11. Evangeline

Icut the water from my seventh shower in a row and heard a knock at the door. Shit.

“Coming!” I hollered as I quickly wrapped my robe around my wet body and ran to get the door.

I opened the door to find a pimple-faced twenty-something guy holding several grocery bags on the other side.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“I have your delivery,” the guy said.

“I didn’t order anything,” I replied.

“Are you Evangeline?”

“Yes.”

“Then this is for you.” He handed the bag to me and walked away.

Perplexed, I closed the door and looked inside the bags. They were filled with bottle after bottle of lemon juice. Instantly, I knew that it had come from the guys, and I chuckled as I took my lemon juice back to the bathroom with me and shucked my robe. I still smelled like troll blood, but hopefully, the lemon juice would fix that. I contemplated the best way to do this and decided to dump the lemon juice into the tub and bathe in it.

The lemon juice wasn’t very deep as I sat in the tub, so I splashed around in it, making sure I was covered in juice head to toe before turning on the water to fill the tub the rest of the way. As I soaked in my weird lemonade bath, I considered the guys. It was thoughtful of them to have lemon juice delivered to me. True to their word, I hadn’t seen or caught a whiff of them in a week, but I talked to them every day, and little actions like this softened me toward them.

Maybe I was being too stubborn. Things haven’t gone perfectly between us, but considering I’m an angel and they’re hellhounds, complications are expected, right? If I was being a hundred percent honest with myself, the idea of being mated to them terrified me. I was used to being on my own. I was independent and didn’t know how good a girlfriend or a mate I would be. All of my relationships in the past were fleeting because I wasn’t so good at the whole submitting thing. I didn’t like relying on someone else or letting them do things for me. Eventually, the guy I was with got fed up and left.

What if my hounds ended up feeling the same way, only there was no way out because we were mated? I didn’t want to let them tie themselves to me for eternity and then live knowing that they regretted their decision. It was easier not to explore the relationship at all than deal with all of that—for all of us. They just couldn’t see it. I sighed and dipped my head under the water. I instantly regretted my life choices when I surfaced and opened my eyes.

“Son of a bitch!” I yelled as I felt around blindly for anything to wipe my eyes. I wiped away the lemon water, but my eyes still burned a little, so I turned around in the tub and turned the cold tap on. I forced my eyes to stay open and stuck them under the running water to flush them.

“Right,” I said once my eyes stopped burning. “I’m over this shit.” I pulled the plug on the tub, stood, switched the shower on, and adjusted the temperature. Washing the lemon juice out of my hair and off my body was a quick process. I wrapped a fresh towel around my body and hair, grabbed all of my clothes and towels that still smelled like troll, and tossed them in the trash. I’d need to get a new robe and more towels, there wasn’t any saving the ones I had. There probably was, but washing my clothes in lemon juice seemed counterproductive.

Once everything was double-bagged, I took a tentative sniff. Damn, Kase knew what he was talking about. I didn’t smell like a rotting troll anymore. Thank fuck for that! I’d definitely try to avoid taking any contracts involving trolls in the future. I don’t care how much they want to pay me. It wasn’t worth the side effects. I dried off and dressed in soft pj’s before going into the kitchen to stare at the inside of my fridge. I was hungry, but I wasn’t feeling terribly motivated to cook. Cereal for dinner is what I decided as I pulled out the milk. I set the milk on the counter and was pulling out a bowl from the cupboard when there was another knock on the door.

Now who the fuck was here? I answered the door, and another twenty-something was standing there. Heavenly smells were coming from the bag in his hands. I recognized the logo from the restaurant I went to with Kase and Rylan last week. They went and ordered dinner for me, too. Assholes. Each kind gesture made it more difficult to ignore them, and I did not appreciate it.

I accepted the food bag and took it to the dining room table. And they had ordered my favorite foods. I found my phone and sent a message to our group chat.

Thanks for the lemon juice and dinner. I’m happy to report that I no longer smell like a troll. Considering I was about to have cereal for dinner, this was a happy surprise.

I didn’t want to appear ungrateful, so I left off the part where it wasn’t necessary. A few seconds later, I got a response from Kase.

You’re more than welcome, angel. It makes us happy to be able to take care of you where we can. Enjoy your dinner and sleep well. Dream of us. We’ll be dreaming about you.

Ugh! Why did he have to be so perfect? Well, not perfect, but he knew all the right things to do and say. I would never be able to reciprocate that nearly as well. They deserve someone who could. I found myself slipping into a gloomy mood as I ate my dinner. Maybe I was just overthinking it.

My phone beeped, and I was surprised to see it was a text message from Jett directly.

What’s wrong?

It took me a moment to realize how he knew something was wrong. The mate bond ratted me out—rather annoying, if you ask me. But my annoyance didn’t last long, as I felt his concern through the bond. It’s hard to be annoyed with someone when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they cared and that their only motives were to make sure you were ok.

I’m fine.

I rolled my eyes at my lame response. I knew that he knew that was a lie.

You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just want you to know that I’m here if you want to talk about whatever is bothering you.

What did it hurt to share? I should be able to share it with him. Maybe when I did, he’d understand better why I was keeping them at arm’s length.

