“Oh my stars!”she said as she sat up, her pink hair sticking out at all sides.“We spent the night,” she said, her cheeks flushing, just as the footsteps sounded outside.
“Violet, sweetheart, are you all right in there?”
Violet’s gaze widened in panic.It was her mother.Queen Amaranth.
“Ahhh...y–yes,” she said as she shoved me out of bed, motioning for me to go.
“I was concerned, you are usually not so late to breakfast...”
I hopped into my pants, rather ungracefully, nearly knocking into her dresser in the process.When I stubbed my toe on the damn corner, it took everything in me not to scream.
But I did not want the queen to discover her faerie daughter’s half-naked incubus mate in her bedroom at that hour, knowing we were supposed to be separated!
There would be no refuting what had happened between us at that point.Not that I thought I would have been punished severely, but...
It could have been a mark against me in my courtship, in my reluctance to follow the rules.
I had meant to leave, once Violet fell asleep.Truly, I had, but...
I was far too comfortable in the arms of my mate, and therefore, I had succumbed to her faerie charms once again.The magical hold Violet McCreanor—er Lir—held over me was quite difficult to fight, especially after an orgasm.
Gods, I wanted to bask in her presence from morning until night.I’d never felt this way about anyone and I knew it wasn’t entirely the fault of my claim.I’d fallen hard for Violet before I laid claim to her.
To be honest, I’d fallen for her from the first moment I had seen her, I think.
“I will be down in a moment, I’m just...”She headed to her closet, not even bothering to look at her clothes.She only grabbed a dress and threw it on whilst I crawled toward her window.She cast me a half-hearted smile that was full of humor, embarrassment, and desperation.
“See you at breakfast,” I whispered, and with that, I spread my wings and took to the sky, sticking to the side of the castle only to encase me in the camouflage of stone.I prayed no guards noticed an incubus flying over the south hall.
When I walked into the Great Hall, the smell of ham andGruyèrewafted into my nose.The queen and the O’Neils had disappeared and there was only Violet, Delaney, the Squid Squad, and our newest addition, Desmond.
Ourguest.
I hated the idea of apologizing to the man, but I had promised Violet I would do so.Granted, I knew my outburst was unprofessional and unbecoming, at best, but I also knew I had asserted my dominance, and for that, my monster was remiss to apologize for anything.But I was more than my monster, and I knew if I were truly to be a consort, it started with my ability to put asidemyfeelings, and think of how my actions would affect Violet.And her future kingdom.
Our future kingdom.
Surely we could handle breakfast, right?
CHAPTER9
Violet
“Sleep well?”Delaney asked, casting me a rueful gaze as I made a beeline for the buffet.Though it’d been years since my mother had a castle to command and staff, you would have never guessed such things from the look of it.The buffet was stocked every day for breakfast with an array of eggs and shortbreads, scones and muffins, bowls of fresh fruit, and a selection of hot foods.Bacon, sausage, baked beans.
And every day it was just as flowing as the last.When we’d arrived, weeks ago, we had been given our schedules.Apart from our courses, there were two things that were mandatory—breakfast and dinner.Times were the same every day, and that morning had been my first tardy.No doubt it was thanks to Bane and his warmth.Sleeping with Bane—curling up beside him, in his arms—was the best sleep I’d had since arriving at the castle, all things considered.
“Too well,” I said, casting her a sideways glance.“What did I miss?”
I turned to see Norman at the opposite end of the table, his tentacles twisting about as he chattered endlessly to Desmond and Wanda, both who looked nonplussed.
Bane took his seat across from Wanda, catty-corner from Desmond.
“Her royal majesty declared we are going on a trip today, it seems,” Delaney said.
I nearly dropped the tongs for the bagel.“A trip?”I breathed out in question.“Where?”
“The city,” Wanda drawled with disdain.“Where the...humansreside.”
