“I killed Marathin.” She caught his gaze and held it. “He was scheming with the Prince, but planned on double-crossing him to steal me away. He tried to rape me, and that power inside of me you saw at the queen’s palace awoke. What does that mean for the contract he had on my soul?”

“My father told me as much. It means you’re free. The only thing that can break contract magic is the death of the demon who created it.”

Despite his pride in her, Kain’s lip pulled up in a snarl at the mention of the scum who’d tried to lay a hand on his mate. For her sake, he was happy she was the one to kill him—the quiet strength that radiated from her now wouldn’t have been there if she hadn’t put an end to the monster herself. Still, every cell in his body ached to maim the man who’d hurt his mate.

“I hope it was slow and painful,” he added.

A smile ghosted across her lips. “You’re very demon-y when you say stuff like that—while looking like this.” She made a vague gesture toward his horns.

Kain snorted and eased himself down on the bed next to her. She didn’t flinch at his proximity, but he noticed she kept a hesitant eye on him.

“I know this is hard for you. It would have been easier if we’d been together longer and you had known me better before you saw my true form.”

She rubbed a hand over her belly and sighed. “Apparently Maell wasn’t kidding when he said I’m extremely fertile. What happens now, Kain? With Naharan and… and my powers? I’m not an idiot—I understand we’re in pretty deep shit.”

We. Even when he was in his demon form, she accepted that they were a unit with a shared future. It occurred to him that while neither of them had wanted a mate, they were both remarkably quick to accept their new bond. Surely it couldn’t all be hormones? It didn’t feel like hormones.

“We go to war,” he said softly. “There’s no other way.”

His mate nodded, her lips narrowed in determination. Yes, she’d grown infinitely tougher since he'd found her alone and scared in that warehouse.

“If you are Queen, no one will question your powers—even if you are a Breeder.”

She looked at him then, something he couldn’t quite identify shifting in her eyes. “And you? Will you question them?”

“There is nothing to question,” he said.

In reality there was much to question, but he didn’t want to rattle her any further. As brave a front as she was putting up, it likely wouldn’t take much more before she’d break.