“Better?” Atlas demanded.
“Fine.” Bel’s hands shook as he tried to push off the floor.
Atlas hooked an arm under Bel’s, helping his demon prince up. “You are not fine. Everything is not fine. And if you say the word fine one more time, I will throttle you!”
“You just said it three times,” Bel said with a grin. “And what does throttle mean? Do you do it with your dick?”
It was hard not to grin. No! Atlas was not going to let his mate be cute and distract him. “Stop it.”
Bel sighed. “Atlas—”
“Something is wrong and we both know it. You can’t keep ignoring the issue and thinking it will go away.”
“I don’t know what is wrong with me,” Bel admitted. Atlas helped him to the mattress and Bel sat down.
Atlas crouched in front of him, placing his palms on Bel’s knees. “Talk to me.”
Bel shuddered. “I’m scared.”
Digging his fingers into his mate’s knees, Atlas nodded. “Me too.”
“Sorry,” Bel spoke softly. “I don’t want you to worry. You’ve already been through so much.”
“No, we’re in this together,” Atlas told him. “And everything is…” He laughed, almost saying fine.
“Not fine,” Bel said.
“Not fine,” Atlas agreed. “What can I do?”
“Will you just hold me?” Bel asked softly. “I’d love to ride you, but I’m tired.”
“Of course you are.” Atlas rose. He urged Bel to lie back on the mattress before slotting himself beside him.
Bel’s big arm came around him as Atlas rested his head on Bel’s chest.
“I love you, Bel,” Atlas told him. “We’ll figure this out. If I’ve learned anything in the few weeks that I’ve been here, it’s that our group of friends can do anything.”
“They can,” Bel said.
“We have the literal king of hell, powerful demons, a mage…friends made up of the most powerful of paranormals.”
“Thanks, mate,” Bel replied as his eyes closed.
Atlas rubbed Bel’s chest above his heart until the demon’s breathing evened out.
He didn’t care what it took. Atlas would not lose his mate. It wouldn’t be fair. Bel had to be okay. Had to be. Atlas closed his own eyes as he listened to his mate’s strong heartbeat. Bel was going to be fine. Atlas would make damn sure of it.
* * * * *
Bel
Huddled miserably in his office chair, Bel tried to ignore his churning gut. He knew that Atlas was really worried and truthfully so was Bel. Demons didn’t get sick. There was no explanation that Bel could find why he was unable to keep his food down. For over nearly a week, Bel threw up anything he ate.
Mating didn’t make demons sick. It made them stronger.
Atlas walked into the room with Lucifer at his heels.
Bel frowned. Atlas had said he was going to make Bel some tea that Atlas’s grandmother insisted cured everything. Bel had told his mate that he could just magic it up but Atlas had wanted to do it by hand. Apparently, Atlas had done more than just make him tea. Although he was carrying a mug in his hand.
