The younger brother let out a weary sigh. “There are unfortunately several ceremonies.”
“That sentence ruined my evening.”
Meanwhile my attention stayed fixed completely on my demon. Because he still hadn’t answered my question.
“You think I’d use it against you.”
“No.”
His answer came fast this time.
I frowned. “Then what.”
For one long second, he said nothing. Then finally, quietly enough that only I could really hear it:
“If I give you my true name willingly,” he said, “there is no part of me I can ever hide from you again.”
Everything inside me went still after that because all at once I finally understood what this really was, not power or possession but trust, the kind that left someone completely vulnerable if the wrong person decided to destroy it.
And that terrified the Prince of Hell more than war did.
The throne room remained completely silent around us while silver flames crackled softly against the walls. Even the rulers had stopped interrupting now.
Then my demon spoke again in a quieter, far more careful voice.
“And if the mating bond is completed,” he admitted, “you would stop remaining fully human.”
The words hit so hard my brain genuinely failed for a second.
“…What.”
Nobody in the room moved. My demon still hadn’t looked away from me once.
“The bond changes both people involved,” he continued softly. “A human tied permanently to demonic royalty cannot remain entirely mortal.”
Cold shock crawled through my chest.
Nina was instantly horrified. “EXCUSE ME?”
The younger brother closed his eyes briefly like he’d been hoping that part wouldn’t come up yet. “Okay in fairness, we probably should’ve explained the transformation issue earlier.”
“The TRANSFORMATION issue?”
Anderson muttered tiredly, “There were many emergencies happening simultaneously.”
I barely heard the rest of the room anymore because everything finally made terrible sense, why he kept trying to leave, why guilt flashed across his face every time he touched me, why he kept offering me ways out even when it obviously hurt him to do it.
Because this entire time, loving him came with losing part of myself. I stared at him while my heartbeat spiraled somewhere between anger and heartbreak again.
“You knew that too.”
“Yes.”
The answer came immediately.
Painfully honest now.
“And you still stayed.”
