It Was Always You

**Aileen POV**

His lips were so close to mine. I wanted to turn away. I should have turned away. Sure Shiuku would never love me and was using me...I shouldn't let this happen. But his face was so handsome and my body was yearning to give into him, let Devon take the lead. Lips too close to mine formed three words I never expected to hear from him. "I love you."
Sparks flew zapping all over me when his lips captured mine in a sweet gentle kiss. His lips moved slowly against mine as if asking for permission, something I had never experienced before. I had always been dominated, or forced. I shut off my brain, weeding my fingers in his hair and kissing Devon back. Just like him, I was very timid. Neither of us applied much pressure at all. We tenderly let our concealed feelings for one another out. All too soon we parted, staring at each other deeply. My brain started to work in overdrive at what I had just allowed to happen.
"I that was Dev" I couldn't form a cohesive sentence. Words failed as if my IQ dropped to six.
"I love you." Devon stretched his hand out, cupping my face lovingly. "One more."
I had no time to answer when he brought his lips back down on mine a bit harder this time. The warmth his presence put in me was almost too much to bear. Everything was all fuzzy. There was no denying myself now. I was head over heels in love with Devon. He moaned against my mouth, kissing me faster. I gripped his hair tighter and stood up on my tiptoes kissing him back just as aggressively. This felt right, I never wanted Devon to leave my side. We fit so perfectly together. No Prince Roy wanting my position, no Shiuku solely caring about getting a child, and no Father telling me who to marry. In this moment, it was just Devon and I sharing a kiss and proving our affections for the other.
Devon's tongue flicked against my bottom lip. I opened up for him. Our tongues teased and tasted each other. We both explored each other's mouths. This was the passion I craved. Devon made me feel safe, protected, and loved; all the sensations I only had initially here. Why couldn't I have been his true love? Never did I think I would wish to be a demon, but damn it this felt so right. If I could have been blessed with a true love...
Awareness had me pushing back on Devon. He groaned sexily, nipping at my lip before ending the kiss.
"Aileen..."
"I...I can't do this! I love you so much, but I wasn't made for you. You had a true love and now... God, I just cheated! Alaric was right! I'm nothing but a whore. A human should make the most of their situation. We don't get soul mates, so I should have just made the most out of never being loved. I'm a babymaker! My usage was always for breeding, exactly like Mother." I was becoming unhinged.
This wasn't me! How could I have kissed another man. Shiuku was an evil bastard responsible for so much death, including my Kalum and I did hate him, but. Damn it!
"Aileen you are-"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I hope your true love didn't witness this from heaven. Please, don't let this mess up our friendship." I wanted a tornado to swoop me up. Devon could create one right now and I would not argue.
"Aileen just listen for a moment, there is no reason to be hyperventilating."
"No reason! I just kissed you! I cheated on Shiuku!"
For the first time Devon did lose his temper with me. A spiral of wind tore up the blankets and sheets of Shiuku's bed. Shines of white started glowing in his irises. "Shiuku cheated! Tell me, when you came to this dimension, where did you land?"
Shiuku said he was loyal. He was sleeping with someone else? What did any of that have to do with the day I ended up here?
"The DSS forest. Kaibec found me in the rain crying out for my Father. Next thing I knew I was adopted by the Hemmer family." I told the events in a bland tone.
"You know Shiuku told me you were dropped off by the vortex on a beach. The Hemmer family found you on vacation. And he told me Kaibec killed my true love in the forest. Now why would he lie about that?"
I heard this story before. The reason Devon didn't have love in his future. All he added was the beach thing.
"I talked to Kaibec when delivering your letter. You know he only saw one girl in a forest that day. And he didn't kill her. No, he found her a demon slayer family!"
None of this was making sense. Devon placed small kisses all over my face while I stood in silence. The girl Kaibec saw...Shiuku lying... Devon wasn't...
"Shiuku knew you were my true love and used me to make you fall for him. He cheated both of us. I've been fighting this need to protect and care for you. Even in the dreams I pleaded that you would get away. I loved you back in the forest, I loved you in your dreams, and I love nothing more than having you in my arms. You were meant to be mine. I Fucking Love You. I love you so much. And now I'm cursing myself to hell for telling you. I swore that I wouldn't. Why couldn't you just believe those gifts were from him? All I would have cared about was that you were happy! That's all I long for."
He continued, "I don't deserve any of this. Hell, I was partly responsible for landing you in his clutches. And you talk about me being a part of your family?! You offer something I've always wanted and...he stole you. He used my aura to make you think it was him. All you two's kisses, touches, comforts; they were all mine! He used me and misled you. Every night I would rather a pissed off Tom boil the skin from my body and slice the peels off then know that you are in Shiuku's bed. To know that I'm greatly responsible for it. I failed you! I screwed us up!"
He was ranting. I could see the terror and helplessness of years in Shiuku's service. There was so much loneliness that shattered Devon into someone else. All of it must have added up to him creating an illusion that I was his true love. I was human and we don't have soul mates.
"Devon, you need to clear your head. You're speaking nonsense. That girl couldn't be me. I am human." He stared at me like I grew I'd transformed into a burly man and started dancing the hula in this depressing atmosphere.
Since our kiss, Devon had yet to stop showing me affection. He kissed my forehead. When he pulled back, he was staring directly into my very soul. I felt more naked now then when all I had was a blanket covering me. I really wished I was his true love. If I had the power to take all his fear and sadness away, I would trade damn near anything.
"Humans do have soul mates. You just don't have a reaction when first spotting them. Lena and Tom are true loves." Devon didn't seem confused and spoke with confidence.
Shiuku lied to me? Then Devon is...
"You're not just projecting her onto me?"
"I'm not." Devon began talking me through his conversations with Lena and Kaibec. I got a lesson on aura and how Shiuku had used Devon's. Him being in my dreams was on purpose. Shiuku had expertly calculated everything to get his child in me.
Disgusting. Gross. This was so wrong! The stress from all this new information was too much. Devon was my true love. Shiuku exploited the weakness in my heart. He manipulated me!
"We will find a way through this. No matter what, you are my family now; just like Lena and the others. Shiuku won't get away with using us forever. For now; I hate this, but I can't do anything more than that kiss. But this heart charm, it's you. It is our promise to each other. Never forget it." I crossed the room flooded with far too much. "Sekai hasn't babysat me in awhile...I...I'm going to go to her for awhile. Don't worry I won't get in any trouble...I know the way to her room!"
There were too many things going on in my mind. It wasn't until I turned the corner just a few doors down from Sekai's room that I realized my mistake. Devon had poured his very soul for me. I loved him too so sooo much, but Shiuku was a huge obstacle. What were we supposed to do now? We couldn't take things any further and I didn't want Devon putting his life in any more jeopardy. It wasn't like I could simply break up with Shiuku. He would destroy every member of my family, including Devon. Shiuku would surely torture him to death if he found out any of our conversation. Let Devon live and I will be happy. I need him to be free of Shiuku. That's what matters now.
"What's the emergency you crazy- Aileen? Aileen! Are you okay?!" Sekai pulled me into her room.
I wiped at my sweat. Sekai studied me, glancing around every so often. "Time to start your shift. Can we talk please."

