I couldn't stop my lips flicking up at the edges as I reached up and brushed his cheek. "Do you need me to touch you, X?"
His jaw clenched, dark blue eyes flashing with enough heat to send a mini-orgasm through me. "Don't tease me, little morsel."
I curved my hand over the throbbing arousal in his dark-wash jeans, only sliding my hand along him once before his whole body stiffened and he choked out my name. Fuck, X coming was a sight to behold, his beautiful face tight, his lip caught between his teeth and eyes blown wide, pupils dilated. All because of me.3
"Delicious," a dark, rumbly voice purred, and I shuddered.
Oh, right.
The room was full of people.
"Hey, Dev. Long time no see. Sorry I missed the check-in, I was slightly caged at the time. But it's not all bad news. You can totally rule out the Band of Umber as your attempted murderers. They're more interested in a different kinda sword, if you get my drift."
A weird ripple went through the room.
Arkan stalked forward and set his hand on my lower back as X's invisible hands retreated and he pulled himself back together. A hard glint entered my incubus's eyes.4
Taj stiffened across the long room where he stood near his dad's giant throne, his bare arms crossed over his chest. "You thought the Band of Umber killed Koa? Why didn't you talk about it with me?"
"Just a suspicion, which I can now rule out," Dev replied calmly.
I watched the interaction with interest, wondering about the dynamic between these two. Did they fight constantly? Were they close? Did they hate each other?
No, Taj couldn't hate his dad if he'd been so fixated on finding the Eidolon trying to kill him. But them getting along well was almost worse. No, it wasdefinitelyworse. I'd been sexual with both of them, and they were absolutely going to find out, and I would not survive the crushing awkwardness.
"You sentmy mateto find your enemies?" Joseph hissed, so throaty and thick that he sounded like a pissed off cat. It reminded me of when we'd first met. "You sent her into a den of potentialmurderers?"
Ohhh, I never actually heard Joseph sound this pissed off.
A long, black cloak fluttered down from his shoulders as he stalked across the room, looking like he was about to fight the devil.
Dev propped his elbow on the arm of his throne and rested his chin on his hand, looking indolent and scathing. "I sent a fully capablekillerto dispatch my enemies. Don't underestimate what our mate can do."
I winced. Oh, yeah. This was a pissing contest. And that was sonotmy kink.
"Alright, alright," I groaned, extricating myself from the huddle of Arkan and X with difficulty. "Joseph, I'm fine, I didn't even get hurt. The worst that happened was I nearly got—actually, nevermind."
"Nearly got what?" Arkan asked intently, catching up to me and hooking me around the waist with a strong arm. "Nearly gotwhat, princess?"
When I didn't answer, he spun me into him, and I caught myself with my hands flat to his chest. His skin should have been frozen with how cold he spoke, but he was feverishly hot.
"Answerme," he demanded, as hard as steel. His pale eyes were narrowed in warning.
"Nearly gotslightlymarried to a very sweet but misguided leader's son."
Every single person in the room growled, or snarled, or hissed. I rolled my eyes.
"I turned him down—emphatically, thank you very much. And I mentioned having mates, so I was already taken."
Ah shit. I needed to spool those words back in.
Arkan's mouth twitched, his sharp mouth twitching into a near-smirk. "Taken, are you, princess?"
"Don't get smug, it's unbecoming," I grumbled, pushing off his chest but not particularly fighting when he reeled me back in for a swift, heated kiss before actually releasing me.
I missed you, beautiful, broken girl. The fortress is so dull without you,Dev murmured into my head, his voice husky and deep.
That's me, alright,I replied, trying out the ol' mind-speak thing.I'll liven any place up.
