A Royal Heartbreak (17 page)

The dark-haired boy with a charming grin – the one who had even flirted with her during the battle – answered with twinkling eyes, “We’re old where it counts.” And the way his gaze trailed down her body made her blush.

Domenico growled.

If anything, that only appeared to make the boy more flirtatious. “Just one kiss, beautiful, and I’m very sure you won’t think of me as a boy.”

Domenico took a step forward, and even though Misty couldn’t help giggling at the boy’s outrageous antics, she still reached out for Domenico’s hand, pulling him back. “Domenico, behave.”

He looked at her. “I will if they will.”

When she looked back at the Caros, the dark-haired charmer was gaping while even his aloof-looking companion was gazing at Domenico with a raised eyebrow.

“Is this
her
?” His head snapped back to Misty with a groan. “Oh, man, you’re
Misty Wall,
the human he married, aren’t you?”

“Umm---” He was saying her name like she was some kind of urban legend. Not the cool kind, though. It was more like the murderous axe-carrying kind.

The boy grimaced. “Domenico Moretti’s prowess in the bedroom is…” He threw his hands up, as if there was no word to describe just how good Domenico was at sex. “Let’s just say he’s even famous in Caro society. If you are the girl he’s rumored to be in love with, I know he’s pulled out all the stops with you.”

“Ah…” She didn’t know if she should start blushing or laughing. This conversation was honestly one of the weirdest she had in her life.

He sighed. “I stand no chance.” He glanced at Domenico, his gaze almost worshipful. “I’ve heard about the things you did. Like that one night when you were surrounded with ten succubi---”

Domenico coughed.

The boy sighed again. “You are my god.”

Domenico said dryly, “So do not hit on your god’s woman, boy.”

When Domenico glanced at Misty, she said just as dryly, “
Ten succubi?”

Color stained his high-boned cheeks. “It was…”

“The best display of manliness,” the dark-haired boy said fervently.

“Stefano, enough,” Luka said exasperatedly. “Your Highness, allow me to introduce them. This is Stefano Mancetti. And this---” He gestured to the aloof-looking boy with piercing gold eyes. “---is Riyu Delicazzi. He owns this property. They are also serving the Brethren, and the three of us had been scouring the Midways after receiving reports about possible vampire activity in the area.”

“So you really do hunt vampires,” Misty murmured, trying not to be worried for their sake…but it was impossible. Mothering her siblings all these years had turned her into a permanent worrywart. “Do your parents know about what you do?”

“Our age does not hinder us,” the one called Riyu answered. His voice was extremely cold and she tried not to smirk because it reminded her of how Domenico usually sounded in the early days she had known him.

Domenico leaned close. “I know what you’re thinking,” he told her warningly, “And it’s not true.”

This time, she really smirked.

Riyu appeared impatient, continuing, “Caros mature early. We are allowed to have minor positions at age sixteen. You can say that our minds are sharper than Lyccans.”

Misty blinked at Domenico. “Did he just say we’re stupid?”

Domenico knew it was wrong, but he still felt fucking glad to hear how she had referred to them as ‘we’. Even though she had spent the last sixteen months in the care of Faeries, Misty considered herself as a Lyccan still.

Luka interceded smoothly, “As you can see, we need help in public relations. We have bad superiority complexes.” Both Misty and Domenico noticed the way he stepped on Riyu’s foot at the end.

“It’s true,” Stefano affirmed cheerfully.

Riyu did not say anything.

Despite everything, she couldn’t help smiling. The three’s interaction reminded her of how her siblings acted when they were together, and she couldn’t help warming up to them. “Thank you for helping us back there. If there’s anything I can do for you guys---”

Stefano opened his mouth to answer, took one look at Domenico’s forbidding expression, and snapped his mouth shut. He sighed.

Riyu started, “We do not need---”

Luka stepped on his foot again.

Riyu winced. “---compensation because it is our honor to help you.” Then he turned to Luka with a glare. “Satisfied?”

Luka didn’t even look at him, was again smiling at Misty and Domenico. “We will leave you to retire for the night. Tomorrow, we will make sure to add our human soldiers to your escort when you journey back to the Faeries’ realm.”

Domenico said simply, “I am in your debt.”

Luka answered calmly, “We will always bear that in mind.”

And then they were gone. When the door closed behind them, she exhaled, only realizing that she had been holding her breath throughout that final exchange. “Those boys…they’re like heirs of pack leaders in Caro society?”

Domenico nodded. “Riyu Delicazzi will be running for head of the Brethren on the next elections.”

“At his age?” she gasped.

“You heard them. They mature early.”

“And they die early, too? Is that it?”

Domenico grinned briefly. “It is just how they are. Caros do not like being coddled. They consider any sentimental attachment a weakness.” Seeing her curiosity, he added, “I have been conferring with the three since they were fourteen.”

“
Fourteen?”
Misty yelped. Dear God! What kind of race was Caros that they didn’t even allowed their kids to be kids? She shuddered. “If we have kids, I’m definitely not letting them date Caros.” And then she realized what she had just said out loud.

