I'M MARRYING THE DEMON PRINCE BUT I'M WANTED BY HIS FATHER

The sound of rustling silk filled the dimly lit chamber as Ember shifted under the heavy blankets, her mind still groggy from sleep. A strange warmth pressed against her, strong and firm, and the scent of something wild, burning, intoxicating filled her nose.

Her brows furrowed.

Why did her pillow feel so… alive?

Her fingers twitched, pressing against the fabric beneath her hand….except it wasn't fabric. It was skin.

Warm. Hard. Muscle.

Her eyes snapped open.

And there he was.

Kaelith.

Lying right beside her.

Not beside her, against her….his bare chest dangerously close, one arm lazily draped over her waist as if it belonged there. His silver-white hair cascaded over the pillow, some strands falling over his smooth, arrogantly beautiful face. His lips were slightly parted, his breathing steady.

Her stomach dropped.

Her brain short-circuited.

Then, as if the gods themselves wanted her to suffer…..

His legs shifted, intertwining with hers beneath the silk sheets.

Ember froze.

Every fiber in her body screamed in warning, but her traitorous heart hammered in her chest, heat curling through her veins in a slow, unbearable burn.

This was not happening.

Her pulse spiked, and without thinking, she reached out and shoved him.

"Kaelith!"

His body didn't budge.

Instead, his grip tightened, his voice thick with sleep.

"Mm?"

"Let go of me!"

His lips curled in amusement, eyes still closed. "I am letting go," he murmured. "Just… not yet."

"Kaelith!"

He groaned, rolling onto his back….except instead of letting go, he took her with him, pulling her on top of him in one smooth, infuriating motion.

Ember yelled, hands flying to his bare chest as she tried to push herself off.

His blue eyes cracked open, dark and lazy with amusement. "You're awfully loud in the mornings, little human."

"Get off of me!"

Kaelith smirked. "You're the one on top of me, sweetheart."

Her face ignited.

"I hate you!" she hissed.

His smirk widened. "You were clinging to me all night," he teased, voice slow and infuriatingly velvety.

"I was not!"

"You were," he drawled, arching a brow. "And I was such a gentleman about it. I didn't even take advantage of the situation."

Her mouth opened….then closed.

She wanted to argue, to deny every single word….

But his grip on her waist tightened ever so slightly, and the heat of his body was everywhere, too much, too close….

Her thoughts derailed.

"Get. Off." she growled through clenched teeth.

Kaelith sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine."

And then….

Instead of rolling away…..

He flipped her over so she was pinned beneath him.

Her breath caught in her throat.

His weight was a dangerous kind of comforting, solid and warm, but his eyes….

His eyes were something else entirely.

Dark. Smoldering. Hunger masked behind amusement.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then….

He leaned in, his breath fanning against her ear.

"You're blushing again," he murmured.

Her entire body burned.

And just when she thought she was about to explode…..

A loud bang echoed through the door.

Kaelith groaned. "What now?"

Ember shoved at his chest. "Get off of me!"

He finally moved, rolling off her with zero urgency, stretching lazily as if he hadn't just trapped her beneath him like a damn predator.

Another knock.

"Your Highness!" A voice called from the hallway.

Kaelith sighed, rubbing his temples. "This better be important."

Ember scrambled out of bed, still glaring at him.

Kaelith smirked at her disheveled appearance. "You should fix your hair before someone thinks I actually did something to you."

Ember grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his face.

It missed.

Kaelith laughed.

She hated him.

With one final glare, she stormed into the adjoining dressing chamber, slamming the door behind her.

Kaelith exhaled, rolling his shoulders before calling out, "Enter."

The door opened, revealing a palace guard.

The demon bowed deeply. "Your brother has arrived, My Prince."

Kaelith's amusement vanished.

The air shifted.

"…Which one?"

The guard hesitated. "Lord Xeylan, Your Highness."

Kaelith's entire body stilled.

The temperature in the room dropped.

Xeylan.

His eldest brother.

The one person he never wanted to see again.

Kaelith exhaled slowly, masking his emotions beneath his usual smirk.

"Where is he?"

"The Grand Hall, Your Highness," the guard replied. "He arrived unannounced."

Of course, he did.

Kaelith ran a hand through his hair. "Tell him I'll be there shortly."

The guard bowed and exited.

Kaelith leaned back against the bedpost, expression unreadable.

Ember peeked from the dressing chamber, her curiosity evident.

"You looked pissed," she said bluntly.

Kaelith's lips curled. "My brother's back."

Her brows furrowed. "The one you don't get along with?"

"The very one," he mused.

Ember hesitated. "Should I… go with you?"

Kaelith's eyes flickered toward her….an unreadable emotion passing through them.

Then, he smirked. "Tempting. But I'd rather not let Xeylan sink his teeth into you just yet."

Ember scowled. "I don't like how you said that."

Kaelith chuckled. "Be good while I'm gone, little human."

And with that, he disappeared through the door.

Meanwhile…

Xeylan sat lazily in the Grand Hall, swirling a glass of demon-wine between his fingers.

His silver-blue eyes flickered as a youngling knelt before him, eagerly recounting the palace's latest gossip.

"....and she doesn't leave his side, Master Xeylan!" the youngling finished excitedly. "He lets her stay, carries her around, even sleeps beside her!"

Xeylan's lips twitched.

"Interesting."

A human, again.

His dear little brother never learned.

The doors creaked open.

Xeylan's smirk widened.

Kaelith strode in, his expression cool and unreadable.

Xeylan took a slow sip of his drink before setting it down, tilting his head.

"How long has it been, little brother?" he mused.

Kaelith stopped a few feet away, arms crossed. "Not long enough."

