5. Owned

QUINN/ASPEN

"You need to wake up — quickly!"

I didn't realize the harsh tapping against my cheek was even real until the darkness shattered around me. I managed to pull back from the woman's hand before she could deliver another series of smacks. Or was it three women? Groaning softly, I closed my eyes and turned my head away while I waited for the room to quit spinning. "Could you talk a little softer, please?"

"Sorry," she apologized softly. "It was vital that you woke before they arrived. The demons always seem to enjoy it when a new prisoner is still unconscious."

The nausea swirling in the pit of my stomach made it extremely difficult to focus on the woman's words, no matter how important they seemed to be. I drew my legs up against my chest with the hope that the physical contact would be enough to appease my body for the time being. Cracking open an eye, I threw a curious glance in her direction. "It sounds like you've been around them often enough to catch onto how these things go down."

Her cheeks grew rosy and her hazel eyes immediately dropped to the floor. "I've been a taster for them for about a month now. Long enough to see a few others come and go."

"A taster?"

The woman gestured at the two bottles of wine sitting on the conference table. "When the heads of the royal families get together, they tend to send gifts ahead. Wine is a popular choice. But the demons wouldn't be the main ruling family if they simply accepted what they received. Tasters like me have to take the first sip to ensure it isn't poisoned."

The idea of us being here for such a simple reason like that was enough to send shivers down my spine. "You said there were a few here before me. What happened to them?"

"They died." Her hazel eyes fell away from the table. They took on a misty appearance as she struggled with the raging emotions within her. "They never seem to last more than one week at a time before a tainted bottle kills them."

Although I yearned to keep my own emotions in check, I couldn't put up much of a fight against the horror that tore through my veins. I shivered and backed up against the wall. It was only then that I noticed a heavy weight resting around my neck. Raising a shaking hand, I felt along the metal piece until I realized it was a collar. It didn't matter how much longer I ran my fingers along the smooth surface, I couldn't find where it had been connected.

The woman watched the horror grow on my face. "It's enchanted. It won't come off unless the demon lord who owns you deems it so." She paused and cocked her head to the side. "Who bought you, anyway?"

A bitter laugh escaped me as I shifted my body just enough to follow the chain to a small hole in the wall behind me. A quick peek over in her direction revealed a similar setup. Neither one of us could go anywhere unless we were allowed to — until the thinner chain draped down our chest pulled us toward the table. Shaking my head, I reluctantly relaxed against the wall. "It wasn't a demon lord."

It took a moment for my words to sink in before her hazel eyes widened. "The prince?"

I nodded slowly. "Apparently so."

She shivered, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I've never heard of the prince buying a prisoner before."

"Funny. The lab rats were thinking the same thing." Scowling, I surveyed the large room around us. There was only one long table taking up the center of the room, with two chairs at each end of the table and six more taking up the far side. It was enough for all of the demon lords and the prince himself to have a seat — and only one guest.

The setup alone deemed this room to be an advantage for them by numbers alone.

"Then that means you're not here to be a taster." The woman's voice was soft again and I almost missed her words. If it wasn't for the extreme sorrow that now came off her in waves, I wouldn't have jolted out of my thoughts in time.

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean? Why am I here, then?"

She shrugged. "I'm afraid that I don't know… I'm sorry." Drawing in a deep breath, she held a hand out toward me. "I'm Samantha."

I slid my hand into hers, offering a brief shake before we pulled apart. "Aspen."

Samantha's hazel eyes swung toward the door as quiet thudding downstairs broke the tense silence around us. Her fair skin became a shade paler. "Well, Aspen… I hope you're ready for this."

I didn't get the chance to admit how far from ready I truly was before the door burst open and several of the demon lords filed in. While most of them were already present for the impending meeting, there was a noticeable pair missing.

The crimson-eyed demon lord and the prince himself.

"Look at that, lads. The angels brought us a house gift." The silver-eyed demon lord strolled up to the table and plopped himself down in his chosen chair. He snatched one of the wine bottles and popped the cork. He didn't pour much into the wine glass before he raised it to sniff the wine. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Something concerning, Santino?" The purple-eyed demon inquired, taking a seat on the left end of the table.

