The Demon Who Fed on a Shark (19 page)

had hurt the Cunninghams deeply, especially Morgan’s grandparents,

and Malcolm and Yuki’s departure caused an ache inside Morgan

Alexis yearned to soothe.

“It’s not your fault,” Morgan told him. “It’s no one’s fault but

Sophia’s.”

A different time in his life, the words would have been a comfort,

but not a convincing one. Alexis would have blamed himself

regardless. But things were different now.

Elian cooed at him from his arms, and Alexis smiled down at his

son. “You’re right,” he told Morgan. “Just her fault.”

The Demon Who Fed on a Shark

129

He turned away from the harbor, heading back to the car. In front

of them, his family was waiting, Skylar and Byron Cunningham,

Layton, Rhys, and even Alexis’s parents. His future was there and his past behind him.

“Let’s go home,” he said with a smile.

Morgan kissed his cheek and grinned back. “I’m already home as

long as I’m with you.”

Warmth flooded Alexis as he distantly recalled the first time he’d

seen Morgan. Their first conversation flashed through his memory.

“And I hear incubi are gender-neutral. Does that mean you can’t

get hard? Do you get a period like women? Can you give birth?”

“Touché. I’d love to answer those questions but in private.”

He’d never have believed then that he’d find his other half in the

arms of a shifter. He’d never have thought his hunger would finally be sated by Morgan’s love, generosity, and desire. He’d been so close to losing it all, so many times, but still, their bond had endured, through fire, and hatred, and poison. Now, it was time to let go and just be

together.

As they made their way to their families, Skylar offered him a

small smile, as if guessing what he was thinking. Byron seemed

thoughtful, staring into the distance. He visibly shook himself and

looked at Alexis. “Hand me my grandson. I want to talk to him.”

Alexis did, amused at the affection he sensed behind the gruff

tone. Gently, Byron took Elian in his arms, holding him close. Alexis wondered if that was the way Byron held Morgan when Morgan had

been a child.

He was distracted from the sight when his parents stepped

forward. “It’s time for us to go, Alexis,” his dad said. “Take care of yourself and of your son.”

Alexis hugged his parents tightly. He hadn’t expected them to

come to his aid, but they’d proven that beyond all appearances, they

still loved him. “Thank you, Father. I trust you’ll come visit.”

“Of course,” his mother whispered.

130

Scarlet Hyacinth

As they broke the embrace, Rhys grinned at him. “And I’m

staying with you. Aren’t you glad?”

Actually, Alexis was glad since he would need another incubus to

aid him with raising Elian. Besides, he would miss his brother if Rhys left. Of course, he didn’t tell Rhys that. It wasn’t necessary.

Sometimes, being an incubus had real advantages. If they opened

their hearts, they could see each other’s emotions, and Alexis wasn’t afraid of doing so anymore.

Reluctant good-byes went all around, and then Alexis’s eyes fell

on Layton. Layton was silent, once more looking lonely and sad.

Alexis remembered what Layton had told him that day, when he’d

confessed his confusion over his new feelings. Whether Layton had

forgiven him or not, Alexis still thought he owed it to Layton to aid him through this. He was too happy with Morgan not to do so.

Grabbing Layton’s arm, he pulled the young seahorse away from

the group. “Now, tell me what’s on your mind. Hiding won’t help, but

maybe I can.”

At first, Layton looked doubtful, but then, he started to speak, “It

all started when I went back to school, a few days after your

disappearance…”

THE END

WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM

HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/SITE/SCARLETHYACINTH/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid

fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and

adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she

delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled onto romance.

As a writer, though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer

day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her

to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As

it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting

to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,

studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the

Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people

who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.

Also by Scarlet Hyacinth

Siren Classic ManLove:
Mate or Meal 1:
The Lamb Who Cried Wolf
Siren Classic ManLove:
Mate or Meal 2:

The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg

Siren Classic ManLove:
Mate or Meal 3.

The Love He Squirreled Away

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 4.

The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 5.

The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 6.

The Gazelle Who Caught a Lion

For all other titles, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/scarlet-hyacinth

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

• THE DEMON WHO FED ON A SHARK
  
• THE END