Dominique had done everything she could, using her magic in ways she hadn’t before, and she’d managed to find his human mate. She even helped the demon king figure out how to explain who and what he was to the human woman.
It had been a delicate process, but now they were happily mated and living in the demon realm. King Leonidas showered Dominique with gifts to express his gratitude. The spelled carry-on was only one of them.
Another was the bottle of starfire she kept in the safe in her closet. Starfire was rare and harvested in the depths of the demon realm. Obtaining it was dangerous, even for demons. It was coveted by the magical beings in all the realms. Starfire could heal mortal wounds in any being, grant the person ingesting it immortality with the correct spell, and reverse aging in ancient fae.
Because it was so difficult to find, dangerous to harvest, and fiercely guarded by the demons, it was priceless to the fae and other magic users. Usually only one or two bottles a decade left the demon kingdom, and almost always as gifts. Anyone whotried to steal starfire was killed outright and usually in a creative and immensely painful way.
Remembering King Leonidas reminded Dominique why she’d opened Mystical Matchmakers. As a young fae woman, she’d been taught to avoid certain supernatural species, warned that they were dangerous, stupid, or undesirable in some other way. That was why she accepted any supernatural being who applied, no matter their species. Only those who proved to be dishonest or truly dangerous were turned away.
Feeling somewhat calmer after she finished packing and reminiscing, Dominique was sitting on the couch, Oscar in her lap, when Ronan knocked on her door. Before she could get up and answer it, it swung open. She lifted a brow at him but kept petting Oscar, whose purr sounded more like a chainsaw.
“Where did you get a key to my townhouse?” she asked.
“I didn’t.” Small black tendrils of magic unfurled from his fingertips, giving her a clue of how he’d picked her locks.
She stared at him, her expression icy. “Do not let yourself in again.”
He smirked at her, which made her fingers itch for something to throw at him. The only thing within reach besides the pillow on the couch was her cat, and she wasn’t going to throw Oscar at the ass. She wasn’t going to hurt her furbaby just for a chance to see him clawing at Ronan’s face.
“Soon, it won’t matter because we’ll be living together.”
It took all her willpower to hold back her scowl. Dominique ran her hand over Oscar’s back one last time, leaning down to press a kiss on the top of his head. Gently, she set him on the floor, and, to her irritation, the little traitor immediately ran over to Ronan, still purring loudly.
The male crouched and gave Oscar scratches. “Will he be okay this weekend?” he asked.
Refusing to be touched that Ronan showed concern for her pet, Dominique got to her feet. “Yes. My neighbor will take him.”
“Neighbor?” he asked.
She gestured to the wall she shared with her neighbor. “Aksel always watches Oscar for me when I’m traveling for work. They get along well, especially since Aksel likes to feed him too many treats. He’ll come pick Oscar up after he gets off work this afternoon.”
“The Frostgiant takes care of Oscar?”
Dominique didn’t bother to ask how Ronan knew what sort of supernatural being Aksel was. The man knew far too much about her and her life. “Yes.”
“I didn’t realize the two of you were friendly.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” she asked. “We share a wall. I water his plants and take care of his mail when he’s out of town as well.”
Ronan studied her. “Will Aksel be upset that you’re engaged?”
“Of course not. Like everyone else, he’ll assume it’s a happy event.”
His face was shuttered, as though he didn’t quite believe her, but Dominique couldn’t bring herself to care. He’d forced her into this, so his thoughts and feelings didn’t matter a single whit to her.
“Are you ready to leave?” she asked.
“Yes. Where are your bags?”
Dominique gestured to her small suitcase. “That is my only bag.” She’d decided to leave her laptop at home this weekend. Even if she had time to work, she didn’t trust that someone wouldn’t sneak into her room and try to look at her files.
Ronan looked at her in disbelief. “I thought you said you had all the clothes you needed for this weekend.”
“I do.”
“Did you pack them?” he asked, his tone sarcastic.
“I did,” she replied, her words equally dry.
