Safe and Sound
Kit/Kat
T he disaster that was the dance faded once we were back at the dorm. Slash refused to let me walk— again— so I had to keep my face turned away from the stares of all the lookie-loos as we paraded through the throng. I have no idea if the dickhead parents we visited were watching or if they’d yeeted themselves out after being ‘seen,’ but I’m sure the rumor mill will take care of letting them know what happened.
I hope the boys aren’t going to get their asses handed to them because I got overstimulated.
“Salem, do you have everything you need?” I ask, feeling bad as he buzzes around the kitchen in his dress clothes. “I could?—”
“Nope,” Oriel says with a firm head shake. “You will stay in your chair and let us handle this, Kit Kat. You’ve done enough standing up tonight.”
My face turns bright red and I mumble to Dottie as she clings to my neck. They made me go change while no one else has, and the display of beautiful demons in perfectly tailored, but rumpled formal wear is making it very hard to concentrate. Since the incident, I haven’t felt an iota of desire for anyone , but the sight of my caliphate does the weirdest things to my body. I feel like my skin is tingling so much that I’m going to sparkle into the air.
Zavida tilts his head, studying me with a curious look. His tails are resting beside him, a sign that he’s truly comfortable at the moment even in our room. “Kit, are you okay?”
I nod, smiling weakly. “Yeah. It’s hard coming down from a half-formed attack, you know? The adrenaline isn’t fully spent and my body aches a bit because of the muscle freeze? I’m sure Salem’s food will help me get some energy to refill the reserves.”
“It will, little demon.” Slash looks pleased at my answer and flutters kick up in my stomach.
Why is that praise making me feel so damn good? Fucking weird.
Jasper is sitting in his chair, still quiet as hell. I don’t know what his problem is, but it makes me edgy. I’m just waiting for him to unleash a torrent of nastiness to soothe whatever shit he’s got stewing in his brain. So far, it hasn’t come, but I’m certain it will. He deals with emotions he can’t handle by lashing out and I’m his favorite target.
“Perhaps some of us should change? My couture is going to be a mess after this,” Xerxes says. My gaze swivels to theirs, and there’s something I can’t quite place in it. They have a reason for this suggestion, but it sure as fuck isn’t about having to iron his fancy duds. All of them have their clothes cleaned by a service—X won’t have to lift a finger.
Anton nods, leaning in to press a kiss to their head. “That’s a good idea, babe. I’d like to get comfortable, and I’m sure everyone else would as well. Now that we have Salem started and KK tucked in, we can go a few at a time.”
“I’m not a baby,” I grumble as I sink into the blanket Oriel brought me from my room. “I can sit here while Salem cooks without all of you staring at me like a giant bug.”
Slash snorts, arching a brow. “If we all go, you’ll be on your feet by the time the door closes.”
Damn him for being right.
“Slash is right,” Salem says as he dances to the tunes in his head at the stove. The smells are delicious and my stomach rumbles, making him smirk over his shoulder at me. “Kit Kat will jump at the chance to get over here, especially if he’s hungry.”
“I don’t snitch while you cook—that much,” I protest. Dottie chitters, giving me a reproving look, and I sigh. “Okay, fine, I do, but it’s because the food here is so damn good. Salem being the cook makes it even better. I don’t think I’ve ever had food that tastes this good, truthfully.”
Jasper snorts and my gaze flits back to him. I know what’s coming.
“Because you have demon blood, shrimp. The delights of Hell have been missing from your diet and your body will now crave it, especially as you continue to emerge.”
I’ll be a redheaded step-child; he didn’t insult me.
“The Prince is correct.”
Slash’s confirmation makes me feel a bit better; being hungry a lot as a girl in our realm is associated with things I’m never going to want, so knowing it’s normal here helps my anxiety. Of course, I haven’t done the thing you need to do for that to be possible since… the trauma.. but it’s so ingrained. Girls fear what isn’t even possible because of the stupid Puritanical horseshit up there. It’s a tool of the fucking patriarchy, and luckily for me, it doesn’t seem like Hell gives a flying fuck about that.
My eyes widen for a second as I realize I have not one single goddamn clue what various shifter or demon anatomy looks like or how they reproduce other than a vague guess about the mechanics being similar. That is very bad and I may need to have a private discussion with Dank about it. I don’t foresee it being necessary anytime soon, but being ignorant isn’t my jam. I want to have all the information possible so if something terrible—or not so terrible—happens, I can make smart decisions.
“Kit? Hey, Kit, did we lose you?”
I blink, looking at Oriel in confusion. Obviously, I blipped out for a minute thinking about demon sex and reproduction, which I am not going to admit to these jokers. “Um, yes. I spaced a little, I think. Sorry.”
X gives me another one of those assessing looks and I duck into my big chair more so I don’t squirm. “I think Annie and I will go first, then. Jas and Slash can follow, then Zav and O.”
