Page 74 of The Book Reader
“Gaelan, what is my dad doing here?” Maddie breaks into my thoughts before she goes rushing off to hug her father.
I asked him a few moons ago if I could have her hand in marriage, and he said yes. He was so happy; he knew about our supernatural world. With his daughter being the Book Reader, he had to. He is non-supernatural, and Maddie getsher sweet side from him, so I wanted him to be with us this evening—her stepfather is going to hate it, though, not that I care.
Maddie comes over to me with her father holding her arm.
“Gaelan, good to see you.” David holds out his hand, and we shake; it shocks me that David isn’t the one with supernatural powers—he has the same amber eyes as his daughter.
“David, how is the company? Ready for me to buy it yet?” I jest.
He laughs. “So, you can mess it up? I don’t think so, son.” He pats me on the back. Maddie is smiling at us both, fuck she’s so beautiful. She kisses her dad’s cheek and moves to stand next to me.
“Gaelan, why didn’t you tell me you invited my father?”
I smile down at her. “Am I not allowed to surprise you?”
“You are… always.” She leans up and kisses me. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“You have, but I never get tired of hearing it,” I confess.
“I love you, Gaelan, so much.”
I lock eyes with her; the love I have for this woman swells in my heart, tightening around it. I never want to let her go. I send a silent prayer to the Gods of Hell that this is our time.
David clears his throat, making Maddie blush and me chuckle. “Shall we take our seats?” he asks.
“Please do, I’ll be right back.” I kiss Maddie’s cheek, and her dad takes her arm, leading her to our little section of the restaurant. Just as they leave, Percy comes over to me, his voice low.
“Do you think it was a good idea to invite a non-supernatural to dinner? With everything that’s going on?”
I look up at him, this time not hiding the anger that flashes in my blue eyes. “David is safe, Maddie would protect him with her life, just as I would for both of them.” I don’t give him achance to answer me; I need to check in with Leah. I walk outside the restaurant and find Leah already there waiting for me.
“My Lord.” She bows as soon as she sees me. I can feel my other guards surrounding the building. Tate would be stupid to attack topside at this time, but we still need to be careful. He has the Blood Bringer with him, and Maddie is not ready for that battle yet.
“How does it look this evening?”
“Tate has taken over another section of the underworld, my lord. We have eyes on him.”
My eyes lift to the sky. Tate taking over more of the underworld means more of my brothers have fallen, another daemon clan that refused to bend to his will. “Which section?”
“Lord Balam has been killed, his people slaughtered.”
“All of them? None got away?”
Leah shakes her head. “Woman and children also, my lord.”
I curse under my breath; I need to return to my people soon. Maddie agreed to move to the underworld with me so we can help fight—at this point, she may be our only hope. “Thank you, Leah. Let me know if anything more happens.”
She bows. “Yes, my lord.”
As Leah vanishes from sight, I turn, almost crashing into a man. He’s the same height as me, but doesn’t speak; he just looks at me, his red eyes burning into mine, and his long blonde hair pulled into one of those man buns on the top of his head. He inclines his head and smirks at me. “Gaelan.”
I frown. “Do I know you?”
“Not yet, but soon.” His eyes travel to the restaurant before they move back to me. He bows and then walks off. I watch him leave. When he gets to the end of the street, he turns back, and I watch as his eyes swirl from red to yellow before shimmering out of sight.
“Leah?”
She appears immediately. “Tracking, my lord.” Then she’s gone again. Pulling in a breath, my hands reach for the ring box., I don’t want anything spoiling this night, and I will gladly rip out someone’s vocal cords if they so much as make a move to, I think as I walk back into the restaurant.
