A knot tightened in Eddie’s belly. Rosabella was the last person she wanted to have a conversation with about Shade. “It’s all right⁠—”

“No, Eddie.” Rosabella tilted her head and held up one hand, the sage voice of reason in a vortex of cray-cray. “I’m your mother, and I can see the way the wind is blowing. And if you’ll pardon the expression, you are farting against a thunderstorm with this one.”

“Eh?” All the wind metaphors were getting confusing.

“God knows they’re pretty enough.” Rosabella smoothed the lap of her sparkly maxi skirt. “They’re gorgeous enough to make a smart woman want to do really stupid things.” She pointed to herself. “And in my case, a smart woman did a really stupid thing.”

Hmm? Would we say smart?

Cronus chuffed and gave her a doggy grin.

“But he said he loved me.” Rosabella heaved a tremulous sigh and squeezed a tear out of her right eye. “And I believed him. I gave him my innocence and my trust.”

According to Dee, both of those had disappeared long before Rosabella had met Wrath. “It’s okay, I⁠—”

“No, Eddie.” Rosabella gave her what passed for her best maternal expression of concern. “I need to have my say. I’ve not always been allowed to be a mother to you, but nobody can stop me from warning you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” She leaned closer. “Don’t fall in love with a hell prince.

According to Wrath, Rosabella hadn’t loved him, but the relationship between her parents was not one she wanted to wade into. “Shade and I aren’t…that.”

“Asmodeus is a demon.” Leaning forward, Rosabella went eye to eye with her.

Hell prince.

“A fallen angel.” Rosabella punctuated that with an eyebrow raise. “It’s in his nature to lie and deceive and take advantage of innocent women.”

Eddie didn’t see any of those in this bedroom, and her headache grabbed her head in a vice grip.

“Ah, Rosabella.” Shade strolled into her bedroom, every inch of him looking like the warning Rosabella had tried to impart. He smiled at Rosabella, but it was not the same smile he gave to Eddie. It didn’t touch the clear gray of his eyes. “There you are. Dee was looking for you.”

“What for?” Rosabella looked concerned.

Probably because Dee was an expert in getting Rosabella to do shit around the theatre.

“She didn’t say.” Shade shrugged and draped himself on the bed beside Eddie.

Cronus grumbled on a stink eye directed at Shade and shifted to the floor.

“But Dee is on her way up here.” Shade put his arm around Eddie.

Immediately something unknotted in her belly, and the pressure in her head eased. Maybe he had some kind of healing magic in his skin, or maybe it was just having him close?

Rosabella shot to her feet. “Well, then. I think I’ve said everything I came here to say.” She shot Eddie a loaded look. “I’ll go and find my mother.”

Shade watched until Rosabella had disappeared, and her feet clattered down the stairs.

“I don’t think she’s going to find Dee,” Eddie murmured. Shade was so warm, and her body seemed to nestle itself into him without her brain being one hundred percent on board with the idea. Then again, she had a headache, so her brain was probably on the fritz anyway. He smelled amazing, honey and musk with that sensual jasmine undertone. He smelled like safety and comfort, and other things her body had no business reminding her about. “Don’t you have a gathering happening?”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “We supernaturals are not known for our time keeping skills, and there are still a few key players missing.” He smoothed her hair off her forehead. “The lads told me she was upsetting you.”

She shot Cronus a look.

He yawned.

“Yeah.” She kept it casual, not wanting to relate the conversation about Shade to Shade. “But she’s Rosabella, so I’m used to it.”

“You should let Xerxes eat her.” Humor warmed Shade’s tone.

Xerxes drew his lips back and licked his chops as if he’d tasted something nasty.

Eddie laughed, and Shade’s laughter rumbled through her ear pressed against his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “Are you okay?”

“Yep.”

“Liar,” he murmured and tucked her into his side. “Let me guess.” He hummed. “Rosabella would like to warn you about the dangers of hell princes.” Cocking his head, he studied Cronus and then chuckled. “Sorry, demons. That we are not to be trusted and will break your heart without breaking a sweat.”

“Well…yes.” Heat climbed up her neck and over her face. With her mouthy hounds, he would never need to eavesdrop.

“She wanted to warn you not to make the same mistakes she did,” Shade continued, his big palm caressing her arm from wrist to shoulder. “And that ultimately you should kick me to the curb.”

“Would that be possible?”

“Kicking me to the curb?” Shade adjusted his position to look at her face. “I mean, you could try. Like I’ve said before⁠—”

“Nephilim are rare and thus unknown.”

He hugged her tighter. “And here I thought you weren’t really listening.”

“I listened.” Eddie found comfort in the steady beat of his heart.

“Did you also listen when I told you that I had already lost my heart to you?”

Everything in her wanted to believe that, but she still harbored that bit of doubt. If she gave herself fully to Shade, he had the power to destroy her. And not only in the world ending kind of way. He would end her world if he left her. “You also said you would court me.”

“This isn’t courtship?” He cocked his head and met her gaze, humor dancing in his eyes.

“There’s a concerning lack of flowers.” Eddie loved this playful side of him. It called to something in her that wanted to come out and play. “And bringing me meals on a tray is not the same as wining and dining me.”

“Hmm.” Shade made a show of thinking over her words. “The lads have clearly been leading me wrong.”

Cronus grumbled and closed his eyes again.

“I get it, Eddie.” His tone turned serious. “You’re not ready, and that’s fine with me. I have time on my hands, and you are worth every moment of waiting.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Wrath took a seat in the greenroom as far away from Ramiel as the small room would allow. The theatre humans were busy doing something in the bigger rehearsal space, which would have been better suited to all the thundering egos about to trap themselves in a plasterboard box.