The man had brown eyes, but Damien had his coal-black hair. It was shorter than his son’s, though. Damien was the spitting image of his father, except for his eyes.
His mother pulled back, and his father stepped forward and grabbed him by the back of the neck before pulling him close and hugging him tight.
The love his parents had for him was overwhelming, and I felt like I was intruding on a special moment.
Then his mother’s eyes found mine, and she let out a small gasp. “Oh! You brought friends! Do you hear that, Rome? Our baby has friends!”
His dad let him go, and Damien turned his attention to us with a sheepish smile on his lips. “Mom, Dad, this is Rhett. He’s the counselor at the academy, but I’m sure you recognize him as the former incubus representative of the Demon Council. He’s cool, though, for the most part. He’s my…” Damien scratched his head for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Brother-mate!”
Rhett slapped his forehead with his other hand and sighed.
Damien’s parents blinked, shifting their gazes from Rhett to Damien before settling on me.
My face was burning hot, and not just from the sweltering heat.
Damien moved forward, slid his arm around my waist, and kissed my forehead. “This is Wren. She’s my little bird…mine.”
An ear-shattering squeal sounded from his mother, and she launched herself at me, smacking Damien off me.
I winced, but she just wrapped her slender arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. “I’m Winnie!”
She smelled like spearmint, and I let go of Rhett’s hand to hug her back. She was warm and comforting. Her maternal nature radiated off her in waves. She pulled back, keeping her dainty hands on my shoulders, and smiled. “Welcome to the family, Wren!”
She stepped back, and her husband… mate maybe… stepped forward to hug me as well.
His scent was minty too, and when he pulled back, his eyes were glossy. “I’m Rome, and we’ve always wanted a daughter. I’ve been waiting for the Fates to grant our son a mate.”
My chest turned heavy, and emotion swelled in the back of my throat as my eyes burned. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”
Damien’s hands slipped onto my stomach from behind me, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Isn’t she perfect?”
“She is,” Rhett said, and their gazes turned to him.
“Are you her mate as well?” Rome asked, and Winnie inched forward as if she was waiting for his answer.
“He is,” I said, and they smiled before treating him with the same welcome I got.
Rhett’s body tensed, but he relaxed once he realized they were just being affectionate.
No wonder Damien knew little about personal boundaries… but I loved that about him. He seemed to have come from such a loving home.
Damien’s breath hit my neck as he pressed a kiss to it. “I’m glad he’s one of your mates.”
“Me too.” I turned my head, and he caught my lips with his.
“Come in, come in!” Winnie ushered us in, and my clammy skin welcomed the coolness of their home. I was having a difficult time keeping my magic at bay.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Rome said in a deep voice that reminded me of his son’s. “We arranged Damien’s room ahead of time, thinking it would just be him. But we have plenty of space for everyone.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, fanning the cold air toward my face as I gawked at the surroundings.
Damien’s parents were obviously wealthy. They lived in a home fit for royalty. I often wondered where Thorn lived since he was a prince, and I imagined it was something like this—but colder, way colder.
The high ceilings, walls, and floors seemed to be made up of sedimentary rock, and the different neutral shades of the hardened rock were stunning. The decor was minimalistic.
“It’s good to be home,” Damien said, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. “Especially with my little bird.”
There was a tang of sandstone that hung in the air.
