Page 96 of Sinful Mates

“Weekly injections of his medicine,” I replied, tracing Aaliyah’s shoulder. “He’s gone into kidney failure twice and I’ve brought him back.”

My mate snapped back to face me. “Fuck, Castor. That’s pretty dark shit.”

Thoth hummed. Light and darkness. Good and bad. Evil exposed by the touch of moonlight.

“Yes, it is, Sorceress, but I’m the pantheon’s enforcer of law.” I backed off to give her space to breathe and time to process.

Aaliyah padded down the corridor split by rooms on either side, locked with frosted doors with a strip of clear glass. “And you brought me here to share this with me?” She peered into one room. “To make me feel better?”

I stalked closer, wanting to ease her reluctance. “To be their judge. To deliver reckoning. If you chose to.”

She shook her head and backed away. “I... I don’t know if I can do that.”

A deep part of me knew this was a mistake. That she’d never agree. Not every avatar handled the dark side of their patron well.

“I’ll take you home.” I kept my voice low and soft, approaching her like a wounded animal. She needed my embrace to stave off to lurking gloom that welcomed her into its arms.

Her eyes snapped shut. “Go away. Leave me alone.”

Demons whispered to her from their graves, menacing threats.

My arms came around her to protect her from them, but there was only so much my love could do for her. “You need to let the guilt die and fall away, Sorceress. It’s the source of your demons.”

“I can’t, Castor,” she whimpered, her body tight in my grip. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

I bent my head to whisper to her, “The moment I relinquished my guilt, I never felt freer. Don’t hold onto it, Sorceress.”

CHAPTER33

Castor

Sunlight and moonlightclashed on our bond for dominance, just as they’d done to me. Balance must be struck, Maat stabilized. Otherwise, her world fell into chaos.

Shudders went through Aaliyah. Reluctance waging war with her need for freedom from her guilt.

“Are you and Slade conspiring to coax the sinner out of me?” She joked to hide it, but I felt it on the bond.

As for sinning, no one stood before their maker with a pure heart. No one. I had many conversations with Zethan about this topic. We all sinned at one point in our lives, be it from envy of our neighbor’s car, to lusting over a man or woman, to taking our wrath on someone that did us wrong, or gossiping about them, spreading fire. Being lazy and watching TV instead of ironing… because who fucking wanted to iron anyway after a long day at work?

Darkness was part of being human as much as the light. It was how we dealt with our darkness that mattered. Did we use it for good to help others or use it for selfish reasons? Questions considered by the gods when they judged souls.

I let out another dark laugh. “Absolutely not.”

She made a long, teasing hum, and I squeezed her tighter.

After a moment’s silence, she said, “I can’t stop thinking about what you said to me. That if I’m with my mates, I have darkness within me.”

A quandary. Under the law they called that an accessory. If she wanted to be with us and blind to our activities, then I accepted and respected that. I just hated how she wrecked herself with remorse.

I kissed her hair, breathing her in, her vanilla and cherries scent stoking my sunlight, at odds with my dark need for vengeance.

“Don’t be scared of darkness. Embrace it, Sorceress. Then Danny won’t have any power over you.” I raised a palm before she objected. “I’m not asking anything of you besides forsaking the guilt.”

Her teeth scraped her lips. I pushed her too far and backed off. The last thing I wanted was for her to hate herself and live with even worse regret. Hate me for encouraging her.

Redirecting the conversation, I gave her some background on me and my history, thinking she might appreciate it. “For the record, my real name is Abayad. It’s Arabic for white.”

She turned in my arms to look at me, her eyes dark with questions.

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