Page 20 of Delivered to My Demons

“You knew they existed?” I laid my head on his chest. It all seemed so normal, so comfortable, like we had been here, sharing this bed and life forever. As though I’d fallen into normal and all this time had been in an alternate universe without them.

How had I not realized how fucking lonely I was?

“Yeah. I met one years ago. He’d run from his fury after they started pulling some male-dominant society bullshit and forcing him to take several females as mates.”

“You listened to the episode?” I asked.

“No. We must’ve missed that one. Now I have to search for it. Not right now, of course.”

“I don’t want to fall asleep, but I am,” I admitted around an unusually loud yawn.

“Why?” Grendel asked. His fingers caressed my scalp, not helping me stay awake.

“What if I wake up and you’re both gone?” I asked.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Hemlock rested his head on my stomach. “We’re going to be right here. We don’t sleep a ton, but maybe now that you’re here, our demons will settle a bit. I promise you, no matter what time you wake, we will be here.”

“Just a little nap. Resting my eyes a bit. I got myself so worked up about meeting you. That you might not like mein person…” I was half awake, half asleep rambling. Probably spilling out parts of me I intended to keep silent. But with Grendel and Hemlock next to me, their warm bodies cocooning me in comfort and safety, I felt like no secret would be judged.

“How could we not like you, Poe? You’re smart and funny and independent. Strong and brave.” Hemlock’s hand was on my leg. Didn’t know how I knew that but I did. Their hands were rough, with layers of calloused skin.

Hard workers. That’s what they were.

I’d love their hands all over me.

“We’d like that too, but sleep now.”

Shit. Had I said that out loud. But as sleep took over, I found I really didn’t care.

Chapter Eighteen

Hemlock

The three of us woke up at weird intervals all night. I talked to her while Grendel slept. He and I talked while she slept.

She and I had a conversation before the sun rose.

“Good morning,” I said once she opened her eyes. She raised her arms above her head and let out a tiny whimper as she stretched. Her all-covering satin pajama top had ridden up her belly and rested in a bunch right below her breasts. Goddess how hard her nipples were underneath the thin fabric.

“Morning. Again. Mmm, what time is it?”

I turned to get my phone from the nightstand. “Seven. A little before. How did you sleep?”

She laughed and turned to see Grendel waking as well. He was a bit of a bear in the morning. “Aside from waking up every couple of hours to have strange conversations with you two? Phenomenal, actually.”

“Good. I was thinking some breakfast and then a tour of the house and maybe you’d like to see our shop?”

Her eyes really opened then. “I’d love that. And I’m starving despite the feast last night.”

“Good. I can make…” My words were cut off by my best friend. I knew that even the hint of a thought about food would wake his ass up. Nobody wanted my dry, overcooked scrambled eggs. No one. We were trying to keep Poe, not have her running for her life.

“I’m up. I’ve got breakfast.” He leapt from the bed and stretched before jumping back into bed and peppering Poe’s face with morning kisses. The goofball. He didn’t kiss her on the mouth, and neither had I. When we did, it would be at her prompting. Our first kiss with our mate would be incredible.

“I thought you said you weren’t a morning person,” Poe giggled as he got back on his feet. “You told me that one night when we were texting.”

“That was before I had a beautiful female waiting on my food. Come on, you two. Coffee.” When we didn’t move, he stopped walking. “Come. On.”

“Jeez,” I said, giving her cheek a kiss before rolling out of bed. She followed me and fixed her pajamas, pretending not to notice my prominent morning wood.

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