When Santino wrinkled his nose, the sight of the rage swirling within those eerie irises was enough to send chills down my spine. I shrank back against the wall and did my best to disappear. As long as I didn't bring attention to myself, then maybe I would make it through tonight alive.

The demon lord scowled. "It smells foul." Leaning forward, he set the glass down near the other edge of the table before he slammed his fist down on a red button in front of him. "Come do your job, taster," he growled.

The front chain jolted, squeezing a frightened squeak out of me. Samantha merely threw a grim glance in my direction before she rose off the floor and ventured toward the table. Although it didn't take her long to reach the demon lords, she hesitated with those hazel eyes locked on the glass.

All five demon lords honed in on her as she stared at it with fear engulfing her aura. None of them seemed willing to break the sudden silence until a solid minute had passed and she still hadn't budged. Despite the irritation leaking out across Santino's face, he wasn't the one whose patience snapped.

The silver-eyed demon sprung to his feet, reaching out to seize Samantha's collar. He jerked her against the table with a swift movement. "You're still alive for one reason. If you can't bring yourself to do your job, then I will send you to Nico. I am sure he's created a few new methods he'd like to try out on a beautiful body like yours."

She shook under his livid gaze. "N-No! Please…"

"Then drink the fucking wine." He released her and eased back down into his chair.

Her back was to me, yet the sudden surge of sorrow leaking into her aura was all I needed to know that tears were escaping down her cheeks. The air caught in my throat as she finally reached out and wrapped her thin fingers around the base of the glass. My heart pounded in my chest, almost in perfect sync with every inch she raised it up toward her lips.

Samantha drank the liquid in one go and slammed the glass back down onto the table. Aside from her soft sniffles, there wasn't another sound to break the returning silence. The tension didn't remain for very long before her legs crumbled beneath her. She started seizing the moment she hit the floor. Her back immediately arched and her hazel eyes rolled into the back of her head. Foam built up in her mouth before it escaped down her cheek.

I dove forward, my desperation to help her completely overriding my common sense. The sharp edges from the collar digging into my collarbone were quick to snap me back to reality. I curled my fingers around the metal while I was forced to bear witness to Samantha's demise. When blood started escaping down the side of her face, I couldn't remain silent. "Someone help her! She's going to die!"

Santino leaned forward to get a better look. When Samantha finally went still and her chest quit rising, he released a weary sigh. "What a shame. I was hoping to take that pussy before the fuckers killed her."

My jaw dropped when not a single one of them acknowledged my desperate pleas. Hell, the bastards didn't even seem to care that she had endured a brutal death. The nausea in my stomach grew so much strength that I had to turn my head away and hold my breath. There was a strange new smell in the air that I couldn't place, not that I wanted to. I simply wanted it to go away.

"Asher's going to be pissed they tried to spike the wine again." The purple-eyed demon lord reached forward to grab the wine bottle. All it took was a quick sniff before he uttered a disgusted noise and tossed it into the trash can behind him. "Jinn blood. They must know Nico drinks his shit mixed with angel blood on a daily basis now. Their blood alone won't do a damn thing."

"Are you just going to leave her there?"

The last thing I had planned on was risking my luck with another outburst. It quickly became clear that holding my breath wasn't going to get me through tonight and the sight of a dead body right in front of my face was quickly sending me into a panic.

The APL members had been the first people to die right in front of me, but my attention had been fixed upon the prince and the tranquilizer soon followed. I didn't have the chance for their bodies to affect me this way.

All five pairs of eyes swung my way and I shrank down against the wall. Way to go, Quinn. Put the spotlight right on you.

It wasn't long until Santino's lips curled into an icy smirk. "Now that pussy I'd like to have…"

"Don't even think about it. She belongs to the boss." The purple-eyed demon lord relaxed in his chair with a scowl. "If he didn't let me wrap up the siren for him, what makes you think he'd let you have a go at that one?"

Santino responded with a snarl that was wild enough to leave my entire body cold. "I wasn't the one that interrupted him, Archer."

"So? When's the last time one of you told Nico to go fetch the boss himself?" Santino scowled. He eased forward to slap his hand down on another colored button built into the table. "His temper is just as bad as Asher's."

