that.
I look over at the untouched food still on the center table in front of the sofa and then turn to them curiously.
“We didn’t want to start without you two,” Toreon offers, and I’m stunned by the answer.
He’s starving. I know he’s starving, because I am too, and I was with Morax for far less time than he was. I know I gave him a boost with my power, but that can’t be enough to sustain him without actual nourishment in the form of food and water.
I look over at Vudu and recall his cheeky mention of manners. Maybe that’s a bigger deal where they grew up than I realized. I’m new to all this, and it might be wise to get the lowdown while I stuff my face.
“Ready to eat, Little Mate?” Vudu asks, and I nod and walk over to sit between him and Toreon on the couch.
“I’m sorry for making you wait. I want you to eat without me next time,” I tell them as I lean toward the table and pick up a platter that has little finger sandwiches. I don’t even care that I’m not sure what kind of meat or condiments are slabbed on there, I’m going to eat everything.
“We wanted to wait,” Toreon tells me, and I can’t help but smile as I grab a couple of the sandwiches.
“Here,” I say, holding the platter up to Toreon. He grabs a few before I pass it to Vudu. The thin slices look tiny in Vudu’s big gray palm, but he grunts out a thanks before he takes the platter and passes it over to Ire.
I shove both sandwiches into my mouth, barely tasting them as I swallow them down. As soon as I get going, I just want more and more, and Toreon is in the same boat, because we both start grabbing platters and plucking food off them before passing them down the line.
I eat fruit, some cheese, a hunk of surprisingly buttery meat, and I’m just about to shove some powdery pastry in my mouth, but Vudu plucks it out of my fingers before I can. Mouth open and teeth chomping, I try to follow the pastry, but he just smiles at me and then plops it in his own mouth.
“Hey!” I whine.
He chews around a smile, some yummy powdered sugar left behind on his lips. “It’s for your own good. I don’t want you to get sick,” he tells me.
I huff, pouting a little. “But I’m still hungry, and that looked really good.”
“Giant is right,” Ire says while he picks up the platter of sugary goodness and helps himself to one too. “You need to take it easy and let your stomach settle first.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but when I see a hand inching out in my peripheral to snag one of the last pastries, my lightning-quick reflexes have me slapping Toreon’s hand before he can reach it.
“Ouch!” he says, as I turn to look at him. “What was that for?”
“If I can’t eat more, you can’t eat more either. Our stomachs are gonna settle and shit. Together,” I stress with a pointed look.
Toreon laughs and holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. You win.” He looks over at an old-time clock ticking on the wall. “If neither of us have puked our guts up in an hour, we get to share the last one.”
“Deal,” I say, but then I turn to my left and look at Vudu, who still has that enticing powder on his lips. Without hesitation, I quickly lean over and press my lips to his, surprising him, and I flick my tongue out to lick up the last of the sugar before pulling back. “Yum,” I say with a mischievous grin.
But then I notice that all the guys are looking at me, and I suddenly get nervous. “Crap, is that...not okay?”
Ire cocks his head. “Is what not okay?”
I gesture around to them. “Umm, you know just…” My cheeks fill with a blush because once again, I don’t know what the norm is in Hell. “Show affection?” I go on with uncertainty. “I don’t know if what I’m doing is disrespectful, or if there are rules, or—”
“Humans don’t have multiple mates?” Ire guesses.
“No. I mean, not usually. So I’m not sure what the protocol is here.”
Toreon runs a finger down my arm in a soft gesture of comfort. “You don’t have to hold back affection from us, Sable,” he says, easing my worries.
“Are you sure?”