? Proximo ?

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

"Would you like something to drink? I hate to make you both wait so long." The woman, Millie-Mae, asks me with a worried look when I shook my head and continued brushing Hrudra's hair back from her face.

Her pale face was worrying me since I knew that she hasn't had any kind of rest in the last few days. She's been pushing herself far too much and I wished that there was something I could give her in order to make her sleep for more than she allowed herself too.

"It is ok, Millie-Mae. Hrudra has not had any rest in the last few days, so I am grateful for making us remain here. Do not feel bad." I assure her, knowing that the kind woman would beat herself up for making us waking for so long.

Millie-Mae thought for a moment before reaching into a cabinet and pulling out some herbs. I watched curiously as she ground some leaves and put some strange liquid in the mug.

She warmed up some water, not making it boiling hot but warm enough to have a pleasant warmth. I saw her stir the ingredients in the mug as she walked over to us and knelt down in front of us.

"You wish for her to have a deeper sleep? This will help her sleep longer and will heal her immune system." Millie-Mae nodded to me to hold her up when I woke up Hrudra up and sat her up.

"Demon, I will kill you if you are waking me." She snarls at me darkly, her eyes opening slightly and seeing the siren. "Are you ready to leave?" Her voice was lucid and exhausted while Millie-Mae shook her head.

"No. But I have something that will help your immune system." She tells her in a gentle voice.

"It'll remove the effects of the poison," I add in, unsure if it was true but not caring if it wasn't true.

Too tired to argue with us, Hrudra drunk some of the liquid from the mug before coughing and squinting at the cup in disgust. "That was horrible." She admits when Millie-Mae laughed softly and pushed the mug back up to her mouth. It was as if I was watching a mother urge her child to have more even though it was horrible.

"It will help you heal faster." She assures Hrudra, her voice convincing and tempting causing Hrudra to reluctantly drink the rest of whatever was in the mug. Not even a moment later, Hrudra sagged against me and was fast asleep a moment later.

Her copper hair spilling over my shoulder with her hands still cradling the mug in her small hands. Pleased with herself, Millie-Mae took the cup from her and pressed her hand against Hrudra's head to check her temperature.

I laid her back down, her body a lot more relaxed than before when Millie-Mae nodded happily and stood up. Watching as Hrudra's chest rose and fell, I glanced up in wonder at what it was that she gave Hrudra.

All I knew was that this drink that she made, was something I was going to make for Hrudra more often. Hrudra needed more rest even if she was an immortal, her Valkyrie powers hadn't even come back and she is pushing herself so hard.

"What was that stuff?" I ask, knowing I would have to steal some from her.

"It was a mixture of chamomile, lavender, and some of my blood." Millie-Mae chuckled softly at my expression before wrapping her finger up with a small bandaid. I wasn't sure whether to be uncomfortable or grateful for the woman helping me ease Hrudra into sleep.

"Your blood?" I ask, almost surprised while she nodded and placed some of her herbs and things inside a small box. She sorted and placed things in the basket as if it was on the back of her hand, the smile on her lips warming me up.

"Yes. Something about siren's blood causes people to fall asleep. The vemon would always pass out after drinking from me and Rialta always drinks at night to have calm dreams. It's just an ingredient in the sleeping aids I have. Don't worry. It won't even phase her in the slightest. She'll awaken once her body allows her too." Millie-Mae tells me, placing the herbs beside me before walking away.

There was a soft yelp of shock as something tumbled down in the hallway making Millie-Mae chuckle. The daughter, Rialta, started firing words unknown to me while I looked down at Hrudra.

Somehow, I was unnaturally calm around this siren. She was completely different than other sirens and Lamia.

With a soft sigh, I pulled the coat from her and saw the wounds healing almost immediately causing the smile on my lips to stretch a little more. Hrudra leaned away and smiled a bit when I covered her up in the coat and placed the blanket back over her.

I know I promised to punish her before, but I couldn't even fathom the idea of hurting her in the situation we've been forced into. Though after all of this was over...

