Chapter Forty-Five
CASSIA
I ARRIVE AT work first. Rexton isn’t far behind. He appears beside me in a heartbeat, his head held high and a faint smile toying at the corners of his lips. His mouth has been wiped clean, but he still reeks of me.
My scent seeps out of his pores, leaving no question about whom he belongs to and where his allegiance lies. Me.
Rexton places his hand on my lower back.
“I’ll follow your lead,” he murmurs. “You’re in charge.”
“I know.”
I walk forward, beginning our first public outing as mates.
We attract stares as we walk through the building.
Dozens of pairs of eyes dart between us before focusing on our marked necks.
Rexton’s scar healed nicely overnight, but mine is raw.
The wound is shut, but the skin will remain sensitive for several hours.
I let people look, secretly enjoying it. Word will spread quickly that Rexton and I have marked one another, and I hope it’s acknowledged just how hard and deep he bit me. I want everybody talking about it.
We slow down as we reach the corridor where we’ll separate. Rexton and I work on opposite sides of the building. He’s near my father, and I’m by myself. I’ve always preferred this, but I find myself mildly annoyed by the distance today.
“Tell me if you hear anything regarding Prince Nolic,” I order Rexton.
He raises a brow, the corners of his lips twitching. “Of course.”
I told myself I wouldn’t pry into Rexton through our bond. It’s intrusive, but he’s leaving it open. He’s ripe for the taking. I like to take.
Amusement filters down the bond as I try to sneak inside. Rexton knows what I’m doing, and he’s laughing at my failure. I didn’t last ten minutes.
I pull back, clearing my throat. “I take my lunch at noon.”
“Okay.”
“So I’ll meet with you then.”
Rexton blinks. “Are you asking me to eat lunch with you, Cassia?”
“No.” My answer is instinctual. I huff, blowing a strand of hair out of my eye. “Yes, I suppose.”
“I have a meeting at noon, so that won’t work for me,” Rexton says. “How about twelve-thirty? Can you make that work?”
Can I? Maybe, but I don’t want to.
I’m not used to sharing my time, especially with somebody like Rexton. My prior relationships have been with men who would go out of their way to make my timelines work. They valued my time over theirs. Always.
Rexton doesn’t, though. He wants to compromise and find something that works for both of us. I’m not used to it.
I swallow. “I prefer taking my lunch at noon.”
It’s a ritual. I’ve always taken lunch at noon, and I prefer it that way. The repetition brings a sense of calmness to my otherwise-chaotic life. The thought of changing it makes me nervous. It’s going to throw off my whole day.
Rexton brushes my hair over my shoulder, exposing the bite marks on my neck. Several are lining the column of my throat, and he looks proud as he admires them.
“If it’s that important to you,” he starts, “I can do noon.”
I let out a quiet sigh. That’s good. I don’t want to change my schedule, especially not on my first day back. That’s asking too much. I’m not prepared.
“Good.” I nod. “All right.”
What now? Should I kiss Rexton? He’d probably like that, but it’s not what I’m after.
I dart forward instead, brushing my teeth against his throat. I don’t break the skin, not here, but I make a point to touch him with my teeth. Biting is an intimate action I probably shouldn’t do in public, but I like it too much not to.
Rexton shivers, his hand flattening against my lower spine.
Our bond is blown wide open, and satisfaction travels down it. It’s mixed heavily with arousal. Rexton likes this, too. His throat bobs as he gulps, and I take a second to enjoy the feeling of his skin between my teeth before pulling back.
“Bye.” I spin, darting away.
Rexton’s laughter follows me, traveling down the corridor. I’m not sure what he finds so amusing.
My mind shifts into work mode as I head toward my office. I haven’t been here in days, but I’ve personally vetted all my employees. I trust they’ve kept themselves busy in my absence. They did so while I was chasing after Mammon, and there’s no reason to think they haven’t now.
I’m sure I have a heaping amount of work waiting for me, but anything urgent will have been taken care of.
Loud chatter fills my ears as I near my wing. It’s a comforting sound.
Jassy’s sitting behind her desk, her lips pursed as she glares at the plant on her right. She’s deep in thought, and it takes her several seconds to notice I’m standing before her.
“Cassia!” She jumps up the second she spots me. Her glare is gone, replaced with a wide smile. “You’re back. Welcome! We missed you.”
She’s blowing smoke up my ass, but I don’t mind it.
“It’s good to be back,” I say. “I need a few hours to get up to speed, but let’s plan to debrief after lunch.”
