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Kaleb reachedover, capturing her hand. “She’s going to make an awesome mother some day toour brood of… what did we agreed upon? Ten little Conflict Demons, or was ittwelve?”
“Not brood,Wookums, dynasty. Remember how we discussed the legacy we intend to leavebehind, ensuring the Conflict throne will only be held by our descendants?”
Shock and horrorreplaced the contempt on every Demons’ face in the room.
The twinkle wasback in Kaleb’s eyes, supernova bright, as he squeezed Shaw’s hand, an adoringlook on his face. “Our children are going to be so gloriously violent… I meansweet, just like their mother.”
“Monarchs areelected.” Spat Advisor Shunia furiously from her position standing behind thethrones.
Channelling her -you offend me, why aren’t you dead yet? - battle look, Shaw allowed her gaze totravel over the assembled crowd slowly. “Oh, I’m sure between Kaleb’s smartsand my… sweetness, we can easily establish a pathway to dispensing with trivialthings like elections. Ensuring our children and all those who come after willrule the Conflict Realm in a fitting and regal manner until the suns burn out.”
The noise levelabruptly rose before the head steward banged his long ceremonial staff onto themarble floor, demanding everyone’s attention and silence. Still the advisorsbustling around behind the thrones attempted to lean forward to whisper andhiss protests into Kaleb’s ears.
Leaning back onthe uncomfortable throne, Kaleb smirked, crossing his legs, settling an ankleon one knee. Funny how just a short while ago he’d been feeling hemmed in, andfatigued to his bones by all the inane back stabbing politics. Seconds awayfrom committing many and varied acts of violence.
Then one Valkyrieentered the throne room looking flushed, sweaty, and sinfully sexy in a pair oftight, tiny running shorts that he was considering having bronzed for theircontribution to the world. Just like that… as her gaze met his, and she’dgifted him with that fierce exasperated smile, all the boiling building heatinside of Kaleb had been diverted to his libido. His cock attempting to rise upand salute those running shorts. Whilst anticipation prickled his gut.
Anticipation? Huh?
Kaleb consideredhimself a renaissance Conflict Demon. Cerebral even, compared to many of his brethren.He never went for the low hanging conflict such as stalling elevators, orlingering by customer service desks. He enjoyed far too much the obstacles andhoops he insisted the parents (never the children) who wished their progeny toattend his schools be made to jump through.
Yet here he was,experiencing the most basic, the most primal of all emotions, anticipation forthe hunt. For a Valkyrie. One gorgeous, mulish, short-tempered, dryly witty,and deadly, oh, so deadly, Valkyrie.
He, who rarely hadto do more than dimple and flirt just a little, found himself all butsalivating at the challenge he was facing. Shaw wouldn’t be easily conquered…no, not conquered, that sounded way too permanent, final. He meant she wouldn’teasily be tempted when it came to indulging in a short sweet hot dalliance ofthe sexual kind. Yes, he… and his Demon side, were in complete agreement, theycraved… wanted the Valkyrie.
Hardly surprising.Shaw was gorgeous and delightfully prickly. So, it was settled, he would pursueher, for sexy good times. Bloody hell, he couldn’t wait to get Shaw naked.Touch all that flawless skin. Taste those plump lips again. Maybe make thelinen closet story a reality. He couldn’t wait to seduce her and propose theyhit the nearest linen closet. No doubt he’d evoke that fierce exasperated smilehe was becoming mildly addicted to.
Wait. What did hersmile have to do with anything? He just wanted her naked. Huh, perhaps he wasmore tired than he had thought.
Okay, so Kaleb hadseven days left of their agreed upon alliance. Plenty of time to plumb thedepths of his charm and convince one stubborn Valkyrie to walk on the Demonside for a night of sweaty fun. Glancing at Shaw, Kaleb gifted her with one ofhis go-to smoulders. Laughing when all she did was snarl under her breath andgrind her teeth.
Sexy games later,unfortunately, more annoying King stuff to do in the interim.
***
“And the aleprovision contract for the Palace is to be awarded to Legless Brewery.”
The steward’sannouncement was met with squeals of delight from the young female Demoness whoowned the recent start up business. Whilst several Demons who operated longestablished businesses hissed and swore. Upset at the loss and that severalno-name breweries had even been included in the mix at all, thanks to theinsistence of the King.
“Mine.” Shawsnarled at the servant who attempted to take away her flagon of the winningbrew. Kaleb had insisted upon a taste test and pretty much set Shaw up as thejudge with final say. After the watered down offerings she’d been forced toconsume, she wasn’t willing to give up this lovely deep complex dark alewithout a fight.
“I wouldn’t if Iwere you.” Kaleb advised the servant, waving him off. “Next up I believe is theboot contract.”
The head stewardbanged his staff again. The brewery Demons shuffling away and a new set ofDemons moving forward, most with underlings at their backs clutching examplesof their work. Whilst three wide-eyed clearly out of their depth bootmanufacturers clutched their own work. Looking gobsmacked to even be includedin the running.
Shaw had thedistinct feeling it was more of Kaleb’s work to shake things up.
Biting back asigh, Kaleb eyed the ten Demons standing before him. Seven confidentlyarrogant. Three all but trembling in their self-made boots. Opening his mouth,he abruptly shut it as a blare of trumpets sounded, followed by the main doubledoors dramatically sweeping open. Every head turning, craning to see who wasmaking such an entrance.
“Who’s that?”Sitting on the raised dais, Shaw had the perfect vantage point to observe theShe-Demon who paused dramatically for effect, framed in the doorway.Resplendent in a deep raspberry silk long gown with a flaring matching cape.Perhaps somewhere in the eight-hundred plus hellfire turns, the newcomer lookedthe equivalent of maybe sixty human years. Compensating for her lack of heightat only 5.9ft by styling her short ashy blonde hair into rather a bouffant massof waves. Upon which sat a sparkling diamond tiara.
“That.” Kalebgrinned, an affectionate expression on his face. “Is my mother.”
Mother? Shaw foundherself gripped by an unfamiliar emotion. Trepidation? She’d never met anyone’smother before. She was a Valkyrie. She didn’t date, really. She hooked up witha fuck buddy when she was in the mood. But no one had ever proposed after sheleft them gasping, limp, and maybe a little broken following a boink-fest, thatshe come over for Sunday lunch and meet his parents.
It was a sillyreaction. It wasn’t like she and Kaleb were dating or anything, but his motherdidn’t know that. Worse, they had announced publicly that Shaw was Kaleb’sConsort.
Crap. For allintents and purposes, she was playing the role of Kaleb’s girlfriend and aboutto meet his mother.
