Page 30

My beautiful goddess plastered her exhausted self across Axel’s naked chest as soon as he laid down, quickly falling asleep, but I can’t quite settle down enough yet to close my eyes, because there’s something else plaguing me besides jelly legs.

Bailey’s words from earlier.

I like them. I almost kissed Zane. There’s something there with them, I just don’t know what.

I’m the biggest advocate for Bailey finding her mates. She needs them if she has any hope of surviving in this world. Not only to help stabilize her emotions and her magic, but also because she’ll never be truly fulfilled unless she has them all.

And there’s no telling just how many she’ll actually end up with.

Axel and I are a given. Then there’s the asshole Hudson, who’s been surprisingly okay. Not that I’d tell the Lycan fucker that. He’s done what I told him to do, and that’s to leave Bailey alone in the academy. But the big, hairy bastard protected her when Axel and I couldn’t. He shielded her against the masses, ready to put his life on the line for her.

Like any good mate should.

It was that action alone that makes me think he’s changing, wanting to be better. For her. And I actually respect the dick for it.

But at the end of the day, it’s Bailey’s choice whether she accepts him or not.

Then we have the twins. They’ve been hovering around her more than what simple bodyguards would. Axel and I have seen the looks they both throw her way, thinking we don’t see them. But we do. We see it all. Plus, I can’t forget about that little stunt when we left for the human sector.

I scrub my fingers through my black hair with a quiet groan.

At this rate, I’ll never fall asleep unless I talk to them, figure out their angle.

Do they like her? Do they not? Is this all a game to them and they’re toying with her?

“You’re thinking way too fucking loud,” Axel grumbles, tightening his arms around our mate. “Just go talk to them.”

“How?”

“Because you’ve been throwing questioning looks at them all damn day. Now shhh. I’m sleeping.”

Aero huffs in agreement as he noses open the main door, trotting into the room. He jumps up onto the foot of the bed before flopping one of his pink wings over his face to block me out.

Fucking grouchy vampire and pissy Pegasus.

Two peas in a pod, they are. I swear.

My bare feet sink into the plush black rug as I climb off the bed, careful not to disturb the three sleeping beauties. My sweatpants are still where I tossed them, and I throw them on before venturing out, clicking the door closed behind me.

The main living area is dark, but that doesn’t mean they’re asleep. I know a few things about demons, and their sleeping habits is one of them.

All is quiet as I leave the bedroom behind, though Aero’s snores filter through the wood, adding a background track to my travels across the dorm.

Just like I predicted, the doors to the twin’s rooms are cracked open, light spilling from within. I can hear what sounds like a television show playing in Bane’s room, while Zane’s is suspiciously quiet.

My knuckles rap against the white surface of Bane’s, figuring he’ll be better to go and find out what Zane’s up to. It could be just about anything, and the last thing I want is to walk in on a wanking demon.

Bane opens his door a moment later, bare chest on display and basketball shorts resting low on his hips. His wings twitch behind him, probably frustrated with me disturbing his night, but I don’t give a fuck. This is about Bailey, and if she’s important to him, he’ll suck it the fuck up.

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you and Zane about something.”

He raises a dark brow but doesn’t otherwise question me.

“Zane!” he bellows, not worried about waking anyone up. Asshole . “Put your dicks away. The half-blood wants to talk to us.”

“Watch it, demon,” I growl, pushing up into his space.

“Or what?” he fires back, squaring his shoulders.

“Or you’ll never even have a fucking chance with Bailey.” My words knock the wind and fight right out of him.

“Fuck.” Bane drops his chin, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, man.” He scratches blunt fingers through his beard. “Healing a broken rib makes me grumpy, and I’m taking it out on you when you didn’t even do it.”

A broken rib? What the fuck happened while Bailey, Axel, and I were in her room?

‘Cause I know for damn sure he wasn’t injured earlier this evening.

“It’s nothing.” He waves away the question I’m sure he sees on my face.

“Are you fuckers coming in or are we having a pow-wow in the hallway?” Zane mutters from behind me.

He retreats back into his room, and Bane and I follow him in. It’s the first time I’ve seen inside where he’s been dwelling since taking on Bailey’s contract a month and a half ago. It feels like longer, but maybe that’s because of all the shit that’s been racking up since the gala.

“Have a seat.” Zane throws himself on the rumpled bed, the red comforter bunched at the end. There’s a small two-seater couch that I claim for now, while Bane leans against the wall near the door. “What’s on your mind, god man?”

“Demi,” I clear my throat, hating that I need to correct him. Demi-gods who go around claiming full godom are struck dead on the spot. Immortality or not, the only thing we’re not immune to are the full gods.

