Page 213 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

Who could tell these days?

It was probably a bit of both.

“You look like you robbed a jewelry store.” I pointed to the jewels in Cobra’s skin that refracted little pinpricks of light into the darkness. “It’s cool that you gave Sadie one of your snakes. Don’t tell her I said this, but never take the snake back. It would break her.”

Cobra’s slit pupils narrowed until they were single black lines.

He leaned close conspiratorially and asked, “Want to know a secret that the don shared?”

I nodded eagerly.

The don was Cobra’s estranged father and the leader of the Mafia in the beast realm. He seemed wise in an old man way.

Cobra smirked as he revealed, “In every species that has fated mates, the body knows before the mind does. I couldn’t take my snake back even if I wanted to. Our shadow snakes recognize our fated mate before we do. It left my flesh forever to live on hers so I’ll always know where she is and if she’s in danger. I’ll always be around to protect her.”

“Sun god.” I pressed the demon brew bottle against my chest and leaned back against the wall. “That’s so romantic.”

Ascher stared at Cobra with wide eyes, and he rubbed at his chest. “Fuck, man.”

“So beautiful.” I smiled. “Sadie deserves it.”

She had four men absolutely devoted to her, and I couldn’t imagine anything less for my best friend.

She deserved it. She was sunshine in darkness.

I guzzled more brew.

In contrast, I was the abyss within the darkness.

Cobra arched his brow at me. “A phenomenon you will probably never experience, because you look like you’ve been hit by a car. On a good day.”

“Burn,” I said as I nodded and took another drink.

He was right. I looked like shit and was completely unlovable.

Ascher frowned at Cobra and said, “I know you didn’t mean that. Why would you say that?”

Cobra made a petulant face.

My woozy brain changed the subject, and I asked both of them, “Have I told you about my back crack? Like a sidewalk crack but spinal.”

Cobra plucked the bottle out of my hands. “You’re cut off.”

I gasped.

Then I smiled and said, “I think it’s scoliosis.”

I turned to the overflowing bucket of demon brew bottles that was on the floor right next to me—that was why I’d chosen to stand in the corner in the first place—and grabbed two.

“Do you have tape or glue?” I asked Ascher. “I saw a bootleg human movie about a challenge and want to try it. I need you to stick these bottles to my hands.”

Cobra pinched his nose. “This is not my problem. Where’s Sadie?” he asked Ascher. “I thought you were with her.”

Ascher moved to avoid a dancer who careened out of control into the wall where he’d been standing.

He shook his head and said, “Aran and I were talking to her, but then she said she was going to quote ‘jump Jax and Xerxes in public because they’re too private and need a little public ravaging.’”

“What?” Cobra’s jaw dropped.

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