I will be keeping my promises about her punishments.

Keeping that in mind, I leaned down and pressed my lips on the crown of her head. Her soft, warm skim calming my demon in ways I couldn't even describe.

???

"Do you need any help carrying those?" I ask Millie-Mae as she dragged two suitcases full of their things. Her daughter was holding her stuff animals and a bookbag full of her toys.

I was holding onto a passed out Hrudra who was still completely dead asleep without a care in the world, the feeling of holding her pleasing my hammering heart and my demon.

"Nah. They're pretty light since we don't have many things. I only wanted to separate it all in two suitcases to make it easier to sort it all out." She assures me, not looking to have any trouble lugging the bags as the little girl jumped happily.

"Are we playing with the kids in town?!" Rialta questions with a burst of energy while Millie-Mae turned to her daughter and swiftly shook her head.

"No, baby. We are going to find a new home with these lovely people. Remember?" Her patience for the hyper child had me shocked but I didn't utter a word when the little girl remembered why she was carrying her valuables.

"Oh... Will we be able to live near other kids?" Rialta looked at me this time, wanting an answer from the people who were taking her to a new home.

"Yes, Rialta. There will be many children who will want to play with you and your toys." My words caused her to giggle in eagerness before speaking with her stuffed animals about all she was going to do with the other kids.

I turned to Millie-Mae, who was watching her daughter with a content expression when catching me watching her. She smiled sadly at the young girl's excitement and looked onward to the forest.

"I didn't want them knowing about her. They would have killed her if they knew what she was, it was one of the reasons why we lived so far from everyone. I had no choice." She sighs while I nodded in agreement.

"I understand. I would have done the same if my child was in the same situation." I said and unconsciously looked down at Hrudra who was hiding in my t-shirt.

"So are you two something? I've seen the way you look at her, but the way she looks at you tells another story." Millie-Mae questions me this time, a smile lingering on her lips when I blinked and looked back up at the siren.

"We are mates." I simply say making her sigh in a dopey smile.

"Oh how I wish I could have a male all to mine, but he has not come into my life quite yet." She smiled on, wishing for her true love to come before tilting her head at me. "How long have you both-"

"Almost two weeks," I tell her as her eyebrow quirked up in surprise.

"Not to be intrusive but... Shouldn't you both me insatiable?" She asks causing me to blush and peer away from her in embarrassment.

If only she really knew how I felt...

"Well. You do know about mates, correct?" I comment when she glanced down at her daughter and moved a little closer to me.

"I know some but I was not raised in the home of a mated pair. I know when you-"

"I'll just start from the beginning." I cut her off, sheepish about the subject but clearly my throat. "When you find your mate, you'll know immediately. Their scent will drive you both nuts and caused you both to spend many hours together at the first night and after that." I explain to her, remembering when I saw Hrudra at the castle...

? Flashback ?

Leaning against the bar, I watched Lady Aita and Khole drink. Khole rejecting them outright by throwing a glass but Lady Aita had manipulated her to continued drinking.

The sight was disgusting and yet I couldn't do a thing since she was a Lady of the court and Khole was a prisoner. I knew from the reports that Prince Dareious was coming for her yet I couldn't shake off the unsettled feeling I had.

In almost four hundred years of living under the safety of our world, I had an uneasy feeling that caused me to nearly throw up. I knew it wasn't due to what I had eaten, so what in the world was causing the most dangerous demon general to gag under his breath.

There was a delicious scent in the air though, smelling like sweet vanilla cake, one of my favorite desserts. As much as the scent called out to me, I was to stand here and wait for my prince to return.

I could feel him moving closer and closer here.

His power and anger had made many people here to drink themselves crazy and itch for a fight. There have already been four fights in the last hour and I knew his appearance would cause people to rally and fight one another.

Feeling him grow closer, I pushed off the wall and made my way to join with the prince and what he seeks. If he needed anything, I knew I was the person to know what was happening and he trusted me most since we grew up with one another.

