15. You have no idea

15

YOU HAVE NO IDEA

A fter dinner, Damek and I took a short walk—short because it was still pretty cold outside. The weather might not affect me like it does most succubi, but when it's below freezing it's harder to be outside for long periods. When we get back to the car, he cranks up the heat for me and I sigh as I feel the heated seats.

He drives toward my house and my heart feels heavy. I don't want to say goodbye to Damek yet. I've had a wonderful evening with him and I don't want things to go back to the way they were. I don't want dates with spoiled royals every weekend. But I also don't want to get married, not even to Damek. I don't know him well enough for that.

"Are you okay?" Damek asks.

"Yes." I turn in my seat so that I can face him. "I just am not ready to go home yet."

"The sun will rise soon." Damek looks at the clock on his car display. "I'd love to spend more time with you, but I don't want your little brother or your father mad at me."

"We should both go home and get some rest," I tell him. "I just don't want to keep going out on dates with spoiled royals."

He grins. "Should I be worried that you consider me a spoiled royal?"

"No." I laugh, shaking my head. "You're the least spoiled royal I've spent time with, and that includes my succubi and incubi cousins."

"Do you have a date tonight?" he asks.

"Nope. Thankfully Kaine only scheduled one date this weekend."

"Can I see you tonight? I can come over and we can hang out and talk or something." His fingers tense on the steering wheel and I notice a slight increase in his heart rate.

Is he nervous? And why is the fact that he's nervous so cute?

"I would like to see you tonight." I chew on my bottom lip to stop my grin.

The more time I spend with him, the more I like him.

But it's still not enough time to know if I want him as a life partner.

Damek loosens his grip on the steering wheel. With his right hand, he reaches over the center console and grasps my left hand in his. We stay like that for the rest of the drive.

When we pull up in front of my father's estate, the sky is starting to slightly change colors. The sun really will be rising soon. I had no idea we stayed out so late. Damek gets out of the car and walks around to my side to open my door.

"Thank you," I tell him, as he shuts the door behind me.

"You don't have to thank me for doing what I'm supposed to do," he says.

Damek Rune is quite the gentleman and I'm finding that chivalry is a very attractive quality in a man.

He holds my hand as he walks me to my front door and I wonder if he will try to kiss me. A few of the royals tried, but I didn't let them. But with Damek, I wouldn't mind kissing him. I wonder what his lips taste like.

"I had a really good time tonight," Damek says when we reach the front door. "I'm glad you agreed to hang out again tonight."

I nervously tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I had fun."

"Even though it was cold?" he asks.

I nod. "Even then."

The cold was completely worth spending time with him.

"Would it be presumptuous to kiss you on the first date?" Damek asks.

My heart races a little faster. "Only if it's presumptuous that I want to kiss you, too."

Damek doesn't hesitate before his lips press against mine. It's a soft kiss, not demanding or expecting anything.

And it's the best first kiss I've ever had in my life.

My heart beats faster and my stomach muscles tighten. I could see myself falling so hard for this guy if given the chance.

He pulls back and looks into my eyes. I wonder what he's thinking. Did he enjoy the kiss too?

"Is it okay if I call you when I get home?" Damek asks. "I want to talk to you before I go to sleep."

I nod. "I'd like that."

He grins. "I'll see you tonight."

I watch him turn and walk away. My heart beats entirely too fast and I know he's able to hear it, but I don't mind. I don't want to hide what I'm feeling from Damek. I like him. A lot. And I'm excited to see where we go from here.

Damek stops when he gets to his vehicle and looks over at me. I know he's not going to leave until I head inside. I wave at him and go inside. I watch from the window as he leaves.

The sound of a throat clearing has me turning away from the window. I jump at the sudden sound. When I turn around, Kaine is standing there, watching me.

"What are you still doing here?" I look at the time on my phone. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"You were gone less than two hours for your last date. For this date, you were gone all night long," Kaine complains.

I open my mouth, then close it.

Is he complaining that I spent time with Damek? He doesn't like that I enjoyed my time with a royal?

"I thought you'd be happy." I cross my arms over my chest. "I like Damek."

"You like him?" Kaine practically shouts at me, like I've done something wrong.

"Yes. I like him." I stand up straighter. "Do you have a problem with him? He's a royal. And he's on your approved list of potential husbands. And, like I said, I actually like him."

"He's… okay." Kaine wrinkles his nose like he's not at all ‘okay' with Damek. "I just didn't think Prince Damek would be your type."

"Oh? Then who would you choose then?" I wave a hand at him. "Please enlighten me."

He scoffs. "I'm not going to answer that. You're belligerent. Anything I say will only further enrage you."

Belligerent? He thinks I'm belligerent?

I huff and turn to walk to my room. I notice I'm walking heavy enough for it to appear like I'm stomping. I pause, turn to face Kaine, and say, "I'm not stomping." I then turn and continue my walk, making sure my footsteps are much lighter.

I will not let Kaine's poor attitude ruin my night.