**Devon POV**

She bolted out of here. What had I done!? I get a real friend that I can talk to and I kiss her. All I did was make everything worse! Stupid, how could I declare my love for her!? She threw me off base with that family comment and I had just... Damn it all! This was why I wasn't supposed to tell her. Now she'll suffer more trying to sort out all her complex feelings.
But she did say that she loved me too... Fuck what the hell now? A kiss was already pushing the envelope. I didn't want to cause her any more suffering, or voices.
My true love would feel guilty for kissing another man, despite the one she is with admitting to never loving her. She will call herself a slut. I doubted there was anything I could say to convince her otherwise. I could scream to any aliens in the sky all the ways he wronged her.
Aileen was only here because he threatened Trevor. He ordered Kalum's death. Shiuku convinced her that it was her duty to be with him because she was human. He used my aura to make her fall for himself, then got mad when she wanted more from him than being a baby maker. None of that would matter to her, the voices in her head would be screaming whore at her any second.
I regretted my actions, but...
Fuck, but I really did love our lips touching, it was the absolute best. Well, that or maybe when she kissed my heart. That was a special kind of flutter. I...could be happy with that. I could die with that memory and be content. What really mattered was freeing her from Shiuku. I only need her happiness.
A buzzing snapped my attention away from my brain going into hyperdrive. I was happy with this call. We needed to talk.
"My Lord..." Stay calm. You'll make yourself more suspicious!
"Hello, my half demon, we have some things to discuss."