And I knew immediately what he was.
“He’s a demon,” I growled. I could sense it, somehow. I’d started to notice that I knew whenever Xander was entering a room or able to locate him without trying hard. It was like he gave off a strange beacon, and now that I thought about, he had a peculiar smell, one of darkness. I knew it sounded stupid, that darkness had a smell, but it wasn’t foul, it was something that snaked into your nostrils and made you tense up and cringe. If I hadn’t gotten to know Xander and think of him as a friend, it would’ve made me shy away from him.
Like it was doing now with this new guy.
“Must’ve retained his soul,” Chumley mused. “We should keep going, Dezikiel will want to get him up to date on everything.”
I hesitated, unable to draw my eyes away from the man.
He had curly brown hair and a rather long, thin face. But it was his eyes. I could’ve sworn I saw something in them, like he’d found something he was after.
It creeped me out, and I let Chumley lead me to my room.
Besides, I had a date to get ready for.
But while I showered and got ready, I couldn’t stop thinking about the strange new student we had.
Just who was he?
And why did I not trust him in the slightest?
Bug (Tolrun)
I led Lily through the gardens to where I’d set up our picnic.
I’d collected her from her room, my breath taken away by her emerald green dress. It suited her perfectly, showing off her slim waist and soft curves, ending just above her knee.
I’d gone for something casual but elegant; a pair of dark jeans and a navy button up tee.
“This is beautiful,” Lily breathed as she spied the picnic blanket set up under an old oak by the angel water fountain.
She had her arm hooked through mine, and the feel of her by my side had me utterly content yet slightly nervous.
I helped her down onto the blanket before joining her.
“I haven’t explored the gardens much, I didn’t even know this fountain was here,” she stated.
It was near the back of the gardens, hidden by hedges that wove through the large lavish gardens.
“Your horns,” Lily murmured as she turned to me, her emerald eyes matching her dress.
I inwardly groaned as I focused on my head, feeling my horns had protruded. I tried to force them to withdraw, but they only shifted a little before returning.
“Don’t worry, I like them,” Lily smiled at me.
I softened at her sweet, sincere expression. She really did accept me for all of me.
I nodded, pushing the worries of my horns from my mind as I reached for the covered platter of food. I’d found some metal platters with metal lids in the kitchen and decided they would be perfect.
“Since we will still have dinner tonight, I decided to not go overboard with it. We’ve got some danishes to start with,” I said as I pulled the lid off and offered her the tray.
Her face lit up as she grabbed an apricot danish, and I helped myself to a blueberry one. There was a custard and apple one remaining.
I shuffled closer to Lily, loving the feel of her presence beside me.
I tried to make conversation, asking about her essays in History class and how her studies were going. We spoke for a short while about our classes, and how she was going with learning the flute while we finished off the other danishes.
“I was going to bring a wine, but I wasn’t sure if you’d like it, so I went with what I know you like,” I said, giving her a sheepish smile as I reached for the glasses I’d placed carefully near the picnic blanket and the thermos.
Lily giggled as she accepted the glass of chocolate milk, taking a decent sip of it before carefully finding a spot to sit it down.
I reached for the next tray, revealing a tandoori chicken meal with coconut rice. I knew Thai was a favorite of hers, so I’d asked Chumley to help me make something of the sort. He’d simply done it all himself, and it smelled amazing.
“That looks good,” Lily stated as I offered her the already pre-made bowl and a fork.
I picked up mine, noting the layering of seasoning on top.
Chumley had outdone himself with this one. If she asked, I wouldn’t claim the credit for it.
I took a hefty mouthful, loving the flavors as I chewed.
At least, I did until my mouth started to burn.
I choked a little sputtering as Lily started doing the same. She quickly swallowed and reached for her chocolate milk, and I followed suit.
“I… I think you made it… too spicy,” she rasped through mouthfuls of milk.
My lips burned for a few moments as I sipped my milk and drew in some breaths.
“I didn’t make it,” I groaned.
Chumley had sabotaged my date. To be honest, it was rather nifty of him, and I couldn’t even be that mad. I’d been the idiot to ask him for help when he cared for Lily too.
“Who made it?” she gasped, her cheeks reddening as she drew in a few deep breaths.
“Chumley,” I muttered, grateful that the burn was slowly dissipating.
Lily stiffened a little at this as she sipped her drink again.
“He knew about our picnic?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the fountain.
I nodded, and she made a soft, intrigued sound.
“We’ll see if the dessert is okay,” I said, hoping to salvage the date.
She just nodded, finally turning those emerald eyes back on me. They were masked though, and I knew she was thinking about something.
My heart skipped a beat at the curious look on her face. Did she know Chumley was turning this into a competition? Or was she reconsidering going on this date with me?
I averted my eyes, chewing on my cheek as I tried to figure out what she was thinking.
I revealed the last platter, two small white chocolate cheesecakes with strawberries and ice-cream.
“Let me try it first,” I said as she eyed the cakes hesitantly.