“Guess I’m just fucking stuck then, huh?” Salem snarks from the kitchen and I chuckle. “The chef always loses, man.”
“Salem, you can go anytime once the food won’t burn. I’d help, but no one will let me,” I say softly. He looks less pissy as he smiles at me fondly, and I have to adjust in my seat again.
These demons are going to be the death of me.
I was wrong about the stupid suits being the worst outcome—so very wrong.
Biting my lower lip as I wait for Salem to finish plating our dinner, I swallow hard. The guys came back from shedding their tuxes and suits pair by pair, and I haven’t been able to breathe since. X and Anton have some sort of matching silk pajamas and tanks in colors that make them look statue-esque and cut like diamonds. The material flows around their bodies, clinging to lithe muscles in a way that’s damn near indecent. But that’s not the worst of it… oh, no.
Zavida and Jasper have ridiculously fancy PJ pants with tight tees and bare feet, looking like the very picture of the bad boy and the nerd as they lounge together. Zav is curled next to Jasper’s legs while he messes with his tablet, but the fond hand that occasionally ruffles his hair is making my chest ache. The Prince loves to be a jackass to everyone, but he’s not afraid to show his affection for the kitsune.
Unfortunately for me, that’s not the end. Oriel, Salem, and Slash are wearing jogging pants that should be illegal to sport in public and no fucking shirts as they work on getting the food out. The amount of piercings, tattoos, muscles and sheer size filling that area is overwhelming and combined with everything else, I have no idea where to put my gaze. Dottie is no help, either, because she’s been scampering around to get fruit treats from her faves, and giving me what I’m starting to think is a smirk when they fawn over her.
My kinkajou is taunting me, and I can’t do a damn thing about it.
“Breathe, Kit,” I murmur softly as my reaction to the demons surrounding me ramps my pulse. Putting a hand on my chest, I close my eyes and try to calm the random physical reactions fluttering through me like a swarm of butterflies. If I’m honest, it’s not just that I haven’t felt like this since the incident—no, I’ve never felt exactly like this. I’ve never felt a magnetic pull to simply devour anyone with my eyes because my insides were starving for the sight of them.
“Hey, KK, you want a soda? I swiped some from the old battle axe’s stash during my Lab yesterday.”
My head jerks up and I grin widely at Salem, excitement flooding my veins. “You are my favorite, buddy. I didn’t realize how much I was jonesing for a Coke until you said that.”
“Not satisfied with the fun drinks here, mmm?” Oriel says as he tilts his head. His expression is thoughtful, like he’s digging for info, but it doesn’t bother me. The crow shifter gathers information just as voraciously as he does shiny things, so I know he’s not looking for something to hold against me.
“Hmm. No, I love the stuff here. But something from up there is kind of comforting when tonight had a lot of… new things, you know?”
Jasper chuckles, drawing my attention back to him and Zavida. “Meeting with the ruler of Hell and not-so-subtly inferring he can get fucked is certainly new for all of us.”
“At least, in such a blatant fashion.” Slash gives me one of his toothy grins from his spot next to Salem.
“He practically called me a whore, Jasper,” I shoot back. “While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with sex workers, I knew he meant it as an insult. If I’d let it go, there would be just as many problems with looking weak as there are seeming impudent.”
Salem points his spatula at me, nodding. “That’s true. Looking weak might have been worse, I think. Now the General and the King don’t assume Kit Kat is the way to take us out.”
Blushing again, I curse under my breath. The way my body refuses to ignore their compliments is infuriating and I hate it. “I can’t let everyone think I’m the best way to target you all. It might be accurate, but I’d rather people wonder than prove they’re right. Plus, I fucking despise bullies.”
“Hear that, Prince Prickface?” Oriel calls with a snort. “He hates bullies, so stop being such an ass.”
“As if I care what the shrimp likes or dislikes,” Jasper says, smirking as he throws a dirty look at the crow. “He liked the kiss just fine, and only Annie and I have that distinct honor.”
Oh. My. God.
“I…”
Before I can even find the words, they’re all laughing and I’m wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. The guys in the kitchen stomp over with trays, and when I am able to unburrow myself enough to smell the tasty dinner, all seven sets of eyes are on me. Salem arches a brow as he hands me my soda, and Oriel matches him when he gives me the plate. I have no fucking clue what to say to either of them, so I stuff my mouth with a bite of the savory meat as fast as I can.
“He’s embarrassed, you guys,” Anton says softly. “Remember, both times the action was used to distract people around us. It’s not like he had a choice.”
Oh, right. Yes, good point. Whew.
“That’s true,” I squeak, then frown at myself in irritation. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time, but this is fucking stupid. Clearing my throat, I try again. “Anton is right. I didn’t have an option, but… um. Neither of them made me upset like… in my past. I want to make sure you know that.”
X gives me a knowing look and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
That cobra shifter knows something and it’s making me jumpy as hell.