Page 106 of The Female

If Silas decides to switch sides and agree to bond with Shay, I’m screwed. Gray can’t protect me on his own, and I doubt he’d continue to fight for me if everybody starts teaming up against him.

“This is embarrassing for you, Aziel,” Silas mutters.

“What is? The fact that he found a woman who can help lead his people?” Shay snaps, her flirty gaze shifting into one of anger. “Your human will die soon enough, and Aziel and I are willing to wait.”

My face flushes. I don’t need the constant reminders that my life is nothing compared to theirs, and I hate how they talk so casually about my death. Even Gray doesn’t seem to be put off by the topic.

I’m sure your view on death is different when you live for so long, but I’m still uncomfortable with the thought of it. I don’t want to die, and they act like I’m expiring tomorrow or something. I’ve still got a good sixty or seventy years left in me.

Shay makes a good point about just needing to wait, though. Once I’m gone, there isn’t anything standing in her way.

My options here were already limited and are even more so now that Aziel’s chosen Shay. A small part of me admittedly considered the possibility of becoming the bonded female for the three of them, but Shay’s thrown a wrench in those plans. I thought I already had Aziel in the bag and Silas would be the one I had to convince, but now Aziel’s out of the picture and Silas is far from interested. I don’t have a leg to stand on here.

Not that I want one anymore.

Aziel can shove whatever thoughts he may have ever had of bonding with me far up his ass. He’s a dick, and I’d rather live my sad, short life than spend eternity with him. My jaw clenches as I secretly glare at him, angry with how much he makes my blood boil. I need to stop letting him affect me so much.

“Are you not hungry?” Gray whispers in my ear. “Do you want another hash brown?”

My lips purse as I glance at my full plate, my appetite nonexistent. Gray quietly sighs before pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. The kind action makes me smile, and I glance at him from the corner of my eye before forcing a bite of food between my lips.

Gray’s a good man, and there’s no point dwelling over what he’ll do after I die. I may hate it, but at the end of the day, he and Shay had a relationship that will probably be continued once I’m no longer here.

He deserves to be happy when I’m gone.

Gray looks pained as he watches my thoughts flicker across my face. I’m sure it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s going on in my head.

“You’re my female,” he assures me. “That’s not going to change because Shay’s here. Aziel doesn’t even like her, and I’m sure she’ll be gone soon enough.” He doesn’t even bother to be discreet in his promises.

While I usually appreciate them, now is not the time for him to publicly address my insecurities.

“Thank you, Gray,” I mumble between clenched teeth.

If I could teleport as they do, I’d be long gone. I don’t even know where I’d go, but I figure I’ll be happy in any place warm and free of the four demons currently staring at me.

Once more, the room is sent into a tense silence. It’s painful and makes my skin itch, and I continue mindlessly poking the food on my plate before I push my chair back and jump to my feet. I clear my throat and gesture to the doorway leading to our offices.

“I should get going. Rock’s waiting for me,” I lie.

Rock doesn’t tutor me on the weekends, but I doubt Aziel or Shay know that. I need to leave this room before I lose my mind, though. Nobody comments on my statement, and I turn and run from the room with a relieved sigh.

Gray stands and follows as I make my escape. I’m thankful he doesn’t say anything or try to stop me, but that relief is short-lived as his arm wraps around my waist and yanks me into his chest the second we’re out of the room. He spins me around and shoves my face into his shirt.

I gasp at the sudden contact, continually surprised by how quickly he moves.

He says nothing as he buries his face in my hair and breathes in my scent, and I instinctively tense before sighing and relaxing. I refuse to let myself get upset and cry, and I bite my bottom lip to distract myself.

“Shay’s nothing to us, Charlie,” he whispers.

I open my mouth, ready to argue, before deciding it’s not worth it. We both know I’m jealous, and denying it isn’t going to prove otherwise.

“I’m not going to eat with them again,” I say, not caring how dramatic it makes me look.

Gray pulls back and scans me, and I force myself to remain strong even as my bottom lip betrays me and wobbles.

“Okay. We’ll eat elsewhere from now on,” Gray agrees.

Happy, I lift on my toes and bring my lips to his. Gray has to duck so I can reach him, and I sigh into his mouth as he grabs my thighs and lifts me. I love when he does that, and I’m sure I have some reaction that gives that away as he chuckles and walks us to his office.

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