Just as I get to the top of the stairs, I notice Julien standing there watching me with a bemused expression.

"What?" I ask him. "Are you going to critique my dating choices too?"

He shakes his head. "No, no. I'm just… amused."

"Did you hear what Kaine said?" I ask.

"Yes." Julien's smirk grows.

"Why is he acting like that? He knows I have to choose a royal. Why can't he just be happy for me?" I cross my arms over my chest. "He's such a jerk."

Julien just chuckles.

"Why are you laughing?" I throw my hands up. "You're my brother. You're supposed to be on my side."

"Sorry," he says, clearing his throat. "It's just funny to watch. You have absolutely no idea."

"No idea about what?"

But Julien is already turning and walking down the hallway toward his room. "Good morning, big sister."

I follow behind him. "Come on."

He just grins and shuts the door to his room. I think about barging in like he always does to my room but I hear the lock click in place.

I sigh, turning to go into my room.

Fine. Whatever. I didn't want to talk to him anyway.

I smile, realizing that Damek will be calling me soon. I rush into my room and quickly get ready for bed so I can wait for his call.

When I hear the doorbell ring that night, my heart races.

I wonder if that's Damek…

I take one last quick look in the mirror before darting out of my room. I pass Julien in the hallway and say a quick ‘hey' as I race past him. When I get to the foyer, I find Kaine standing there, talking with Damek. Kaine has a scowl on his face that nearly has me skidding to a stop, but Damek's relaxed expression keeps my feet moving.

What is wrong with Kaine and why is he being so antagonistic toward Damek? I thought he would be happy that I was showing favor toward a royal. After all, isn't this marriage thing what he's been bugging me about since I got here?

I've heard the speech so many times I can spout it from memory—about how it's my ‘duty' to marry somebody strong enough to help protect our clan. And it's important to have ‘strong' heirs to take over someday.

When I enter the foyer, Damek turns his attention to me. His neutral expression instantly changes and he smiles widely. Kaine also turns to me, his frown deepening. I try to ignore him as I approach Damek.

"Madeline," Damek says as I approach. "Wow, you look gorgeous."

I smile up at him. "Thanks."

Kaine clears his throat. "Princess Madeline, why is Prince Damek here? I didn't schedule anything today. I figured you deserved a day off before the process begins again next weekend."

I turn to face him. "What do you mean before the process begins again?"

He raises an eyebrow. "I figured we could talk this week and narrow down the selection. We could discuss who you and I think are good candidates."

Did he just imply that his input into my future husband is important? Does he think I'm going to let him have a say in this?

I take a deep breath through my nose and slowly exhale. "You can't be serious."

Damek takes a step back. "I'm starting to understand why you tried to punch him."

I smirk at Damek but then turn back to Kaine. "I'm hanging out with Damek tonight because I want to. Maybe you should spend the night thinking about how to word things in the future. It's my choice, not yours."

"Technically, it's your father's choice," Kaine interrupts.

I cross my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes at him.

He holds up his hands. "Whatever you say. Just stay out of your bedroom." He turns to glare at Damek. "If I hear you've done anything untoward to our princess, there will be trouble, Prince Damek." He spouts Damek's title like a sneer.

I want to scold Kaine for being rude but before I get the chance he turns and walks off, leaving Damek and me in the foyer alone.

I turn to face Damek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I wasn't going to ask you to come to my bedroom, just so you know."

"Trust me, Madeline, I won't take anything that guy says to heart," Damek promises, taking a step closer. "So… he's your advisor?"

I nod. "Technically he was Lucien's advisor and I got stuck with him. But, yes."

"I'm sorry," he says. "That you have to put up with him."

I shrug, trying to show it's not a big deal. "He's not usually so bad. He spends most of our time together teaching me about vampire history and law. I'm afraid I didn't know much before I came here." I offer my hand to him and he accepts, lacing our fingers together. "Do you want to hang out in the basement? There is a lounge where we can watch a movie or hang out or whatever we want. Nobody ever goes down there so we should have some privacy."

"I'd like that," Damek answers.

I lead him from the foyer. Just as we're about to walk down the stairs that lead to the basement, we pass Kaine. He's scowling as he talks to somebody on the phone. When he sees us, his back straightens. He shoots us a glare before stomping in the opposite direction.

"I wonder what his problem is," I mumble, as we start walking down.

"I think I know."

I look over my shoulder at Damek. "Really?"

"It's nothing." He shakes his head.

Nothing ?

Julien seems to know something that I don't too. I wonder what conclusion they could've possibly come to.

I stop at the bottom of the stairs and turn to face Damek. "You don't…" my words trail off as I search for the right words. "You're not worried that Kaine's opinion will change how I feel about you, right?"

He shrugs. "He is your advisor."

"Yes, he's my advisor. But he also accused me of murdering Lucien the first time we met." I lick my lips. "Look, I like you. Whatever Kaine feels about you isn't going to change that."

Damek's shoulders relax slightly.

I lead him to a large sectional couch. There is a large screen TV with video games and a ton of movies and TV shows. I don't turn it on though. I'd much rather talk with Damek and get to know him better.

