Eveleen laughed again as a youngling jumped on her back, hugging her around the neck, talking excitedly to her-along with about ten others. Ronnek chuckled as he watched the tiny demons surround her, bombarding her with questions as he figured they would. They had started to surround him when he arrived, begging him to play as usual. But the minute they noticed Eveleen, he stopped existing.

  When they learned she could use magic beyond that of what they’ve seen before they had become enthralled. She had made small explosions of lights and colors for their delight and was now taking a break as she let them climb all over her. Ronnek felt a strange warmth swell in his chest as he watched them, barely listening to the officials with him. Watching her interact so naturally with the younglings made him imagine her with her own children. Maybe a little horde of their own, hugging her as she smiled up at…He snapped back to reality as the path of his thoughts hit him. Had he just been imagining Eveleen mothering their offspring.

  He looked at her again and watched as a demon boy shyly gave her a daisy. She took it with a wide smile and thanked him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek as the other little ones giggled. He forced himself to turn from the sight as the strange feeling in his heart was confusing and he didn’t want to chance dwelling on it for too long, as it wouldn’t make her leaving any easier. He focused on the task he was there for and willed himself to avoid looking at her again for the remainder of his inspection. Which is what led them into the trouble that happened next.

  He was going over the plans to replace the roof when several of the younglings came running to them screaming, a couple were even crying. The adults startled as the teacher tried to sooth them enough to understand what had upset them. Ronnek looked around and felt his blood run cold.

  “Where’s Eveleen?” He whispered and one of the kids ran to him, pulling on his hand.

  “Your majesty! Klavik wanted to give the queen a Panoria Lily since she liked the other flowers we gave her so much. I tried to stop him, but he said he’d be quick. When the queen noticed him missing she ran after him!”

  Ronnek felt his heart drop and immediately began to run back outside, his wings spreading as he took off into the sky. The Panoria Lily grew on the edge of a forest that housed a variety of dangerous beasts. Some that were immune to magic! He flew as fast as he could, sending a thought to the Heavens that he would find them completely unharmed and this was all just a needless worry in his heart. But when he reached the spot they should have been and found it empty his gut wrenched.

  “Eveleen! Eveleen are you near!?” He shouted, swinging around in hopes of seeing a glimpse of her, cursing himself for not bringing Dariux to watch her. He had thought she’d be perfectly safe with him, even if he took his eyes off her for a second. As the seconds ticked by and he was only met with silence he felt his panic rise as all kinds of scenarios played in his mind. He flew up again, hoping the height would give him a better vantage to spot them. As time passed and he still couldn’t find her, his chest tightened further with worry as he trained his ears for even a hint of them.

  “Come on love. Where are you?” He whispered and suddenly a loud explosion resounded behind him, coming from deep within the forest. He whirled around and watched as a second went off, it was a much larger version of what she had done at the school, but the sparks of colorful lights were definitely similar.

  “Eveleen!” He shouted and shot for the source of the light.

  ___________________________________________________________

  Eveleen was breathing heavily, sweat forming on her brow as she held her hands in front of her, magic swirling around them. The demon child was crouched down behind her, crying as the giant beast circled them. It was a massive, black dog with red, pupil-less eyes and seemed to possess an impenetrable hide. The magic she had thrown at it hadn’t left a scratch and only seemed to be throwing it back and making it even angrier.

  She could feel herself weakening and knew that she wouldn’t be able to hold it back much longer. There was no way she could outrun it and she feared if she had the child run it would draw the dog’s attention or he would encounter more monsters. So she continued to hold it back while trying to think of something. By now others had to have noticed they were missing, but she wasn’t sure how fast they could get to them. Suddenly she felt the mark on her neck burn, eyes widening as she looked up, taking aim and shooting her magic towards the sky.

  It exploded in a bright flash and she fell to her knees as most of her strength was waning. The beast growled and moved closer, seeing her weaken it was getting ready to attack again. The child hugged her back, burying his face in her dress and she wrapped one arm back around him. She took a deep breath and held her hand up towards the sky.

