Page 89 of Hell Fae Commander

Something both Typhos and I realize was wrong,Az said.He was trying to sensually punish us both. Not hurt us. But when I pointed out the similarities to what Constantine did, well, why do you think Typhos let me take my time in tracking you?

I ground my teeth together, unsure of how to reply to that. It almost sounded like an apology more than an explanation or an excuse, which was strange because Az wasn’t the apologetic type.

He knows something is going on now, that I’m hurting from something that’s happened to me, but rather than barge in to fix it, he’s trusting me to handle the situation—because I asked him to give me time. Does that sound like someone who’s a threat to Cami?

“I saw the way he looked at her last night. He wanted to kill her.”

Yes, while in the throes of chaos and confusion from the portal issue. She used his power to close it. He wasn’t seeing reason then. But he should be calmer now. We can talk to him.

I snorted. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Convince us that it’s safe to go back to the Hell Fae Realm for achat.” Like that was going to happen. “Cami’s safer here. It’s also her call to make, not mine.”

Az didn’t immediately respond, his Phoenix giving nothing away. His mind was also quiet, confirming he’d finished erecting his wall—or was perhaps close to the completion of his little mental project.

I hoped that wall of his kept him out of my thoughts, too.

I know I’ve broken your trust,Az said softly.I deserve your anger. Typhos does, too. But we can fix this, Ajax. Please let us fix this.

Fix what?I asked him mentally.What isthisto you?

Us,he replied without hesitation.You, me, Cami. Our future. Ourmating. I realize my bird took our choices from us, but there’s no going back. We can only move forward. And to do that, we need to fix this issue between us.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” I told him on a breath, my legs suddenly itching to move. So I did. Not far. Just pacing around in front of the still-seated Phoenix. “You froze me in place, Az. You made me watch while Lucifer humiliated her. How could you do that to me?To her?”

It was so fucking cruel.

So damnwrong.

“She hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s not like she’s purposely tapping into Lucifer’s powers. It’s just… happening. You’ve witnessed it. You know it’s not nefarious. It’s simply…her.” Yet Lucifer had been hell-bent on punishing her for it, his need to put her in her place overriding practical thought.

He should havethankedher for helping with the portal.

Instead, he’d nearly killed her for it.

And Az… “You’re his mate,” I whispered. “Your loyalty is to him.”

Not anymore.The two words were soft in my mind, Az’s mental voice sounding pained.My Phoenix chose you and Cami. My Phoenix mated both of you. While I may still be soul-bound to Typhos, my animal spirit is yours.

I stopped pacing to look at him. “What the hell does that even mean?”

It means I’m bonded to you both as my Shifter Fae half, while my Hell Fae side is what’s tied to Typhos.My souls are essentially divided. That’s the only way I can explain it.

“So you’re still connected to him.”

Yes. I’ll always be connected to him. But now I’ll always be connected to you and Cami, too. Which means my loyalty… is to all of you. Not one over the other.

“And if we die?” I asked him. “What then?”

My animal spirit dies with you.

I gaped at him. “And what the hell does that mean?” It was pretty much the same question I’d just asked him, but for an entirely different reason now.

Exactly what I said. A Shifter Fae can’t live without his chosen mate. If you or Cami dies, my animal spirit will pass with you. And while I might have other fae pieces in me, my Phoenix is the largest part of my soul. Thus…He trailed off, the rest of the sentence not really needed.

But I finished it for him anyway. “You’d die, too.”

Yes.

I studied him, searching for any hint of a lie. But all his Phoenix did was gaze back at me, his black eyes giving nothing away. “If you’re lying to me…”