12. Mira

12

MIRA

N ova wraps her tiny arms around my neck as I carry her to their room, her copper curls tickling my chin. Luna bounces ahead with Karn, who just came back upstairs and changed, her matching ringlets dancing with each skip.

"Story time! Story time!" Luna chants, her violet eyes sparkling with that familiar mischievous glint.

"Inside voice, little spark," I remind her, though I can't help but smile. Nova nuzzles closer, her flour-dusted cheek pressed against my shoulder. Even after a bath, she somehow manages to retain traces of her kitchen adventures.

"Want the dragon story," Nova whispers into my ear, her small fingers playing with strands of my hair.

Luna whirls around at the doorway to their bedroom. "No! Princess story!"

"Both?" Nova suggests, ever the tiny diplomat.

I settle Nova onto the bed, but she immediately scrambles next to Luna, creating a nest of blankets and pillows. Luna climbs in next to her sister, patting the space beside them.

"Mama and Uncle Karn both," Luna declares, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. She tugs at my hand while Nova reaches for Karn.

"Please?" Nova's freckled nose scrunches up as she puts on her best pleading expression.

I perch on one side of their bed while Karn takes the other, effectively sandwiching the twins between us. Luna wastes no time burrowing under my arm, while Nova leans back against her uncle's chest.

"How about a story with both a dragon and a princess?" I offer, running my fingers through Luna's curls. She hums in contentment, already growing heavy against my side.

"The brave one?" Nova pipes up, her eyes drooping despite her obvious effort to stay awake.

"The smart one," Luna counters through a yawn.

I catch Karn's eye over their heads, sharing a knowing look. At this rate, neither twin will make it past the first few lines of any story. Nova's small hand finds mine, her fingers tracing the edge of my sleeve where it covers my brand - a gesture that's become oddly comforting in its innocence.

"Once upon a time," I begin softly, "there lived a princess who had a very special dragon friend..."

It doesn't take long before the twins' breathing deepens, their small forms curled together in a way that makes my heart squeeze. Nova's fingers go slack in mine, her other hand still clutching the edge of Karn's tunic. The light's warm glow catches the copper in their hair, turning it to molten metal.

Karn's hand brushes mine as he adjusts Luna's blanket, his calloused fingers rough against my skin. Neither of us pulls away. The contact sends a flutter through my chest that I try to ignore.

"How did you feel this morning?" I turn to look at him as he speaks softly. "When they called you Mama?"

I trace the curve of Luna's cheek, marveling at how quickly they've claimed pieces of my heart. "If they want to, I don't mind," I whisper, careful not to wake them. "I didn't encourage it, I swear."

His violet eyes meet mine in the dim light, unexpectedly gentle despite his intimidating frame. "I didn't say you did." He smiles at them. "They're very attached to you."

"And you're... okay with it?" The question catches in my throat.

"More than okay." He shifts, his broad shoulders relaxing. "They need a mother. Sarah would've wanted that." A shadow crosses his face, grief flickering beneath the surface. "Besides, you're already doing the job. Might as well have the title."

"I just don't want to overstep-"

"You're not." His voice carries that gruff certainty that brooks no argument. "Look at them. Really look." He gestures to the twins, peaceful in sleep. "They trust you. Love you. That's not something you can force or fake." He sighs. "And I don't want them to feel like they can't have that with you."

The weight of his words settles over me like a warm blanket. Nova mumbles something in her sleep, her small hand tightening around my fingers. Luna burrows deeper into my side, and I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

His hand remains steady against mine, an anchor in the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "We should probably let them sleep," he says after a moment.

Karn's fingers brush my elbow, guiding me as I ease away from Luna's sleeping form. He lifts Nova's small hand from my wrist with practiced care, tucking it under her blanket. The twins curl closer together in their sleep, copper curls mingling on the pillow.

I pause at the doorway, drinking in the sight of them. The light Karn's conjured casts dancing shadows across their peaceful faces, and my chest tightens with an emotion I'm still learning to name.

Karn's presence fills the hallway behind me, radiating warmth like a forge. When I turn, he's closer than I expected, those violet eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that steals my breath. The scar across his eyebrow catches the light as he tilts his head.

"Tea?" My voice comes out softer than intended. "I could use something warm before bed."

"Lead the way." His deep voice rumbles through the quiet hall.

In the kitchen, I busy myself with the kettle while he leans against the counter. The familiar routine helps steady my hands, but I can't shake my awareness of him - how his broad shoulders fill the space, the way his copper-red hair falls loose around his face now that he's not working.

"You're good with them." He breaks the comfortable silence. "Natural."

