Tiberius stilled. Nemyria perked up, tilting her head.
"What?"
"There are three demons at the castle gates, asking for Nemyria," said the guard.
"Ah, yes, I see, so, uh, why didn't you kill them on sight?" Tiberius demanded.
Nemyria frowned. "Toby."
"What?" he snapped.
"You can't kill someone simply for existing," she said.
"Those are demons demanding to see my mate after they murdered my parents!"
"They most likely are not the demons that did that," Cloven pointed out.
"They-,"
"Oh, shut it, pretty boy," Crimson said, rolling her eyes, "Go hear them out."
Tiberius gritted his teeth. Taking in a deep breath, he glared at the guard. She stared back with her arms crossed and a frown on her lips.
"Fine," he spat.
Nemyria sighed. "Toby."
He looked back at her.
She cupped his cheeks, leaning her forehead on his. "Calm down, will you? Just hear them out, okay?"
"Nemyria."
"There's a very, very good chance they aren't the people who did it, so calm down, and hear them out," she said.
"No," Tiberius said, "They want you, and I am not putting you in danger."
"I'll be fine."
"I am not taking you to them. I am not letting you get hurt," he said.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, for fucks sake Tiberius."
"No."
"And how do you plan on stopping me?" Nemyria questioned.
"Like this," he replied, setting her down and turning to his brother, "Gavrynn, watch her. Do not let her follow me. Cloven, if you could as well, that would be great."
Gavrynn sighed. Cloven rolled his eyes. The two males stood beside Nemyria, and watched Tiberius and Crimson walk away.
"You're seriously going to follow that order?" Nemyria questioned.
She looked to the male beside her, who nodded.
"I know another way to the gates that keeps you from following him."
She snorted. Gavrynn walked off in the other direction, and Nemyria followed closely behind, Cloven behind them. They wound their way through the barracks, around the courtyard, and to the castle gates, managing to arrive at the gates before the king.
Tiberius nearly froze at the sight of his mate, and almost snarled. She grinned at him, wiggling her fingers.
"Gavrynn," Tiberius growled.
He shrugged. "She didn't follow you."
The king's lip twitched back from his teeth, but he stopped, took in a breath, and calmed.
"If she gets hurt, I'll kill you," Tiberius snarled.
"No, you won't," Nemyria said, striding to his side.
He rolled his eyes, but wrapped his hand around hers. Together, they strode to the castle gates, Tiberius ordering them open.
On the other side stood an obsidian purple female, the same male from yesterday, and another male that had to be his father.
Nemyria paused at the sight of the female.
She recognized her. She knew not how or why, but she recognized this female. Her scent was oddly familliar, and she could have sworn she'd seen those eyes before.
The female, she knew, recognized her, too.
She almost sobbed, lurching for Nemyria. Tiberius snarled as he put himself between the two. His hand shot out to grab her wrist, his claws digging into her skin, and he yanked her close to him.
"Do not touch my mate," Tiberius growled.
The female stared back, defiant.
"Tiberius, let her go," Nemyria ordered.
The king paused. He looked back at his mate, lifting a brow.
"Just... Let her go. Please," Nemyria asked.
He let the female go. She stepped past the king, her gaze on Nemyria. She looked her over, then took a small step closer. Nemyria offered the woman a smile, although she didn't quite know why. At that little act of acceptance, the female sobbed and threw her arms around the girl, drawing her into an embrace. Nemyria blinked, shocked.
It took her just a moment longer, but it clicked.
"Mom?" Nemyria asked.
The female nodded, hugging her tighter. Joy sparked in Nemyria's chest, and she returned her mother's embrace.
Tiberius stiffened, surprise lighting his eyes.
When Nemyria drew back, she smiled down at her mother. Meeting the female's purple gaze, she said, "You're really her? You're really my momma?"
She nodded. Taking her daughter's hands, she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well, thank you," Nemyria said, "Thank you for giving my to my parents. You have no idea how much they meant to me."
She nodded, her smile widening. Nemyria smiled, and looked to the other two demons. "Who are they?"
The male from the day before answered her. "I'm your half brother. This is my father, and he's my mother's mate."
Nemyria chuckled. Looking back to Tiberius, she said, "See? I'm a bastard, through and through."