  “Ronnek…please.” She whispered as she shot a second bolt into the air, the loud explosion made the hound growl again as it crouched, leaping through the air at them. A loud roar shook the air and she looked up towards the sky. The hound was caught mid-air and knocked back away from them with a loud snarl. Ronnek growled low as he faced the hound, standing in front of them protectively.

  Eveleen’s eyes widened. This is how she thought demons would look when she’d first met them. He no longer resembled a human man as he fought the beast. He was just like the illustrations in her books with his skin having turned as dark as his wings. His face had a longer snout and both his fangs and claws had grown in length. He looked like a monster from a story and she suddenly realized why the human army had never stood a chance against the demonfolk.

  The beast lunged again and Ronnek did as well, moving faster than the hound and getting behind it. Before the hound could react Ronnek had his powerful arms wrapped around its neck. It struggled against the hold biting at the air, its claws catching Ronnek’s legs before it began to whine. At the sound Ronnek hurled it back away from them where it slammed into the trunk of a tree.

  He unfurled his wings and growled at the hound, but the dominance battle was won as the beast tucked its tail and ran off into the shadows of the forest. He let out another ears splitting roar before folding his wings and turning back to them. He lifted his hand toward them, but hesitated in moving closer.

  "Eveleen." He whispered and she ran to him. She didn't hesitate as she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. She felt him stiffen for a second then his arms went around her, holding her tightly. She opened her eyes to watch as steam seemed to be wafting off his body as it returned back to his other form.

  After a moment he was back to the Ronnek she saw each day. His hand at the back of her head as he held her so tight she thought a rib might break, but she needed the feeling. Needed to have him there with her as she drew strength from him. He was shaking slightly as he took a deep breath,

  "I thought my heart would stop." He whispered and she felt tears fill her eyes as she hugged him harder. A tiny pull on her skirt made her look back and the child was there with the most guilt filled eyes she had ever seen.

  "I-I'm so s-s-orry! I j-just wanted to-'' Eveleen let go of Ronnek to kneel down and hug the child to her chest.

  "Thank Heavens you are unhurt. Let's get you home." She whispered and lifted the child into her arms, or at least tried to as he was heavier than she thought. Ronnek saw her struggle and took the child from her arms. He placed the kid on his back and the little one instinctively hugged his neck. Then Ronnek surprised her by scooping her up into his arms. He held her close to his chest and she could feel his heart pounding. She placed her hand over the spot and he growled low in answer before taking off into the sky.

  ____________________________________________________

  Ronnek couldn't calm down as he silently carried Eveleen to her chambers. He had refused to put her down even when she insisted she could walk. He needed her in his arms, needed to feel her warmth and know she was alright. He was a giant mass of tension and the staff must have sensed it as they didn't try to approach them as he walked by. Eveleen had quieted in his hold as well and he wondered where her mind was.

  He had been surprised when she came to him in his other form. He had hesitated going to her because he had feared frightening her. Demons were more powerful in that form, but it was harder to control their rage if it went on for too long. He was well aware of how intimidating he looked like that and he thought it would remind her of when her kind had fought against his. But she had surprised him by coming to him without hesitation and held him, even in his beastly appearance.

  Ronnek pushed open the door to her chambers, still holding her and the maids startled bowing low.

  "Out." He ordered and felt Eveleen stiffen in his arms as they hurriedly scurried out, shutting the door behind them. Once they were alone, Ronnek finally set her on her feet. He sighed and turned his back on her, running his hand into his hair to calm his sudden emotions.

  "Ronnek?" She whispered and lightly brushed her fingers against his wings. He growled and turned, grabbing her wrist suddenly, making her gasp.

  "What the hell were you thinking!?" He shouted and she jumped at the anger in his voice. He reached out and grabbed her other wrist, holding her trapped as he narrowed his eyes at her.

  “What would possess you to go into the forest alone!?”

  “I was just looking for the child. Would you have preferred I did nothing?” She shouted back and he growled, releasing her wrists to run his hand over his face again.

  “Yes! No…I would have preferred you came to me if something happened!”

