Page 2 of Halfblood Deceived

She said nothing though, knowing this was one of the reasons he was disappointed in her as well

It was such a contradiction, Aella thought. Gargoyle males wanted the females to bear their children and somehow maintain their slim figures. And while gargoyle females healed faster from birth than human women, it still took time to recover.

Micah took a fistful of her cotton underwear.

Aella’s body tensed like a piano string. She stopped breathing. Her grip on the marble counter became so strong her fingers ached.

It’ll be over quickly. Just relax, she tried to convince herself.

Micah’s cell phone rang.

He grunted but released Aella and went to pick up, his deep voice edged with annoyance as he gave curt answers to the person on the other side of the line. “Yes, alright. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Grumbling, Micah got dressed in his loose warrior leathers in no time and then paused by the bathroom’s still-open door. “We’ll work on your problem when I return. Wait up for me.”

He didn’t wait for her to agree. He never did.

Because it was Aella’s duty as his wife to do as he said. It was the way things were and would always be. The way God wanted women and females to be: submissive, obedient, and devoted.

Aella didn’t draw a breath until she heard the door of the bedroom close behind Micah.

* * *

Dressed in a long, loose blue dress and a fluffy knitted cardigan, Aella padded, barefoot, down the curving marble stairs. The grandeur of the massive paintings depicting angels battling demons and the high vaulted ceilings had long ago lost its beauty to Aella. She granted a small smile and polite greeting to a few nuns who were part of the cleaning staff.

They gave her pitiful looks, something that irked her. But at least they had never used their broomsticks to hit her, like the nuns back at the church she grew up in had.

Aella made her way to the chef-worthy kitchen—with granite counters and stainless steel appliances—and headed straight toward the fridge. She took out an apple and her half-eaten jar of peanut butter. Cutting the apple into thick slices, she dipped them into the chunky paste and dug in. The combination was heavenly. Something mostly everyone else in the household disagreed with. After scooping the last drop of the nutty concoction from the jar and eating all the apple slices, she washed her hands and prepared to make a steak.

It would be at least two more hours before lunch was served, and she was starving.

They called it lunch even though it was served at around 3 AM.

The warriors went out all night to patrol and slay demonic beasts—vampires, werewolves, witches, and demons that escaped from Hell. They slept during the day, and so did their wives.

The sizzle of butter in the pan was comforting, and the scents of rosemary, garlic, meat, and wine were familiar. Aella loved cooking, even though she didn’t do much of it. The staff took care of all chores. But Aella hadn’t grown into the comforts of the mansion. She did chores with the nuns in the church that was her home until she turned twenty-two. Only when Micah had chosen her and married her did she enter a life of luxury.

Aella was still not very comfortable having people do everything for her.

Smoking steak on her plate, Aella sat on a stool by the kitchen island and took her first bite. The taste of spices and blood that hit her tongue made her groan aloud and close her eyes in bliss. Growing up, she didn’t have many chances to enjoy meat, and now it seemed like she couldn’t have enough.

She cut piece after piece in a near frenzy, half wondering if her ravenous hunger was driven by sadness, her mostly controlled anemia, or if there was something else wrong inside her body.

The door opened and feminine voices drifted in when Aella was two-thirds done with her steak. Cheeks full, she looked down dolefully at the juicy meat, knowing she would not enjoy it as much now.

“Eating steak for breakfast again?” asked Bethany, her thin voice full of disapproval. Dressed impeccably in a figure-hugging dress and pumps, Bethany looked as if she had stepped out of an old movie. She batted her toddler’s chubby hand to stop her from ruining her artfully combed hair. Baby Charity’s tiny rose lips trembled. Her mother leveled a glare at her and Charity gulped, eyes bright with tears.

“If you eat this much now, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when you’re pregnant,” Esther said, placing her son, Ezequiel, in one of the baby seats while she went to get his formula bottle ready. Esther’s lilac dress was slightly looser on her figure. Her light brown hair was braided across her head.

Claudia hopped onto the stool next to Aella. “Come on, give her a break. I’m sure it’s Micah’s fault she’s so tired.” Her friend winked good-naturedly and Aella tried to smile, but ended up grimacing.

Claudia was the smallest of the group, barely five-foot-one, with long black hair and light brown eyes. She was clad in a fitted, long white dress with long sleeves that made her slight figure look delicate as a feather. Like Aella, Claudia was having some issues getting pregnant.

“Watch your mouth around the children,” Bethany all but hissed as she placed Charity on the counter to look for some cereal.

Claudia rolled her eyes. “I’ve hardly said anything scandalous.”

“You shouldn’t even hint at something so private,” Esther chided, shaking the baby bottle with the unappetizing white mix.

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