Page 111 of Hunted By Fear

“What makes you think he said something?” Luce asks, seeming to finally take this seriously. He remains on his knees, a king so fully defeated by his own emotions. I’d like to say it's pathetic, but I’m not much better right now.

“She’s sad, and not just because of the broken bond,” I sneer at Asta, letting him see just how disgusted I am with him. “She started asking if she was worthy and why we would want her, but I don’t know, it felt weird.”

“Weird how?” Asta asks, and I growl in answer.

“You don’t get to ask about her!”

“Just because I refuse to be bonded to her doesn’t mean I don’t want her to be safe,” Asta spits, showing the most emotion I’ve seen since Luce pulled him back into the dungeon and started beating his ass.

“Weird how?” Luce asks, pulling my attention back to what matters.

My shoulders slump, and I feel like someone’s draining the fight out of me the longer I stand here. I don’t want to fight. I don’t give a shit about Asta. All I want is for Aeri to be okay…for her to look to me for guidance and safety instead of the uncertainty I saw earlier.

“She specifically asked what would make her worthy of demons and the devil. I know it sounds silly, but Aeri never refers to us like that, and I just thought maybe Asta said something and she was repeating it.”

I look to Luce and then to Asta, but neither seems to have anything to offer.

“At least I’d hoped he’d said something.” Because, despite how angry I am, that would be for the best. The alternative is that she came to that conclusion on her own, which hurts even more.

“I should get back before she wakes up.”

I make it almost all the way to the hall before Asta chooses to speak.

“I didn’t say anything about you or Luce, but he did.” I turn confused, wondering who he’s talking about, and see him nod to Lucifer, who is currently standing, staring off into space, wide-eyed and pale.

“What?”

It’s Asta who quickly walks me through the conversation he and Luce had after.

“But that doesn’t make any sense. She was with us. She wouldn’t have heard you… right?” I look between them, needing one of them to assure me.

Of course, it’s Asta to answer, and despite my annoyance with him, I listen because now, looking past my pain, I see his.

I was right; he does have feelings for Aeri.

I’m still mad, still want to wring his neck for the pain he caused her, but maybe not rip his head off mad. I am glad he’s also suffering; he deserves far worse.

“No.”

Asta’snosounds more like a question than an answer, and I fist my hand in my hair in annoyance.

“Well, mates can speak through their minds the same way we can. It’s not unheard of to reach out when in pain or experiencing other strong emotions. But she’s mortal, so the chances of her knowing how to are slim to none.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow Lucifer's face gets even paler at his words.

“You’ve done it before…” I know I’m right the second I say it. I saw him in conversation the other night on the wall. I’d thought it was with one of the others.

“She thinks I’m going to leave her…”

“You are going to leave her, you fucking piece of shit!” I scream, running at him and punching him square in the jaw.

I’ve never hit anyone before, not with my fists at least, and now I see why. It fucking hurts, but I can’t deny it is satisfying, though.

“No,” he chokes, not even the least bit phased by his nose that is now gushing blood. “I would never, could never.” He shakes his head, looking down at his hands before his gaze meets mine again, and I see the truth in his words.

“It’s wrong and selfish, but I can’t let her go. If she’ll have me, then I am hers, forever.”

I want to hit him again, despite the pain in my hand, but I don’t. I’ve wasted enough time away from Aeri.