  “There wasn’t time! You barely made it to us! If I hadn’t been there-”

  “Exactly!” He shouted and grabbed her arms. He lowered his head so she couldn’t see his expression.

  “I barely made it in time…Had I been just a second too late…you would have been-” He took in a shaky breath and pulled her to him, hugging her close. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent to calm his racing heart.

  “I almost lost you.” He whispered so low he wasn’t even sure she heard him. He held her tighter, as those words hit him in the gut. She could have been killed and he was almost unable to protect her. She placed her hands against his chest and leaned into him, nuzzling close to his heart. It was then he realized she was also trembling.

  “I’m sorry…I know it was foolish and I should have come to you, but I just reacted. I didn’t think beyond protecting that child. I just had to do what I could. I didn’t think that my magic wouldn’t be enough. I-I have never felt so helpless in my life.” She sobbed and he felt a new wave of emotion wash over him as his hold gentled and his touch turned comforting. He held her close as she finally came to grips with what had happened. Ronnek sighed as he wanted to keep scolding her, but with her shaking in his hold he found he was losing his hold on his anger

  “It doesn’t matter now. I did get to you in time. I got you Eveleen.” He soothed and she pressed closer to him. He ran his fingers through her hair, and continued to whisper to her that she was safe with him. She pulled back and looked up at him with a teary gaze. Ronnek wiped at them, hating to see the fear in her emerald eyes.

  "I know why you don’t feel you can, but please…promise me that next time you’re in trouble, you’ll come to me for help. I’ll protect you Eveleen. I may not be reliable in your eyes yet, but-”

  “It’s not that.” She interrupted, placing her hand over his, pressing it up against her cheek. He felt his heart skip at the way she was looking at him in that moment. He swallowed as she took a step closer.

  “It’s not that I can’t rely on you Ronnek…it’s that I’m afraid to. What happens when I grow to rely on you too much? When I rely on you so much that…that I can’t leave.” She whispered and he sucked in his breath at the implication of those words. He froze as he wondered if she meant them as he heard them. While one side of him wanted to rejoice at the thought of her staying with him, the other pushed against the idea, arguing that Odette was the one he wanted. While he stood there unanswering she took in a deep breath and reached up, placing her hand on his cheek. She leaned up slowly and although he knew what she was doing, he didn’t turn away or stop her.

  The second her soft lips met his, he was lost. He groaned and reached up, holding her face and angling it back to deepen the kiss further. She moaned and ran her tongue along his lip, surprising him with her boldness as his blood boiled. He growled and opened for her, letting her set the pace this time. She didn’t hold back, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself along his body, molding them together. She tangled her tongue with his and he almost buckled when she ran the tip of the muscle along one of his fangs.

  He slid one arm around her waist, bending her back as he felt starved for her. He couldn’t get enough of her as his tongue explored every inch of her sweet mouth and her intoxicating moans made the rest of the world disappear. At that moment, he wasn’t thinking about anything else except the woman in his arms who was matching his passion in spades. He forgot about all the complications involved with holding her and forgot his worries about giving into his desires. He felt her reach up and stroke his horns and shivered at the touch. She smiled against his mouth, growling as he pulled away and moved to her neck.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “You know exactly what you're inciting, don't you witch.” He hissed, licking the soft skin as her head tilted back giving him more access, which pleased him more than he’d like to admit.

  “And if I say yes. What are you going to do about it, demon?” She teased. He growled against her neck sucking at the skin so she gasped and her grip on his horns tightened.

  “Only what you want.” He lifted her up against him and recaptured her mouth, swallowing her moan as he walked them to the bed. He lay her down on the mattress and held himself above her. Her red hair fanned around her like a fiery halo, her emerald eyes shining up at him. Ronnek reached up and ran his fingers along her cheek, watching as she sucked in a breath and the skin flushed further. He ran them down to the juncture of her neck where his mark was and felt his blood pounding in his ears as his fangs itched to sink into her flesh again.