I picked up the dessert spoon, my stomach tightening with worry.
Surely just ruining one dish was enough for Chumley to have his petty revenge on me.
I tasted the sweetness of the cake with the fresh strawberries and cream, content that it was uncontaminated.
I nodded, offering the other one to her.
“Did he mind helping you set this up?” she asked as she tenderly took a bite.
“I don’t think so,” I said. It wasn’t a lie, he’d been relatively fine with it. Just wanted it to be a challenge.
She nodded absently.
“So, I’ve started trying to write a book,” I said, wanting to move onto a different topic and revive the nice date.
“Oh, what’s it about?”
I began telling her of the fantastical adventure between a group of guys and their love interest, involving dragons, wizards, and magic. It was an adventure to save the world from peril, with a bit of romance thrown in. I’d only jotted down my ideas so far, but it was a start, and she lit up as she listened to me excitedly explain it.
More ideas filled my head, and I pulled the small notebook and pen from my shirt pocket to scribble them down for future.
She asked questions and made some suggestions, some of which I jotted down, others we laughed over because they were completely crazy.
We fell into a comfortable silence, and I realized she had inched closer after finishing her cake, now sitting right beside me, our arms touching as our legs were sprawled out before us on the blanket.
“They suit you,” she murmured after a few moments.
I frowned down at her, and she indicated at my horns which I had let stay out. It felt rather freeing to not be forcing them away.
“Thanks,” I smiled.
A warm breeze ruffled the leaves overhead, and a lone songbird sung as it flitted by.
I lay back on the blanket, savoring the perfect moment as Lily joined me.
She reached over, running her f
ingers over my horns as I clasped my hands behind my head.
I closed my eyes as her fingers traced my smooth horns, and then moved to toy with my hair.
It was such a small, gentle touch, and it made me tingle with joy.
“I’m not sure how I feel about that new student that came today,” she murmured, still absently playing with my hair.
“We have a new student? Interesting. He’s probably just freaked out, don’t stress,” I said softly.
“He didn’t seem freaked out,” Lily muttered.
“We all react differently,” I murmured.
She sighed, still toying with my hair softly and making my skin prickle. It really did feel quite nice. Her touch alone made me react, and I knew that it was something that I would forever have. I hoped she chose me. I’d hate to lose her touch and feel like an outsider.
But her happiness was all that mattered, even if it meant sacrificing my feelings for her.
I seized up as something touched my lips, igniting a fire inside me instantly.
My eyes shot open to find her leaning over me now, her lips pressed against mine.
My heart hammered a million miles a minute, but I closed my eyes, wanting to enjoy the moment.
She was kissing me.
I moved my hands to wrap around her waist, pulling her on top of me as I kissed her back.
She squeaked as she fell onto me gently, her body pressed against mine and making heat sear through me.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized as she broke away, her face beet red.
“Why are you saying sorry?” I asked with a frown.
“I should’ve asked,” she mumbled, her hands planted on my chest. But she wasn’t making any move to push off of me.
She felt perfect in my arms, her body melding into mine like we were made for each other.
Those emerald eyes were dilated as she stared down at me, and I couldn’t fight the need to kiss her again, even if my chest was beating madly. I pulled her down gently, my heart skipping a beat when she didn’t resist.
She closed her eyes, kissing me softly. I had no idea what I was doing, but I’d done a lot of reading in the romance genre.
I darted my tongue out, trailing it over her bottom lip teasingly, and she gasped.
I seized the chance, diving my tongue into her mouth and meeting hers.
We tasted each other, our tongues battling as we kissed. I only hoped I was doing a decent job. I’d never kissed anyone before.
We broke apart, breathless and chuckling from the nerves. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she rested her head in the crook of my neck.
I knew she could probably feel mine too.
Along with something else, which I was trying to maneuver away from her so it wasn’t jabbing into her hip.
I didn’t want to spoil the moment, but her body on mine was causing a reaction that I’d read about. It wasn’t the first time either. Sometimes, when my thoughts of her got a little too carried away, it happened as well.
What would it be like to be with her in body? To experience that connection I’d read about?
I pushed the thought from my mind.
I wanted to enjoy this, the feel of her in my arms under the old oak, the afternoon breeze starting to cool down.
Songbirds fluttered in the branches overhead, and I closed my eyes as I found my fingers dancing over her back lightly.
I loved touching her, and the soft contented sigh she released at the caress only made me focus on gently tracing her back more.
She was perfect.
Twenty-Eight
I couldn’t help it, when I’d been playing with his hair, staring down at his serene face, his eyes closed and lips slightly parted, I’d wondered what it would be like.
He’d constantly been touching me throughout the date whenever he had the chance, brushing the back of his hand on my arm or leg when offering me food or drink.
And I’d done the same. It was like we were magnetically drawn to one another.
I’d been so scared and nervous as I’d bent down, but the need to see what it felt like was too much, and I’d kissed him.
It had been perfect, and he’d kissed me back, deepening it as he pulled me on top of him. Definitely not what I’d expected from my nervous hellhound, but I loved it.