The prince was a dangerous swordsman just like me.

I was proud to call him my brother and king.

I watched as Polydora the priestess walked away from the small group of people, her dark eyes seeing me before nodding in respect. Giving her a swift nod, my nerves grew as the group walked towards me.

I couldn't explain this feeling I was having, with the scent of vanilla and the weird feeling within me growing before I nodded to Prince Dareious in respect.

'Prince Dareious.' I gave him a blank stare, still trying to figure out what was happening to me.

'Proximo. Good to see you.' He held his hand out before we clasped hands and smiled at one another. It's been so long since I've seen him, it was nice to see him again and how much he's changed.

I felt the ladies stare at me as I scanned my eyes over each of them. One woman had raven hair with really pissed off silver eyes, her hands wrapped around a gun.

There were another two ladies who were completely identical with short light red hair, neither of them having a weapon in hand but their silver eyes promised pain and misery.

There was a copper-haired woman who was very... angry. Her silver eyes watching mine for a challenge, her fingers running across the daggers that were in her hands. Her daring spirit reminded me much of Khole, only that she was ready to slaughter anything that held her from her mission.

A woman with frizzy black hair and darker skin had cold eyes, holding onto a sword but her silver eyes seemed trained everywhere else other than me. As if I was no one important.

Not like I cared what she thought.

Though I was pleasantly surprised to see Alican the castaway fairy. Her hands held onto her flute, an instrument I was too well acquainted with. Her soft deep red hair hung from her shoulders as she hid behind the prince in fear for what I would do.

'Likewise. Your mate is in the hands of Lady Aita.' I nod to the prince before eyeing Alican in wonder. 'Welcome back. I didn't expect you to return after what has happened.' She cowered more, taking a step back further into the crowd of women.

Before she could utter a word, another woman I hadn't noticed before stepped in front of her and glared heavily at me with sharp silver irises. 'Back off asshole.' She snarls, even though her voice sounded like a melody itself. 'Mess with her and you mess with us.' The woman warns, itching to thrust her blade in front of us.

Her dark red curls fell from her shoulders giving her a mystical look. The sharp and deadly silver and in her eyes made everything within me freeze under her watchful gaze. I stared at her deeply, the blades that hung from her waist almost as glorious as the tight corset she wore.

Making her body shape more pronounced with the tantalizing corset and the thigh length skirt she wore. The boots she wore were stained with blood and dirt from battle, speckles of grime on her seductive legs.

Then I smelt vanilla coming from and the raging nerves and warmth bloomed from within me, making me realize that this woman was... mine.

Though her words caused me to narrow my eyes at her. Was she unaware that she was mine?

'I-I'm not back for the k-kingdom. I am here to help retrieve my Prince's mate.' Alican tells me with a small stutter, still not looking at me as I let my Prince's hand go and nodded in understanding.

The woman continued glaring, hovering over Alican protective making me growing more irritated at the thought of her not feeling the mate bond.

? End of Flashback ?

"Was that how it was for you both?" Millie-Mae asks, snapping me out of the memory as I blinked the thoughts back.

"Not exactly. She stormed the castle and fought my men." I admit, not moments after we met, she killed three of my best men.

Millie-Mae chuckled and nodded, "I can see that. But was the spark there for you both?" She questions, her curiosity growing irritating but I smiled.

"I kinda tortured her friend and niece so we didn't get off the right foot at first," I tell her as she hissed a breath in.

"Ouch." She mumbles when I nodded and sighed.

"But when you meet your mate for the first time. It'll be impossible to reject him." I confess to her, knowing that Hrudra wanted to abandon me the first night but our mate bond forced us to be together.

That was the best and worst night of my life.

"Well... Thank you for telling me about that stuff I guess. I appreciate it." She smiles softly before turning to her daughter and beginning to talk to her in a soft tone. I retreated into my thoughts, staring down at Hrudra in wonder.

If I was a different person, would she accept me?