Page 109 of The Demon's Pet

He pouted, sitting up straighter. “Come on, Cleo. Is he keeping you hostage? From the moment I saw you with him, you looked miserable.”

I blinked. He’d noticed?

“You’re special,” Zadis said. “The most special creature those rotten celestials created.”

“Because I’m a shifter?”

“A wolf shifter,” Zadis said. “The strongest and most noble of the beasts.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “There might be shifters in the mid-realm.”

“Demon-tainted shifters,” Zadis said, his lips sneering up at the corners. “Disgusting creatures with nothing to recommend them.” He sighed. “Cleo, you’re still pure and untainted. If you go past our village and deeper into the mid-realm, you will meet creatures no innocent wolf like you should ever meet.”

Irritation made my hackles rise. “I’m not that innocent.”

“Oh, come on,” Zadis said. “Look at you. You’re probably even a virgin. Don’t celestial shifters wait until mating?”

“I… Yes.” I was blushing violently now but stood, ready to leave. “You don’t have any right to talk about such things with me. And I’m going deeper into the mid-realm because Sam—”

Zadis grabbed me by the arm, stopping me. I glared down at him, but he gentled his grip and let me go, stepping back with his elegant hands raised.

“Listen, Cleo. You’re better off here with me and the other fae. Only demons, vampires, and worse wait for you if you continue.”

“Sam’s a celestial,” I said. “You seem to forget that he’s not going to take me around demons. He kills them.”

Zadis was quiet, and I could tell there was something he couldn’t tell if he should say out loud.

“What?” I asked, frustrated. “If you have some reason to hate Sam, tell me. If not, I’m going to assume you’re just gossiping, like they did about you, and leave.” I sighed in frustration. “I came with you to get away from drama, not cause more of it.” Maybe I would go see if Griffin was up for some sparring. I needed to get some tension out, stat.

“I’m sorry, Cleo,” Zadis said, stepping in front of the door to block my exit. “I didn’t mean any harm. Look, I’m not part of your religion. I don’t see the celestials as gods. And Sam? He and I aren’t inequitable in power level.” Zadis shook his head. “But fine. I won’t talk about him anymore. Will you at least stay and have tea with me?”

I sighed, then walked back over to plop on the cushion I’d been sitting on. “Fine. But only because I don’t feel like seeing Sam again.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Zadis perked up slightly. “Does that mean there’s a chance for me after all?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Look, I’m not exactly into someone who only wants me because of my species.”

“Why not?” Zadis asked. “You’re also beautiful and fiery—”

“You barely know me,” I said.

“I’m trying to change that,” he said. “It’s kind of like meeting a mermaid for me. I can’t help but want you. You’re so different.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That’s just making me an object. A rarity.”

He shook his head. “No. I swear. But if you studied mermaids all your life and got to meet one, and they were beautiful and sweet and had amazing taste in gemstones, you’d be interested too, right?”

“You’re a prince,” I said. “Aren’t you expected to be with a fae?”

He cocked his head. “There’s no limit to whom I can be with.”

“Hm,” I replied.

I glanced around his room, noting that the walls were a pale blue and the room was circular, like his brother’s. But I also saw stairs leading down, so there must have been another floor.

He caught the direction of my gaze and smiled at me warmly. “Something interesting?”

“I just didn’t know there were basements in these little homes.”

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