Page 9 of Taken to the Demon Court (Stolen Demon Brides #3)

EVE

B eing a demon’s pet was slightly more erotic than I imagined.

Well, to be honest, I first thought I’d have to walk around in a collar. So to just be in the blue dress they gave me the day prior was a relief. I didn’t have to wear it, given the insane amount of clothes that they packed the closet with, but the anxiety of choosing what to wear was too much.

They really didn’t need to pamper me, but that’s what it felt like. That I was some type of toy or doll. Maybe even some type of revered guest and not at all like a pet they purchased for fun.

So the same blue dress it was.

Even if it showed an insane amount of cleavage.

From the outside, I looked proper. Dressed similarly to many of the female demons I’d seen roaming around the palace, hair brushed and falling over my shoulders, and a clean face thanks to the mountain of beauty care that was stacked in my bathroom.

A lot of them were questionable at best, but they smelled good, so I took my chances.

By the end of the morning, I could pass for one of them… if my face weren’t so obviously human. I was sure my scent gave me away too, based on what Eros had said in passing on the way to the meeting that morning.

You smell mouthwatering, darling.

Just remembering her voice gave me chills while Oros’s calculating gaze had me squirming every time. I knew she wanted more. Could feel it in her gaze.

Which was why I had wanted her to ask me my name. I could see the yearning in her, something I had felt myself all too often.

Pulling it out of her had been more validating than I thought but also intrigued me more. I wanted to know more about her. To see what she was hiding beneath the surface.

I need to stop thinking about that. For now.

I was proper, poised, and ready to make their purchase worthwhile.

Until I was forced to sit between the twins during court proceedings, and Eros refused to keep her hands to herself.

The room was large, with a very long rectangular table in the middle, and all the important—I supposed—demon court people were sitting around us.

Just like the room I had woken up in at the auction house, this was extravagantly decorated, and the ceiling literally glittered.

There were chandeliers dropping down, casting beautiful rainbows across the walls.

The floor was a mix of pink and white rock, and the table looked to be made of crystals.

We sat on a long, hard bench that was just big enough for the three of us, Eros on my right side, Oros on the left.

After an hour, my ass was seriously hurting, even after Eros pulled my leg on top of hers and spent her time absently stroking it as the various members of her court discussed the outside demon realms.

Oros, on the other hand, was quite hands-off. It shouldn’t bother me; these were demons, after all. But it did .

I wanted her to show me she wanted me as much as her twin did. Like I knew she did.

Maybe I needed to show some initiative, so I leaned against her. And she didn’t pull away.

That was a win in my book, even when my brain kept telling me I had been kidnapped, bought, and brought here against my will and I shouldn’t be cozying up to either of them.

I’m playing with fire.

I didn’t really know why—or care—about the topic of the court. Most of it I couldn’t follow—something about wandering souls and uprisings against the tithe they collected. All of it just sounded very mundane and not at all the life-or-death stuff I was used to with my clients back home.

It felt… boring?

One would think that a demon court would be at least a little bit juicier.

I was lost in my thoughts and trying to pick up on obvious lies when Eros stiffened and tried to speak up.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, sister, but I do believe that is a relative of one of the realm rulers. She is known to sneak around and explore the boundaries of this realm and others.”

“Correct,” Oros agreed, giving no indication that she was alarmed about the topic at hand. Her body stayed relaxed and her expression didn’t change. “She’s harmless. We can let her go with a warning.”

There were a few murmurs among the group, but no one spoke up until the king stared straight at his children.

“It doesn’t seem very harmless to cross into my home without being invited. If she can do it, who’s to say an assassin won’t?”

“We need to make an example of her,” one of the other court demons said.

“Exactly,” the king all but purred.

“Yien will not be happy about this,” Oros reasoned .

“The last realm ruler I would want to piss off is the one who guards the souls,” Eros added.

“Then she should take better care of her wards,” the king said before motioning for another court member to speak up, changing the topic completely and shutting down all the twins’ arguments.

Obviously, they weren’t happy about it, but I couldn’t really pinpoint why or why the demon that they were talking about mattered anyway.

The one who guards the souls? What the hell does that mean?