  His instincts were screaming for him to claim her-claim his mate. Ronnek growled as he leaned closer to the spot, running his tongue along the lines and nipping lightly over the mark. Eveleen hissed as her nails dug into his arms, arching up slightly at the sensation, unknowingly rubbing herself against him. He groaned and forced himself to pull back, taking several deep breaths to calm himself down. He worried if she pushed him too far he would fall on her like a beast. He knew that this couldn’t continue like it was as his control was fraying and soon he wouldn’t be able to stop.

  “Ronnek?” She whispered and there was something in the way she said his name. He looked back at her and saw the worry in her eyes as clear as the desire. She reached up and cupped his cheek.

  “Ronnek, please.” He realized she thought he was about to reject her as he had before and he felt his heart twist as he saw the hurt enter her gaze. He took her hand and kissed her palm.

  “I’m not running…but I’m also not going to claim you.” He whispered and felt something within him protest against the idea. She frowned and opened her mouth, but he rubbed his thumb along her lip to stop the words. He rested his forehead against her.

  “I want you desperately at this moment. But I also know that if we go too fast and allow what happened today to affect our actions we may regret it.” He said and saw the hurt deepen, but he shook his head.

  “I don’t mean it like I did before Eveleen. But think about it…you almost died today. Our emotions are ramped up and we both need to make sure this is what we want and it’s not just a rash reaction.” He ran his fingers through her hair, capturing a few strands and bringing them to his lips.

  “I can’t deny what’s between us anymore and I won’t run from it again. We will see where this goes together…So, I will stay with you tonight to assure both of us that your heart still beats and…” He leaned closer to her mark again and growled as he placed a soft kiss to the center.

  “The next time we get this far…I won’t be stopping.”

  _____________________________________________________________________

  Eveleen sighed and stretched in her bed, rolling over to get closer to the warmth source beside her. She opened her eyes and blushed as she was met with the sight of the sleeping demon. Ronnek was still resting peacefully on his side, one arm lazily draped over her waist. She felt her heart rate increase as she remembered how she had fallen asleep wrapped in those arms. He had held her to his heart, stroking her hair and setting her heart racing as she struggled with her inner thoughts.

  It was a miracle she had fallen asleep at all last night, but she supposed Ronnek was right that she had been through a lot. She took this opportunity to admire him as she let her realization last night wash over her. There was no logic or reason behind it, but she knew it the minute she had seen him in his other form and still felt her heart call out. Confirmed further when he had held back his instinctual desires in order to assure they were not just reacting to the adrenaline fueled situation. She had meant what she said last night when she told him that she was beginning to imagine a full life here and couldn’t see herself leaving permanently. Of course she would love to see her family, but…

  She looked up at Ronnek’s face and reached up to brush back a strand of hair that had fallen across his face. She smiled as his brows furrowed at the tickling sensation and she sighed as she let the strand slide through her fingers. She snuggled up to him and rested her head over his heart.

  “I love you.” She whispered and gave a soft sigh as the confession was both freeing as well as heartbreaking. She wasn’t fooling herself into believing he was completely over her sister and she was too afraid to bring it up so soon. So she would hold this feeling close to her heart and accept this creature with her entire being as soon as he came to her again. As far as she was concerned, Ronnek was her mate-her chosen partner. She just hoped that his words last night meant that he was starting to see a future for them as well. If he wasn’t going to run from the spark between them, then was there a chance he could grow to care for her as well?

  He groaned in his sleep and the arm around her tightened, pulling her closer as he nuzzled the top of her hair with his nose, breathing in deeply and letting it out in a soft purr. She smiled against his skin and felt her eyes drifting closed again as his warmth lulled her back to sleep, unwilling to give up this moment just yet. The hope in her heart blossomed and she decided to stop worrying for one morning.

  _____________________________________________________

  Eveleen sat in front of the mirror as Cortessa and Navie talked excitedly about the feast they were preparing her for. She felt her stomach twist as she thought of what was happening in a few hours. She was going to be ‘presented’ as the queen. Altazar had assured her that it was a simple affair as all she had to do was wave at the people. Then there would be a feast within the castle with a few demon lords in attendance. She was only assured of the fact that Ronnek would be by her side through the whole ordeal.