Her eyes flew to Domenico, but he was studiously avoiding her gaze, acting as if she hadn’t committed the most embarrassing faux pas. Misty knew she should be happy about it, but she wasn’t.

She had thought about having kids with him.
Domenico was secretly stunned although he made sure that none of his feelings was visible on his face. The realization was bittersweet. A part of him was filled with triumph, urging him to take her now, and his cock shot up just at the thought of pouring his seed inside her and creating life in her womb.

But another part of him shied away from the thought, telling him it was futile because he did not deserve to have Misty in his future.

When she reached out to him, Domenico instinctively took a step back. He saw Misty whiten at his reaction, her arm falling back limply on her side as she gazed at him questioningly. “Domenico?” He could see her visibly struggling to keep him from seeing her hurt, but that was futile, too.

She was his other half, and he knew everything about her.

But it did not mean they were destined together.

“I need to speak with Riyu. You will be okay here?” In his effort to keep Misty from learning how much it hurt to deny himself of her company, especially when she appeared willing, Domenico ended up unconsciously sounding cold.

The icy tone of his voice made Misty falter even more. “I…” She wanted to say so many things but she lost her courage when Domenico continued to gaze at her with inscrutable green eyes. No, it was worse than inscrutable – he appeared
indifferent. Impersonal.
She nodded jerkily. “Yes, I’ll be okay.”

He nodded before swiftly leaving the room.

For a long moment, she could only stare at the door as it closed behind him, unable to believe that he really was leaving her just like that. In the past, he never failed to take advantage of any situation that left her alone with him. In the past, Domenico would have done his best to seduce her…to woo her with sweet, sexy words…by now, she should have been pushed down on the bed, his cock sinking inside her, and her legs wrapped tightly around his hips as they cried out each other’s names.

But this was not the past.

This was the present, and never had it been so painful and confusing.

Domenico loved her, didn’t he?

So why was this happening? And – whatever this was – why was she letting it happen without doing anything to fight for her chance to have Domenico back? Was she going to be a wimp forever?

The thought gave her the strength and courage she needed to take action, and Misty determinedly pushed herself off the bed. The world spun a little with the first few steps she took, but she stubbornly continued. It took a while but she managed to cross the room and open the door.

A pair of guards bearing the Lyccan Council’s colors was standing outside, and they immediately bowed at seeing her. “Do you know where I may find Riyu Delicazzi? Domenico is supposed to be speaking with him and I want to speak with my husband.”

She got the same reaction from the guards, and the incredulity in their gazes hurt because Misty had a feeling that they both believed that she had coldly thrown Domenico away. If she felt so bad seeing that, how much worse could it be for Domenico? How many times did he have to listen to other Lyccans talk about him behind his back, to laugh at him for having his wife leave him for another race?

One of the guards escorted her down and into a hallway that she assumed led to Riyu’s office. This time, a pair of guards she assumed to be Caros were stationed on each side of the double doors. They bowed upon seeing her before one of them knocked on the door and went in to announce her presence.

The door opened again and out came Riyu, a puzzled look on his face. “Can I help you, princess?”

Despite the heaviness in her heart, she couldn’t help smile at how arrogant the boy was. Misty could literally hear the small ‘p’ in the way he called her ‘princess’, as if reminding her that they were of the same rank. He really was so much like Domenico – and she had no doubt this was how Domenico had acted in his younger days.

“Is Domenico inside? He said he was going to talk to you.”

The frown deepened. “As far I know, princess, he went back to his room.”

“Oh.” For a moment, all she could do was stare at Riyu, lost as to what to do.

A barely perceptible sigh escaped his lips. “Would you like me to escort you to his quarters, princess?”

Even as she blushed, Misty said, “If it’s no trouble?” It was embarrassing to let Riyu know that she was seeking Domenico’s company at this time of the night. The conclusion to that was practically inevitable. But she really didn’t care. She needed to see Domenico tonight and talk things out with him.

“As you wish,” Riyu replied after giving her a long, considering look. He dismissed her Lyccan escorts and she followed him back up, all the way to the fourth floor. He gestured to the first door to the left.

“Thank you,” she told him.

He cocked his head to the side in acknowledgment but did not move an inch, as if waiting to see what she would do next.

Blushing harder, she went to where Domenico was supposed to be and knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

She said shakily, “Domenico?”

There was still no answer.

Her hand shook as she tried one last time, knocking and calling his name once more.

But still Domenico didn’t come.

She rattled the door knob. “Domenico?” Misty couldn’t believe he really was shutting her out.

Silence remained as her answer.

Misty heard Riyu say quietly behind her, “Perhaps he’s already asleep?”

“Yes,” she managed to whisper. “Maybe…he’s asleep.” She turned back to Riyu, smiling even as she felt her eyes sting with tears. Domenico was a Lyccan, and it would have been impossible for him to miss her knock or her calling out his name.

As Riyu and Misty gazed at each other, his face bland, hers pale, the truth of the matter was like a silent scream only both of them could hear.

Domenico hadn’t opened the door because he was dead to the world.