Page 27 of The Female

Silas finally looks up from his phone and makes eye contact with me as he shoves it into his pocket. A sly smirk plays on his lips, and I don’t trust it one bit.

“You’re looking better,” he says, capturing Aziel’s attention. “There’s more color to your cheeks.”

Aziel mumbles a quiet agreement while Gray bursts into laughter. I cringe at the sudden noise, my pulse racing as I try to figure out why he’s laughing. It’s probably about me, but I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with the dreams he subjected me to.

“That’s because of me!” he boasts, slamming his hands on the table before bringing them together in a joyous clap. “We fed each other real good this afternoon.”

I lower my chin to my chest as he shouts this. It was foolish to think he’d keep what had happened between us a secret. I should’ve known better than to expect such privacy from a demon, let alone an incubus.

It’s in his nature to boast about his conquests, proudly sharing with anybody who’ll listen.

“She had way more lust to offer than I thought she would. Our female has been unsatisfied for a long time now.” His words slur as he stands and begins to fill his plate.

He seems almost drunk as he continues to boast about my ability to feed him, his voice loud and jarring in the otherwise quiet room. I have to admit he looks better, his sharp cheekbones slightly more filled out and his black eyes holding a spark that wasn’t there before.

I suppose he must have been hungry.

Aziel raises a brow while Gray shares his approval of me, his excitement probably revolving around the selfish fact that Gray won’t need to feed off him anymore. Silas grabs his plate and begins to fill it once Gray is done scooping his food, his expression flat as he listens to the ramblings of the incubus.

Stepping away from the table, Gray turns and approaches me, his movements fast and confident as he saunters over and grabs my plate. His smile grows as he replaces it with the one he already filled, and he gestures toward it in a silent invitation for me to begin eating.

I don’t, and I remain as stiff as a board while he bends and plants a wet kiss on my forehead. The physical contact fills me with need, my body’s reaction disgusting.

“I don’t know why you sat so far away,” he mumbles.

My pulse races as he reaches for the back of my chair and drags it toward his. He’s clearly unhappy with the purposeful distance I put between us, and I resist the urge to argue as he slots me next to him at the head of the table.

Silas wordlessly leans over and grabs my forgotten plate, his chest grazing the top of the table as he stretches over the two empty seats that were between us. I lick my lips, but I still don’t speak as he places the plate in front of me.

I’ve lost my appetite.

Gray fills another plate for himself while Silas pulls his phone back out. He taps angrily at the screen, his fingers moving quickly as he types. I know I shouldn’t, but I peek at the screen to see what he’s doing.

I gulp. The language on his phone isn’t one I understand, but the image of a stone-faced Aziel on the top tells me he’s the one Silas is messaging, despite the fact that they’re in the same room.

Did Gray already tell them what happened in my dream? Did he say I desire them?

It would be a lie if he did. I don’t want any of these men.

Aziel pulls out his phone and reads over a message I now know is from Silas, a smirk playing on his lips as he turns to Gray. I’d pay good money to know what that message says.

“I presume this means you won’t be sneaking into my dreams any longer?” he asks.

Gray shrugs, and Aziel’s smile falls.

“I mean, I don’t need to. Our female wants all of us, though, and it might be fun to pull you into her dreams.” Gray sounds hopeful, and I refrain from showing any outward disgust.

Aziel’s gaze briefly slides to me, his eyes trailing over my face before lowering to my body. I can feel Silas doing the same, his gaze practically burning my skin.

“I’ll be passing on that invitation,” Aziel eventually says, grimacing as if the mere thought disgusts him.

I refuse to be offended when Silas chuckles and politely declines the offer as well, and I remind myself I don’t want them to want me anyway. Gray continues to try to persuade them as they begin to eat, his desperation to pawn me off more than a little frustrating.

My lip quivers as I begin to shovel food into my mouth in the hopes I’ll be excused once I’m finished. Being forced to sit here while I’m so openly humiliated isn’t exactly fun, and I struggle to hold back tears as I force the burning-hot food down my throat.

The food is good, but I’m not in the right state of mind to enjoy it.

Aziel interrupts Gray’s rambling. “I’d appreciate it if you refrained from crying.”

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