Page 92 of The Female

The smile I’ve been working hard to hide spreads across my lips as Gray visibly relaxes. He scowls in my direction before turning back to his computer, the incubus not finding nearly as much humor in my actions as I do.

“Why didn’t you tell me you three plan to bond with the same female?” I ask.

I’ve been full of questions since my conversation with Silas yesterday, and I think I might explode if I don’t get my answers soon. Gray seemed pretty upset, so I decided to wait to voice them, but it’s been almost fourteen hours now and my patience has thinned.

Gray looks almost hesitant as he gestures for me to step further inside his office and sit on his lap. I reject the offer with a shake of my head, not wanting his lust to distract me.

He’s decided to turn it up a notch, and it’s been getting to me all day.

“There hasn’t been a good time to tell you,” he explains. “You came here convinced I was going to rape you, and that fear immediately transitioned into believing Aziel was going to murder you or send you away to a den. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I was waiting until the information would be accepted without fear.”

I bite the inside of my cheek as I mull over his answer. I suppose that makes sense.

“What does my future look like here?” I ask, moving to my next worry.

Gray shoots me what I’m assuming is supposed to be an encouraging smile, but it looks more like a grimace than anything else. I’d be grimacing, too, if I were him. These questions probably aren’t ones he’s excited to answer.

“Your future’s whatever you want it to be. The intention of purchasing a female was to keep me satisfied and fed until Silas and Aziel decided they were ready, but that’s no longer what I want. I wantyouto be our bonded, but I’d understand if that’s not what you want.”

I lean against the doorframe as my eyes narrow into slits. He acts as if I could waltz right up to Aziel and Silas and claim I’m now their female. Aziel would either try to murder or fuck me on the spot, and Silas would probably laugh in my face before walking away.

Besides, I’m not even sure if I want that.

The idea of living forever with Gray, and maybe even Silas, isn’t bad, but I’m still undecided on Aziel. He’s unpredictable and scary, and even if we were to bond with one another, I’d still be a weak human.

My strength doesn’t grow the way theirs does. Aziel doesn’t seem like the type of person to be okay with a weak female, and I’m sure it’d only be a matter of time before he grows bored and tries to kill me.

What would our relationship even look like? Gray alone is a lot to manage, and I can’t even fathom having three boyfriends. That sounds like a headache.

A small part of me wants to be petty and ask Gray if he’d ever consider leaving Aziel and Silas and be with only me, but I resist the temptation. He’s made it clear he wants somebody to love and give his affections to, and even though it would kill him inside, I believe he’d do it for me.

Despite how I may feel toward Silas and Aziel, I could never ask that of Gray.

Those two have been his family for a long time and, as far as I know, are the only ones who have shown him genuine love. It may not be in the sexual manner he’d like, but it’s love nonetheless.

It’d be cruel to ask him to give them up.

“Would I be expected to be intimate with all three of you?” I ask.

Gray shrugs, and the sly smile that spreads across his face makes me nervous.

“We want a healthy, happy bond. I’m the only one who needs intimacy to survive, but I’m sure the other two will also want it,” he says.

His eyes are practically shining, and he bounces in excitement with each one of my questions. He probably thinks me asking this means I’m interested and considering the possibility. It’s not an incorrect assumption, but I’m not quite ready to admit that.

I glance away and clear my throat before asking my next question. “Will you three be intimate with one another?”

Gray sucks in a sharp breath, the noise drawing my attention. He shifts uncomfortably in his chair and avoids eye contact. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. It doesn’t take strong demon senses to know he’s turned on.

He’s always turned on, though, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.

“That depends. Attraction for me is different than it is for you, and if the others let me, I likely will. Silas and Aziel don’t prefer men, but they aren’t against it, either.” Gray wiggles his eyebrows. “Besides, there’ll be times when you’re unavailable, either because you’re pregnant or traveling, and the bond will urge them to keep me fed.”

“Traveling?”

Gray nods. “You’ll live for thousands of years if we bond with you. I assume you won’t want to spend every one of them with us, and I expect there’ll be times when you grow angry and leave for a brief period. We do it all the time, especially Aziel.”

My pulse races. I never considered the possibility I’d have the freedom to leave and travel. Gray watches with visible excitement as I try to tamper mine.

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