AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His green eyes are so intense.
I lick my lips. “Dark fae marriages aren’t always happy ones. My own father refused to marry and instead had many concubines. He often discarded them after a few years. I don’t have any examples of what a happy marriage is supposed to be like. What if I’m a bad wife?”
“Why would you be a bad wife?” he asks. “That’s silly.”
“What if I’m a bad mom?”
He shakes his head. “You won’t be.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re a good person.” He never breaks eye contact as he speaks. “You’re the best person that I know. You care so deeply for everybody, even those who treat you bad. When you took away Isabella’s wolf for a couple of days, youcriedbecause you didn’t want to hurt her. She was so cruel to you, but you cared about her.”
I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, not knowing how to respond.
“You won’t be a bad mom,” Devin says. “Besides, just because we’re getting married doesn’t mean we have to have kids right away. We can wait until we’re older. In fact, I prefer waiting a few years. As selfish as it sounds, I want you all to myself.”
I let out a breath of relief. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to wait. You need an heir. And I guess I do, too.”
Devin traces his finger along my cheek and gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You worry far too much. Remember what I told you, fate doesn’t make mistakes. In time, we will have children. And hopefully they will be a lot older than us when they eventually take over their leadership roles.”
Eighteen is definitely too young. But like Devin said, fate doesn’t make mistakes.
If anybody can handle this, we can.
“You never told me what happened to your parents.” I pull my knees up to my chest, hugging them against me.
Devin goes strangely quiet and he averts his gaze, looking out at the ocean. All I can see is darkness, but I know Devin can see better because he’s a wolf shifter. I wonder what the ocean looks like at night to him.
“You don’t have to tell me.” I rest my cheek against the top of my knees. “I was only curious.”
He sighs, his green eyes turning to me. “It’s hard for me to talk about. My parents were leaders of the wolf shifters, but to me, they were just Mom and Dad. It seems silly for me to be so upset when I think of how you were raised. Your dad killed your mom. You never knew love. My parents weren’t around long, but they loved me fiercely. I had a good life. I was happy and well taken care of.”
My heart swells at his words.
I’m glad Devin had happiness as a child, even if that happiness was taken away way too early. It’s hard for me to imagine Devin as a child, mourning his parents. I wish I could be there to comfort him.
Devin looks away, clearing his throat. “When I tell you how they died, I want you to know that I blame you in any way.”
My breath gets caught in my throat as I realize what he’s going to say.
“My parents were away on a trip together. It was their anniversary and they always went away every year to spend a week together with just them. My dad was alpha, so life was crazy. This was their time for it to just be them. My dad wouldn’t even take any guards with him.” Devin keeps his eyes on the ocean, not making eye contact with me. “Every year, they chose somewhere new to visit. My mom loved traveling the world. They made it their mission to never go to the same place twice.”
“That sounds nice.” My voice barely comes out above a whisper.
“It was.” He finally smiles. “I was only seven when they died, but I remember crying when they left. My brothers always made fun of me, so I hid in my room so they wouldn’t know.”
It’s hard to picture Dawson and Damian making fun of him for crying, but they were a lot younger then. The three of them all had to grow up fast.
Devin’s eyes meet mine. “King Basilicus owns several islands. One of the islands is really small and secluded. There is only one home on the entire thing. The year had been real tough on them, so they took up King Basilicus’s offer to let them stay there.”
He grows quiet as he gets a faraway look in his eyes. I wish I knew what to do to comfort him, but all I can do is be here for him.
I grab onto his hand. I’m tempted to take away the dark emotions he’s feelings, but I won’t. Because under the sadness, there is happiness. His memories of his parents are fond ones. And it’s worth the pain. They’re worth being remembered.
He takes a deep breath. “My dad went fishing. My mom decided to stay at the house. They usually never spent any time apart, but my dad must’ve felt it was safe. It was a deserted island. What safer place could there be?”
My chest aches, but it’s not my pain that I’m feeling. It’s Devin’s. It’s more than just him missing his parents.
