Their war the female boo.., p.3
Their War (The Female Book 3), page 3
We were never close, but seeing his body isn’t exactly fun.
Rock has the decency to look guilty, his hazy figure hunched forward in an attempt to appear small. He’s the same height as Aziel, but you’d never be able to tell.
Emily doesn’t carry the same timid position, the succubus appearing entirely unafraid in Aziel’s presence.
I lick my lips, my mouth dry as Aziel senses my anxiety through the bond and rubs at his sternum. He steps to the side, attempting to block my view of Asmod, but I grab his arm and hold him in place.
I’m not some child in need of protection.
“I’ll be taking my leave,” Emily says.
Her eyes dart quickly between Aziel and me before she escapes back through the portal.
I’ve never really liked her, especially after what she and her mate did with Charlie, and I wonder if Charlie knows just how well Emily and I are acquainted. I’ve never been directly intimate with the succubus, but I’ve taken enjoyment in seeing her be passed around the den.
I’m sure she’s seen similar of me.
“We got Asmod,” Rock blurts out, pointing to the body on the floor.
Aziel sucks in a slow breath, his shoulders rolling back as he does one of his breathing exercises in a clear attempt to remain calm.
I tighten my grip on his arm and pull him into me, hoping the touch helps him settle. Charlie’s pregnancy is making him possessive, more so than usual, and Rock taking her on side missions to the shifter lands isn’t helping.
My attempt to calm Aziel doesn’t seem to do much, so I bury my face in his neck instead. He shivers as my lips graze the mark I left on him, and I kiss the scar before scraping it with my teeth.
Charlie cares for Rock, and Aziel can’t hurt him. The shadow’s made it clear his loyalty lies with her, and we can’t punish him for putting her desires above our own. He’s good to her, and he keeps her safe.
“Go,” I warn Rock, jerking my head to the side.
He hesitates before nodding and leaving. He doesn’t bother using the ring he stole from me to teleport as he shuffles past Aziel and disappears down the hallway, the action showing just how confident he is in his position within our household.
He’s got Charlie’s protection, and he knows it.
With the hallway now empty, I let my lungs deflate and bring my attention to Asmod. He’s been stripped of his clothing, and I scan the stab wounds all along his neck and upper body.
What?
Aziel wouldn’t have killed my father like this, the work too uncoordinated. It looks like the shifters have cut up and torn off large strips of his skin over some of the sloppiest stab wounds, the sight even more confusing.
I turn to Aziel just in time to see him grimace and give a subtle shake of his head. It doesn’t take an expert to understand what’s happened, and I appreciate the care he and the shifters have taken to cover Charlie’s actions.
After seeing Asmod’s body, it’s obvious what happened, and I won’t acknowledge the lie I’ve been told.
“Gray,” Aziel says.
I feel disconnected from my body, and with a grunt, Aziel pries his fingers underneath mine to try to loosen my grip on his wrist. I struggle to do so, my brain slow to respond.
“Let’s get this over with,” he urges, nudging me toward Asmod’s body.
I gulp, ignoring the shouting from Charlie that travels down the hall.
It sounds like Silas has taken her to the library, and I listen to her lecture Silas as I drop to my knees beside my father’s body. I’m glad she’s not here to see this, even if I know she’s frustrated by the secrecy.
I’m more than happy to face her wrath if it means she doesn’t have to watch me steal the power from my father.
Aziel kneels next to me, offering his silent support as I place my open palm on Asmod’s cold chest. I can feel the power swirling inside him, and I squeeze my eyes shut as I reach for it. I’ve always feared I’m not truly his son, and I feel slightly relieved when his power responds and begins trailing up my arm.
It burns, flames licking my skin and settling in my chest. Lust demons may not be known for their strength, but being of royal lineage made him stronger than most.
I adjust, the pain growing as my father’s skin begins to lose its color. The pain moves to my torso before trailing down my legs, and it takes everything in me not to cry out. I clench my jaw shut to stay silent, breathing loudly through my nose.