Every part of me was terrified that my own chain would start pulling and I would be forced to approach the table — stepping over Samantha's body in the process. When the conference door simply opened instead and a goon strolled in to rip Samantha's chain from the table, only a small piece of me relaxed. I could only watch him drag her out by her ankles in a nauseating silence.

As soon as the door swung shut behind him, the smell started to fade.

With the unopened wine glass tossed into the trash, as well as the tainted wine glass, the remaining three demon lords took their seats. It didn't take long for the idle conversation to cease and expose the next set of footsteps heading toward the conference room.

My heart lurched up into my throat when the door was nudged open. Every single part of me anticipated for the infamous prince to stroll through the door. When a blonde-haired male came through instead, with a young female hot on his tail, I found myself heavily conflicted. I wasn't sure what to think, especially when his aura was vastly different from the demon lords. Who the fuck is this?

The man's blue eyes drifted toward me. All it took was a quick glance before his upper lip curled with disgust. "You creatures and your vile practices." Shrugging off his jacket, he reached back to hand it over to his companion. As soon as she draped it over her own arm, he tugged out the chair furthest from me and eased down with grace.

His companion crossed her arms over her chest, pinning the jacket to her. It was a futile effort to keep her chest concealed. That didn't stop her own blue eyes from flickering around the room to the demons. Her entire body was on edge and the blonde male was the only reason why she was here.

I certainly couldn't fault her overwhelming desire to leave the room with how Archer had his eyes on her like she was his next prey. The nausea grew even more intense. Sucking in a ragged breath, I kept my back pinned against the wall. Between it and the dizziness that now haunted me, there was absolutely no desire to bring further attention to myself.

I'd done enough to tempt fate.

"Now, now, Marcillo… You'll lose those beautiful white wings if you lie," Archer purred.

The male angel immediately stiffened in his seat. "Don't threaten me, scum." His upper lip curled further, especially when he noticed there were only a few wine glasses left on the table. He lifted his jaw. "Why do I bother sending wine ahead if you're just going to toss it out? It's such a waste. I could've enjoyed that myself later on tonight after dealing with this headache."

Chills trickled down my spine. Every single part of me anticipated one of the demons firing back with the remark that he'd attempted to poison them. When they remained quiet about it, I was stunned. Why wouldn't they call him out on the foiled attempt? My eyes shifted toward the demon lords.

Marcillo didn't seem to care that they refused to answer. He relaxed in his chair with a huff. "Where is your prince? There is absolutely no point in a meeting if he's not going to be on time for them. I have other places to be — an empire to run."

That comment managed to squeeze a snort out of Archer. The rest of the demon lords simply smirked.

"Is something funny?" Marcillo snarled.

One of the demon lords tsked softly, his piercing orange eyes swinging toward the man. "You might want to control that temper of yours. That's a sin, too, you know."

Marcillo straightened in his chair, those blue eyes blazing with a surge of rage. He didn't get a chance to speak before the conference door opened again. As soon as the energy in the air shifted, his anger sizzled immediately and his mouth snapped shut.

I sucked in a ragged breath as that same energy poured into the room. Every part of my body was immediately aware of who was coming in even before his foot passed through the doorway. Even my senses had gone haywire. My vision went hazy for a moment. It didn't matter if I yearned to duck my head and simply tune out the rest of this meeting. I was screwed as soon as he came into sight.

"My apologies, Marcillo. I'm afraid that I was called away at the last minute to attend to some important business." The prince strolled right past the man without the slightest glance in his direction.

The red-eyed demon lord followed hot on his heels, nudging the door shut before he took the seat closest to the prince's. He didn't say a single word.

Marcillo simply sneered at the prince. "You think it is wise to inform me that you don't see our meetings as important business? I don't have to be diplomatic. We can just scrap this bullshit and go straight into civil war."

The prince eased into his chair with more grace than Marcillo had.

Every single movement he made left my legs weak. Hell, I could already feel that familiar wetness pooling in between my legs. Stifling a squeak, I brought my feet back against me in a feeble attempt to hide the aroma that was already escaping into the air. Trying to conceal it was useless when it came to a demon's sense of smell.

Which only left the question of how good that sense was for angels.

"It sounds like you've already made up your mind before coming here." The prince relaxed in his chair with a slight smirk emerging.

