“Gray and Mal are mated now,” says Pink carefully, as if explaining something to a small child.
I huff my annoyance. “Yeah, I know that. Marriage for paranormals with added magic shit.”
Pink shakes his head at me, but he is still smiling. “Well now, you’re Gray’s kid too.”
My jaw drops. All the way to the floor by the feel of it. And I swear my eyes are bugging out. What the actual hell? This cannot be happening.
“You’re saying I have a twink demon step-dad?”
Pink nearly spits out his coffee everywhere. He laughs until he has to wipe tears away from his eyes.
“Looks like it,” he wheezes.
Well, fuck my life.
Chapter three
Blue
Ishould just knock on this flipping door. Pink is nice. I’m not scared of Pink. There is no need to be nervous.
Maybe I should go to my soundproof room and sing for a bit? That always makes me feel better. I could do that and then come back.
Pink’s bedroom door opens, and he startles when he sees me. But his look of surprise quickly morphs into recognition and warmth.
“Oh hi, Blue, did you want to come in?” he asks.
His brown eyes are calm. Bright. There is life in them and it is an amazing thing to see. Back in the harem, his eyes had been dull and lifeless. Filled with nothing but despondency. He had given up.
Now look at him. I’m so proud of him. And it has to mean there is hope for us all.
I nod and then remember I’m no longer masked. “Yes, please.”
“Great, I was just getting a cup of tea.” He steps to the side and opens his door wide. “Come in, make yourself comfy. I’ll be back in a minute. Did you want tea?”
“Yes, please,” I say again, as if these are the only two words I know.
“Milk and two sugars?” Pink asks.
I nod. Pink has got pretty much everyone hooked on tea. He may be a magic holder, but he is still very much an English human, and apparently his habits are contagious.
He smiles and walks down the hallway. After he has gone, I step uneasily into his bedroom. The curtains are drawn and his room is lit softly with a lamp and a string of fairy-lights along one wall. Instrumental jazz music is playing quietly from a smart speaker. An open book is spread face down on the unmade bed.
Looks like I’ve disturbed him in the midst of reading. I hope he isn’t too annoyed with me. But he did invite me in. There is a comfy armchair by the bed, so I take a seat and settle down to wait.
Oh crap! I’m naked. I forgot about clothes. Again. Should I borrow something of Pink’s? Or has he been around paranormals enough that he has lost his human weirdness about nudity? Or did being a sex slave in a harem burn his natural feelings away?
I force down a swallow over my suddenly tight throat. Shit. Now I feel shitty and I can’t exactly start rummaging in Pink’s closet and help myself.
Just as I’m wondering what to do, Pink reappears with two cups of tea in his hands. Complete with saucers. He also has a packet of cookies tucked under his elbow.
“Do you want me to put some clothes on?” I ask sheepishly.
“Nah, you’re good,” says Pink as he hands me a cup of tea.
He places his cup and the cookies on the bedside table and then gets all comfy in his bed. He picks up his tea, takes a sip and sighs happily.
“So what’s up?” he asks.
