrior shifts, the three of them forming a triangle of protection around me.

Letting my scales flow over my body, I waited anxiously to see who was going to come out of the portal.

The black smoke continued to swirl silently.

“Is it one of the random portals?” Kayden asked.

“Opening right behind Lily? That seems unlikely,” Trey said.

“I think … it’s an invitation,” I whispered, and swallowed hard.

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