Xeylan chuckled. "Is that any way to greet your beloved elder brother?"

Kaelith exhaled sharply. "Why are you here, Xeylan?"

His brother leaned forward, his smirk widening.

"Why, for the festival, of course."

His gaze flickered with amusement.

"And to meet this human you seem so fond of."

Kaelith's eyes darkened.

But Xeylan's smirk only grew.

This was going to be fun.

The chamber was silent, save for the faint crackling of the fireplace.

Ember exhaled, pressing her fingers against her temples. She was exhausted.

After Kaelith had left to deal with his beloved brother, she had decided to finally bathe and change. The weight of the day's events sat heavy on her shoulders, the tension between them lingering in the air like a storm waiting to break.

She loosened the sash around her robe, sighing as the silk slid from her body, pooling at her feet. The cool air kissed her bare skin, sending a shiver down her spine as she reached for a fresh garment.

Then…..

The door creaked open.

Ember froze.

A cold presence swept through the room, thick and commanding.

It was not Kaelith.

Slowly, she turned, her breath catching as she found herself staring at the Demon King.

His silver-blue eyes locked onto her naked form, unblinking.

He didn't move. Didn't speak.

He simply watched.

Ember's skin burned, but she couldn't move…..her limbs felt paralyzed, as if some invisible force had rooted her in place.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

"Move. Move, damn it!"

But she couldn't.

He had put a spell on her.

The Demon King took a step forward, his movements eerily slow, deliberate.

His expression remained unreadable, yet his fascination was palpable.

His eyes trailed over her exposed skin, his gaze sharp….assessing, calculating.

Then…..

He reached out.

His fingers brushed against her collarbone, trailing down to the curve of her left breast.

Ember's entire body shook.

Her breath hitched, but she couldn't react.

Her body refused to listen, trapped under an invisible weight, her pulse racing as he traced the bare skin of her arm so lightly it almost felt like a ghost's touch.

Then…..

"Do not touch her."

A deep, guttural growl erupted from the doorway.

The spell shattered.

Ember sucked in a breath, stumbling backward as Kaelith appeared.

His eyes blazed, his face twisted with pure, unfiltered fury.

Before she could react, he was between them.

Kaelith snatched a robe from the bed, wrapping it around her shoulders, his movements swift….possessive.

His entire body was tense, a dangerous energy radiating off him in waves.

For the first time since entering, the Demon King finally acknowledged his son.

Their gazes clashed, the tension so thick it felt like the room itself might collapse.

Kaelith bared his fangs, his voice dangerously low. "You dare touch what is mine again?"

The Demon King remained silent.

Then…..

Without a word, he turned and walked away.

The door shut behind him.

Leaving behind a storm waiting to erupt.

The Breaking Point

Kaelith stood there, seething.

Ember clutched the robe around her shaking frame, her mind still spinning.

She turned to him, her voice shaky. "What… was that?"

Kaelith didn't move.

His hands were still clenched into fists, his jaw tight, his breathing uneven.

Then, without warning….

"You let him touch you?"

The words came flying out before he could stop them.

Ember stiffened. "What?"

Kaelith turned to her fully, his expression still dark with fury. "Are you that desperate?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

Ember stumbled backward, as if his words had physically struck her.

Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. "What did you just say?"

Kaelith's mouth opened….then closed.

Too late.

The damage had already been done.

Her face twisted with anger, humiliation….hurt.

"You," she seethed, her voice trembling, "are unbelievable."

Kaelith exhaled sharply, his own anger still boiling beneath his skin. "Ember, I…."

But she wasn't listening.

"All of you are insane!" she snapped, shoving past him. "I should have never come here!"

She yanked on the robe, dressing in a hurry, her movements wild, frantic.

Kaelith reached for her, but she jerked away.

"You really think I wanted that?" she shouted, her hands trembling. "That I let him….."

Her voice broke.

Kaelith's gut twisted.

Ember shook her head. "Coming here was a mistake."

Then…..

Before Kaelith could stop her…..

She was gone.

The doors slammed shut.

The Aftermath

Kaelith stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been.

His breath was heavy, his heartbeat uneven.

He had messed up.

He had never wanted to see that look on her face…..the way she had recoiled, the way she had broken.

And now…

She was gone.

The realization hit him hard.

A muscle in his jaw ticked as he strode toward the door, his anger slowly being replaced by something else.

Worry.

He knew Ember.

Knew her stubbornness.

Knew she wouldn't stop….not until she was far away.

Too far away.

A flicker of unease crept into his veins.

His fists clenched.

He turned to the nearest guard. "Where did she go?"

The guard hesitated. "She….she left through the east gates, Your Highness. She ran into the forest near the mountains."

Kaelith's entire body tensed.

The forests near the mountains.

The one place she should never go.

He didn't waste another second.

He bolted.

The cold night air hit him as he stepped out of the castle, his boots crunching against the earth.

His glowing blue eyes scanned the darkened treetops, his pulse hammering against his ribs.

Where was she?

The deeper into the forest he went, the more unsettled he became.

This place was dangerous.

Demons lurked here….the kind even he wouldn't take lightly.

The fact that Ember….a human….had run off alone…

His stomach twisted.

Then….

A sound.

A faint rustling in the distance.

Kaelith's head snapped up.

And then….

A scream.

Her scream.

His blood ran cold.

Kaelith's entire body moved on instinct.

He raced through the trees, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"EMBER!"

The trees blurred around him as he moved faster, faster….

And then…..

He saw her.

Cornered.

Three shadowy figures loomed over her, their glowing red eyes dripping with hunger.

One of them lunged.

Kaelith snarled.

And then….

He struck.