“Gray?” Aziel asks, worry lacing his tone.
I can’t respond, the fire burning my throat and clamping the muscles shut.
Aziel opens our bond without another word, giving me an outlet for when it becomes too much. I can feel his power within it, and I faintly recall the last time he offered himself like this.
It was when I went to the human realm to bring Charlie’s belongings here, and I was furious to accept Aziel’s handout.
A small part of me appreciates it and wants to take him up on the offer, but I hold back. I want to do this independently, and I hate to admit my body’s too weak to take and hold all my father has to give. I’m still considered young for a demon, and I’m willing to admit I’m not particularly strong.
Absorbing all my father’s power will kill me, overstuffing my body until it explodes out of me.
Still, I try.
My entire body burns, and I drop my chin to my chest when it becomes too much. I can’t focus on anything beyond it, but I continue fighting Aziel’s help as I curl my fingers into Asmod’s cold skin. I can barely hear my shallow breaths over the sound of my blood rushing through my ears, and with a pained grunt, I begin funneling everything into Aziel.
It’s too much, and a low cry slips from my throat as I admit defeat.
Aziel’s lips meet my temple, his skin soft as he curls his body around mine and takes what I can’t.
I’ll take it back as my body adjusts, but that doesn’t stop the crushing embarrassment I feel from warming my cheeks. I’m not strong enough to take my father’s position as the King of Lust, and this alone proves it.
Valentine could probably take his power with no problem, the succubus older and stronger than I am.
“Does it hurt?” I ask.
Aziel nods.
I’m not surprised. This power is different than what I get from feeding, pure and permanent. It’s meant to be passed through bloodline only, and using the bond to let Aziel hold my father’s power goes against fate.
We’ll have to keep this from Silas.
I don’t release Asmod until his skin’s gone gray and his body’s empty. Aziel continues to hold me as I stare into the unmoving eyes of the man who created me.
I’m barely listening as Aziel summons two shadows.
“Burn the body,” he orders.
They turn to me, waiting for my confirmation before following through. I appreciate the respect, and I nod.
It’s best that way.
The shadows quickly remove Asmod from the room, their movements hasty. I’m sure Aziel isn’t giving off the friendliest energy right now, the burning inside him probably irritating.
“The attack from Mammon was just a test,” I say, eager to change the subject before Aziel gets it in his head that we should talk about my feelings.
Aziel takes a moment to respond, his body twitching as he struggles to adjust to the fire inside him. I also feel the heat, but the pain lessens with each minute. Asmod’s power will eventually feel like an extension of myself, but Aziel will never find comfort with it.
It’ll burn until it’s returned to the bloodline.
My guilt grows when Aziel lets out a low grunt. I move to take the power back, not wanting to cause him pain, but Aziel closes the bond before I’m able to retrieve any.
We both know I can’t, my body stuffed. I can barely contain what’s currently inside me, the power unsteady as it searches for a place to live. One wrong move and it’ll come exploding out of me in a dramatic display of death I’d rather not encounter.
“It’s okay,” Aziel promises, clearing his throat when his voice cracks. “We don’t need you overextending yourself, especially not now.”
I nod, grudgingly agreeing.
Mammon sent almost two hundred ogres to a small village on the outskirts of Wrath. They would’ve decimated the village if it weren’t for Rock’s warning, the shadow giving us just enough time to move troops into the area.
She was probably hoping to distract Aziel and draw his attention away from a deadlier second attack, but the readiness of the Wraths had the ogres retreating almost immediately. We were too prepared for her to follow through, and I’m sure the woman is re-calculating her plan as we speak.
It won’t be long before we see a real battle, though, and I’m dreading the deaths we’re sure to have.
“We can’t support both a war and the females,” Aziel admits.
I hum, distracted as his arousal fills the room.
