Page 136 of Conflicted

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Micah

“To be honest, I’m amazed Ez celebrates his birthday.”

“Oh, he doesn’t,” I said, my lips twitching in amusement. Nox and I were walking down the path to lift the wards for his friends. Funny how a few weeks ago I could barely tolerate speaking to a demon, and now I was preparing to welcome a group of them into the sanctity of our home. “Hehatescelebrations of any kind, especially ones where he’s at the centre.”

“Why are we having a party then?”

“Precisely because he hates it. Anything Ez hates is like catnip to the others. They love to give him shit whenever they can. Don’t worry though, he has his ways of getting his own back.”

Nox’s laugh was rich. “I can imagine.”

My mate had only lived with us for a week, but he’d already been a witness to Ezekiel losing his temper once and two fights between the twins.

To be fair, Nox had taken it in his stride, explaining that he and his housemates often needed to step in when Quill and Dahlia went toe to toe. During the secondfight, he’d simply put Nate over his shoulder and marched him out the room. When they’d returned an hour later, the two of them were laughing and joking like old friends.

None of the unit had had any issues with our new resident, accepting him into our circle as though he’d always been there. Part of me wondered if it was because he was my mate, but I thought it was more than that.

All of them knew what he’d done to Emilio and why, and because of that, Nox could do no wrong in their eyes.

I tried not to think about it too much; not because of the pain of the memories, but because of the feelings that came with them. If I thought too hard about how readily Nox, the Seraphim, and the other demons had stepped up to defend me, I got choked up.

All this time I’d thought nobody wanted me. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

As for how Nox and I were managing living together? Well…it was pretty fucking perfect.

I mean, did he still wind me up for shits and giggles? Absolutely he did. But I could never stay irritated for long, especially when he soothed my annoyance away with kisses.

And sex. There’d been alotof sex.

My cheeks reddened as I recalled how Ez had handed out earplugs during yesterday’s meeting, every one of the angels taking a pair while smirking in my direction. Where I’d been embarrassed, Nox had seen it as a challenge. He’d been determined to make me scream loud enough to be heard through the earplugs.

From the way Ez had cuffed Nox around the head this morning, he’d been successful.

It wasn’t just Nox who’d joined our household. Nate andTheo had come back from Heaven carrying the battered bodies of the regents who’d helped Nox and me. While their bodies had recovered fast, the same couldn’t be said for their psyches. None of them wanted to return to their former posts, so we’d offered them a roof. It was the bare minimum we could do, considering how they’d tried to defend us.

Arthur, Damon, and Amelia were finding it more difficult to fit in than Nox had, but they were getting there. The Seraphim weren’t the type to let people sit on the sidelines. Another week should have them feeling like part of the family.

And if Heaven decided to track them down? Let’s just say they’d have nine angels and one very pissed-off demon to get through first.

Jeremiah, Darius, and Dahlia were all standing on the border of the property. Nox sighed as he spotted them. “No Quill.”

I patted his arm. “Let’s go visit him tomorrow. Even if we can’t get him out of the house, maybe just spending some time with him will make him feel better.”

I’d met Quill a few times over the past week, bonding with him over whatever craft activity he was working on. I didn’t know what he was struggling with, but it was obviously enormous.

Nox nodded. “But if he’s building Lego again, I’m leaving you to it. I don’t have the patience for all those tiny pieces.”

“Patience isn’t your strongest suit.” I noticed Jeremiah staring at us, so I raised my hand in a wave. After a beat, he returned my greeting. “Good thing you make up for it in other areas.”

We stepped over the wards and exchanged hugs withthe demons. Jeremiah was strangely stiff, his eyes fixed on something over my shoulder.

“You okay?” I said.

He shook himself suddenly, giving me a smile that was far from convincing. “Yeah. Fine. Are you going to lift the wards or have you done it already?”

Nox laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “You’d know if he’d done it already, trust me, this house isn’t one you can miss.”

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