I focus on measuring the leaves, fighting the heat rising in my cheeks. "They make it easy." My fingers trace the edge of my sleeve. "Though I never thought I'd be..." The words catch. "That I would ever have children after..."

"Hey." His calloused fingers catch my chin, turning my face up. "The past doesn't define you."

The gentle touch from such powerful hands sends sparks through my skin. I've seen those same hands shape metal, lift the twins, protect his family. Now they're cradling my face like I'm something precious.

"The kettle's about to whistle," I murmur, but I don't step back.

His thumb traces my jawline. "Let it."

His eyes search mine, and I find myself swaying closer, drawn by the warmth radiating from his body. My heart pounds against my ribs as his fingers slide from my jaw into my hair, tender in a way that makes my chest ache.

"Tell me if you want me to stop," he whispers, his breath ghosting across my lips.

He's always gentle, always careful. I've seen him be fierce with others, I've seen a hint of the demon nature I fear. But it has never been turned against me, and although I have never been asked if I want something to stop — never listened to when I begged for it to — this time, I want nothing more than to keep going.

Want nothing more than him.

Instead of answering, I rise on my toes, closing the last breath of space between us. His lips brush mine, soft and questioning. The gentleness from such a powerful man undoes me. I melt into him, my hands finding purchase on his broad chest.

"Mira." My name falls from his mouth like a prayer.

Something wild and wanting unfurls in my chest. I slide my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me, needing him closer. His grip tightens in my hair as he deepens the kiss, and a small sound escapes me.

It's nothing like the empty touches I've known before, nothing like the way bile usually burns at the back of my throat with every press of a pair of lips - this burns, consuming me from the inside out in a delicious heat that I want more of. .

His other hand spans my lower back, pressing me against him until I can feel the solid wall of his chest through my dress. I trace the muscles of his shoulders, marveling at how perfectly I fit against him. His tongue sweeps across my bottom lip and I open for him, desire coursing through my veins like liquid fire.

"Gods, you're perfect," he growls against my mouth.

I arch into him, fingers tangling in his copper hair. Every brush of his lips, every stroke of his tongue sends sparks shooting down my spine. I never knew it could be like this - that I could want someone so much it hurts.

And as that snaps into place, so does the fear.

The kettle's sharp whistle pierces the air. We jump apart, breathing hard. My lips tingle, and my legs feel unsteady. Karn's violet eyes are dark with desire, his hair mussed where I grabbed it.

"Damn kettle," he mutters, running a hand over his face.

My chest heaves as I try to calm the racing heart in my chest as reality crashes back down on me. Fear and confusion pour through me. Karn must see it because he reaches for me, but I hold up my hand.

"I..." My voice trembles. "I should go to bed."

"Mira, wait." His violet eyes search my face, concern replacing the heat from moments ago. "We should talk about this."

I shake my head, wrapping my arms around myself. The brand on my wrist seems to burn beneath my sleeve, a reminder of everything I've survived. Everything I have to lose. "No- we-" I take in a deep breath and flash him a smile. "I don't want the tea anymore. I just... I need to think."

"You're running." His words hit like a physical blow, gentle despite their accuracy.

"Please." I back toward the doorway, fighting the urge to return to his warmth. "I can't... I need space."

Before he can respond, I flee to my room, shutting the door behind me. My legs give out and I slide down against it, heart hammering against my ribs. My fingers drift to my lips, still tingling from his kiss.

No one has ever touched me like that - like I'm precious instead of property.

I should love that, want that, but it's hard to feel his lips and not think of the times I've begged for others not to touch me. Sometimes it's hard to look at his horns and not feel the pain of someone lashing at me.

But more than anything…it's hard to be here, to want something, to hope . Because I know that hope is more deadly than anything and the happier I am, the more comfortable I get, the more terrified I become.

The moonlight streams through my window, painting silver patterns across my bed. This room, this home he's given me... it's more than I ever dared dream of having. The twins sleeping down the hall, their copper curls and demon eyes so like their uncle's. The way they call me 'Mama' now, freely giving the love I thought I'd never deserve.

And Karn... A demon who shapes metal with the same gentleness he shows his nieces. Who opened his home to a broken runaway without question. Who kisses like he's discovering something sacred.

Tears slip down my cheeks as confusion wars with longing in my chest. I press my palms against my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. All my life, I was taught to fear demons - their power, their pride, their cruelty.

But Karn defies everything I thought I knew.

Still, how long will I hold his interest? Is this because he's lonely? I fear to let down my guard with him completely, let myself want more than a human is ever promised in this godsforsaken world.

"What am I doing?" I whisper to the empty room.

My heart already knows the answer, even as my mind rebels against the risk.