Page 14 of House of Demons and Bones

I’m here too,Sy reminded me, like I could forget.

Killian watched me stuff my face with cake, cheeks bulging. He was waiting for me to break the ice first, but I wasn’t giving him any hint about my next move.

Silence stretched between us, broken only by gusts of icy wind. If he wanted to remain mute, two could play at that game. I stood up. Unlike the fae prince, I could open my own damn portal and get the fuck out of here.

“Not so fast, my little scorpion,” he said, his hand lashing out and snaking around my waist.

I grabbed his wrist to shove him off, even though my body rebelled.

“I’m not yours,” I said. “Never was, never will be.”

His dragon growled, and I narrowed my eyes at the sound. Others might quake at a dragon’s roar, but I wasn’t others.

“Still mad at me, aren’t you?” Killian said. “I can see you wanting to hurt me badly.”

“You’re not even worth me hurting you,” I said.

He chuckled. “Don’t you know you wounded me after using me then kicking me to the curb last time? No other woman would dare treat me that way.”

“Of course,” I said. “They just trap you with a mating bond, and you roll over to satisfy their every whim.”

His face darkened instantly. “My little scorpion always strikes where it hurts. But you’re wrong about that bond. Forces beyond me might’ve forged it, but it’s never been a true mating bond. However, I still kept my vow of celibacy to keep everyone away, Lilith included, and I only broke it for you. You should be able to tell that you’re the only one I’ve been with.”

Sy had informed me she didn’t smell another woman on him.

“The bond with Lilith is just a magical lock keeping me from having sex with other women,” he continued. “You’re the only one who can walk right past it.” He paused, dark emotions storming through his eyes. “I tried breaking it, but nothing worked. It’s sealed with dark intent and blood magic.”

I knew curses, had cleared the block in Bea, and still needed to tackle the Fury in Cade. But that bond between Killian and Lilith remained untouchable, and I could feel it festering in him like an open wound. I had an idea, though—I’d have to form my own bond with him to uproot the old one from his betrothed.

It wouldn’t be an easy task. I swallowed. But that was a problem for another day.

“Grace touches you just fine,” I said, tilting my head to the side. “And don’t lie. I saw it with my own eyes, and she keeps bragging about it. Or maybe you’ve got a thing for her.”

“A thing for your pale copy?” Killian snorted. “No one knows where she crawled out from. She’s not you, nothing like you, and can never replace you. Grace is just Lilith’s puppet, a weaponaimed at you. I know their game, and I’ve been playing along to keep them away from you.”

“Why stop playing then?” I snickered. “You seem to enjoy it.”

“Enjoy it? While I had to watch Louis try to drink from you and Silas try to get into your pants?”

“So you get to have others, but I don’t? Since when do you have rights to me?”

“I don’t want anyone except you! I’ve fought Lilith’s control since day one. She’ll never have me, even if I can’t have you. And Grace—that empty-headed, power-hungry girl with your face? What could she possibly give me?”

“You tell me,” I insisted. “You once looked at her like she was your world.”

He laughed. “Now you’re making shit up just to win the argument. I never looked at her that way. I couldn’t even fake it. My hot looks are only for you. I might’ve faked interest in her chatter, just to keep their attention off you and on me.”

“Yeah, except it hasn’t stopped them from coming after me. They’ll keep coming until I’m dead or driven off.”

“But they haven’t hit you with their full power,” he said, “because I’m still standing between you and them, even if it doesn’t look that way. But none of that matters now. Things have changed.”

“What things?”

“You’ve entered the first circle of the mating heat,” he said. “You’ll need me full-time now. Besides, you’re always in danger. Those abominations we fought seemed fixed on you. From now on, I’m always with you, even in public. We handle things together.” He closed his eyes for a second with regret. “I should’ve done it earlier. Should’ve trusted that you could hold your own.”

“So I’m not your dirty little secret anymore?” I half-sneered. “Not your side piece?”

“You know it’s only you. It’s always been you.”

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