were about to get in trouble, yes,” he confirms, his eyes flashing red. “And yes, I have seen your choice of men. First the succubus, then the two wolf shifters, and finally the witch.”
“You’re jealous,” I point out.
“You’re mine,” he replies.
I laugh and lean back on the sofa. “I belong to no one, and I never will. My life is my own, my heart is locked away, and my soul is not up for sale. Every one of those men knew that the second they met me. You should know the same.”
Seth smirks and shakes his head. “Oh Daesyn. You can’t lock your heart away from me. Don’t you know by now it’s too late? They say the devil can sneak into any place. We both know I’m buried deep in your heart and you can’t claw me out.”
I narrow my eyes. “Just stop talking.”
He laughs as I pick the pizza box up and open it. A fresh pepperoni and sweetcorn pizza sits waiting for me, and even though I’m pissed off he knows my favourite pizza, I still can’t resist eating it. We eat in silence, not an uncomfortable one, until Seth speaks.
“How is the academy treating you?” he questions.
“Fine. We haven’t had a test for a while, but training is interesting. Many of the students are well trained,” I say. “Poppy is getting better, and I have high hopes she won’t die anytime soon.”
“You always were too kindhearted,” Seth replies.
“How is the great Seth? How is your daughter?” I question.
He stretches his one arm across the seat behind me, his fingers grazing my hair. “Cheri is busy running a demon training centre in the city, but she is happy and well protected. I recently set up my fortieth supernatural club in the human world, well, thirty-nine if you don’t count the one they blew up two months ago.”
“I heard about that in the news. Many supes died, didn’t they?” I question. “I didn’t know you owned all the clubs.”
“I am quite determined to make humans accept that supernaturals are not going anywhere,” he replies, his eyes rolling over me. “No more of my clubs will be destroyed. I made sure of it.”
His dark grin promises me he murdered at least half of the town to make a point. I read about that in the news too.
“Things are better than they were when I was a kid,” I reply. “Queen Evie has made brilliant adoption and fostering buildings where anyone can drop off a child and be paid for the child if they are found to be homeless.”
“Talking of Earth,” he starts off, his fingers sinking into my hair. I don’t know why I don’t push him away. “Say the word and I will take you away from here. It is not safe for you. Not if they figure out who you really are.”
“Earth is not safe for me,” I counter, my breath hitching as Seth’s fingers graze the back of my neck.
“No one will dare touch you back on Earth. I will make sure of that,” he breathes out the threat.
“I’ve pissed off the whole world, Seth. You can’t protect me from everyone,” I softly reply.
His eyes turn fully black now, his demon coming out to play, his voice dark and deeper than before. “No one will take you from me.”
I suck in a breath, remembering that Seth told me to run if his demon ever appeared. I stare at his black eyes, and I stay very still as he shoves the pizza boxes out of the way. They crash to the floor as he pushes me back on the sofa and climbs over me. Red energy flickers around his body, nipping my skin as he looks down at me. Seth, well, his demon side, leans down and places his lips close to my neck. He takes a deep breath...like he is sniffing me.
“Mine.”
“Can I have Seth back?” I whisper to him. I close my eyes as Seth’s lips gently press on the skin of my neck, and my body comes alive under his touch. But I don’t want this, not right now, not when everything he did to my heart when he left is still so raw. I hook my legs around his waist, and I quickly flip him over. He crashes into the coffee table as I climb to my feet and carefully watch him rise.
“Mine.” He repeats. I hold up my hand.
“Seth, rein him in before I knock you the fuck out,” I warn, taking