"What do you want?" Damek asks.

I turn on the couch so that I'm facing him. "What do you mean?"

He sinks back onto the couch, relaxing. "With life. You have options. You don't have to stay with the vampires if you don't want to."

"Oh." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I guess I'm not sure what I want."

"Do you want to go back with the succubi?" he asks.

"No." I shake my head. "I don't know that I want to be a queen, but I do know that I love being here. I feel more like myself than I ever have. Nobody seems to care that I'm a hybrid. I like that."

"Earlier, you said you won't allow Kaine's opinion of me to change how you feel about me." Damek's brown eyes seem to glow brighter as his gaze meets mine. "How do you feel about me, Madeline?"

I swallow hard.

That wasn't something I was expecting him to ask.

My brain completely freezes as I try to come up with the words to answer his question.

"You don't have to answer," he says, after a few seconds of my non-verbal staring.

I blink slowly. "I am going to answer, I'm just trying to think of the right words to say." I take a deep breath, squaring my shoulders. "I like you. I think you're fun to hang out with and you're attractive and nice. I want to get to know you better and I want to spend time with you. You make my heart race and you give me butterflies." I hesitate.

"I feel like there is a but coming," Damek says.

I nod. "Not really a but. I just don't want to rush things. I don't want to feel like we're being pressured to get married right now. I want to build a friendship with you. I don't want to rush into something and lose what we have going on right now."

"I'm okay with taking things slow—more than okay." He sighs. "I don't like the idea of rushing things."

I lick my lips. "How do you feel about me?"

He grins. "I am feeling things far beyond friendship for you."

My heart stammers.

I too am feeling things beyond friendship for Damek. I like him a lot. But I know how my cousins always were when they'd get crushes on guys. They'd be ‘in love' and then something would happen and they'd hate their boyfriend or girlfriend within a week or two. I don't want that for us.

"If we're going to be just friends, does that mean we can't kiss?" Damek's gaze flickers to my lips.

I chew on my lip to stop my grin. "Maybe we could be friends who kiss."

He chuckles and my stomach twists at the deep sound.

This boy is too attractive for my own good.

"I'm not sure it's supposed to work like that." He grins, not bothering to hide his amusement.

I shrug. "Who cares? We're the ones setting the rules."

He nods. "Fine. Since I like this rule, I won't disagree with it."

Meaning he wants to kiss me too. I try to ignore how much it excites me that he feels the same.

Damek looks into my eyes again. I am disappointed that he's not kissing me right now, but we did come down here to talk.

"I want to help you find your brother," Damek says.

My eyes widen. "You do?"

He nods. "I know that you're not interested in being heir to your father's throne. And Julien is equally uninterested. I thought we could work together and try to find him."

"I would like that a lot." I pull my knees up to my chest and hug them against me. "I want to find Lucien. I'm sure my father is doing everything he can to find him, but I want to help. I think us working together is a good idea."

"I can also help you in another way." He hesitates before blurting out, "I think we should pretend to date."

"Pretend… to… date," I repeat slowly, trying to make sense of the words.

"Until you show favor in one candidate, Kaine is going to make you keep going on dates. And I know you don't know how these things work, but your father could set up a political marriage for you without your input," Damek rushes to explain. "If we're dating, it would at least delay any alliances your father is working on. And then there won't be any pressure on us. We can get to know one another at our own pace and we could work at this whole being friends thing."

I think about what he's offering and slowly nod. "I like that. I'm worried that Kaine and my father are going to set up an awful union. My dad seems to like King Nodin." I wrinkle my nose. "And I've done everything I can to discourage that. I'd run away before I'd consider Prince Lucas as a marriage candidate. I'd almost prefer Prince Caedmon and his player ways than Prince Lucas." I shiver at the idea of either of those men being my future life partner.

Damek nods. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow I will have my father announce the news to your father and before the week is over every vampire clan will know that we're dating."

"Thank you, Damek." I look up at him as a weight lifts off of me. I hadn't even realized I was so burdened by this. "This means more to me than you know."

"It's not completely selfless." He smirks. "My father gets multiple marriage offers a week and if it stops the other monarchs from trying to offer their daughters to me, it's a win for the both of us."

I feel a stab of jealousy in my chest at the thought of Damek getting marriage offers from other girls. I know he's not mine, but I like him.

"Thank you anyway. I can't stand the thought of going out with any of those princes." I shudder at the idea.

"To be honest, I can't stand the idea of you going out with them either." Damek grabs ahold of my hand and squeezes it. I know friends aren't supposed to be jealous, but I am. I'm so jealous."

I grin, unable to hide my glee. "Then I have no shame in admitting that I'm also jealous of the multiple marriage offers your father gets each week."

Damek laughs and puts his arm around me. I easily fall into his chest as he embraces me. I feel his lips at the top of my head as he gives me a soft kiss. It's then that I realize being ‘just friends' with Damek is going to be far harder than I thought possible.