Marcillo flinched. "N-No, not at all… I merely believe you are asking for more than you rightfully deserve."

All it took was a small gesture from the prince before Santino reached forward and slapped the smaller button again. His golden eyes were already fixed upon Marcillo. "You have a rising debt that is quickly getting out of hand. I cautioned you long ago about the methods you insisted on taking when it came to your empire and you've chosen to ignore my advice. Here we are, once again."

"You've already taken almost half of the country from us," Marcillo hissed. "What more do you want?"

A weary sigh escaped the prince. He tilted his head slightly so that he could pinch the bridge of his nose. "The states you have signed over to us come nowhere near to paying off your debt. From what I hear, the amount you owe us now is even bigger than we started with."

"If you would stop stealing our land, then we would be able to save the condemned souls here!" The woman snarled.

Marcillo raised a hand to silence her. "Hush, Azialle…"

"Angels." Archer smirked at them. "You never learn. Humans don't want to be saved with the promise of some beautiful afterlife. They're driven by the same dark desires we have. Greed…violence…sex." His grin grew. "Sometimes it pays to sin."

Angels. The air caught in my throat. My vision became hazy again. The prince's guest was an angel. It was just my luck to bear witness to a meeting between two princes.

The conference door opened and the same man who had dragged Samantha out returned with a single bottle of wine. He popped the cork before he set it in front of the prince himself. Not a single word was spoken and he dismissed himself with a small bow.

The bold move left Marcillo's expression darkening. "What was wrong with the wine that I gifted you?"

"You mean the wine that was poisoned with Jinn blood?" Santino let the remark escape off his tongue without a single care. He tapped his thumb against the table.

The prince released a soft chuckle, pouring himself a full glass of wine. Setting the bottle back down, he brought the wine glass up to his face. Instead of taking a sip immediately, he drew in a slow breath and hummed softly. "I was wondering what I smelled when I arrived tonight. If you're not careful, Marcillo, you're going to risk a war on two fronts."

The angel stiffened. "Are you threatening me, Asher?"

Violent shivers tore through my body once the prince's name rolled off the angel's tongue. It didn't seem to matter that it was coming from the mouth of someone who played just as dirty as the demons while bearing a beautiful face. I could feel my own lips tingling with the overwhelming desire to whisper it.

The edges of Asher's lips twitched. He didn't answer the angel immediately, instead taking a casual sip of wine. When he lowered the glass back onto the table, he ran his tongue along his lower lip.

A whine almost clawed its way up my throat. If he could make such a simple action look downright delicious, what else could he accomplish with that tongue? My cheeks grew hot when I realized how close I had come to uttering a noise driven by my sex drive. I immediately curled my lips and bit down hard to keep it from escaping.

The prince's demeanor seemed to change slightly in the blink of an eye. While there was still a toying edge to his behavior, his own irritation seemed to finally rise to the surface. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled a small manilla envelope from within. Not a single word was spoken as he pulled a small stack of photographs out. He tossed it onto the table, using just enough force to send it sliding down toward the angel. "You've been very busy lately, Marcillo. I've been hearing things — actions taken on your part that challenges this little treaty of yours."

Marcillo's blue eyes lowered to the photographs. Although he didn't move an inch to retrieve them, he still paled. He already knew what they portrayed. A hint of panic was starting to leak into his aura.

"Did you think I wouldn't know that you gave the order to steal my shipments?" Asher's grin grew as the angel's emotions started to reflect on his face. "Now why would you need to steal guns that didn't belong to you?"

"I have done no such thing," Marcillo rasped. "If your shipments are being stolen, then it's not by my order."

That was enough to squeeze out a laugh from Asher. I held my breath as the sound washed over me and made every sensation within me five times worse. It wasn't even a true laugh. One peek at the angel and I knew that I wasn't the only one that detected the mocking sarcasm mixed within the sound.

"Nothing gets past either one of us, my feathered friend." Asher's smirk remained dominant on his face. "I am fully aware that every action is not carried out without your seal of approval. My people have even located feeds of you visiting the same warehouse where my faulty shipment ended up."

A mixture of amused smirks started to emerge on the demon lord's faces. The red-eyed demon lord was the only one who didn't seem entertained by the conversation at all.

