Dark Shadow (Book 1 in DARKNESS DUOLOGY)

Forty-Nine: Adoring His Queen

We walked to my home, letting the others know I would be staying at Ridge’s for the night. My parents had a softness in their eyes watching the way Ridge kept winding a finger around one of my curly strands. He grinned, squinting at Cody’s reenactment of himself fighting in the battle. Ridge laughed—the kind I hadn’t heard in so long—when Nikko popped up and gave Ridge a deadpanned, “That was me.” to every fighting victory in my little brother’s story.

I don’t think Ridge knew that he was playing with my hair still.

My parents pulled me away from the crowded living room, to where Nigel bowed his head at my approach.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted, making my parents glance at one another and then at me. I shrugged a shoulder that it was going to be something to get used to.

I introduced Nigel properly to my parents who nodded that they got to meet him already. That Iota was the first to welcome the man, along with Vicky, as they were the Quail Wolf Caretakers. Nigel acknowledged that it felt a lot different being under the care of someone who was a vast difference to Madilynn’s cruelty.

We felt for Nigel who frowned and the ground for a moment. His experience as a Quail was misguided and couldn’t be at fault completely. There was a lot of that going around lately.

My dad clamped a hand on Nigel’s shoulder, grinning that any Quail would be welcomed in their home—without judgment of what they were born as. The Head Warrior in Dad, though, dropped his chin a little, narrowing his eyes and pointing at my new Quail Companion.

“As long as they don’t touch my daughter.” He sneered, growling out that Dad already had enough gray hairs because of an certain alpha in the room.

Nigel grinned, understanding completely what my dad was getting at, although—and I quickly picked up on Nigel’s sick sense of humor—my companion did glance behind me before agreeing to my dad’s threat while taking my hand and kissing the back of it.

A growl resonated from somewhere—one guess who— and I was quickly pulled back after Ridge’s arm slid around my waist. My parents had that soft look on their faces again while Nigel placed his hands behind his back and gave a slow nod, apologizing for overstepping. I narrowed my eyes at him before turning to kiss Ridge’s jaw to ease him.

Ridge shook his head, eyes squeezed tight. When he opened them, blinking away the alpha possessiveness, he looked at me. His brows furrowed, apologizing that he didn’t know what came over him and didn’t want to overstep in my parents’ home. I assured Ridge that they didn’t take offense to him feeling territorial. That it was an innate mate thing… even if our bond had been broken some time ago.

Ridge frowned at this, shaking his head that it didn’t have to do with the bond that forced such a strong feeling. Instead, he felt like it just came from himself… as himself. He smiled a little, eyes shiny that we were relying on our own bond we created that week at the square. I smiled, leaning into him because I felt the same way. Officially, Ridge and I had severed the mate bond but unofficially, we mended it through our humans alone. What a win, if you ask me.

I turned to my parents, letting them know about needing to discuss with them about Nigel’s talk with me. Dad shook his head, holding up a hand and told me it could wait. That a lot happened already tonight and it was best to decompress before we got into such matters.

Dad’s gaze focused on the alpha, clearing his throat that hopefully the latter didn’t decompress… too much.

“Dad!” I gasped, my face hot as I glanced at Mom and Nigel. They smirked at me. So gross.

Ridge gave a nod to my dad with a small smile, his ears red.

Iota strolled in, Wade right behind her, after announcing that Emory was bathed and tuckered out from the night we all had. He was sleeping the moment his head hit the pillow.