Page 14 of Her Males

Rock grimaces as he sets my test down and scribbles some final notes in the margins. He’s wearing his usual black robes, and the sleeve of his shirt slides down his shadowy hand with each movement of his arm.

I try to read as he writes, but he angles the paper away so I can’t see. Tapping my pencil more aggressively, I crane my neck even harder.

“You’re impatient.” He slides the test in my direction, and I grimace as I take in the number of corrections. Holding back a sigh, I grab the sheet and scan his notes.

While I didn’t do as badly as I anticipated, I by no means did well. History is one of my better subjects, too, but I’ve been distracted lately and have trouble paying attention to Rock’s lessons. All I can think about are the females.

“Are you going to tell Gray about this?” I ask, unable to hide the bite to my words.

“Yes, and I’ll probably also tell Silas and Aziel when they ask.”

I freeze. Have all three men been pulling Rock aside for updates on my tutoring? I ball my hands into fists on my lap. It’s one thing to have Gray and Silas eavesdrop on me, but I can’t believe Aziel is doing it, too. Why does he even care?

Rock doesn’t acknowledge my visible anger. I don’t even know why it makes me so mad.

I enjoy my tutoring, but I have to admit it makes me feel dumb. I didn’t realize how many things I didn’t know until recently, and I’m embarrassed to have my males know, too. I don’t want them to see the extent of my lack of education.

“How often are you meeting with them?” I ask.

Rock shrugs. “Frequently.”

Everybody needs to get out of my business. Rock’s my friend, and I don’t appreciate them talking about me behind my back.

My thumbnail scratches at the thin paper as I flip the page and look over all the notes on the back. It amazes me how knowledgeable Rock is. He seems to know everything, and I wonder if it’s because demons take education seriously or if he’s smarter than average.

“Did you hear about our meeting with Levia earlier this week?” I ask, unable to keep my mind off it for longer than five minutes.

“The King of Envy?” Rock asks.

I nod, and after a brief hesitation, he dips his chin in confirmation.

“Silas mentioned it. He also said you’re upset about the five-year waiting period.”

Seriously? Is there anything theydon’ttalk about?

“What’re your thoughts?” I ask, eager to hear his opinion.

Rock hums and leans back in the chair, the robes around his hazy form shifting as he mulls over my question. I straighten my back as I wait, appreciating how he thinks through his responses before sharing them.

Aziel should try that.

“I’m conflicted,” he finally says, his voice low. “I think Levia is a good ally, but one of the blessed breeds would be a better option. The elves are known for their technology, and the shifters for their strength.” Rock clears his throat before continuing. “I understand why Aziel wants to stick with a demon alliance, but this isn’t a demon-exclusive problem.”

I sit on the edge of my seat. “I thought the blessed breeds have become near-impossible to work with since the declines. They rarely leave their lands.”

Rock contemplates my words.

“That’s true, but I think they’d be willing to fight for this cause. They’ve got a soft spot for women,” he says. “Most breeds don’t love Wrath, primarily because of how Aziel’s father chose to lead, but I think the shifters would fight for the females.”

I suck in my cheeks as my excitement grows. Rock could get in trouble for so openly speaking against Aziel, but what he says is beyond brilliant.

This is a fantastic idea.

I don’t understand why my males haven’t thought of this already. I know Aziel has set up another meeting with Levia for later this week, but maybe we can postpone it and meet with the shifters beforehand.

I’m sure Aziel has a way of getting in contact with them.

I practically bounce in my seat as I think over all the possibilities. Gray left to run some errands, but I think Silas is in his office. Rock chuckles as he sees my eyes flicker to my door. I’ve still got an hour left of tutoring.

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