The court proceedings continued into the same boring spiel, and the twins went back to their previous positions, chiming in when necessary, but, for the most part, staying silent.

I sorely wished I knew what the hell they were talking about. I could sense some lies here and there, but nothing very strong, and every time I did, I made sure to tap Eros on the hand lightly. Soon, even that became hard to keep up, and my mind wandered to dangerous territory.

Their claws on my skin.

I shouldn’t have liked it. Hell, I should have been appalled, or at least a bit scared… but I was none of that. Instead, I wanted more.

I wish I could pinpoint which fucked-up part of my life made me crave the demons’ attention.

Maybe it was my absent parents. Maybe it was how they pushed me away when I told them about my powers. Or how being able to tell that my father was lying about his affair broke up my family and caused them to ignore me for the rest of my life. Caused them to pretend I didn’t exist.

It could be, but it wasn’t.

It was the attention.

I was flourishing under it. It made me have all those warm and fuzzy feelings I only ever dreamed about .

Oros… The dichotomy between her and her sister was just too intriguing. Her coldness toward me only made me want her more. And I wanted Eros to watch.

I wanted them both. Even if just to try them out for the short time I was here.

A bit of fun in my ever so dull life.

Not once did I think getting kidnapped by demons was possible, but I might as well live it up while I had the chance.

Oros’s hand slipped around my waist. It was warm and just enough of a surprise that I jumped slightly just as her warm laugh filled my ears.

Eros’s hand moved upward.

Shit.

Both were obviously far more aware of my reaction to them than I wanted. How? Can they smell it on me or something?

Maybe they were finally getting bored enough to do something about it here, in the middle of court.

I focused on my breathing, trying not to make it obvious that I liked it when they touched me. Even if I was playing the role of their pet, I didn’t want to degrade myself as such in front of so many demons.

“It’s a disgrace. Especially after you just cast out your own for the same reason.”

Eros stiffened beside me again, her clawed hand gripping me tightly. Only this time it seemed more serious than the last.

Did I miss something?

I must have. I was too busy getting lost in the feeling of the twins that I zoned out when my one job was to literally listen.

“He was stealing money that belonged to the court,” Oros said, a dangerous twinge to her voice. “And then using it on a whorehouse. We bought ours with our own coin. Don’t act like it’s rare for us to bring our playthings to court. Didn’t you bring one just last week?”

The demon in question looked away at the accusation .

“What if she poses a threat?” another demon asked.

“A human?” Eros asked with a snort. “Let’s be real—we all know they don’t have the mental or physical capability to become a threat to us.”

Ouch. I wanted to fight her back on that, but I knew it was best if they thought I was a puny little thing, weak as a kitten.

The only thing that made it better was the slight bitterness that washed across my tongue, telling me that she didn’t really believe what she was saying.

So instead, I settled for leaning into Oros and pinching Eros’s thigh under the table as payback.

“It’s a bit insulting that you even think she can pose a threat,” Oros said, a smile in her tone. “Isn’t that right, Father? Don’t you feel insulted that your own court is insinuating you can be brought down by a mere human?”

All eyes moved to the front of the table where the king sat, so I took the opportunity to really take him in.

His hair was pinkish, just like the twins’, but cropped.

His eyes were red and glaring at me. His horns were slightly longer than the others’ but still filed reactively short.

His crown glittered under the lights of the room, and he was dressed head to toe in fur and other expensive-looking fabrics.

He looked every bit the part of a king.

“Being insulted so easily would make me a fool,” he replied. “I’m not. But this conversation is derailing from other important topics. Move on, or I’m closing today’s session.”

Bitterness burst across my tongue. For the first time since entering the court, I had caught the king in a lie.

I tapped Eros’s hand twice, and her lips twitched. When her eyes moved to mine, I could tell just how satisfied she was with my performance.

It had butterflies unleashing in my stomach.

As the court went on, they quickly forgot about me and went into other topics. It wasn’t until we were close to the end that Oros leaned forward, her lips at my ear.

“Good little pet.”

My mouth dried immediately.

Fuck.

They’d apparently figured out something about me that I’d never realized myself. A praise kink. And they latched onto it so hard I knew I was done for.