Davarox knew whyhestood out.
“Yes, I listened to what Rose told me about that shitshow,” Dav growled, crossing and uncrossing his arms. “It’s not that I don’t care about Elliran. It’s that if Tarzul is responsible and so willing to make his assistant disappear, you think he won’t try something against Rose when she’s been a thorn in his side since she took that job?”
“Sothat’sthe real reason you’re here.” Laz poked Dav’s biceps. “You’re her big, bad bodyguard?”
Dav glared.
Laz only shrugged. “Whatever. It’s hot, is all I was going to say. Protective Dav is very attractive.”
Davarox shifted, maybe to subtly adjust his cock in his pants. Banter with Laz had always been easy, but with the new layer added to their friendship, he was discovering a lot about having to hide his arousal in public.
And maybe a customer had walked in right after Dav had released Laz from being pinned against the counter and promptly walked out. Davarox had starved himself of the red demon for over twenty-five years. He was allowed to live a little bit now.
At least, that was what he was trying to tellhimself, but the distance he kept from the male now was another story. Laz didn’t see it, but Dav did. The eyes that held fear, the recoils when he moved in their space, the grimaces when he simplyexisted.
He was not welcome here. Never welcome here. And by association, anyone who stood a bit too close to him.
Lazerath let out a long breath, turning to face him. “Listen, I want to talk to you about something.”
Dav flashed him a look, even if most of his attention remained on Rosalind. “There are very few things you’ve never just come out and said to me. What is it?”
The red demon traced the rim of his wineglass. “Well, seeing Sev again yesterday with, you know?—”
“His face.”
“Yes, his face. But there was no denying that terrified look in his eye when Ember was in trouble. And after, you know?—”
“Our love confessions.”
“Yes, that. I don’t know. It really got me thinking back to my non-first-date thoughts with Rose.”
Dav raised a brow, giving Lazerath another fraction of his attention. “You want to put babies in Rosalind?”
“No, I mean yes. Definitely. Can you imagine how fucking adorable our little half-human, half-demon babies would be?”
Dav’s insides went cold.
“Anyway,” Laz said, waving off that thought like it was an easy thing to do. “I meant the soulbonding thing.”
Davarox disguised his cough with the back of his hand, wishing maybe he’d had a glass of wine to wet his throat. But Rosalind had accepted one earlier, and he wanted to make sure she felt safe, and no one around here would even offer him a water.
“You believe she’s your soulbonded?” he asked after he knew he could trust his voice.
“Sure,” Laz said, shifting again so he could see her across the room. “I know Mozke told her a lot about demon culture, but I was thinking of just… running the idea by her, you know? Explaining it? I don’t know what humans believe and all, but I feel it.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I just sort of want that last bit out in the open. No more secrets.”
Dav remained silent, gaze shifting out of focus as the pit in his stomach grew. Or maybe it was in his chest, he didn’t fucking know anymore with his emotions so raw.
He blamed himself, for never really settling into them after Temptation. He’d been so stressed he couldn’t sleep, thought admitting to Laz his feelings would be the end of it, but then there was love in return, and maybe if he just focused on that, only that, forever that… everything else would just disappear.
But darkness still twisted inside him, more obvious than ever. Right in the empty space where his magic might have sat if he hadn’t been borndefective.
Tonight was just proof.
He didn’t belong here. His gray skin didn’t make him disappear in spaces like this; his gray skin madehim a target. He was a place to focus their disgust, to get a snide comment in at his expense just for a laugh and acceptance among their peers.
While nobles were usually the more archaic and obvious about their dislike of his coloration, Dav had been subject to the more subtle avoidances every day for his entire life. The demons who avoided his touch like he was diseased. Who refused to set foot in Lovable Loaf like a cake he frosted might steal their magic.
Like it was Davarox’s fault.
