Page 74 of Hell Fae King

“You get to watch,” Melek replied simply, causing my cheeks to flame with heat.

I can’t believe you’re offering to tie me up in front of him,I whispered into his mind.Without my consent.

Your body is consenting, little angel, Melek returned, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

A shiver traversed my spine as he kissed my neck, the affectionate act one he was doing for me and for Lucifer. I could hear the intentions inside his mind, the game he was currently playing.

This all started because of my thoughts about needing a bath or a shower, and Lucifer’s commentary about not rewarding brats.

Apparently, Melek saw this as an opportunity, one he was now using in his negotiation. “I don’t see what any of this has to do with teaching,” I muttered.

“He’s showing you how negotiations can involve a third party,” Lucifer responded as he folded his arms over his broad chest, his gaze on Melek even though his words were for me. “Typically, I’ll allow this sort of discussion when the offeror has a claim on whatever or whoever he is offering.”

“So you treat mates like property,” I inferred. “And I suppose the same could be said about children since my father offered me—someone he had a claim on—to you in exchange for his freedom.”

“No.” He finally looked at me. “Negotiation is a skill, one I use to determine the goodness in others.”

I frowned at him, not following.

Fortunately, he wasn’t done speaking.

“I allow my subjects to use whatever they desire as collateral because their choices tell me a lot about them. In your father’s case, his offering of you told me he was not only selfish but also a bad parent. Because anyone who is willing to give up his own daughter for selfish gains is clearly not a good father. Which meant the daughter—a fae of mixed origin—would likely benefit from being welcomed into my realm.”

My brow came down, his words creating an avenue of thought I had not yet considered. “You thought I might need to be saved. That’s why you made the deal.”

“Not exactly. I thought you might need guidance or a safe place to hide from other fae. So I saw the trade as beneficial—I didn’t want a Hell Fae tied to my Source who could so easily abandon his progeny, and I was relatively early on in the processof selecting female candidates for the Hell Fae Bride Trials. Thus, I accepted the offer.”

It was a pragmatic approach, one I didn’t want to acknowledge. However, his thought process made sense.

“You might not care for my methods, but the outcome was beneficial, Camillia.” He glanced pointedly at Melek, making my heart race.

Because he wasn’t wrong.

Without my father’s deal, I would never have been taken to the Hell Fae Realm.So where would I be now? Still at college? Earning a useless degree?

No.

That had never been my fate.

My destiny was always to come here; whether as a candidate or something else, I’d been created to meet Lucifer.To destroy him, I thought, shivering.

All because ofVivaxiaand her millennia-old vendetta.

“Now your mate is making me an offer, and an enticing one at that,” Lucifer went on, returning his gaze to mine. “Unlike other propositions, this one is coming from someone I trust. I know his intentions. And deep down, you do as well. Melek won’t hurt you, nor will he force you to do something you don’t want to do. Therefore, I’m entertaining his game. Unless you’d like me to stop this lesson?”

“Oh, a safe word,” Melek murmured, his lips caressing my thundering pulse. “Care to provide one, little angel? A single statement that’ll end this delicious game?”

I shivered, recalling the last time I discussed a safe word.With Az and Ajax.

Thinking of them had me wondering if they’d resolved their issues yet. Or if they were still in the process of it. The temptation to link to them and ask was strong, but I didn’t want to intrude.

Even if thinking of them fucking it out had me burning alive inside.

Because yes. Yes, please.

“Camillia?” Lucifer asked, drawing me back to him. He must have said something after Melek, something I’d missed because I was thinking about Az and Ajax.

Clearing my throat, I said, “My safe word iscamping.”