Page 24 of Saint

Everything here was fake. This wasn’t a family dinner, it was a warzone. When he thought about how these were only two members of the Order and there were others supposedly out there who sided with Hendrix, the picture got a bit clearer.

Nothing that had been done to him was excusable, but Nix could maybe understand a bit better where Lake’s urgency had truly come from. Here they were, already bound, and yet his uncle felt the need to comment about Nix breaking the bond. There was little doubt in his mind, if he didn’t bear the mark, Hendrix would have corned him separately and tried to sway him to his side.

Was he potentially overthinking things?

Yes.

Did that mean that theory was impossible?

No.

Demons Passing was only five days away, not very much time at all. If they could make it until then, Lake would be named the official next in line. They wouldn’t have to enter the palace right away due to the mourning period, but with the throne secured, that’d be one less burden on their chests.

Because Nix felt the weight of it now as well. He’d been dragged into this and had been enduring, but now, seated at this table, watching how hard the three Demon’s struggled to keep their chins up as veiled insult after veiled insult was lobbed their way…

It was crazy, but Nix wanted to be a part of that. A real part of it. He wanted that kind of loyalty and connection.

He wanted to belong.

The others were still talking, but he’d tuned them out, only snapping out of it when he realized Lake was watching him closely from the other side of the table.

Lake’s expression barely wavered, but Nix could tell he was silently asking him if he was okay.

He nodded his head, only half meaning it, and considered his options.

He’d already decided he was all in. That meant patching things up with both Lake and Yejun, even if the latter man was proving to be more difficult to handle. Nix was still averse to intimacy with him—to talking with him, even, honestly—but he’d solve that problem once he’d handled the first.

Which was his supposed mate.

Who he hadn’t slept with yet.

Lake had poured a lot of his energy into trying to make things up to him, as he should. But Nix was realizing that energy was better spent elsewhere at the moment. They were too close to Demons Passing to let their guards down, especially since the poisoner who’d taken out the Emperor and Royal Consort was still out there. There was no telling when they’d try again, and with Dew gone, they were out of leads.

Nix couldn’t pretend not to still be upset about what Lake had done, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t help them both by setting aside the petty hold he’d been keeping on their sex life. Even though he’d wanted Lake since the second he saw him, he’d been withholding as a sort of punishment, and they both knew it.

He knew it, and yet Lake let him get away with it. If nothing else, that should prove he really was trying to be better and less controlling.

They needed to be a united front to get through this, which meant no distractions.

Nix was going to have to sleep with him.

A thrill raced down his spine straight to his groin, and he picked up his glass to hide the way his cheeks heated.

He was going to fuck the Demon, and despite all of his former resistance, he was excited.

Chapter 8:

“About last night…” Nix cupped the steaming mug of coffee in both hands and leaned back against the counter.

“What about it?” Lake asked from where he was perched on the edge of one of the stools, eating breakfast with the same level of poise he’d displayed at Demitrious’s dinner table.

“I have questions.”

By the time they’d managed to leave, it’d been well into the night. The four of them had walked past dozens of writhing bodies and Nix had actually gotten embarrassed for them. Seeing people have sex so openly had made him uncomfortable, and he’d asked about Juri, not wanting to go without him.

Only to be told Juri would be occupied until morning.

After what he’d witnessed, Nix thought he had a good idea what that meant now, but he hadn’t had the chance to actually ask. As soon as they’d pulled into the driveway, Yejun had headed to his studio. Lake had gone straight to bed, andWest had mentioned wanting to search for the hacker—who they were referring to as the poisoner amongst themselves now since the secret was out—and had gotten to work the second they’d entered his room.

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