Any Story LGBTQ+ Paranormal/Supernatural Romance

Chapter 17 – Daro

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. I’m unsure which one of us was doing it faster, Charles or me. All I knew was that the sun rose over Charles and he was mine. He might have marked me without my consent, but I wanted him to, so it didn’t matter. He willing let me mark him as soon as we were alone, which was the best moment I’d experienced since I arrived six months ago. It might have led to the most nerves I’ve ever had, but I’m sure we share them. Neither one of us was sure how my father was going to react to the news. I might have a trump card, but it might not play well if I pull it out.

“Daro, good morning. You wished to see me alone?” My father walked over to his throne and sat down, waving at the seat on his right. “Take your seat. Sire Charles, nice to . . . What the . . .” his head went from Charles to me, then back to Charles. “You were to . . . .Not to . . . Daro, what have you done?”

“What was supposed to have happened to soul mates, Father.” I took hold of Charles’ hand, pulling him against my side. “I should ask you what you thought you were doing trying to make a match behind my back.”

“I was doing no such a thing,” Father said. “Who said I was?”

“It was going around the castle that you were speaking to Thatcher in order to arrange a mating between them,” Charles replied as he slid his arm around my waist, tugging me even closer to him.

Father watched the two of us with eyes I’d only saw my Mom use before when she was working out what my end game was. The cloudy gaze forming in his eyes told me he found me confounding, but I knew him well enough to know he’d not give up.

“How did you two come to discover you were soul mates?”

“Honestly,” I smiled over at Charles, “I found him attractive the first time we met.”

“But you did not know then, did you?” Father shook his head. “Sire Charles would have told me right away. He is honest to a fault with me. It is what makes him so great at his job.” Have mercy, how stupid was my father? Charles was honest, that was for sure, but if it came down to keeping secrets that kept the Kingdom safe, he’d choose that over Lord Zarius. The same would be the case when it came to his life. He’d lost his husbands because of Lord Zarius. He’d not take the risk again. Father should realize that. “When did you discover it, Sire Charles?”

Charles looked up to me, showing his loyalty to the one he now viewed as his Lord. I gave a small smile as an answer, not wishing for Father to realize he was asking me for permission yet.

“When I heard the rumor, my natural instincts kicked in and my demon side reacted, marking him as mine. Sealing us together so no one else could claim him.”

“You did this without his permission, then? Do you know what that means?” Father was on his feet and in Charles’ face in a blink of an eye.

I inserted myself between them, shoving my father all the way to his throne. In fact, I shoved so hard he fell back into his throne. He sat there staring at me with an open mouth.

“Son, he marked you without your consent. You should not be forced into any relationship. What are you doing taking up for him?”

“He did only what I wanted him to do by that time.” I hissed fire out, pulling it up short before it got anywhere near the throne. “Do not threaten my husband again, or I will eliminate you before I bring my suggestion to you. Are we clear, Father?”

“I see we are have a complete marriage on our hand, that was not arranged.” He sat up straighter on his throne. “I also see it was not forced upon you, which makes me feel a hundred percent better. My question is, how do I swing you mating to my Sire?”

“I have a suggestion for how to salvage all this and the future of the Kingdom.” I moved back to Charles’ side, wrapping him back into my side. “If you will allow me to explain without interrupting me.”

“That makes me think I will not like this.”

He was more like what my Mom said him to be than I expected. He worked out the problems in front of him quickly and intelligently. Let them play out, before he reacted. Or I hoped that was what he did as I explained what I wished to do. Charles wasn’t so sure how things would go, which might be why I felt him shaking a bit in my arms, but my gut said it would go much smoother than he expected. All that was left was for me to openly explain things to my father.