Chapter 41
Forty-One
They didn’t come right to me like they usually did.
Instead, they stayed by their kingdom, talking and chatting with other Lusts, sitting at the end of the table, gaze flickering to me every so often.
I stared at them, wondering where the hell my pride had gone.
Why was I suddenly afraid to go over there, afraid to speak to them? Heavens, I didn’t know what to say.
After about fifteen minutes of Dani smirking at me with those damn sinful eyes, I took a deep breath and walked over to them, trying not to stumble on my way there.
“Look who it is,” I said, feeling both light and heavy on the inside. “Finally decided to show up.”
“We were deciding if we wanted to even come at all,” Dani said before Eros even got the chance to open his mouth.
He sipped on his Passion Delight and stared at me. And for the first time, I couldn’t read him.
He was always easy to read. Either wanted to fuck, wanted to talk, or wanted me to love him. But now … now things were different so suddenly, and I wondered how the fuck Raphaela could change my entire life in the span of a day.
“Oh, darling, you wouldn’t miss a party in Pride,” I said … but I was beginning to think she was serious. That this wasn’t all an act. That she meant what she said and didn’t want to just get a rise out of me.
We sat in silence for a few moments.
I glanced over at Eros. “You wouldn’t miss one either.”
My lips curled into a smirk, yet they faltered when he grumbled something, wrapped his arm around Dani, and looked toward Biast, who stood in the middle of the Wraths, fire burning from his hands.
Dani snorted and rolled her hazy hazel eyes. “I can’t believe he’s going to be the next commander,” she said, relaxing only slightly to lighten the mood.
Biast gazed over at us. “What the fuck are you looking at?”
“You,” Dani said.
Eros tensed beside her, straightening his back when he stalked over.
“What about me?” he asked through clenched teeth. “If it’s about my father, I will—”
“You’ll what, Biast?” She tilted her head and let out an angelic laugh. “Kill me too?” When he turned around and stormed away, she smirked. “I thought so.”
We fell into another awkward silence, and I stared around the party, my eyes landing on Raphaela.
“I don’t like her,” Dani growled, glaring over at Raphaela and Tonia, who were laughing with each other.
Dressed in a fitted black latex dress, Tonia looked like she was flirting with the one woman I was sure didn’t belong here.
“She came onto me last night,” I said with a clenched jaw.
I hadn’t wanted to tell them, but I found myself saying it anyway.
It was the fucking right thing to do even though I hated doing the right thing.
Dani growled, and Eros tensed, so I continued because I hated to see the look on their faces, “We didn’t do anything. ”
But I couldn’t tell her that I was the one being affected most by this. I never backed down from a challenge, not even if that challenge was Raphaela. I should’ve done it the other night. I should’ve let her try to fuck me, to prove to me that she was here for me and not for anything else.
I stared at my empty glass, fingertips turning white on it. But … I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop thinking about Dani and Eros the other night. Heavens, I never fell in love, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d felt like I was betraying them. It didn’t sit well with me.
“Well, she’ll prove it to us now,” Dani said, grabbing my wrist and nodding to Eros.
She pulled me toward Raphaela, who watched the chaos in the castle with wide eyes. Lusts were stripping in the hallway, their tits or cocks hanging out. Sloths were handing her blunts, and Gluttons were pushing food into her face.
When we reached her, she glanced from me to Eros to eventually Dani. There was something in her eyes that made her almost immediately glance away. Dani had something inside of her that made Raphaela afraid, terrified.
“Raphaela,” Dani said, brushing her finger under her chin and forcing her to look up at her.
Raphaela stared into her eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
“I heard you wanted to get with Lucifer last night.” Dani leaned closer to her. “Well, now’s your chance.”
I swallowed hard, wondering what the fuck Dani was up to. Dani curled her fingers around my bicep and pressed her breasts into my arm, hanging off me like she wanted to fuck me.
“You’re coming into the Lust Room with us,” Dani said to Raphaela. “And I’m going to see exactly why Lucifer likes you. Maybe you can be my plaything from now on.”