If they seized control of the demon world, not only would they annihilate the threat of Naharan, but they would also curb the fear of a Breeder with power by making her Queen, thus establishing her in a position of authority—even if that would initially cause an uproar, especially among the demon females.

“We don’t have to go to Europe,” Kesh said, his brow wrinkled in thought. “We make our claim here. We find Naharan and make his crimes public, then execute him and claim dominion over the Northern Americas in the process. If the rest of the royal family objects, they will come to our territory and we will have the advantage. Or they give up control of the New World and we still accomplish what we set out to do.”

“It is a good plan,” Kirigan agreed. “If you truly care for the Breeder’s safety, you will do this, Kain.”

Kain grimaced. “I will think on it. When I return, I will let you know what I’ve decided.”

Without waiting for further input, he turned and walked out of the library.

As a Lord, he’d always had a natural inclination toward leadership and domination, but he’d never had any desire to rule more than his assigned city. After Selma… Well, shit, he’d hardly had time to adjust to having not only a mate, but also a child on the way. Yet every fiber of his being longed to be with her—to create a future with her.

Ruling a continent was not on his list of priorities.

Still, he could see no other way to ensure her safety. Even without her disturbing powers, he would need to kill Naharan to ensure the snake never tried to touch her again, and killing royalty… that meant war.

He hadn’t had time to talk to her yet, to try and figure out where the fuck the destructive light within her came from. Though he would have preferred to keep her in his arms, he’d needed to discuss their next move with his brother and father first, and Selma was clearly still more than a little unsettled at their demonic forms.

So instead of keeping her by his side where she belonged, he’d locked her in his old room to give her a little peace—a peace he now had to break. She deserved to know what was happening, and he would need to mate her again.

As much as his cock appreciated that prospect, his heart twisted unpleasantly. The pure horror in her eyes when she’d woken up and seen his true face would haunt him for an eternity, and knowing he would have to mount her while she was still able to see him like this caused dread to nestle in his gut.