"I never said you weren't," he replied.
She laughed. Turning back to the demons, she said, "Come in. Please. I want to meet you properly."
Tiberius opened his mouth to object, but Cloven cut him off with the wave of a hand.
The obsidian female looked to the king, and Nemyria waved him off.
"He's my mate. Don't mind him," Nemyria said.
Her mother blinked, then smiled widely. She purred, her eyes glowing.
"Thank you," Nemyria said, "He's a prick sometimes, but he treats me well."
Her mother hugged her again, and the family walked into the castle walls.
*
Tiberius begrudgingly allowed them in, and he led them to a private room where they could talk.
He almost dutifully stationed himself at his mate's back, ready to kill anyone who even looked at her wrong, but he remained quiet. She mostly ignored him, save for the fact that she held his hand, ensuring he knew she was comfortable and safe as she talked with her fanily.
Her mother, who's name she discovered to be Xusme, had met her mate three years after leaving Nemyria, and had married him after finding out her father had died. They'd had her half brother a year after that, and had been careful not to mention who her father was.
Tiberius departed only when Nemyria asked him to retrieve lunch. He returned less than five minutes after, enough food for all of them on the plate.
He sat down beside her, draped an arm over her shoulder, and made her a smaller plate, all while keeping an eye on her family. He did not eat, but he did encourage Nemyria to quiet long enough to eat.
"So, what are your plans now?" Nemyria asked.
Her mother shrugged. Her mother's mate, named Axicien, replied, "We didn't really have a plan for after we found you. It all depended on your situation."
Nemyria tilted her head. "Oh?"
"Truth be told, we expected you to still be with your adopted family," he said.
"I wouldn't be, even if they hadn't have died," Nemyria said.
Her mother stilled.
"They died nine years ago. I've been living on my own since," Nemyria said.
Her mother dipped her head in an apology.
"Don't apologize," Nemyria said, "They raised me well."
"They must have, if you survived the vampire streets," her half brother, Favian, mumbled.
Tiberius stiffened. Nemyria rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Toby, living on the streets in a vampiric city is pretty damn hard during a blood moon," she said.
He looked down at her, his eyes narrowing. "Someone hurt you."
"A lot of people, actually. Some of them ended up dead, some got away," Nemyria shrugged, "The demon blood does a lot to keep one alive."
"I'm sorry," Tiberius said.
She shrugged. "It's not your fault that blood moons do what they do."
He pressed his mouth to her hair, and he did not reply. She sighed, and she turned back to her family.
"What do you want to do?" Nemyria asked.
Xusme looked to her husband, who nodded. She turned back to her daughter while her husband explained.
"We had been planning to ask you to come with us. But, seeing as you're mated, we'd like to ask that we might be able to visit every now and then," Axicien said.
Nemyria smiled. "That's alright with me."
Tiberius did not argue, thank goodness. At her next words, however, he stilled.
"Although, if you'd like, I'm sure you could stay a few nights. Maybe move in if you felt like it," she said.
"Nemyria," Tiberius warned.
"You wouldn't bar my family from living with me, would you?" Nemyria said.
"No, but they more than likely have a home already," Tiberius said.
It may not have been the whole truth, but Nemyria accepted it.
Axicien seemed to agree. "Indeed, we do, and we have no plans of leaving soon. Thank you for the offer, Nemyria, but we'll stick with the occasional visit."
She dipped her head. Raising it, she asked, "Then would you like to stay the night?"
Her mother nodded. Nemyria smiled, and looked to Tiberius. "Is that okay?"
"I suppose," he grumbled.
She chuckled, and he sighed. "I'll have rooms prepare for you. While you wait, you may go wherever you please, so long as my Nemyria and her guard are with you."
Xusme dipped her head in thanks.
Tiberius kissed his mate's hair, mumbling, "Be careful, love."
"And where are you going?" Nemyria asked.
"Meeting," he replied, "Stay safe, my love."
"I will," she promised.
He kissed her hair one last time before slinking off. Gavrynn soon took his brother's place, silent and awaiting orders.
"So," Nemyria said, "Where would you like to go?"
Her parents exchanged a glance. Axicien asked, "Would you happen to have a garden?"
Favian groaned. Nemyria chuckled, smiling. "We do."
And so they left for the garden.