Page 88 of The Female

The shit-eating grin on Gray’s face when he pulls away makes me scowl, and I wave him away before he can make any teasing remarks. I don’t want to hear them, and I happily spread my arms as he climbs up my body and pulls me into his chest.

“And that, my little female,” he whispers, “is why I love my new name so much.”

I grunt but don’t respond. He’ll eventually let his real name slip.

I bury my head against his chest before sliding my hand down his waist. He grabs my wrist to stop me, his rejection hurting my feelings more than I’d care to admit. Why doesn’t he want me to touch him?

“You aren’t ready to make me cum yet,” he says.

I scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Making an incubus cum is pleasurable and can be overwhelming for humans,” he explains. “It might throw you into a frenzy, and we don’t have time to work you down from one of those right now.”

“Oh,” I blurt out, unsure how else to respond. “But you will let me touch you eventually? You want me to?”

Gray laughs, nodding.

“When we have more time and you’re a less susceptible to my lust, I assure you I’ll be honored to feel your touch,” he promises.

21

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CHARLOTTE

MY PALMS AREuncomfortably sweaty against Gray’s, and my fingers hold his for dear life as he leads me into the dining room. Despite his promise that there’s nothing to worry about with his father coming, I’m still nervous.

From what I’ve gathered during my short time here, Asmod is a sneaky, unfriendly man. I doubt his visit today is coincidental, especially considering he’s coming when Aziel’s gone.

Silas is the first person I see when I enter the room, his expression calm as he turns toward us. He sits at the head of the table, taking Aziel’s place in his absence, and to his left sits Asmod and some female I don’t recognize.

She’s unnaturally beautiful, with thick dark hair and full pouty lips. She exudes the same sensuality as Gray, and immediately I recognize her to be a succubus. Asmod probably brought another one of Gray’s past lovers in the hopes of upsetting me. Wonderful.

Everybody watches as we enter, and I avoid eye contact as Gray leads me around the table and urges me to sit between him and Silas.

The shadows have prepared a meal I’m unfamiliar with, but Gray seems more than comfortable with it as he reaches forward and begins filling his and my plates. Silas snorts at the rude entrance but says nothing as he begins to serve himself.

Asmod grunts but also doesn’t say anything as Gray begins eating. I’m just glad Asmod is keeping his power tucked away. It’s still there, but its intensity is significantly less than the last time I had the misfortune of being around him.

The succubus isn’t emitting any, either. Silas must have made them do this. My fists unclench at my sides, and I force myself to look calm as I grab my fork.

“I’m sure there’s a reason you invited yourself to our home, Asmod. What do you want?” Silas asks after a few minutes of unbearable silence.

His tone is so sharp, even I fear getting cut by it. Asmod licks his lips and gestures to the woman sitting next to him. She straightens her spine, her eyes darting between Gray and Silas as a sly smirk spreads across her face.

“I came with a trade,” Asmod says. “I could tell Aziel has not bonded with your human, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to propose he take Valentine instead.”

Gray snorts and shovels another forkful into his mouth. I go rigid. A trade? They wouldn’t do that, would they?

My palms grow clammy as I wait to hear the response.

“Our plans to bond with the same female were made clear over a hundred years ago. Do you seriously want to suggest that female be my fucking sister?” Gray snaps. “And you can fuck yourself if you think we’d ever give you Charlie.”

What? They plan to bond with the same female? Gray’s never said anything about that to me.

Asmod ignores Gray and turns to Silas. It’s clear the fate’s in charge when Aziel’s gone, but I’m surprised Asmod expects him to make a decision of this caliber on Aziel’s behalf. Is this typical for them?

They’ve known one another long enough that making decisions involving money or other simple things is unsurprising, but this feels extreme. I couldn’t imagine ever letting Gray barter away my relationships without my input.

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