“Kat, we won’t make you do anything, but we will also keep you safe if you choose to let go. We are a safe place because not only do we not mean you harm, but we also don’t want in your pants,” Rogue says as she uncorks the first bottle of Fae wine. “That means you reallycanmake whatever choice you want without worrying it will lead to scary shit.”
The small demon comes over to hand us the sweats, and I take mine. As I pull the big sweatshirt on, I’m pleased to find I was right about her roommate’s size. Undoing my clothes beneath it, I get my shirt, then bra, off and out through the sleeve before tossing them. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to do pants in your room if that’s okay. I feel you’ll have difficulty with semi-nudity, right?”
“Thanks,” Kat says with a sigh. “And also to you, Rogue. I don’t want to make any of the guys feel bad because… I am beginning to trust most of them. I’ve seen all the demons and animals now, and I have to see them semi-nude in the bathroom, but… It’s stillhard not to freak out. Iwantto handle things, though. I really do.”
“Knowing what you want is the first step. The next one is being able to take it, and Morgana suggested booze because it seems like your brain is the one preventing you from doing that.” Rogue waves her hand at her stack of clothes, and they swap with the ones she’s wearing as I get up to go change my pants. “If you don’t want to, it’s cool. But it might help you turn the brain off and let your feelings and questions go wild.”
“Oh,” Kat says as I step just out of sight in her room. “That makes sense. Idohave a lot of questions, and the doc gave me a pamphlet, but… it’s kind of scary? I understand it logically, and I know what plain sex is, obviously, but adding all this… extra… is very anxiety-inducing. Plus, um… Jasper and Zav are into… BDSM. That’s like… expert level.”
Rogue snorts, then giggles uncontrollably for a moment before she catches her breath. “By the way, I’ll kill anyone who tells people I do that, but it’s okay with you guys. It’s harder to get and keep dude respect, even from ones who love you, because they have the whole ‘rescue the maiden’ thing drilled into them by most parents and shit.”
When I come back, I arch a brow. “Your guys have that? I find that shocking.”
“Me too,” Kat adds. “Some of mine do, but they’re learning to listen better when I ask them to respect my boundaries.”
“Yeah, we all have to address that shit, trust.” I shut her door before I grab some of the food plates to bring with me. “And there’s always at least one arrogant asshat who fights shit toothand nail… both of ours are dragons and Rogue’s is a Fae. It happens.”
Of course, dragons are always a bigger problem than anything else, but that’s a whole different topic.
Eleven
LIAM
Kaspar wasn’t pleased with the decision to come down here, especially since I refused to let the others come without us. I understand why he’s hesitant; this is the second time we’ve had to step into portals to face situations we have little to no information on. He’s not thrilled with realm jumping outside of visiting our home, but I doubt this will be the last time we do it. The inter-realm conspiracy is huge, and though we’re forming alliances, it’s not a leap to assume we might have to visit places we have yet to go in order to stop it.
But I’m not mentioning that right now because he’s irritable enough with another old, powerful dragon in our midst—especially a royal one.
“How do you suggest we parse the groups?” I ask as the demon men lead us to the room at the end of the hallway. That must be the prince’s room—this floor is structured exactly how any royals in school would place their people. The door nearest his own is likely his second’s and that big guy is one hell of a number two. Kaspar is threatening, more so in dragon form, but Slash isphysically large enough to back lower supernaturals off without a word.
The small red-haired demon is escorting Jasper, and it’s not hard to figure out that their relationship is similar to mine with Lucas. I glance over at the tall, muscled athlete and he gives me a wink that would start my engines if we weren’t caught in this unfamiliar place with people we barely know. I wait for the whole group to arrive at the door, and when we do, I cross my arms over my chest impatiently. I’m not big on throwing my princely weight around, but I should get a fucking response to a simple question.
Finally, the rainbow-haired demon turns to face my family. “We prefer having more sensitive conversations within the walls of our rooms. Zav, Xerxes, and I frequently check them for all manner of surveillance to prevent any… traveling issues or plants from intruding. Please come in so we can properly discuss the division of labor.”
Oh… this place is more like Faerie than the surface.; I get it now.
Nodding, I walk in behind the demon prince but before the demon twins. Somehow, we’ve all been sorted into an order that means something to the hosting caliphate. I’m unsurprised that crowns enter first, and even less so that Kaspar is growling and I can hear Iggy whispering with Slade. Our group is gelling well, but we have issues to overcome unlike the Bay City group with the missing member. Prince Jasper’s bonded family is floundering in the wind as far as I can tell, but this is their turf and we have to follow their rules.
“Again, the difference in these goddamn rooms,” the bespectacled twin says as he finds a place on the floor in the main area. “It’s shocking, honestly.”
The prince gives him a toothy smile, and I roll my eyes. Aggravating everyone because he and the revealed girl in the other room are fighting is ridiculous. I know he’s easily as old as I am, if not more, and yet he’s still acting younger than the grad student he is. Members of his own group give him dirty looks and I chuckle as I find a chair to sit in. Protocol will dictate they give me one even if there’s only enough for their caliphate, and rather than argue about it, I’m going to let it go.
“Prince Liam, can I get you anything?” The fluffy tailed hybrid Kitsune smiles nervously and I shake my head. “Anyone else?”
“While we appreciate the hospitality, Draven, I think everyone is eager to hit the bricks. Our time here is limited, and we all have shit we need answered,” the elder demon twin says. “Someone get this show on the road.”
Jasper settles in his seat and looks around at everyone. “Fine, Gemini. This was not my plan, but I believe that we need to ensure equality of skill sets in each group. That requires us to know the basics of what you can do—mind, I’m not asking for a full disclosure, just basics.”
Lucas arches a brow at him. “That’s why we had to come in here? Doesn’t make sense, dude.”
“Probably becausetheydon’t want their skills known if there’s bugs,” the blond from Bay City grins as he leans against the wall. “When he’s not stuck as a funky chicken, Javi and D keep track of our spaces, too. D’s the tech guy, which I guess for you dudes is the foxy one, right?”
“Yes, Archie.” The Kitsune looks at me seriously. “Who do you have that is tech-skilled?”
Kaspar snorts. “We don’t have someone in our family who does it. We have associates. Next.”
That makes the other two groups raise a brow and I jump in before it gets uncomfortable. “Morgana is a mythical shifter hybrid who felt the call for her mates when she arrived at the university. We have shifters, magicals, Fae, a storm dragon, and a siren. Because of the issues at our home right now, there’s a Society-vetted legal tac team working with us on various things, and the tech person is part of that. It’s not a leak to be plugged; I promise.”
The long-haired demon—Xerxes, I think—nods. “That makes sense up there. It’s like us having the doc or The Keeper in our pocket, Jas. Plus, we have two more people to begin with than either of their families.”
