Page 39 of Deranged Demons

My head tells me I should pull away. This isDante,and he’s made it clear that no single female will ever have his heart, but…my blood heats, my pulse quickening as his taste of cardamon and freshly grown apricots fills my mouth.Apricots.Like the ones that grow at the back of his clan house. Apricots.Like the ones I would sometimes steal from his trees, smuggling them to the palace where I’d practically moan as I devoured them. I think about all the times I’d visited that clan house over the past months. Years, even. Had it ever been the apricots, or was it always him? Shade flies from my shoulder as his scent engulfs me, and my body comes alive at his touch.

He pulls me tighter against him, breaking the kiss and moving his lips to my jaw. “I knew you were mine,” he says in a low voice, his breath hot on my skin.

At his words, images of his orgies with the humans flash in my mind, and my eyes fly open, my hand reaching for a blade.

“Fuck.” He staggers back in surprise and keeps eye contact with me as he removes the dagger I’ve just wedged into his side.

“That’s for bedding all those humans when you knew we were fated,” I tell him.

He gives me a seductive smile. “I didn’t sleep with any humans. I merely lured you closer because I knew you hadn’tfigured it out yet.”

My mouth opens and then closes again as I recall every time I’d visited his clan house over the past months. Each time I’d found demons from his house romping with a human, but…he’d always been watching. I’d assumed he’d either had his turn earlier, or he was hardcore into voyeurism and was planning to get involved after.

“Wait, he brought the humans to Seral, knowing I’d visit him?”I send to Shade, still not believing any of this.

“Is it any less believable than being matched to a member of the Drozac?”she responds dryly.

She has a point, but I only scowl at him, knowing that he’s been messing with me these past months. “Aren’t I the lucky she-demon,” I say sarcastically.

He tosses me my dripping blade, and I catch it with one hand. Honestly, at this point I’m beyond annoyed at Lady Fate. First, she matched me with an archangel who doesn’t want me, then a shifter thief, who I have a feeling wants too much from me, followed by an assassin who hates me, and now the demon who has a reputation that’s dirtier than his wicked mouth, even if he didn’t bed the humans.

“What did I do wrong?”I send to Shade.“Because I’m clearly being punished.”

She only laughs as if finding out I’m fated to Dante is great news.

“Don’t sound so happy,”I scold.“We both know he has baggage. He has probably broken the hearts of half the females in Seral city, and possibly even some of themales. The last thing I need is petty exes coming after me.”

“You’re going to be the queen, Blake. No she-demon in her right mind is going to come after you. Not if they value their life anyway.”

It’s a fair point, but I’m still irritated.

“So, I guess there are four of us now,” Dante says as he saunters past the other demon alphas and stands near Nate and Prince Callan like he belongs there. “Though, I still don’t see the fourth.”

“Don’t worry, he’s a great addition to our odd…group,” Prince Callan says dryly.

Nate claps Dante on the back. “You’ll love him.”

Dante raises a brow at the shifter, and Nate grins.

I’m torn between feeling like I want to bone the lot of them or strangle them.Such is my life.

“I’m sure I will,” Dante replies to Nate, then his gaze settles back on me. “Shall we drink to celebrate our new…friendship?”

I hesitate. I’m pretty keen to keep moving, but the other demons are all staring at me, waiting to hear my response, and the fire does look inviting.

I turn to Nate and Prince Callan, and when neither of them protest, I nod once. “Fine, but we’re not staying for long.”

Chapter

Eighteen

~ Princess Blake ~

Dante hunts us down a bottle of wine that hasn’t yet been drained, and we settle by the roaring fire. I sigh, enjoying the warmth and getting comfortable.

The other demons keep a respectful distance, but they soon go back to enjoying themselves. Two males sit beside the fountain and arm wrestle, shouting obscenities as they battle one another, and a few others cheer them on, jeering and laughing. I smile as I watch them.

“You could show them how it’s done,” Dante comments with a grin, and he gestures with his head to the demon on the right, whose biceps are twiceas large as his opponent’s. “No one is able to best Roken, and I fear it’s getting to his head.”

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