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She was wearing a gauzy layered tan skirt with tiny black hearts on it that flowed down to her ankles and an off-the-shoulder black sweater that clung to her curves. Her outfit had a decidedly retro look to it, but it somehow suited her. Especially with her shimmering bronze hair fashioned in old Hollywood waves and the subtly glam makeup she’d added to her already gorgeous face.
Smiling brightly, she walked over to stand by Kingston’s side. “Hi! I’m Autumn Arcane, Kingston’s mate.”
Harrison nodded his head in greeting. “Goddess.”
“Oh, there’s no need for formalities between us, is there? I know King calls you grandfather. Can I call you that as well, or would you prefer something else?” She barely paused to breathe before she continued speaking. “I’ve never had a grandfather before, so this is all pretty exciting for me. What are we doing standing out here? I brought over the pies and cookies I baked in the Human Realm. Do you like pie? Or would you rather have a real meal? What time is it here? We just got here a little while ago, and I’m sort of thrown off by the time difference between realms.”
Kingston squeezed her hand.“Calm down, mate.”
“I can’t! Oh, my god. I can’t stop talking. Help me!”
Before Kingston could do anything, his grandfather walked over and pulled Autumn away from him. Harrison smiled down at her warmly as he tucked her hand through his arm and patted it affectionately.
“I would love it if you called me grandfather, and I have a particular fondness for pie. What kind did you make?”
While Autumn ran through the various options, Kingston shook his head and smiled as he watched them stroll toward the stone house. He loved seeing them together so much that he didn’t even mind that they had forgotten about him.
“We didn’t forget you, but I need to focus on charming your grandfather right now.”
“He was charmed the moment you mentioned pie.”
“My baking powers are my secret weapon,”she teased.
Kingston continued to watch them until they walked into the house. Seeing his mate and his usually reserved grandfather giggling together made him feel as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he wanted to bask in the knowledge that he had reclaimed one of the only parts of his past that mattered to him. It felt amazing to finally be able to tell his grandfather that he was innocent, but he still had to prove it to the rest of the six realms.
He glanced up at the star-filled sky, then stiffened as his mate reached out to him through their bond again, and he instantly felt her fear.“Autumn? What’s wrong?”
“Umm, King? We have company.”
Autumn stood perfectly still as Kingston teleported directly to her side. A giant male sat at the breakfast bar eating one of the pies directly out of the pan. She was afraid of the intruder since the power she felt rolling off of him was absolutely terrifying, yet she also felt intrigued by his presence.
Perhaps that was due to his unusual appearance. He had long black hair with silver and red streaks, and his eyes were a matching shade of glowing red, making him look utterly demonic. The black and red robes he wore looked like a costume out of some sort of ancient drama, but they seemed to suit him the way jeans and T-shirts did other people.
She felt totally confused when Kingston and Harrison bowed their heads to the stranger devouring her pie.
“My king…” Harrison said.
“Harrison, good to see you again.”
“King?” Autumn glanced over at her mate, then back to the stranger. A sick feeling settled in her belly.
“That would be me, Lucifer, the King of Hell,” the male announced with a wicked grin. “And you are in my realm without permission, little goddess.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Oh, holy shit!”
Autumn gasped as she realized what she’d just said. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth to stop herself from blurting out anything else that might offend the powerful being in front of her.
Once she pulled herself together, she removed her hand and said, “I’m so, so sorry. That just came out—”
Lucifer let out a low chuckle. “I’m not offended by that. And I was kidding about the permission thing. Actually, no, I wasn’t. I mean, you are here without permission, but I don’t mind since I know Kingston. Did you make this pie? I normally prefer a good, basic pumpkin pie around this time of year, but this is delicious. Is this cheesecake?”
“Pumpkin cheesecake with a spiced graham cracker crust and cinnamon whipped cream. I’m a baker in the Human Realm, or at least I was until I was kidnapped and thrown into the magic pool in the Celestial Realm and was made into the Goddess of Revenge. Now, we are here trying to figure out how to prove my mate, Kingston, is innocent of the crimes he was accused of before we are kidnapped again and taken to the Celestial Realm to swear an oath that neither one of us wants to make.”
Harrison nudged his grandson. “Is she okay?”
“I think so…” Kingston whispered back. “Autumn? What are you doing?”
