8. Claimed

QUINN

Should've known that it was too good to be true.

I had been able to sense things were amiss the moment the black abyss started to retreat, leaving me engulfed with warm water brushing against my skin. Waking up in a large claw tub with the water level all the way up to my chest had left me on the verge of panic. At least, until I realized I was completely alone in the bathroom. My neck was also naked of the familiar heavy collar.

Which had officially made it the one opportunity that I might get to escape.

I pushed on the window, desperately trying to force it up so I could squeeze out of the house. It didn't matter if I was as naked as the day I was born. Getting out of the prince's personal home was the main thing on my agenda, especially before he managed to get his hands on me again.

All common sense ceased as soon as that first physical contact was initiated.

The frustration continued to build within me as I struggled to get it open and the window had yet to budge an inch. Which meant the frantic struggle to get out of the tub without breaking my neck wouldn't mean a damn thing if I was still stuck in the same walls that I sought to escape. A low growl escaped me as my eyes drifted toward the lively grounds stretched out around the home.

The property was covered with a wide variety of plants, although they couldn't conceal the thick woods several yards down the hill — or the tall gate that surrounded it all. Which made it painfully clear that it wasn't going to matter if I broke free. Scaling a wall was going to be extremely difficult without an ounce of clothing to protect my skin.

Curling my upper lip, I let my head fall forward. Pain pulsed from my forehead as it connected with the glass. There was no way in hell that I would get left alone like this again. My window with my one chance to escape had never existed at all. It had been nothing more than a fool's dream.

So that was why the prince hadn't stressed over leaving me in the bathroom alone.

The hair rising on the back of my neck warned that I was no longer alone. I turned my head slightly. As soon as I spotted the prince lurking in the doorway with those golden eyes locked on me, I tensed. There was absolutely nowhere for me to go and all of the clothes I had been given were still in the bedroom. All it took was a retreat for my back to brush against a fluffy towel.

Asher's gaze didn't stray as he watched me yank the towel off the rack and wrap it around my body. The quiet chuckle that leaked into the air left my cheeks hot. Watching the blush grow only seemed to heighten his amusement. "I've seen every inch of that delicate skin, pet. There's absolutely no point in you hiding it from me."

"I'm not walking around this house naked," I growled.

He clicked his tongue, although that smile grew. "Perhaps I could convince you to reconsider that. It would be a shame to destroy the only set of clothing you were given to me with."

I dug my nails into the towel's material, despising how much there was to dig through in order to feel them push against my skin. The only thing that would help keep my body under control was pain. "You don't own me, no matter how much you seem to think you do."

The prince cocked his head to the side, his grin barely faltering. "That mark on your breast says otherwise."

What mark?I dropped my eyes. In the midst of my panic, I hadn't given a good look at myself before I had wrapped myself up in the towel. I had been so desperate to conceal my body that I had that same material keeping my breasts masked from me. The only way to see if the prince was lying was to drop the towel. Gritting my teeth, I turned away from him and loosed the material so I could peek under.

A black lion tattoo cupped my breast and peered right back at me.

The sight of it squeezed every ounce of the warmth from my body, leaving me to tremble against the wall while my mind reeled from the discovery. "You had no right to do this to me. I am not some piece of property to own!"

I had expected to see some movement that would warn me the prince was ready to cut the distance between us dramatically. Yet all I had to do was blink before he was standing in front of me. Instinct drove me back against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest. When our gazes locked, the air caught in my throat and my knees started to weaken beneath me.

He wasn't even touching me and the feel of his aura pushing against mine was already starting to affect me. The realization left me on the verge of a full-blown panic attack.

Asher shrank down the distance between us even more until I could feel the heat radiating off his body. His golden eyes were glued on my face. With so little distance between us now, I found myself blushing with embarrassment. "I don't think you understand how this works, Quinn."

"My name is not—"

He raised a hand, pressing a single finger against my lips. "Do not lie to me. I know who you are, just as I know you're trying to conceal your true appearance through hair dye and colored contacts. Not that any of this truly matters because it does boil down to the fact that I do own you. The fact I bought you — both your body and your soul — is the only reason why you're still alive. If I had not intervened, your defiance would have earned you the same fate as the rest of the APL members."

