Page 36 of Demon Sworn
In my haste to retreat, I practically barrel into Alanna, the leader of the decathlon team, who has just stepped into the hall with Wade and Tim.
“Watch where you’re going!” she snaps at me as I fumble for an apology.
“Shit, sorry.” I wince as she narrows her eyes at me, before moving her gaze over my shoulder to where William stands, glaring at us all.
“Trouble in paradise?” Wade asks cockily, quirking an eyebrow, which only emphasizes a giant zit on his forehead, as he glances between me and my old crush.
“Shut your ignorant yap.” Alanna whacks his arm lightly, though her words give me a pause. Before I can comment on one of the thoughts swarming through my head like pesky gnats, she stalks around me, Wade and Tim on her heels. I hear her say something to William, too soft for me to hear, but my attention is already diverted by Akor’s appearance at the end of the hall.
Seeing him is like a balm to my tattered, scarred soul. I practically sag forward, knowing that he’ll always catch me.
“I couldn’t find the fucker,” he murmurs as he wraps his arms around me, seemingly oblivious to William’s presence just behind me. I like that—that when I’m with him, he doesn’t see anyone or anything else. “I can kill someone else for you, if you’d like? Or…” His fingers caress my cheek as wicked heat flares to life in his eyes.
“Or?” William, Alanna, Tim, and Wade are still behind us, talking—probably about the upcoming decathlon tournament and dumb high school drama—but my entire focus is on Akor.
“Or I can bring you to the bathroom on the second floor and fuck you with my mouth until you scream?”
Um, yeah. Let’s do that.
I’m practically giddy as I jump onto Akor’s back, the pain of the past few days dissipating in the massive tidal wave that is Akor. As I ride him piggyback style, we pass my friends and ex-crush, and I notice all four of them staring at me with varying expressions.
William is stone-faced, his eyes hurling daggers at Akor’s profile.
Tim and Wade are as impassive as always.
But Alanna? There’s something curious in her gaze, something that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. It suddenly occurs to me that…she saw me kiss Kastros, my teacher, at the decathlon tournament.
She saw me publicly claim Akor and Zolroth as my boyfriends.
She probably even knows about Van and Raz, what with that sharp mind of hers.
Why do I have a feeling she’s going to make life really difficult for me with the knowledge she wields?
Why do I sense that the gossip surrounding me and my guys has only just begun?
15
Kastros
I cook dinner for everyone,managing to grill steak outside and bake potatoes in the oven all while juggling Adam’s need for knock knock jokes and Jason’s sudden bout of horniness.
Part of me wishes I’d gotten to go on interviews, because that would have been easier. But as I drag Jason off the couch arm he’s dry humping for the fifth time and toss him over my shoulder, I sigh and retract that wish. I don’t deserve easier.
I set Jason down in the laundry room, which has nothing but the machines and some cleaning materials in it.
There you go, find something to hump in there, you idiot, I tell him. But of course, he doesn’t understand demon sign language. His hips merely jerk back and forth in midair as I shut the door and lock it.
I turn to find Adam’s big soulful eyes staring up at me. “What’s humping?”
Ah crap.It’s…a dance, I sign, pulling the explanation out of my ass.
Don’t ask me how the kid understands sign language. I have no clue. Katrina was teaching him…before. But Adam nods anyway, going along with things, accepting them. My heart swells. From the second he saw me, the kid was all about acceptance. He’s never had anything but trust and kindness for me, even when he shouldn’t have.
His purity is just overwhelming. Blinding even. It’s the second greatest thing in my entire existence, right after Katrina. I scoop him up and give him a hug, squeezing until he squeals.
“Ahhhh! Put me down! Attack by the kraken! Run away, run away!” He flails his arms until I set him down, and he runs down the hall like a wild man. But halfway towards his bedroom, he turns back, pointing a finger at me with a solemn expression. “I’m gonna go get my pirate sword. And you’re gonna be the kraken, and I’m gonna kill you, all right?”
I nod, biting down on a smile and wondering if I have time to set up my phone so I can record this cute-ass-tough-shit game he wants to play so I can watch it later.