  Her cheeks flushed as she thought of the male. He was far more affectionate with her than before and would steal a kiss whenever he got the opportunity. But there had been no further development than that and he had always left her alone at night after giving her a heated kiss. She wasn’t sure how he was handling it as she felt ready to burst with the fire in her stomach. Each time she tried to reach for him to ask him to stay, she noticed something in his eyes that stopped her. He had said they would see where this went together and she could tell something-or someone-was still holding him back from fully coming to her. So she was trying to wait patiently as the need threatened to consume her.

  “There! All done your highness.” Cortessa announced and Eveleen was pulled from her inner thoughts back to the present as she stared at herself in the mirror. The two maids had worked hard to curl her hair and arrange it up in a beautiful, intricate style. It was pulled up with braids wrapping around it to hold it in place with a few strands left loose to brush at her shoulders. She stood to look at her appearance fully and blushed. The silver dress she wore left her shoulders bare as the fabric hugged her figure and fell straight to the floor. She blushed as she took a step and the slit in the side revealed her leg up to her midthigh.

  “Are you sure this is alright?” She mumbled turning so that the other side also shifted, revealing her leg. Navie giggled and nodded, coming up to take Eveleen’s hand.

  “Do not worry your majesty. You will only stand out for your immense beauty and not the dress you wear.”

  “Besides, you need to trust us that this dress will make the evening’s festivities easier. It will not be like the human events you’ve been too.” Cortessa added with a laugh and Eveleen sighed, hoping they were right that the attendants wouldn’t look at her as an imposter. She hadn’t spoken it aloud, but she was worried that the lords and mistresses of the demon territory would sneer at her as she was only a mere human who was bartered for peace. Maybe they wouldn’t say anything to her face as they would fear Ronnek’s reaction, but in private there was a chance. She had begun to desire their approval as she planned to stay here as long as the king wanted her…which hopeful would be for life.

  A knock at the door signaled it was time and she felt the nervous flutters in her stomach triple as it opened. Luckily the demon who had come to fetch her was just the one she needed to calm her. Now the flutters in her were caused by the sight of this impressive creature. Ronnek was dressed for a formal event and the black coat he wore had silver designs stitched into the hems, hugging his figure to show off his sheer strength and physique that dominated any room he entered. His hair was pulled back and tied behind his head and there was a silver fur cloak tied off on his right shoulder. He was adjusting the black leather gloves when he entered, but the minute he looked up and saw her, he froze.

  The maids giggled as Eveleen blushed brightly, clasping her hands in front of her, feeling strange at the way he was looking at her. In that moment he was staring at her as if she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and deep in her heart, she prayed it was true. He seemed to snap himself out of his musings as he suddenly smiled brightly and came to her, taking her hands in his and placing a kiss on her knuckles.

  “You look beautiful darling. I nearly embarrassed myself just now as I thought surely this angel was not meant for me.” He flirted and her face flamed as she tried to ignore the maids’ light laughter and responded,

  “Don’t joke Ronnek. I am about to crumble from my nerves without you teasing me so.” She mumbled and he frowned, reaching up to cup her cheek, forcing her eyes to meet his.

  “I’m not joking though…Eveleen you look absolutely stunning. Any male would be out of his mind not to fall in love with you at first sight tonight.” He said and her eyes widened as the words almost left her lips ‘does that mean you as well’ but she managed to swallow them. Which was a good thing as he cleared his throat, seemingly having realized his slip as well, looking uncomfortable at the implications.

  “The younger demons will be vying for even a second of your time, so I’m sure I will be kept busy keeping an eye on them.” He added and she gave him a weak smile, knowing it didn’t reach her eyes, a slight hurt stabbed at her heart and dampened her mood a bit. He offered his arm and as they were leaving Eveleen heard a hiss behind them.

  “He could have left it at the first part. Who’d have guessed our king could be so clumsy with romance.” Cortessa whispered to Navie who hummed in agreement and Ronnek growled low as he heard the comment as well, but didn’t reprimand the woman. Eveleen smothered another sigh as she knew why he had felt the need to clarify his words…didn’t make it sting any less.

