Page 72 of Her Males

My lip wobbles at the thought of them, but I clear my throat and force my tears away. I can’t avoid thinking about them forever, but I’d like to put it off for a little bit longer.

I’ll have to face what I’ve done at some point, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen when Aziel meets with Mammon in only a few days.

I’ve made my bed, and now I need to lie in it.

A familiar face enters my line of sight, and my footsteps slow as I stare at the man I’m confident is Rock. The shadow looks straight ahead and walks past me without a glance.

“Are you okay?”

I turn toward the shadow currently leading me to my room. He cocks his head to the side, his eyes flashing to Rock.

I glance back, but Rock rounds a corner and is out of sight before I get another good look. I’m not dumb enough to blurt out that one of Aziel’s shadows is lingering around Mammon’s home, but I can’t contain my shock.

Did they send him to spy on me?

“I’m fine,” I say, turning back around. “It’s just been a long day.”

The shadow hums, sounding suspicious, but he doesn’t push. I resume following him, but I make sure to get distracted a few more times so my run-in with Rock isn’t an isolated event.

I’m not sure why he’s here, but I don’t want to get him in trouble.

I’ve grown quite fond of my tutor friend.

“Here,” the shadow says, pointing to my door.

I dip my chin and step into the room. Tears threaten to pool over, but I hold them back as I wait for the shadow to leave. They move quickly, but I still give it a few minutes before grabbing Silas’s shirt and peeking into the hallway.

A guard watches my every movement, and I hurry across the hall into the bathroom. The door has a lock, thank the heavens, and I lock it before stripping down and stepping into the shower. They’ve always helped to clear my mind, but after five minutes of standing underneath the hot spray, I realize it’s not going to cut it for me today.

There’s too much happening to relax.

Today went well, but I could tell Mammon was annoyed when I told the shifters how Aziel was making plans to fix his mistakes.

I want to help the females, but actively planning with Mammon how to fuck over Aziel feels wrong. She wants to back him into a corner and force him to submit. From the sounds of it, she also wants him to report to her rather than rule Wrath independently.

I’ve also learned that Aziel’s filthy rich. I figured the man wasn’t hurting for cash, but being with the Prince of Lust and one of the last remaining fates gives him a hoard of wealth too large to count.

My muscles ache with how tense I’ve been lately, and I turn the temperature of the water up until it burns. What will my life look like once the initial work with the females is completed? This is a years-long endeavor, and I doubt Mammon will want to keep me around that long.

I also doubt I can live a normal life afterward.

Shay’s death proves that Aziel is out for blood.

I finally drag myself out of the shower when my skin is sore and aching. The room’s all fogged up from the steam, but I enjoy not being forced to look at my reflection as I slip on Silas’s shirt.

My lips purse, and I glance at the oversized fabric with a quiet sigh. Do I think Gray would kill me? Probably not. If anything, it would be Aziel. Or Silas. I know the fate loves me, but he’s too logical. He can put his feelings aside and act on facts alone.

Ignoring my heart’s racing, I hurry back to my room and climb into bed. It feels empty without Gray and Silas invading my space and sweating me out, and I grab and tuck the pillows against the sides of my body for a poor approximation of the feeling of being embraced.

15

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CHARLOTTE

I WIPE MY palms on my shirt, anxious to meet the elven leaders. They arrived at Mammon’s castle a few minutes earlier, but she said it was best to wait until they’ve been seated before making an appearance. She says it’s a status symbol.

She doesn’t wait on them—theywait onher.

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