"If looks could kill, Nico…" Archer smirked at him.

Asher reached back into his suit jacket and produced a larger manilla envelope that had been folded up to fit. He took his time smoothing it out. By the time he tugged the photographs out from it, Marcillo had lost all color to his skin. He simply pulled one out of the stack and flipped it around for both angels to see. "Isn't it curious that you were also caught on the same video feed, associating with a condemned human organization? Were you bribing them to join your cause?"

"That is ridiculous!" Marcillo's voice shook.

Nico reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He smoothed it out before sliding it down the table toward the angel.

The angel drew his head back with a scoff. "What the fuck is this?"

"The cost you're going to have to pay if you wish to avoid war." Asher seized the wine glass.

A part of me expected for Marcillo to retrieve the paper and see what had been written down. Shock leaked into my veins when Azialle stepped forward to retrieve it instead. The way she initially hesitated reminded me of Samantha's role for the demons. While she had been given the task to test their wine, Azialle seemed to take the approach of handling anything physical before her companion.

"It's clean," she murmured.

Archer snorted. "If I wanted to assassinate you, angel, I wouldn't take the lazy route of coating the paper."

Marcillo's expression darkened. The edges of his lips twitched as he struggled to suppress his rage. He snatched the paper from Azialle and scanned the contents. By the time he read the entire demand, his face had turned a deep red. "What the fuck are you thinking, asking for twice the territory?" He flung the paper away. "I won't stand for this bullshit."

Asher kept the glass near his mouth while fixing his gaze on the angel. "So you'd prefer open war?"

That was enough to suck the wind out of the angel's sails. He deflated immediately. "No."

"Fantastic. I'll have someone draw up the papers to include the additional territories required that would suffice to avoid it."

Marcillo's nostrils flared. "Fine." He shoved his chair back, forcing Azaille to scramble out of his way to avoid getting hit. Instead of asking for the jacket back, he simply tore it from her arms and pulled it open. "We're done here."

"And Marcillo?"

The angel paused, his expression stuck between rage and shock.

Asher's lips curled into a wide grin. "I wouldn't leave town until you've signed the papers or that will come across as an act of war." He sipped on the wine to indicate that the conversation was now over.

Marcillo stared at him for a moment before he scowled and stormed from the room.

Azaille scurried after him, neither of the angels bothering to pause long enough to tug the door shut after them.

Not a single demon spoke after the angels left. It was almost like they were quietly tracking the pair through the building until they were gone. Archer leaned back in his chair and cackled. "I haven't tried the poison on a paper method in centuries. I might have to try that sometime to see if they're still anticipating such an amateur method."

"Don't give them the pleasure of proving them right." The demon with the copper eyes grumbled as he shoved his chair back. "Fucking hell, I need a drink. The smell of angels always gives me such a headache. I will never understand how you drink their blood, Nico."

The red-eyed demon scowled. "Does it look like I give a damn if you do?"

While the demon lords were content to succumb into a mild conversation amongst each other, Asher remained silent. His golden eyes were fixed upon the abandoned photographs at the other end of the table.

"When are you going to let me tap that fresh piece of ass over there, boss?"

I squeaked as Santino's silver eyes swung my way.

That remark seemed enough to remind Asher that I had even been delivered to the conference room. His piercing gaze slid my way. As soon as our gazes locked and my breathing hitched, the edges of his lips twitched. He set the wine glass down and gestured for the demon lord to press the red button.

As soon as the chain attached to my collar jerked violently, I immediately seized it with both hands and pulled back on it. There wasn't a part of my body that was eager to approach the table. Santino had already made it known that he wanted to have me in a way I wasn't eager to give so soon after Beau's betrayal. Pain tore down my spine as the back of the collar threatened to dig into my skin, but I refused to move.

Several of the demon lords appeared annoyed by my resistance while a few of them threw curious glances at the prince. It wasn't a secret that a human shouldn't have the strength to pull back on such a well put together device like this, yet here I was…refusing to move.

Asher's eyes narrowed slightly, although the emotion swirling beneath the surface wasn't irritation. He seemed intrigued. All it took was a gesture of his hand for the other end of the chain to fly into his waiting hand. As soon as his fingers curled around it, he tugged on it hard.

