Chapter Forty Four

The demon Lord combed his hair back and began to dress. His muscles rippled under his thin black long sleeve paired with black pants. The contrast was striking against his pale features along with his all white bedroom.

He placed his cellphone in his back pocket and opened the door to leave. A vicious growl ripped through him when a familiar but unwelcomed scent came forth. Then he felt a spike in Rina's aura, something that had never happened before.

He sped down the halls leaving servants in fright as they backed against the walls giving him plenty of room to fly by. Damien kicked the double doors open, exchange of words ceased within the training room.

The image he came upon sent his beast into a raging roar. It paced within the confines of his mind clawing to get out, begging to confront his sire. His mate stood before their pup blocking his father from seeing him. The beast within rattled against its cage.

There was no comfort in what he saw.

The blue hue surrounding Rina began to die down the moment he entered the trading area. Her reaction settled his beast for a moment. It let him know she trusted what he would do next knowing she wouldn't need to do anything more than what she had already done.

It took the edge of murderous intent away. He focused back on his sire, Malcolm turned to face him completely disregarding the dark aura surrounding his first born.

"Son!" he walked towards him.

"How have you been?" he clapped a hand over his shoulder and gave a slight squeeze.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why I'm here to see my long awaited grandson. What a surprise that was, and here I thought you were just hiding a girlfriend. But a mate instead?"

Damien growled halting the conversation. His gaze shifted towards Rina and Nathaniel that peeked around his mothers legs. Much like the first time he saw him. Damien let out another growl, knowing full well his pup heard everything the aged mongrel before him said.

This was not what he needed right now. Nor did he want his son to be filled with more questions and wrong information.

"My office now." he turned and walked out without another word knowing he would be followed.

His father silently followed behind until they reached his office. Once inside an explosion of questions and emotions came forth.

"Really Damien, this whole time you didn't think to tell me you have a mate and a pup?!"

"I owe you nothing."

Damien's calm response only furthered his father's outburst. He sat in his chair behind his desk and closed his eyes. Knowing if he kept them open and watched Malcom's reaction, he just might be inclined to bash him through a wall.

"How can you say that? How did you manage to hide them for so long?"

Damien remained unresponsive.

"And here I thought you finally found an interest in a woman, a human no less."

Demien's eyes slid open at that.

"Who I take and what I do is of no concern to others, especially you."

"You are the Lord of the west for crying out loud, you can't just hide away your family like this."

Malcolm paced around the room, his hands bunched and curled twitching with every turn. It was bluntly obvious where Tristen had received most of his traits from. The outlandish and exaggerated reactions and short temper were all from him.

"If you had any patience within you, you would have received an invitation in a few days stating a celebration. But unfortunately you jumped the gun as you always do."

Malcom's frantic pacing halted. "What?"

"I will not repeat myself."

"Son this is wonderful news."

His face brightened opposite of what it was only seconds ago. It was another trait Damien found exhausting to deal with. He never knew what he would get out of his father until the moment came.

"As I said you would have found out. I do not appreciate the unannounced visit. Your presence provoked my mate." his words rumbled into growls at the end.

"Yes, her response was most interesting." Malcolm rubbed his scruffy chin and slouched on the closest chair.

"You come unannounced, she has no idea who you are. What did you expect?" Damien leaned forward and laced his fingers under his chin, waiting for his father's reaction.

"Yes, I suppose you have a point." he reluctantly admitted.

"But a priestess?"

Damien snarled.

"You dare question my choice when your second chosen is a simple woman that cannot defend herself against a dog let alone demon."

Damien rose from his seat, this time he shared his inner beasts rage. His sire went too far.

"No, no you misunderstood."

"Then clarify, now."

"It's a well known fact you have never taken a human lover."

"My distaste for incompetence is clear, I have never stated my dislike for any race."

"You came off that way and I'm not the only one that thought so."

A small flash of memory forced its way through. That night at the hot spring, Rina had said something along the line of hating humans."

His beast whimpered in the background. The memory only furthered his anger as he stared at the previous Lord.

"I do not care for anyone's opinion and that includes yours."

"Son,"

Damien narrowed his eyes.

"I am joyous you have found your mate. I am not sure how this all came to be but I am happy...a pure demon pup?" he trailed off.

"Yes," Damien clipped tone gave no further explanation.

"I have never heard of such a union, I can't imagine what your future pups will be capable of."

Damien's glare softened at the mention of pups. It was something neither Rina nor him brought up. Their relationship was still rocky and confusing at times. They may have a physical attraction to each other but that didn't makeup for the intimate conversations of the future.

Rina clearly wanted to understand him better. The mating mark pulled them close but she wished to know him more than just the touch of pleasure he could bring her.

"Why did you hide them again?" Malcolm's question broke through the fog of thoughts.

"As you know it is tradition to present the heir once it is deemed by the Lord."

"Bah, that was back in the day. There is no war now, that tradition was simply to protect the heir from enemies against our territory. This tradition was meant for the heir not your mate."

His sire had brought up a valid point that he did not care to examine. Damien knew the real reason he was in this situation, but he had no wish for his father to find out.

"I did not wish others to know about my personal life until it was necessary. It will be one celebration for both."

"Fine, fine have it your way."

Malcolm clearly thought there was more to the story but knew Damien would speak no more on the topic.

Damien did not wish to explain any of this to his father. But his prideful fatherly self would spread the words of the current topic at the celebration. It was one thing he wouldn't have to deal with.

His father would talk it up and let everyone at the ball know he simply wished for the privacy of his family for a little longer.

-O-

"My Lady?"

Rina blinked a few times and turned the the shut door once her mates aura went further away.

"Yes?"

"Is there anything you need?"

She stared at him for a moment. Rolando's posture shifted at her brief pause. From the beginning Rolando seemed like a good fit to train Nathaniel. As time went on it became evident, a personal guard could also be added to his responsibilities.

But today's encounter made Rina hesitant to leave her son alone.

"There's one thing I want to make clear." She said. Nathaniel wrapped his arms around her thighs and waited for her to continue. He was uncharacteristically quiet.

"I don't care who walks into this place and who they are. If it's not me or Damien and they don't have permission from us first. They are not to approach him and you will bring Nathaniel to one of us."

"I-of course, my Lady." He quickly bowed.

Rina sighed, she did not wish to make him uncomfortable but it was something that needed to be said. She wanted to make sure he understood exactly what she expected in future encounters.

"Thank you,"