My father’s lust has him aching in more than one way, a side effect of taking what doesn’t belong to him. We’ll have to keep this from Silas, too. He’s too attentive not to notice Aziel’s heightened arousal, and even if he tries to ignore it, the fates will know. Silas is rarely able to keep things from them, and the pain it causes him to try is nothing compared to the burn of my father’s misplaced power.
Aziel clenches his jaw and throws his head back, his eyes darting down the hallway, where Charlie is still fighting with Silas.
“Do you enjoy being with me?” I ask.
Aziel’s eyebrows furrow.
“Of course.”
“You’re not attracted to men,” I say, shrugging.
Aziel snorts, finding humor in my statement. “I’m attracted to you, Gray. I like touching your skin and feeling your body on mine,” he promises, grimacing as he pulls his erection into the waistband of his pants. “You’re my incubus, and I love feeding you.”
I smile. Good.
Aziel chuckles, clearly at my expense, before bringing his lips to my throat.
“Now, stop being so insecure,” he whispers. “It’s unbecoming for an incubus and the future King of Lust.”
I shut my eyes, debating whether or not it would be inappropriate to remove my clothes and put him inside me. I lied when I told Aziel how long it’s been since I last took a man. In truth, I haven’t been fucked since before we bonded, and I’m desperate for it.
I’ll die before I admit just how much I was holding out for Aziel, though.
He’d think me a lousy incubus.
“Your touch helps the burn.” Aziel says, pressing himself against me. “Fuck,” he continues, burying his head in my neck. “You smell so good.”
His lust is thick in the air, and I hold my breath as I fight the instinctual urge to feed. I can’t take any more right now. The fire in my lungs grows when I try, the pain amplifying until I’m convinced they’re bleeding inside my chest.
I glance down the hallway one last time before getting onto my hands and knees and lifting Aziel’s shirt. The tip of his cock is peeking out of the waistband of his pants, and I look up and meet his eye before sucking it into my mouth. Asmod’s power already has him on the edge, and it only takes Aziel a few seconds to cum.
I swallow every drop he spills down my throat.
“I’m sorry,” I say, wiping my lips as I pull back. “I tried to take all of it.”
Aziel’s eyebrows crinkle until he realizes I’m talking about Asmod’s power, not his dick.
“Don’t apologize,” he orders, squeezing my hips so hard, the skin’s sure to bruise. “You took so much, and when you get adjusted, you’ll take the rest. You’re going to be so strong, Gray. My strong, powerful incubus.”
He licks up the side of my neck, tasting me.
“You’re going to be the King of Lust.”
I crane my neck, silently begging him to bite me, and I’m pleased when his teeth sink into my neck a second later. All I’ve ever wanted was his physical claim, and I preen as he pulls away and admires his mark.
“We should go calm Charlie,” I say.
She’s still yelling at Silas.
Aziel grimaces, and I stand up and wait as he readjusts his clothing. I can’t help but smile, pleased with this side of him. My little virgin is finally experiencing intimacy.
I should buy him a memento to help him remember this year.
I wipe at my mouth to ensure all trace of Aziel is gone as I make my way to the library. Charlie sounds like she’s on the verge of tears, but I don’t blame her. I’d be hurt if I were in her position, but I don’t regret it.
I didn’t want to see her absorb my father’s power.
She spins to glare at Aziel and me the moment we step into the room, her lips curled into an angry snarl as she plants her hands on her hips.
“We need to talk,” she says, stealing the words straight from my lips.
She’s angry, but I can tell it’s nothing compared to Aziel’s fury as he nudges me aside and walks into the center of the room. He’s beyond pissed she left Wrath, and I’m sure he’s got his entire lecture already planned out.
“Yes, we do,” he agrees.
He glances at me, a nervous glint in his eye before he schools his expression. I cross my arms over my chest, struggling to ignore the burn in my veins as I step to the side and sit on the arm of the nearest chair.
I hate when Aziel stresses over me.
“What’d you do to Rock and Emily?” Charlie asks.