And they are some scary motherfuckers when they need to be.

“Sorry.” He shrugs, not that I think he really cares. “So hit me with it.”

“I want to know your intentions with my mate.” Zane sucks in a sharp breath, while Bane looks unaffected, but the tightness around his eyes belays his emotions. “I’ll be honest here.” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I know you guys feel something for her. I see it. Axel sees it. Bailey… well… I’m sure almost kissing a man when you're mated says a lot about how she feels.”

“Kiss? What kiss?” Bane questions, his eyes immediately moving to Zane.

“It’s nothing. It didn’t happen anyway. And hasn’t happened again since.”

“But it almost did. So it’s not nothing.” I lean back again, all smug as I ask my next question. One I’m almost certain of. “Are you my mate’s mate?” This time, Zane completely freezes, giving me the answer without needing to speak the words. My gaze swings to Bane next. “You?”

His lips press in a tight line, and then he shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders simultaneously.

I raise my brows, determined to wait for him to give me a real answer.

See, I think he is. Either he’s too scared to admit it, doesn’t want to admit it, or he doesn’t feel that way about Bailey.

Time ticks by in silence as Bane struggles with how to answer me. He looks as if he’s in a fight with himself over the truth and if he should tell me.

“Look, Bane. Either you are or you're not. It’s not that difficult of a question.”

“I don’t know, okay?!” he thunders, tugging at the short strands of dark hair on his head. “Fuck. I don’t know, and it’s fucking killing me. You and Axel flaunt your relationship with her anytime you guys are around, and dammit, I just want to rip her away from you guys and take her back to Hell with me.” He starts pacing the short distance between the door and the opposite wall, continuing his tirade. “And then tonight. Hell’s bells. The noises she made. The sweet scent of her cum that I can still smell on you. It’s driving me fucking insane.”

My mouth pops open at his candor. He’s damn right though. Bailey’s cum is still clinging to my dick.

“And all the while, I’m fucking holding back my damn twin from breaking down the door so he doesn’t fucking scare her, when I really want to let him do it so Zane and I can have our chance with her.”

Well, shit. I just opened one hell of a can of worms, didn’t I?

“Are you happy now? Does that answer your damn questions, or are there any more you’re dying to ask?”

“Calm down, brother.” Zane pats the empty space on the bed next to him. “He’s just doing what any mate would do when there’s someone else interested. You and I would do the same if the roles were reversed.”

“I know,” he mutters dejectedly.

“Can I ask one more question?” He waves his hand for me to get on with it. “Why don’t you know?”

Bane and Zane share a look, but it’s Zane that answers.

“The only way we know our true mates is if our own individual brand of magic doesn’t affect them. That day in Bailey’s kitchen, it wasn’t my intention to leak pheromones. It happened because of her proximity. And when they didn’t affect her, not like how it would anyone else, that’s when I knew. My brother, on the other hand, is a crossroad demon. He’d have to make a deal with her in exchange for her soul to find out if she is or not.”

“Well, fuck.” I brush my hand back and forth over my scalp. “That’s…damn. Okay, so what happens if you try it to find out, and she’s not. Is there a way out of the contract on her end? Or is Bailey’s soul forfeit?”

“Wait.” Bane holds his arms up, palms out. “You’re okay with this?”

“Ehhh…” I nod my head side to side. “Yes and no. If you’ll release her from the contract if she’s not, then yes. And that’s only because I won’t stop her from finding her mates. She has more. Axel and I both know and understand that, but if any of these so-called mates put her in harm's way, I have no problem removing them from the equation. Get my drift?”

“Yep. Drift totally gotten,” Zane snickers, while Bane gapes at me.

I don’t know why he’s so surprised. Bailey is my goddess, my soul mate, and I’d do anything for her. Even put up with two damn demons if she accepts them.

“Yeah, yes, yes,” Bane stutters, tripping over his words. “I’d let her out of the contract if she’s not, but I won’t stop pursuing her if she doesn’t turn out to be my fated.”

“Good.” My hands clap down on my thighs before I stand. “Glad we talked this out. Just remember,” I make eye contact with both of them, so they know I’m serious, “you hurt her, you die.” My finger slices over my throat, imitating what I’ll do if they don’t heed my words. “Night.”

Neither Zane nor Bane bothers with pleasantries as I leave their side of the dorm for my mate’s. The talk was more informative than I thought it would be, but there’s still a little part of me that’s unsettled about them.

I don’t know what it is, but secrets don’t stay secret for long, and when they trip up—because they will, everyone always does—I’ll be there to call their asses out on it.

And rip their heads off in the process.