  _____________________________________________________________

  Ronnek watched as Eveleen fretted beside him, still not understanding why she was nervous. The presentation to the people had been flawless as the demonfolk cheered and greeted their new queen with unabashed warmth and love. Word of her saving the youngling from the forest had spread like wildfire and all praised her as a queen worthy of their fealty. Afterall, human or not, any that wouldn’t hesitate to throw themselves into a dangerous situation for a child that was not their own couldn’t be anything other than pure.

  Eveleen had relaxed and waved with ease as she looked down at the people, then she had smiled and held her hands before her. Ronnek only realized what she was going to do at the last second as she threw the magic ball into the air and it exploded into several sprays of colorful lights. The lights morphed into the shape of butterflies and danced through the sky above the crowd as they cheered louder and the younglings present squealed in delight, chasing the dancing lights.

  She was the perfect queen in their eyes and he knew the higher lords would feel the same, but clearly she wasn’t as convinced. He squeezed her hand and leaned down to whisper into her ear,

  “Relax darling. No one will say a negative thing about you. They are going to fall in love with you if they aren’t already. You need to have the confidence of a queen tonight. Just be the amazing person I see now and you will be fine.”

  She looked up at him, the worry still reflected in her eyes and he smiled, reaching up with his other hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and let it trace her jawline after, feeling her shiver through his gloves. He growled low and reminded himself that they were expected in the banquet room right now so he wouldn’t steal her to some dark corner.

  “Tonight, you are Queen Eveleen. And if any dare so much as whisper a negative thing about you I will rip their wings off.” He deadpanned, completely serious, but Eveleen laughed at that and the tension left her body. He smiled and leaned down to capture that laugh, wishing he could deepen the kiss, but knew they wouldn’t make it on time if he did. He pulled back and kissed her forehead gently.

  “Let’s go show them how you shine.”

  ___________________________________________________________

  “Presenting King Ronnek, and her royal magnificence, Queen Eveleen.”

  Eveleen was surprised when they entered the banquet hall, expecting it to be similar to the balls she had attended in her past, but it was far more intimate and had an air of comfort. There were plenty of people in attendance, all dressed similarly to her and Ronnek’s formal attire, but it wasn’t so many she feared getting swallowed by the sea. They all bowed as the two entered and then raised their goblets in a toast to the health and prosperity of the royals. Eveleen looked about the hall and was surprised to see long tables with benches lining either side piled with food that looked like it would feed a small army.

  Ronnek led her down the steps and across the center floor which was illuminated from above. She looked up to the domed, glass ceiling that let the full moon’s light shine down into the hall, helping the candles brighten the room. As they passed, the demon lords and mistresses bowed again waiting until they reached the thrones that sat behind an intimate table set just for the two of them. Eveleen blushed as it reminded her of a wedding feast in the human territory, but she wasn’t sure if that’s what this was supposed to mimic. Ronnek turned them to face the crowd once they were standing in front of the table and cleared his throat.

  “Thank you all for attending tonight to celebrate the arrival of my queen. We will be striving for the peace and revival of the territory and…” His eyes softened as he gave her hand another affectionate squeeze.

  “And I know that anything is possible with this woman by my side.” He motioned to someone standing on the side and she frowned as Altazar came forward with a small chest in his hands and a wide grin as he shot her a knowing look. Ronnek released her hand so he could open the box and gently pulled out the necklace nestled within. Eveleen’s eyes widened and she was too stunned to speak, it was breath-taking. The silver strands were lined with diamonds, emerald and fire rubies. It was spiderwebbed to rest across her chest, attached to a throat strap that was made entirely of tiny emeralds.

  He turned back to her and the look in his eyes set her heart racing as he moved behind her and carefully placed the necklace around her neck. It wrapped around her neck snuggly, but didn’t choke her as if it was perfectly fitted for her. She reached up and gently touched the stones and felt her heart skip at the thought as Ronnek finished fastening the clasp. She turned to look up at him then and his smile widened as he reached up and held one of the fire rubies hanging at the end between his fingers, his eyes darkening.

