Page 88 of Her Males

I lean in. “A demonstration?”

Echo huffs, her blush deepening. “Charlie,” she whines, clearing her throat. “We group up and go into a private building with the opposite sex demon so they can show us their bodies and explain how, logistically, it works. Then they answer our questions.”

I place my fingers over my mouth, trying and failing to keep my face flat. Echo looks away, her lips twitching as her eyes dart in my direction every few seconds to see my expression.

“Stop laughing.” She frowns as my lips twitch.

Her anger breaks me, and I drop my head into my hands to hide my giggling.

“Echo! That’s some of the weirdest shit I’ve ever heard.” I cackle. “And Gray did that?”

I’m not surprised. He probably volunteered himself, much to Silas’s and Aziel’s annoyance.

“Shut up!” Echo shouts, her lips spreading into a wide smile as she tries and fails to stop her own round of laughter. “We take it very seriously!”

I hold my belly, struggling to breathe. “I’m sure you do.”

Echo rolls her eyes, giving up, and gestures for me to finish my drink. My mind feels lighter, and much of the stress in my muscles is gone after telling her my story and getting a good laugh. It still hurts to think about my males, but seeing and hearing her angry reactions to my recap of their actions makes me feel better.

For once, it feels like I’m connecting with somebody who doesn’t have some wild ulterior motive. Echo just wants somebody to gossip with.

It’s refreshing.

“Do you want to help me hunt our meat for tonight’s dinner?” Echo asks as we leave the tavern. “Or I can take you back to your cabin.”

I squint, the sudden bright light momentarily blinding me. It takes a moment for her words to sink in, but I let out an excited gasp once they do. “You’d let me go with you?”

Echo grins. “I’ll let you do more than that. I’ll let you hunt the meat yourself!”

19

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AZIEL

MAMMON WEARS THE smirk of a woman who thinks she has something over us. I clench my hands into tight fists below the table, struggling to contain my wrath.

I’m convinced Mammon’s made it her life’s mission to piss me off, and so far, she’s succeeding.

Silas sits to my left, his features calm, but I know he’s as livid as I am.

Gray doesn’t have the same ability to hide his emotions and sits outwardly glaring on my right. He’s going to be a problem today, and I hope he can keep it together for this meeting.

The last thing I need is to navigate another screaming match between Gray and Mammon, especially when I’m already on the verge of losing control.

Charlie’s in the shifter realm, my female sneaky in her multiple escapes, but I need to keep peace with Mammon to keep her safe. I got Rock to tell me where she is, and while the shifters may be notoriously kind to females, I don’t need Mammon finding out my human is with them.

I need her thinking she’s got the upper hand, the woman careless when she’s cocky, while I slip in and turn the shifters on my side. I’m sure they’re pissed by Mammon’s plans to sell Charlie, and I think I can get them to flip sides.

The shifters are soft and quick to forgive, and I’m going to use that to my benefit.

“Where’s Charlie?” I ask, glancing at the door.

“Charlie chose not to come,” Mammon lies. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

If only she knew how true that statement is. The shifters haven’t told her that Charlie’s with them, and I assume all she knows is that one of our shadows broke in and took Charlie away.

She probably fears Charlie’s back in our possession.

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