13 Ariuk
Ariuk
I scoured the shops through the windows, squealing every so often as I found something I liked.
Luc and Nick seemed oddly excited walking with me, both holding one of my hands as we made our way through the mall.
It was so much more fun exploring with other people, especially ones that didn’t seem bothered by every stupid little burst of excitement that came out of me.
I didn’t have to pretend to be perfect or hide my excitement.
I didn’t have to be angelic or pure. I could just be me.
Luc delivered on his promise, buying me the largest chai frappe Cinna Café had, loading it with extra whipped cream and chocolate chips.
“Drink all the sugar to your heart’s content,” his words exactly.
I hummed happily as I sipped, Nick’s hand hanging out on my lower back as we pushed forward before stopping at the edge of a department store.
“Ready to pay up, Ari?” Luc asked.
I didn’t respond, unsure of what they were going to try and stuff me in. If it was linen or white, I was out. Luc caught my hesitation as he guided me into the store, pushing me toward one of the dressing rooms. “I’ll be right back, alright? Nick will stay here and you just drink your sugar.”
Sitting on the large lounge in the room, I focused on Nick this time for answers. “Yesterday—”
“Things change.”
“I can see that. I’m asking why. Is it because we’re mates? You feel forced to be with me?”
Nick shook his head as he took a seat beside me. Several seconds passed before he spoke. “Ari, the bond makes you matter. A lot. It makes being near you feel right and being away from you feel wrong, but it doesn’t make me like you.” His expression tightened. “That part’s mine. Same with Luc.”
“But—”
He caught onto the horror in my expression. “It’s not a bad thing necessarily. Our need to provide and care for you is only going to get worse. Well, better for you, I guess.”
I set down my drink, trying to understand what that feeling was like. “So, the little pang in my chest—the need to always be touching one of you? That?”
He seemed shocked by my confession. “Wait, you can feel that?”
I nodded.
“You shouldn’t feel it the way I do. You’re not a demon.
” He frowned. “Maybe your side of whatever this bond is just works differently. But yeah, that’s what that is.
You feel us more than you should. Our moods, whether we’re close, whether something feels off.
” His brows pulled together. “But the way you start apologizing whenever you think one of us is upset? That’s not the bond.
That’s something that happened to you up there. ”
I gritted my teeth, remembering a few incidents this morning.
Luc had asked what I wanted for breakfast and when I hesitated too long, I’d somehow ended up apologizing and listing three different things I would be perfectly happy eating.
He’d stared at me for a second before saying, “Ari, I asked what you wanted, not what you think I want you to say.”
“I just wanted to make sure he was pleased with what I had given him.” The fucked-up part was that I hadn’t always been like this.
A year ago, I would have walked away or told someone to take what I gave them.
Somewhere between Uriel, Miel, the council, and constantly being told I was doing something wrong, apparently that had changed.
“That’s fucked up,” Nick muttered.
I glanced at him. “Very insightful.”
“I’m serious.” His jaw tightened. “You shouldn’t have to guess the right answer every time someone asks you something. And whoever made you think you do can go fuck themselves.”
We sat in a comfortable silence, gravitating toward each other until his arm was around my back like this morning, my head resting on his shoulder.
“Isn’t that sweet? Ari, I’ve got a few options for you.” Luc mused as he stepped into the dressing room, amusement dancing in his expression.
I stared at Luc’s wardrobe choices, eyes wide at how low cut they were, not to mention how short each of the dresses were. “Um…”
Nick chuckled as he stood up and retrieved a certain lavender skater dress. “Let us corrupt you a little, Ari. After all, you are Temptation.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You two really need a new word for letting me wear something that isn’t white.”
Nick grinned. “Fine. Let us improve your wardrobe.”
“Less dramatic.”
They left the dresses and closed the door.
I waited a few moments, staring at clothing I never would have been allowed to wear in Heaven.
For once, there wasn’t anyone here telling me what color was proper, how much skin was acceptable, or whether something made me look sufficiently angelic.
I could pick something because I liked it.
Hell, some of these were even sexier than my favorite black dress that had been rudely left tucked away in my heavenly bedroom.
Gathering up the courage to try one on, I did so, pleasantly surprised.
It accentuated my curves nicely, the lavender really bringing out the caramel tones in my skin.
And the way it made my ass look? A giggle fell from my lips as I swung open the door, grinning at Luc and Nick who immediately stood ramrod straight at my arrival.
Nick grunted, not so discreetly adjusting himself before walking away. I frowned and wrapped my arms around my chest. “Did he not like it? I thought—”
Luc snorted, shaking his head as he pushed me back into the dressing room. “Hey, no, he loved it.”
“But—”
“It’s a little sexier than I thought it would be. God, your ass looks fantastic in this shit. We’re getting it. All of them. No need to try on the others. Go ahead and change back so we can move onto the next store. Maybe shoes? Yeah, shoes.” He was rambling, his eyes firmly planted on my face.
“But I didn’t try on the others.”
“Ari, believe me when I say that if you try on the others, one or both of us is going to end up fucking you up against the wall. The dress is perfect, alright?”
Heat bled into my cheeks as I finally got what he meant.
“Now, change before I make good on my threat.”
He wasn’t giving me a good reason to move but I did want to finish my latte before all the whipped cream melted. It was one of the only reasons that I slipped back into the room and changed back into my original dress.
Being objectified wasn’t my idea of a good time, but this didn’t feel like that. They looked at me like I was allowed to know I looked good, like wanting to touch me wasn’t something I needed to be ashamed of. It made me feel attractive, wanted, and chosen.
I hurried up and handed off the clothes to Luc, scouring the area for Nick.
I found him by the checkout counter, the demon grabbing me for a tongue-licking kiss and rocking his hips obscenely against mine.
The full length of his arousal pressed against my belly as he kissed me like he was still pissed off that the dress had affected him in the first place.
“If I hadn’t believed you were Temptation before, I do now.”
Luc stole me away from Nick before he could try anything, shaking his head as he looked between us. “And this is why I’m worried about what happens when Dante starts sending you to the others.”
I clutched my drink closer. “Can we not ruin shopping with that nightmare yet?”
Nick snorted. “Wait until she finds out one of them is literally Gluttony.”
I slowly lowered my drink. “There’s a Gluttony?”
Luc shot Nick a look. “We were specifically not ruining shopping.”
“Right.” I took another aggressive sip of my frappe. “We’re coming back to that.”
“Unfortunately,” Luc muttered.
“Next stop is shoes. If I see her in another piece of clothing, I’m going to bust in my pants like a goddamn teenager.”