  “I was right…these do match your hair perfectly.” He whispered and she felt like she might faint with happiness. So it was made just for her and it made her heart swell with love for this man. She felt tears fill her eyes as she let that emotion fill her entire being and smiled back at him. His eyes widened and he placed his hands on her waist, drawing her to him.

  “Eveleen…” He groaned, but stopped as he was leaning down to kiss her when the room erupted into cheers and whistles. Ronnek cleared his throat again, hiding his face with his fist and Eveleen smothered a giggle at the blush to his cheeks, clearly he had forgotten they weren’t alone. He motioned for the feast to start and guided her to her seat, pulling back her chair for her.

  The food was delicious and she couldn’t believe how much of it there was. Ronnek insisted she eat as much as she could, offering her the dishes he thought she would like best. The room filled with lively music as the demons began to mingle about and a soft buzz of conversation filled the air. Some went to sit on the benches and enjoy the feast while others made their way to the head table to privately greet her and Ronnek. Again she surprised some who hadn’t heard of her fluent knowledge of their language, but none seemed to hold any prejudice against her and she wondered if that was due to the affection Ronnek had shown at the beginning of the ceremony.

  Even if it was, she still silently thanked him as not only had it filled her heart with warmth, but it had also possibly chased away any negative feelings held by the attendants. Eveleen watched as several demons took to the center floor and began to dance to the music. It was nothing like dancing she had seen before and she smiled brightly at the movements. The only thing she could possibly compare it to was the ‘country dance’ she had watched couples do, but this had a lot more leaps and fast pace steps.

  Now she understood her maids’ comments about her dress being normal. Indeed she couldn’t imagine dancing like this with constricting material in the way. The women dancing showed no shame or guilt in their exposed flesh and actually seemed to be taunting the males with it. Eveleen laughed and soon was clapping along with everyone else to the tempo of the music, unaware that Ronnek was watching her instead, a soft look in his eyes.

  “Would you like to dance as well?” He asked, startling her as she looked back at him and blushed. She looked at the people dancing and shook her head. She stumbled over her answer as part of her wanted to.

  “No, I don't think I can. It looks rather complicated.” She blushed and Ronnek laughed, pushing back his seatr. He smiled and held his hand out to her in invitation.

  “Let me show you.” He said and she wanted to refuse, but the excitement in his eyes was contagious and she laughed, accepting his hand. He helped her from her seat and led her to the dancefloor where others cheered and shouted encouragement to her. She blushed as all eyes were on her, but Ronnek squeezed her hand and drew all her attention to him. He took both her hands and whispered,

  “Don’t think. Just feel and follow me.” Before taking a step back and pulling her along with him. He drew her into the circle of dancers and she tried to watch what the others were doing as she struggled to keep up. Ronnek laughed and let go of one of her hands, making her gasp as she worried she would lose her footing, but he spun her and drew her back into his arms.

  “I told you love. Just feel the music, don’t think about the ‘steps’. Just watch me and forget the world around you.” He whispered and the way his voice dipped at the last part made her toes curl. She took a deep breath and nodded, following after him again. It was still awkward for her at first, but soon she was moving in rhythm with the music and following Ronnek with ease. He grinned at her and released her hand so she twirled past him, her hand was caught again and she looked to see Altazar grinning at her as he pulled her further down the line.

  “Can’t let him keep you all to himself now.” He laughed and she did as well as they continued dancing and she followed along with everyone. Eveleen felt so free as she spun and moved even faster as the tempo increased, closing her eyes instinctively as she allowed the music to carry her away. She felt an arm wrap around her waist as she took another turn and she didn’t need to look to know who it was, he moved with her fluidly and she spun to face him again a wide smile spread across her face.

  Ronnek grinned back, his arm tightening so they were pressed together as the music hit its crescendo and then he grabbed her waist with both hands and lifted her up laughing as the final note struck and everyone cheered. Eveleen laughed and when she opened her eyes she saw the most amazing sight. Ronnek was smiling up at her and she swore she saw more than affection in his gaze.