I didn't even need to tell him what to get. He quickly grabbed the red silk robe hanging there and came back to me. He draped it over my shoulders like a gentleman, then went straight for the liquor cabinet behind my desk like a rogue.Help yourself, I guess.
Behind Alic, a couple of groans echoed, my wolf and my mage waking up from their unexpected nap.Great. They were going to want an explanation, which was going to be annoying, but I needed to deal with my troll first.
“Alic.” His shoulders froze. I slid off the desk, tied the rope from the robe around my waist, and carefully walked over to him. My hand landed on his shoulder.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
His head whipped up. His eyes full of horror, he gawked at me. “How can you say that? I-Itookyou. I just t-tossed you around andtookyou.”
I steadied myself, voice calm but fierce. “You didn’ttakeanything I didn’tgive,” I insisted, but he wasn’t listening, his eyes locked on my neck like it physically hurt him to see it.
He shot up to standing, reached toward me with a trembling hand, then yanked it back like he’d nearly touched fire.
That’s it.My wings flared wide as I hovered, bringing myself eye-level with him, and I jabbed a finger into his chest.
“Listen to me andlisten good.Iwantedthat,” I growled, pointing to the desk, then around the room. “I wantedall of it.”
He tried to look away, but I slapped him just hard enough to drag his gaze back to mine.
“I’m stronger than you, and I proved it. I’mstillhere. I wanted it. Irelishedit.” I landed on the floor, pressed against him, allowing me to feel his muscles tighten at the contact. I licked my lips, my voice dark and husky when I continued. “I want it again, and another time as well.”
“Hear, hear,” Lucus chimed from the bar, glass raised in a smug toast.
We glared at him.
He just laughed. “Gods, you two make thesameface. It’s adorable.”
“What the fuck happened?” Van groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head and surveying the destruction. “No, seriously.” His tone dropped into that boss voice that made everyone freeze. “What thefuckhappened?”
The wolf shoved a broken shelf off his chest, mask still on. He pointed to Van and echoed, “What he said.”
I was inhaling deeply, getting ready to spin something that made sense, when some hot demon with wide red eyes burst into view, shirt wrinkled, hair a mess, wearing a panicked look that immediately caught my attention.
“Aniyah, you need to get out of here. Something’s going on. I don’t know what, but I have a?—”
Before he could finish, a loudBOOMsounded above us as the building shook.
16
LUCUS
Ifound my mate, and she was a hellion on heels. If I could just get rid of these assholes orbiting her like flies, it’d be perfect.
Finding your mate—the one person made for you, not just in looks or temperament, but someone who could handle your worst moments, who understood you when you didn’t understand yourself—was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Sometimes you matched, same fire, same flaws. Other times, you were polar opposites, but fate never gave you what youwanted, only what youneeded.
In return, you cherished them. Prioritized them above all else. Made sure the world knew that you were each other's person in life, but that didn't happen for most.
My parents weren’t mates. Just two names from ancient families forced together to keep the bloodline pure. I often wondered if they ever wanted to find real love or if profitable indifference was enough for them. They were problematic like that.
Watching their cold indifference to each other, I knew I didn't want that. Mate or not. I wasn't going to be chained to someone that I loathed in the name of money or prestige. I wanted that fire, that warmth that would keep this dead body alive.
It was my uncle who’d taught me about mates. He found his, an unassuming human he turned just so they could stay together. He explained the pull, the instinct, how your body could recognize them before your mind ever caught wind, but it was different for everyone.
For werewolves, it was the wolf who chose. Mages found the one their magic wouldn’t touch. Demons exchanged blood and sex, and if the horns grew, it was a match. Vampires? We shared blood and searched for a mark on their skin. Fairies? Their eyes became kaleidoscopes of color and wings turned from sheer to iridescent.
So… why hadn’t Aniyah’s wings changed?
