Magic Secret (Half-Blood Academy #2) - Meg Xuemei X Page 0,46

was sleeping?” I purred, not very friendly. “I might be a monster, but I assure you I’m not some ancient, primal monster who roams the Earth and pounces on every being in sight. I’m only twenty fucking years old.” My eyes moistened. “And I just lost my virginity.”

The demigods all became deathly still and quiet. That was a first.

I’d pointed out the elephant in the room. To that degree, I was still that old Marigold.

“Let’s get you coffee, Rosebud,” Zak said gently, breaking the silence. “And we’ll sort all this out together.”

He did sound like a man of reason. And I did need coffee after all this.

“Coffee would be great, thanks,” I grunted.

Zak rose to his feet and left the table.

“If you’re a monster, Cookie”—Axel grinned at me—“you’re our monster.”

“I don’t care if my lamb is a monster,” Héctor agreed. “She’s my lamb-monster—sweet, gentle, and gorgeous.”

“Gorgeous I might agree with,” Paxton snorted. “But sweet and gentle?”

“Why are you even talking?” I hissed, then sent both Axel and Héctor encouraging glances. “Why don’t you throw him out? I might need you three, but I’ll never need him.”

Paxton didn’t argue. He actually looked somber at my declaration.

“Let’s stop fighting for a change,” Zak said, strolling toward me with a mug of steamy coffee in his hand.

“Cookie is sweet,” Axel said, “if you know how to flip the right switch or ruffle her feathers the right way.”

He leaned in to prove his point by kissing my cheek, but Héctor was faster, so Axel got to peck his lips at the empty air.

The Demigod of Death lifted me up, lounged on a loveseat, and sat me in his lap.

Zak handed me the coffee, and I thanked him, feeling a bit spoiled at the moment.

Axel sank onto the couch next to Héctor and me, his hand stroking my back as if I had a hiccup.

“Let her have coffee in peace,” Héctor snapped at him. “I don’t want her to choke due to your clumsiness.”

Ever since he’d found me, the death demigod had treated me like fragile glass, as if afraid that if someone dropped me, I’d shatter.

“I’m fine,” I said before taking a swig of the coffee, then I sighed in satisfaction.

Every demigod looked at me, eyes hooded, and their heated gazes fell on my bare legs.

My face flamed as I suddenly remembered I wasn’t wearing panties. I closed my legs together and pulled the hem of the shirt straight to cover more of me.

“She isn’t yours only, Héctor,” Axel snapped back. “You won’t steal her from me. I won’t allow it. I discovered her and brought her here in the first place.”

I stopped sipping my coffee and glared at him.

Then he remembered that was why I’d had an issue with him, and he looked sheepish for a second.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here, Cookie,” he said with a sigh. “I took your choice away and forced you to go through the trial because I could, because I’ve wanted you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything from the moment I saw you. You would have had a quiet, peaceful life in that small town with your pack, as you wanted, and you wouldn’t have gone through all this suffering.”

I studied his amber eyes. He was clearly remorseful, but at the same time, he was glad that I was here with him.

Axel was only a few years old than me. He was a gorgeous man who had lickable, sun-kissed skin and vibrant energy. When I’d first seen him, I’d thought of him as a golden angel who’d descended from the glorious Heavens. I’d lusted after him at first sight, despite all my attitude and resistance toward him.

“If you hadn’t brought me here, how would I have gotten to meet the three of you?” I asked, giving him, Zak, and Héctor a purposeful look, but I ignored Paxton as if he wasn’t in the room.

Axel blinked. “Cookie?”

“But that doesn’t mean you don’t owe me one,” I added.

Why not? If I could take advantage of a demigod and make him owe me a favor, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity.

“I’ll gladly pay the debt with a lifetime of labor,” Axel said and pecked a kiss on my nose.

When he smiled like that, a dimple appeared on his chin, and my stupid heart fluttered. It was impossible to remain steady when the knockout demigods surrounded me.

“Let’s get back on track.” Paxton made a snide comment. Clearly he didn’t like how cozy I was with the other demigods.

“Who