Now I lay on his chest, my eyes closed as I enjoyed the moment. After all the food and chocolate milk, I was growing drowsy, and this felt too perfect to end.
“You cannot trust him, Lily.”
I turned, finding myself in the clearing once more with the eerie red pool.
“Who?” I asked, looking to my father as he stood scanning the scorched, twisted trees around us.
“You know who,” he hissed.
“My hellhounds?” I murmured, perplexed by his odd behavior as he continued to keep a keen eye out. Like he was expecting trouble at any second.
“No, you can always trust them. You must go now, it’s not safe. But take care, daughter, and watch your back. The time is growing nearer, and I fear I cannot protect you,” he said, his tone urgent and stressed.
“Growing nearer? What time? What’s coming?” I demanded answers, balling my hands into fists.
But the scene was fading, and I called out to him, begging for him to tell me what was going on. I was met with only darkness.
I awoke, blinking groggily from the nap. I was still sprawled on Bug’s chest, and he’d closed his eyes.
His horns had receded, I noticed, but I found myself staring at him, at the contented look on his face, his arms still wrapped around me. For a moment, I thought he was asleep, but then one eye opened, and he cracked a small smile at me.
Right. They didn’t sleep. How long had I been asleep then?
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked, groaning inwardly.
“A little while. You must’ve needed it,” he murmured.
“You could’ve woken me.”
“You looked too peaceful, besides, I didn’t mind holding you,” he chuckled.
“Didn’t you get bored?” I frowned.
“No. I did think of some more ideas for my story though,” he admitted.
I cracked a grin at this myself. I wondered if it was some romantic aspects?
“We should head inside though, night will fall quite soon, and dinner won’t be far off,” he sighed.
I nodded, knowing he was right.
But I was enjoying this moment in his arms.
My mind moved to my vivid dream. My second one like that. Was it just a dream though? Why would I have a dream like that? And why did my father look the same in both? I’d never known what he looked like.
I took a few more moments lost in thought before climbing up off his chest.
Was it just a dream? Or was it something more?
And who was I not to trust? My mind instantly went to the new demon who had arrived. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
I helped Bug pack up the picnic and carry everything inside to the kitchen. He ushered me off, saying he’d handle it, giving me a soft kiss before I headed off to my room.
Allowing me to ponder more on my weird dream.
Now I sat on my bed, groaning at the situation I’d found myself in.
I was having dates with nearly all my hellhounds. It was wrong, and I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, but I couldn’t stop either. I wanted to spend time with each of them, to see what could flourish.
The thought that I’d have to choose eventually was too painful to think about.
And Chumley knew of my date with Bug. Was he annoyed? He’d sabotaged our meal, so clearly he wasn’t too happy. But we also had the date tonight for a movie. Just the thought of it made my stomach knot up.
Were they perhaps competing for me? Seeing who could win me over? I wouldn’t put it past them.
I closed my eyes in frustration as I sprawled back on the bed.
They were going to be the death of me.
Even if I was enjoyi
ng myself a little too much with them.
I found myself at dinner, jammed between Chumley and Bug as Dezikiel introduced us to Charlie, the newest Academy student, a demon.
He was less off-putting now as he introduced himself and spoke with everyone quite easily. Xander seemed relieved to finally have another demon student, so he was rattling off questions to him.
Charlie had supposedly been a bully before his demise in a freak accident involving a falling air-conditioning unit. He’d regretted a lot in his life, and was taking this as a second chance.
I couldn’t help but notice the glances he kept sending my way, staring at me for a few moments longer than I deemed necessary. I knew it didn’t go unnoticed by my two companions as they stiffened each time he looked my way with his charming smile.
But that smile that was wooing even Diane and Hadley only made my skin crawl.
There was something not quite right with him, even if no one else sensed it.
I tried to push past my unease when dinner came out, forcing myself to eat and enjoy the meal as everyone conversed.
“So you’re Lily, right?”
I stiffened as Charlie spoke across the table to me, and both Chum and Bug bristled, their attention hyper-focused on the new student.
I nodded.
“Nice to meet you, Diane tells me you’re a strong demon-born. You can control hellfire, that’s pretty wicked,” he grinned, and Diane practically swooned over him beside her.
“Thanks,” I said a little flatly, but he ignored it.
“And these two are half of your hellhounds?” he continued, indicating at Bug and Chum with his fork of pork before shoveling it into his mouth.
“Yes,” Chum stated bluntly.
Charlie just nodded, clearly intrigued. But a strange amusement was dancing in his eyes before he covered it.
Maybe I’d just imagined it.
“Well, I hope we work well together in our shared classes, I’m looking forward to learning everything,” he said, pausing as those dark brown eyes bore into me.
I shifted under his intense gaze before his focus moved to Diane. “Mr Baron says he’ll see if I have any other abilities in the morning.”
Wicked Souls: A Limited Edition Reverse Harem Romance Collection Page 96
