Page 179 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

I cleared my throat a few times, then asked, “John, are you okay after the punishment?”

John made a pained sound in the back of his throat, then pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

He whispered, “I’m completely fine, Aran. It’s you I’m worried about.”

I sank lower into the covers.

I didn’t deserve his forgiveness.

Gentle fingers tipped up my chin, and John asked, “Are you hurting?”

The same fingers had dug into my flesh while he was inside me. A tiny zip raced down my spine.

I breathed out shakily, then gave him a fake smile. “No, I’m good.”

John narrowed his eyes like he wanted to argue.

I turned to the kings. “How about you guys? Did I hurt you?”

There was a long pause, then Scorpius sneered, “What are you talking about?”

I waved my hand at my hip, unable to make sense of their presence. “The slave brand. Did it hurt you or something? Is that why you’re acting concerned?”

“No, it did not,” Malum snarled. “We were worried about our teammate who was passed out in the shower, covered in bloody vomit.”

I stared back at him with a dead expression.

A long second passed.

I raised my eyebrow. “Oh yes, I’m sure you were really worried about the hole in the room.”

Malum swore viciously and said through gritted teeth, “You know I didn’t mean that when I said it.”

My jaw dropped.

I raised my eyebrows. Well, this was news to me.

“Women have”—Malum clenched his jaw—“other useful qualities.”

I scoffed. “Please enlighten us.”

There was a long pause during which I thought he wasn’t going to say anything. “You can be brave. You saved my Protector, and you didn’t have to. I’m grateful.”

I gawked at Malum like he’d grown a second head.

Scorpius snarled. “We were worried about you.” A muscle in his jaw ticked. “I told you to stand behind me, but you went ahead.”

Scorpius’s usual perfectly slicked-back hair was messy, and his pale skin had a greenish hue. He looked like shit.

“If I stood behind you, it wouldn’t have mattered,” I scoffed. “Why are you mad at me for helping you?”

“I’m mad because you hurt yourself and you didn’t have to!” Scorpius yelled.

For the second time, my jaw dropped.

Usually, I ignored the kings. Their opinions were like male thongs. Useless. Disturbing. And literally no one asked for them.

But now they were acting like they weren’t the worst people who’d ever walked the realms.

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