A yelp escaped me as he managed to pull me up onto my feet with one swift pull. I immediately threw my weight back in a desperate attempt to glue myself against the wall. Now that I was on my feet, it became even more difficult to resist his silent demand. Over the next agonizing minute, I was losing ground fast with the table drawing near.

His hand lashed out and seized me by the collar once I was within range. All it took was a sharp pull and he brought me within inches of him. "I think we already know you have a dirty little secret that you've been hiding, don't we, pet?"

My legs grew weak beneath me. Why in the hell is he causing me to react like this? It wasn't normal and it definitely wasn't how I wanted to feel toward someone who believed he owned me.

A low growl erupted behind the prince. Santino had started pacing alongside the table with those silver eyes locked on me. "Don't leave us hanging, boss. We're all intrigued by her."

Asher reached out with his free hand to run his fingers through my hair. "I can still smell the hair dye. Not that long ago that you tried to conceal your natural appearance, yes?"

I stiffened. There wasn't a chance in hell that I was going to admit that I wasn't a natural redhead. Yet I could already feel my lips parting, my body more than willing to offer what he was after.

The edges of his lips twitched. "Nor is green your real eye color… I hate to break it to you, pet, but we can see contacts." He leaned forward slightly. "Especially this close."

Nico released an annoyed scowl, reaching out to grab the abandoned bottle of wine. He pulled it in front of him before he retrieved a small vial from his suit pocket. "Why does it matter if she's been playing dress up? She's a mortal. A worthless toy for you to break."

My stomach churned as I watched him tug the cork loose and tilt the vial to pour all of the white contents into the bottle. The smell was intense compared to when the angel pair had lurked within the conference room. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was blood that belonged to another angel.

Asher's smirk merely grew. "It does when she's not a full-blooded human."

Dread leaked into my veins, spreading through my body with so much force that I found myself cold as hell within seconds. I knew this was coming when the goon had held me down so Bianca could draw my blood. That fear was nothing compared to it actually coming undone before my eyes.

He pulled me closer until there were only a few inches separating us. "You, Quinn Rossi…are part demon."

Nico had just taken a drink when the words caused him to choke. He immediately set the glass down while he struggled to get the mouthful of wine down. "What the fuck did you just say?" he managed.

"That's unexpected." Archer released a low whistle. "I didn't think a human would ever willingly mate with a demon."

The other demon lords made a variety of faces while an orange-eyed demon simply scoffed. "Does it really matter? So a demon got horny and fucked a human, voluntarily or not. A hybrid isn't something to concern yourself over, boss."

Although the demon lords were quite adamant in expressing their own opinion, Asher showed no signs of hearing any of them. His golden eyes were still glued on me while that smirk remained strong. "I can tell by the emotions running under that delicate skin that you are fully aware of your bloodline… You've never attempted a legal job. Instead, you chose the illegal work of a hacker that stole from me. Which makes me wonder…did you play a part with the theft?"

I curled my fingers around the collar, desperate to loosen his hold so that it would quit digging into my skin. The sharp sting warned that it was on the verge of drawing blood and I was stuck in a room with seven demons that were fixated on me. Unless I could break free, there wasn't anywhere I could go to hide.

I was completely at the prince's mercy.

Asher's golden eyes narrowed. "Did you help the angels steal my guns, pet?"

"N-No!" I stammered. "I didn't know they ever worked with angels. We were never told about a stolen shipment!"

He cocked his head to the side and let his free hand transfer from my hair directly onto my throat. A pleased expression crossed his face when all of the fight leaked out of me and I dropped to my knees. He made no attempt to hold onto me except for the collar. Instead, he simply allowed his fingers to drift along my jaw. "I'm inclined to believe you."

Every single one of my senses had gone haywire from the physical contact, leaving me struggling to pull the words together. "What do you want from me?" I rasped.

Those golden eyes flashed. "What don't I want from you?" he purred.

I clenched my legs together, desperate to stop the scent from pooling from in between my legs. It was bad enough that a soft whine actually did escape my lips this time and the way his eyes flashed left me ready to faint. His choice of words were enough to leave every single possibility in the book as my future reality.

"You're all mine, pet…" Asher's voice dropped, barely above a whisper now. "...and I will do with you as I wish."