I don’t like her worrying about the female she was intimate with, and I purse my lips before glancing at Silas. He seems to be feeling the same way, the muscles in the side of his jaw tensing.
“Well?” Charlie urges when nobody jumps in to explain.
She wipes her palms against the sides of her pants, her face reddening as she glances between the three of us. Silas moves toward me, his nostrils flaring when he’s only a step away. I pretend I don’t notice as I stare at Charlie and Aziel.
“Where are Rock and Emily? And what happened with Mammon?” she asks. “I understand you guys are protective, but I have a right to know what’s going on. You can’t forcibly remove me from every situation you don’t like.”
Aziel runs a hand through his hair, and the bond between us squeezes as he begins to pace the room. His legs carry him down an aisle of messy books before he pauses at the end and turns back around.
Charlie glares at him every step of the way.
“Emily went back home, and I imagine Rock has done something similar,” I say.
Aziel storms back toward us.
“Do you have any fucking idea how dangerous it was to leave?” he asks. “We need to protect our people and keep clear heads now more than ever, and it’s impossible to do that when you’re off frolicking with Rock every time we turn our backs.”
Charlie winces, and I intervene before Aziel says something he regrets.
“We want you to have your freedom,” I say, approaching and cupping her cheeks, “but you need to understand you’re a weakness for us, one everybody knows about, and now’s not a good time to leave unannounced. Mammon attacked a small village today, one full of quiet farmers and large families.”
Her lips smoosh together, and I enjoy the sight as I tilt her face toward mine.
“The ogres would’ve slaughtered every man in the village before taking turns raping and murdering the women and children,” I continue. “That’s nothing compared to what they’d do if they got their hands on you.”
Silas clears his throat and joins me by Charlie’s side. Aziel continues to linger near the bookshelves.
“We will make a better effort to loop you into our plans and include you in decisions, but we expect the same from you,” Silas says. “No more running off.”
Charlie gnaws at her bottom lip before nodding.
“Would you have stopped me from going to the shifter lands and getting Asmod if I’d told you about it beforehand?” she asks.
Aziel scoffs. “Yes.”
He stalks forward, and I release Charlie’s cheeks as he comes to a halt in front of her. She clears her throat, refusing to back down. I enjoy seeing her stand up to him, and I step back to let her.
A piece of me wants to fight her battles for her, arguing with Aziel on her behalf, but I know that’s not my place. Charlie has her own voice, and I need to let her use it.
“And that’s why I don’t tell you things,” Charlie says. “You don’t respect my opinions.” Her gaze travels toward Silas and me. “None of you do.”
I don’t like being lumped in with Aziel and Silas, and it takes everything in me to remain quiet.
Aziel narrows his eyes. “What opinions have you provided?”
“I can ask Kato if he’d be willing to help you take Lust back from Valentine,” she says.
I faintly remember her bringing up that idea in Silas’s office, and she’s correct that we shut her down. Silas shifts his weight from foot to foot, probably also remembering.
“Kato’s a good man,” she says, “and I think he’ll understand where we’re coming from. I know he won’t be happy when he discovers we’ve stolen Asmod’s body, but I don’t think it will affect his decision. He knows we’re trying to protect the females for the right reasons.”
Aziel sucks in a deep breath, practicing one of his breathing exercises. Silas’s lips twitch as he recognizes the action, and I fight back a smile as I subtly nudge him in the side.
“Very well,” Aziel says through clenched teeth. “I’m meeting with my generals tomorrow to discuss Mammon. You’re welcome to join, and I’ll take you to see Kato after.”
Charlie beams, and her gaze darts toward Silas and me before she lifts on her toes and kisses Aziel. I’m pleased, and I cock my head to the side as I watch Aziel wrap her in his arms and deepen their kiss.
The scent of his arousal fills the room, but he’s smart and pulls away before it grows too intense.
This will be a problem until I can take all my father’s power, but I trust Aziel to be smart and keep himself under control.
He’s sure got a lot of practice.
