Page 76 of Their Princess

Riddick noticed me first and whistled. “Where did our little girl go?” He walked over and hugged me, pushing Mason away with a hand to his chest. “You get her whenever you want. Let us have some time.”

“You’ve been saying that since I was eight,” I teased.

Branson pulled me away from Riddick and hugged me, patting my head gently. “And it’s truer now.” Pushing me back, he asked, “Who braided your hair? It definitely wasn’t you.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “Actually, Mason did it.”

Branson looked over my head at Mason and said, “Maybe you’re alright for Lily after all. Any warrior who learns to braid for their mate is good in my book.”

“Thanks for the approval,” Mason grumbled sarcastically, but I could feel his genuine joy in our bond. Boys were so silly with their emotions sometimes.

Caleb grabbed me and draped an arm around my shoulders. “Show me around your new place before your grandparents get here.”

“Too late,” Grandpa Nico said behind us.

“I can show everyone around,” I told Dad and gave him a quick hug before I turned to face part of my family.

Grandpa Nico, Deryn, Rhys, and Foxfire stood behind Nana Jolie, all of them holding packages. “We brought presents,” Nana Jolie announced.

“For who?” I asked with an arched brow.

She laughed. “All of you, actually. Mason, take the one Deryn has. Kayden, take the one Rhys has. Elrith and Trey, I have yours. Kora, take the one from Nico. Lily, take the one from Foxfire.”

Trey, Mason, and I stared at her in shock, unmoving.

She smiled and said, “Well, I’ve had some gifts for you for a bit, but keep missing my chance to give them to you. So, I figured now is the best time. Come on, get your presents and open them.”

It wasn’t a holiday, but I wasn’t going to say no to presents.

“Go on,” I urged the kids, and they moved to get their presents.

My present was a new bracelet with several small mana stones in it full of magic. “There’s a bit from each of us,” Grandpa Foxfire explained. “We wanted you to have a bit of each of us with you. Just in case.” He pulled me into a hug and whispered, “I had to restrain your grandmother when we heard you were attacked. She wanted to burn everything down to get to you. We know you’re an adult now and capable of handling yourself and that you’re happy here, but we still worry for you.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

“I’m going to pick up your great grandparents. I’ll be right back,” Grandpa Nico said and disappeared the next instant.

I watched the kids excited over the new toys they’d been given. “Take them to your room, please,” I ordered them.

My mates had received some new videogames, ones that you didn’t need internet to play, which was nice since we did not yet have internet in the demon world. I knew the guys were missing playing games, so this would help. We’d also been given some new board games and card games, which would be great for family game nights.

“How did you like the bathroom?” Grandpa Rhys asked with a wide smile.

I hugged him and said, “Thank you so much. It’s amazing. Honestly, once I’m in there it is hard to leave.”

He laughed and smiled happily at my compliment. “I knew you’d need a space for decompressing.”

“Wait until you see the oasis in the backyard,” I informed him.

His eyes widened. “What?”

“You have to wait until everyone is here,” Trey said. “So we can give one tour.”

“Sounds like you’re just being lazy,” Nana Jolie teased him.

“Efficient, not lazy,” he said with a smile.

She scoffed. “You dragons are so alike.”

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