Chapter 11
Carmine had accepted my explanation without question. I’d been hailed a hero of battle. Everyone loved Axel and he was being spoiled rotten… was the dream I had as four members of the war council and a demon king interrogated me.
How many hours had passed?
“Five demons dead. Five of our strongest,” said Deuk.
None of the council had outright accused me of betrayal—not with Carmine sitting in obvious, simmering rage, but there was unspoken accusation.
“We were surrounded,” I said again. “If any of the pack left to protect the humans, then it wasn’t many, or they returned. Two of the demons decided on a plan to kill the youngest human pups and send a message.”
“You should have let them,” said Tsee.
I regarded him as my stomach churned. “I won’t allow any child to be killed. They should have used the babies to bargain their way out, which I demanded they do.”
He was yet to speak, but did so now. “And why did they not obey the orders of my mate-intended?”
I lifted a shoulder. I’d had time to dress in training clothes between my return and this interrogation. “Perhaps that had something to do with how I was presented to the army last night.”
Mother be, what time was it? Early hours of the morning somewhere. I’d left Axel with Gratia and Raes, and promised to end their lives if anything happened to him.
I was forming a habit of collecting boys.
Carmine didn’t shift his gaze from me. “Leave us.”
The councilors filed out in silence.
“You are lying,” he said when the door closed. This room was soundproofed. “Those demons were some of my strongest. Without Magus or Vissimo help, Luthers couldn’t have defeated them.”
“There were enough Luthers there to kill me,” I replied. “Luthers aren’t hurt by our smoke. With enough of them, they absolutely could and did kill the last two.”
Carmine’s gaze hadn’t left my face, but now it clawed at my skin for the truth. “You killed the others.”
“I did. Two of them. One got caught in a Magus trap early on. I killed the two planning to murder the babies. They were going to get us all killed. I bargained the two babies for the boy after, but thanks to the tone you set before we left, your remaining soldiers decided to disobey my order too. When they tried to take the babies and run, the Luthers chased them down. I portaled to steal the boy, then escaped.”
“So instead of two babies and a boy, I get a boy.”
“A hostage is a hostage. You wouldn’t have had all three, anyway, if your demons had killed them.”
His jaw clenched. “But the Luther pack would have firmly believed that we would kill the boy if they dared to stray. Now they doubt our strength because you weakened in your deal.”
Compromised. He meant compromised.
I said wearily, “Strength means different things to different people and different races.”
Carmine smashed his fists on the table, and a crack appeared down the center through the map of Deception Valley. His army had flattened the humans’ manor and desolated the tribal grounds. He’d taken one of the humans prisoner, too—Andie’s human sister.
Carmine lifted his gaze, and the ring of crimson surrounding his gray irises burned brighter than ever. “What am I meant to do with a mate who betrays me in body and mind?”
“The game changed. They had us surrounded. From that moment on, you were only going to get the boy.”
“And what of you leaving my mother to fight six Luthers? What of you killing two of our kind? What of you defying the orders I’d given them?”
“I couldn’t care less what happens to your mother. And those two demons made their choice. It was a bad one.” I ignored his sneer to add, “And I’m not sure what obedience you expected after treating me the way you did.”
Menace rumbled in his chest.
“Carmine, are you angry about the pup, or are you angry about my lover?”
The table was gone. Flipped aside.
I gripped the armrests, then surged to my feet. Adeuto was with Tempest. I felt brave again.
“He will never satisfy you like I can,” Carmine said tightly. He didn’t storm to close the gap.
Jealousy was so fucking unattractive. “Neither do you, mate.” I closed the gap for him.
“You don’t touch me. You have decided that I won’t be a mother.
Last night you treated me like a dog. Perhaps Ayth didn’t satisfy my body like you used to, but he satisfies my heart.
He satisfies my mind. Those are things you will never provide. You withhold them like a weapon.”