I took a fortifying breath, and then word vomited into my phone.

I’m not used to relying on others, and I’m not good at it. I’m concerned that you will decide that I’m not what you want because of this. Most of my relationships have ended because I wasn’t willing to relinquish control and let the man handle things. I guess it makes them feel emasculated, and I don’t want to do that to you.

I hit send and immediately regretted my decision. Was it better to be upfront about why we wouldn’t work or let them discover it for themselves? I was pretty sure the answer was to avoid it altogether.

Oh, Evangeline. Those relationships were so much more insignificant than what we could have. Angels don’t typically have mates, so I can see how you might not understand just how perfect you are for us and vice versa. We absolutely want to be able to spoil you and take care of you. It’s who we are. You’re our mate, and your every desire is ours to provide. BUT. That doesn’t mean we will restrict you, make you feel like you don’t have any independence, or resent you for not relying on us for everything. We love you just how you are, as cheesy as that may sound.

Could it be that simple? In my experience, it wasn’t. But I have also never been in a mate bond before. Logically, it would make sense that it was different. But my intrusive thoughts disagreed. Before I could respond, another text message came through.

I know you have doubts, but you’ll never know until you try—food for thought. We don’t plan on ever walking away from you, angel, so we have plenty of time to help you see just how perfect we will be together.

He had a point. We had time. We didn’t have to have everything figured out right away, and that worked into my original plan of taking things slow.

Are you ok with taking things slow even though our mate bond has already been formed?

His response came within seconds.

Evangeline, I’m ok with whatever you want to do. Is it challenging at times? Yes, but I forced this on you unintentionally, so that is my cross to bear, not yours. So, if you need to take things slow, then that is what we will do.

Part of me still wasn’t sure this would work, but I couldn’t deny that giving it a chance held merit. I started typing a response, but after deleting it several times and starting over, I finally just sent a heart. I couldn’t properly articulate how I felt, so that would have to do.

I finished dinner, cleaned up, and crawled into bed. It had been a long fucking day. I expected to fall right to sleep, but after laying there for some time staring at the ceiling, I realized it wouldn’t be that easy, especially when my thoughts shifted to my mates again. This time, I was thinking less about the logistics of the relationship and more about the logistics of the sex. I’d already had sex with Rylan, and if he was any indication, sex with the three of them together might actually put me in a coma for a short time.

I let my mind weave together a scenario, imagining riding Jett’s cock as Kase took my ass. As my fingers slipped through my dampening folds, I envisioned Rylan using my mouth and throat. They weren’t gentle, taking me with a desire I had never experienced before, as if I was the sole reason for their existence. The only thing keeping them from perishing. I moaned as my fingers moved to my clit as I squeezed my nipple through my shirt. My imaginary hounds pounded me to the pace of my rapidly moving fingers. Just as I was nearing my orgasm, my phone beeped, ripping me out of my fantasy.

I’m glad you’re feeling better, but fuck, you’re driving me crazy, Evangeline. Every night, you drive me insane with need and make me wish I was there with you.

My initial reaction to Jett’s text message was mortification, but then I remembered that Jett had just told me he could handle the mate bond between us, and I decided to test it. I resumed rubbing my clit as I responded.

How insane? Do you touch yourself, too?

The three little dots showed at the bottom of our chat showed that he was writing, and I teased my clit while I waited for his response.

Last night, I went for a run all over the city.

Disappointment coursed through me that he hadn’t been pleasuring himself with me.

But I’m touching myself now.

I bit my lip as his words heated me from the inside.

Show me.

My breath hitched when less than a minute later, a picture appeared in the chat of his fist wrapped around his cock. He was average-sized, but the veins were prominent, making me want to trace them with my tongue. My mouth watered as I studied the picture and slipped two fingers into my slick pussy. He might not split me open, but he’d fill me perfectly; I just knew it. I closed my eyes as I pumped my fingers, imagining they were Jett’s cock filling me.

I keep thinking about when my hound snuck into your room and how sweet you tasted. And how much I’m looking forward to tasting you for myself.

I moaned at his words as my desire spiked. I could feel his spike in response to mine.

My hound was so close to having his way with you. And as horrified as I was at the time, I would be lying if I said that it didn’t turn me on.

The images I had in my head morphed, replacing Jett with his hound in my fantasy. Imagining what it would feel like. I moaned as my fingers moved faster.

I can feel how much that turns you on, baby. You like the idea of my hound claiming you? What would you do if you woke up to my hound’s head between your legs? Would you let him mount you?

The thought of his hound’s soft fur sliding up my body and brushing against my nipples made me moan as my pussy flooded with a fresh batch of juices. Could I let that happen? Did I want it to happen? What did it say about me that I think I did want it? My orgasm continued to build as my eyes stayed glued to the phone. I panted as I continued to fuck myself with my fingers as I waited for his next message.

Would you get on your hands and knees and let him take you from behind like an animal? Would you be a good girl and take his knot, or would you pull away? I hope you let us knot you. I can almost feel you pulsing around our knot as you come for us.

A string of moans fell from my lips as I came hard, his words painting the salacious images into my mind. Fuck, I wanted that, and I didn’t know that I cared how wrong it might be.