Page 41 of Prince of Demons
“That’s your daughter. Her name’s Suzanne. You will care for her and make sure she doesn’t wander off again.” He followed the command with a push of magic.
The woman looked down at the child, surprise and delight weaving through dazed confusion. “Suzanne, where have you been? Come, baby, let’s get you to bed.” Without another look at either Kesh or Georgia, she turned around and disappeared into her home, the sleeping girl safe in her arms.
“There.” Kesh placed a hand on Georgia’s shoulder. The sensation of her body under his palm sent a buzz of pleasure through his skin, washing away the remnants of disgust from touching Suzanne. “The kid is with her mother. My end of the bargain has been fulfilled. And now, little Breeder... Now it’s your turn to keep yours.
20
Georgia
The ride back to Prince Kesh’s penthouse was tense.
The knowledge that she would be performing her end of the bargain once they landed had tension knotting in her stomach, not helped by the hard glare the prince had given her before he focused his attention on piloting the helicopter.
Thankfully, the loud thrumming from the machine made conversation impossible, so she didn’t have to begin buttering him up just yet—nor talk with his second in command.
Mallorn hadn’t stopped staring at her since they returned to the helicopter, his expression something between reverence and an uncomfortable dose of raw lust. All in all, Georgia was more than happy to spend the helicopter ride with nothing but machine noises filling the silence.
* * *
When the prince put the helicopter down on the roof of his penthouse, darkness had long since fallen, and Georgia’s stomach was twisting with hunger—a feat she hadn’t thought possible only this morning, when the demon lord had force-fed her until she was full to bursting.
The moment Kesh cut the helicopter’s engine, a particularly loud rumble made Georgia press a hand to her stomach.
“You’re hungry,” Mallorn said, with an urgency suggesting this was the greatest crisis ever to arise in his lifetime. He got to his feet and placed a clawed hand on her arm, which made her tense on instinct. “Come, little one. Let me feed you.”
“Mallorn.” The prince’s snarl rumbled through the air, low and threatening.
“When did she last eat?” Mallorn countered, an air of outrage to his voice as if forgetting to feed the human during an honest-to-god battle was entirely unacceptable. “Humans are frail, especially the females. They need nourishment several times a day.”
Kesh’s eyes widened at his subordinate’s challenge, then narrowed. Mallorn must have been able to see the impending storm coming too, because he quickly softened his tone. “Look, you have a war to win and a territory to run. It’s understandable that details like feeding the Breeder will slip your mind from time to time. Let me take over her care. I’m much more accustomed to human companions than you.”
“No!” The word was out of her mouth before she could process why the thought of being alone with Mallorn seemed infinitely more terrifying than being under the prince’s dubious care. They were both monsters—it shouldn’t matter which of them was in charge of her, because both scenarios were nightmarish.
Mallorn gave her a wounded look that was almost comical on his demonic features, and a twinge of guilt weaved its way through her gut.
“I—I’m sorry, I?—”
“Enough!” The prince gave her a glare that made her mouth clamp shut before she could finish her stuttered apology. Seemingly content with her swift obedience, he turned his glare to Mallorn. “The Breeder is mine to care for. Mine. Get your hand off her, and don’t ever challenge me on this matter again.”
Mallorn’s face stiffened, and from the tension in the air, Georgia got the distinct impression something significant had just shifted between the two males.
“As you command, my prince,” Mallorn said stiffly, bowing his head as he took a step back, removing his hand from her arm.
“Brief my brother on what transpired in Maine, and make sure our men are taken care of. I will debrief them tomorrow, once I’ve had a chance to talk with Kain myself.” Shifting his attention to her, Kesh flicked two fingers—a command to come to him. As if she were a dog. “Let’s go, Breeder. You need to eat—and then, you have a bargain to fulfill.”
Georgia stepped toward him, managing not to wince when he put an oversized hand on her shoulder and began steering her toward the stairs leading from the roof of the building to his penthouse below. As the door closed behind them, she glanced back over her shoulder. Mallorn still stood by the helicopter, watching them with burning eyes. His hands were clenched into fists by his sides.
The prince didn’t force-feed her this time. Not that it made the experience of eating under his watchful glare particularly more pleasant.
It wasn’t that he’d displayed a delightful temperament up until now, but he seemed in a worse mood than ever as he stared at her eating the leftovers from that morning. Nostrils flaring when she swallowed a bite, sharp claws drumming dangerously against the countertop when she took breaks, but he stayed silent. Silent and broody.
“So… why did the European demons attack a fishing village in Maine…?” she finally asked, when she couldn’t take the looming silence any longer.
Kesh’s glare turned even darker, which she hadn't thought was possible, and she instantly wished she’d stayed quiet. But much to her surprise, after a moment, he said, “Their crown prince attempted to steal my brother’s mate. He had to make sure she’d be safe, so he killed the European prince and took control of the Americas from them. They were… displeased. They’ve been poking at our defenses ever since, looking for weaknesses. It won’t be long before they launch an all-out war.” He gave her another look through narrowed eyes. “Which is what I should be focusing on. Not babysitting you.”
Georgia didn’t point out that she’d be happy to get out of his hair if he wanted to release her from their bargain—she’d tried that once before, and right now seemed to very much not be the right time to push that point.
“I… guess I can understand why that would be frustrating,” she said instead.
