Page 21 of The Female

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” he says, wiping the wetness on my cheeks as I blink away the momentary loss of awareness. “I didn’t realize how weak you are, and I thought it’d be best to get the travel over with quickly. I should’ve waited another minute or two for you to get adjusted.”

I groan, his words going in one ear and out the other as I try to make sense of what’s happening. My stomach roils as I look around, but it’s hard to focus when Gray’s face is only inches from mine. He looks worried, his eyebrows pulled tightly together and lips pursed.

I blink slowly as I become aware of my back on the ground, and I turn my head to the side to confirm my thoughts. Am I lying down? Did I fall? I’m not sure.

Gray straightens as I come to, his expression of concern remaining as he watches me push myself up on shaky elbows. We’re in the middle of a large entryway, with tall ceilings and a wide corridor leading into what I’m sure is some grand estate.

My lips twitch, and an intense shock of pain radiates down my tailbone as I sit up. I suppose that answers my question about whether or not I fell. Shifting my weight off my butt, I flip onto my knees before taking a moment to catch my breath.

The power filling this room is suffocating, the intensity of it overwhelming my dazed mind and weighing me down like a blanket. I assume it’s a mixture of Gray’s and that of the two other males he lives with. It feels like being caught in a smoke-filled room, and every inch of my body is on high alert. I hate it.

I continue slowly working my way up, desperate to stand on my own feet. The last thing I want is to get caught on my back when meeting the elusive Silas and Aziel. Gray might not be able to take my innocence against my will, but that limitation does not affect the other two.

My knees are wobbly when I finally stand and put my weight on them, and Gray reaches out to stabilize me. When I’m steady, he doesn’t remove his hands as I wish he would, and I try my best to ignore the immediate lust that overtakes my body at the physical contact.

I hear him suck in a deep breath before his grip on me tightens, but thankfully, he says nothing about it. I don’t think I could live through the humiliation of having him comment on my constant unwanted arousal.

Gulping, I wrap my arms around my waist in a self-hug as I look around the room, my eyes widening as I take notice of the moving figures all along the walls. The tall, black blobs are smoky, fast, and nearly impossible to get a good look at.

They must be demons, too. Their inability to take physical forms comforts me slightly, but I still find myself instinctively stepping toward Gray.

He chuckles, his gaze traveling toward the dark figures.

“Those are our shadows. They work here and shouldn’t bother you. They know you’re off limits,” he explains, nudging me forward.

My feet move on their own accord as I allow Gray to guide me through the entryway he teleported us into. He leads me into a giant open room, one that looks like a larger version of my living room back at home. The only difference is there’s no television in here and the furniture seems uncomfortable.

“This is our sitting room. We don’t spend any time in here,” Gray explains. “I’ll show you to your bedroom and give you time to settle before dinner. I’m sure you’re eager to relax.”

I nod. Despite my earlier reservations, Gray doesn’t seem so bad.

If this continues, I’ll consider myself lucky.

Gray falls silent as he leads me down a maze of hallways, each one identical to the last until we reach a stairwell.

“All our bedrooms are located upstairs,” he says, turning to watch my reaction. I offer him none. “You shouldn’t encounter too many shadows up there.”

That’s good to know. We ascend, and the stairwell opens to a circular loft with small hallways darting off in every direction.

“That’s Aziel’s corridor,” Gray says, pointing down the hallway to the left of the stairs. He then points to the one across from us. “This is Silas’s.”

Both are bland and scarcely decorated, and I make a mental note never to go near either of them.

There are two more hallways, and Gray leads us down the one next to Silas’s.

“Your room is next to mine,” he says.

I don’t like that, but I know better than to complain. At least I’m getting my own room. There are stories of females who were forced to share ones with the men who bought them.

I can’t imagine how awful it must be to share a bed with an incubus.

The last thing I want is to wake in the middle of the night with arousal slickened between my thighs and an urge to crawl over him. I’ve heard horror stories of women doing exactly that, becoming dependent and addicted to their incubus males.

As much as I’d like to think I’m different and unique, I know I’m not. He’s going to ruin me just as his kind is notorious for doing.

Gray’s hallway is dark, but I can still make out every door we pass.

“This is a cleaning closet,” he says as we pass the first one. “And you’re better off not knowing about this one,” he continues, pointing to the second door. It has a lock, and I stare at the metal before nodding.

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