I rested a hand against his face, and rose on tiptoe to set my lips against his. The lust that always lurked ready to strike rose up, and I clung to my reason for being here to keep it under control as I deepened the kiss.
I’m going to kill you one day.
Carmine moaned and backed me against the wall, ensuring there was more than a simple hint of punishment in the brutal pressure of his mouth on mine. I trailed my fingers over his chest. He hadn’t changed after the battle and blood streaked his skin and ink designs.
He broke the kiss and reeled away. Remaining turned from me, he said in a guttural voice, “You will not have any lover, Syera. Not now and not ever again. I cannot allow it.”
“What will I have, Carmine?”
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Me.”
“What part of you exactly?”
No answer came for a time. “Any part you truly wish for.”
I arched a brow. “Have I not told you I wish for your body time and again?”
“You don’t know what you say,” he muttered, but faced me after.
I pushed off the wall to meet him. “You want me here in this place, but you want a shell, a slave. And then you wonder why I disobey and find no pleasure in anything here, including you. It’s because you drain everything I am without giving any of yourself in return.”
“I don’t seek to do that,” he said in the lull.
Sure he didn’t. “Is this interrogation over? If you’ve decided to let me live, I’d like to sleep.”
When Carmine didn’t move out of the doorway, I refused to meet his gaze.
He didn’t care that I’d killed two demons, or most likely four tonight.
He didn’t care that he had one child hostage instead of three.
He cared that I’d been with another male for three years, and I was still writing to him—maybe meeting up with him each time Carmine battled on Earth.
“You will never see him or write to him again,” the demon king hissed. “You will accompany me each time I go to Earth. Me. In case you decide to interpret the mission in your own way again. And in return, I will have a compromise with you.”
Have a compromise. I was impressed the word hadn’t choked him.
“If there is a boon that would show you that I value you, then I will grant it,” he stated.
Now we were talking. Jealousy wasn’t so unattractive after all. “I want two boons.”
“I cannot give you a child, Syera,” he replied. “And I will not take you to bed as things stand.”
I didn’t get this guy. He knew I’d changed after the ritual—and had to know why, yet wouldn’t tell me any of that. He also refused to take advantage of me while in that state. Physically anyway.
Part of me appreciated that if Neti hadn’t healed me, at least my body would have remained my own. The rest of me couldn’t make sense of his moral code.
Oh, wait. That was nothing new.
I tilted my chin. “You won’t give me your own child, but you can give me another. I want the Luther pup. You don’t plan to return him to Earth anyway. He will be my son.”
Carmine stared. “You want a pet?”
“A son. A child that I will love.”
“Yes,” Carmine blurted. Blurted.
I stared. “Really?”
He nodded a few times. “Yes. I will grant that.”
I… what? “You will never harm him,” I added. “I will protect him if you try.”
“I will never harm your child.”
Said without hesitation. What the fuck?
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
“I cannot give you a child, Syera. And I will not return the pup, you’re right. I want you to be a mother if that is what you wish. The wolf is yours to keep, and I am happy for the solution.”
Mother be. That was… unexpected. Now I had a plausible reason to protect the young Luther. Which meant Adeuto would remain safe. Once Carmine was gone, I’d take the pup back to his family.
“What else?”
I looked up. “Tsan. The yellow-scaled demon from Tiers. I’d like to invite him to live in the fortress.”
“The rooms are full. A red or crimson would lose their position.”
“So?”
“So there would be political turmoil. But if that is what you wish, then I can grant that too.” Carmine sounded relieved, like he was happy to be able to agree with my requests.
“I’ll invite him,” I said after a beat. “He might say no.”
No sane demon would say yes. But a demon whose mate was killed by Carmine would leap at the chance. And Tsan would leap at the chance to help me too. I couldn’t go to the gates myself, and I didn’t fully trust Athira with any letter I sent. She could turn on me for any reason at any time.
I’d needed help in the fortress for a long, long time. Since sixteen.
And now my one and only friend may come along to give that to me.