Jassy nods, the woman always two steps ahead of me. I bet she’s already prepared a presentation on everything I’ve missed these past few days. She loves doing things like that.
I tap my fingers against my thighs. “Can you have Rexton’s belongings packed and moved to my apartment today? The large furniture, like his bed, living room setup, and dining table can be left behind.”
I don’t need to elaborate that I don’t actually want his things moved inside my apartment. Jassy knows of my aversions, and she’ll ensure Rexton’s belongings are placed outside the front door. I’ll carry them inside this evening.
“Yes.” Jassy opens and shuts her mouth. “I can do that.”
I crack a smile. She has questions. Jassy knows everything, and I’m sure she’s heard whispers about Rexton and me.
I’m trying my best to ignore the fact that he asked her on a date.
Jassy is beautiful and intelligent. If I were attracted to women, there’s a strong likelihood I would’ve eventually made a move.
Still, I don’t love that Rexton did so.
I’m choosing to put that behind me, though. Poaching Jassy from Aziel was the best decision I’ve ever made, and nothing happened between her and Rexton.
He asked, as I suppose was his right, and she turned him down. I like to think she did it because of me, because she knew of my dislike for him and didn’t want to risk potentially tainting our relationship.
Jassy clears her throat, her gaze traveling to my neck.
I smirk, letting her get her fill. I’m pleased with the marks. Mate bites mean everything to demons, and I have no interest in hiding mine.
“So it’s true, then?” she eventually asks. “You and Rexton are mated?”
“Yes.”
“That’s big.” Jassy’s smile grows. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.” I turn, eyeing my shut office door. “How much work is waiting for me?”
“A lot.”
“Wonderful.”
I head into my office. My meetings were indefinitely postponed while I was at the war camp, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of hours before news spreads that I’m back and my calendar fills.
I sink into my chair with a quiet sigh, then dive in. Rexton and I are meeting for lunch in only a few hours, and I hope to have a productive morning.
It’s hard. My mind continually travels to Prince Nolic, the ambush, the scent of dead soldiers on the mountain, and Rexton. All four topics are weighing heavily on me, and they’re damn near impossible to ignore.
Prince Nolic is somewhere out there, most likely within Wrath. I’ve never met him, but I’ve seen images of his person. Still, I’m not entirely sure I could pick him out of a lineup. If he’s hiding his power as I did while inside Greed, it would be easy for him to blend in.
His large army is still lingering near Wrath, probably awaiting orders to attack. It could happen at any moment, but I have to trust that the generals have everything under control. They’re capable, and they’re experienced. If Greed attacks, Wrath is ready.
I limp through the morning, getting just enough done to make a dent but not enough to feel productive. By the time lunch rolls around, I’m suspiciously giddy. It’s not an emotion I’m familiar with, and I do my best to hold it in as I head toward Rexton’s office.
I’m early, but I’m antsy to see him. He should feel complimented.
Aziel’s office door is cracked. I begin to peek inside to greet him, but I abandon that plan when I hear Uncle Chev’s voice. The shifter sounds chatty, and I don’t have time for that. I doubt Aziel does, either, given everything with Prince Nolic, but Uncle Chev isn’t known for good timing.
My footsteps quicken as I near Rexton’s office.
What’s he doing? Did he have a busy morning? Are people coming to him with problems and questions they should be coming to me with? Is he excited to have lunch with me?
Questions flicker through my mind at a rapid pace. I’m eager for answers to all of them.
I push open his office door, welcoming myself inside.
My eyes land on the woman sitting behind his desk. Then they shift to the slope of her throat. Then they settle on her face.
I’ve only met this woman once, but it’s hard to forget the face of the woman who fucked my boyfriend. I haven’t forgotten how she looked on top of Wren.
And now she’s in Rexton’s office.
I teleport to her, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. How do I want to do this? Do I want to rip out her throat, rip out her heart, suffocate her, burn her alive, gouge out her eyes, scalp her, flay her, or maybe even drown her?
There are so many options.
They’re all delicious.
Indecision has me hesitating. It’s too brief for her to act on, but Rexton’s fast. It probably helps that our bond is open, giving him full access to my emotions. I can only imagine what I’m inadvertently sharing with him, but I’ll worry about that another time.
Rexton’s in front of me. He’s squeezed himself into the limited space between me and the woman, barely fitting. The woman finally reacts, jumping to her feet and scampering back. She’s petrified. She should be.
I chose to be mature when she fucked Wren. I let her live, but Rexton is a different story. He’s my mate. He wears my mark. He’s mine.