It took everything I had not to jerk my head away, fully aware there was a solid wall behind me. I merely trembled against him. "How is this fate any better than death?"

Something in Asher's expression changed. He pulled away just enough to shift his hand and curl those fingers against my throat. Pushing me up against the wall, he leaned closer. "Do you want to die, pet? Because my demon lord was fully willing to put a bullet in your head while you were unconscious. Should I summon him so he can finish the job that he attempted to start?"

Although he had an iron grip on me that refused to let me move in the slightest bit, the prince hadn't cut off my air. It still didn't stop me from grabbing his wrist during the interaction, which allowed the towel to drop down onto the floor. I shivered as the cool air rushed forward to cling to my naked skin.

Asher brought his face closer while maintaining eye contact. "Do you still want to die, Quinn?"

The fact the prince had used my real name instead of his favorite term for me left me speechless, especially with a thick Italian accent leaking into his voice. I could feel my nipples hardening with his arm so close and the rest of my body was just as aware. Not a single word was willing to be woven together to launch off my tongue, which left me with the only option I had left. I shook my head slightly.

That seemed to please him. He drew back and let his hand slide down my throat. The path he left with those fingers left my skin on fire. It wasn't long until the sensation started to wrap around my throat. Solid material formed against my skin, taking only seconds to nestle at the base of my throat.

I raised a hand slowly until my fingers brushed up against it. It was a new collar, except this one didn't carry the same heavy weight that the original had. There were only a few links forming a small chain, allowing it to dangle comfortably on my chest. It was still a sign that the prince owned me, yet it wasn't the immediate wall in my face that I was nothing more than a prisoner.

Asher cocked his head slightly when my stomach grumbled, breaking the tense silence that had engulfed the room. While the heat still remained dominant in his eyes, the amusement had returned and his lips twitched. "I suppose you need to eat something before we get caught up in the moment again, yes?"

When he pulled away from me, the strange hold he had over me finally eased and I sank down onto the ground. My lungs flooded with fresh air so quickly that the air spun around me. I didn't realize the prince had stopped cold until he knelt down in front of me.

"Is this a habit of yours? Fainting?" His golden eyes surveyed my face.

I struggled to maintain my breathing. "Why do you care if it is?"

Asher didn't answer me. Instead, he reached out and nudged down my lower lip, exposing my gums to him. His golden eyes narrowed into thin slits. "The doctor informed me that you were underweight. Perhaps I should have asked for more depth to be done to your bloodwork to see just how bad the problem was."

His words caused a spark to flicker within me. Gritting my teeth, I jerked my head away to tear out of his grasp. "You already know what I am. I'm a bastard child. My mother didn't hesitate to remind me every day of my life that I wasn't like her. Half of my blood was his. So, no. Things like three meals a day wasn't something I got to enjoy."

"Is she the same one that left the cigarette burns on your back?"

I averted my gaze. The same heat that had haunted my cheeks only minutes ago returned in full force. "She had crafty ways to remind me of what I am."

There was a sudden shift in the air that took me by surprise and the rage leaking from Asher's aura had been shrinking down. He reached out to catch me by the jaw, keeping me from curling up into a fetal position right in front of him. All it took was a gentle tug from him before we locked gazes again. "Anita Rossi is your mother? Not your grandmother?"

I didn't expect my lips to curl into a smile, even if it was one completely void of any emotion. "I look good for my age, huh?"

Asher shifted his hand so that he had a firm grip on my hands. "Get dressed. Your clothes are still in the guest room. We will talk after you get something in your stomach. Understood?"

The last thing I expected to do was nod in return. I had done my best to respond with as much sass or resistance, but I felt completely drained. Having the prince anywhere near me simply crumbled my will to refuse him. It certainly didn't help that the demon seemed to give more of a damn about my well-being more than my mother ever did. I held on tight to him as he hoisted me off the ground.

He didn't pull away until I had my feet firmly planted on the ground. "Get dressed," he reiterated.

I reluctantly trailed after him. From how slowly he was moving, it was clear that he had no intention of letting me out of his sight until he knew that I was heeding his command. Ducking my eyes, I returned to the guest room. It took me a moment to locate every article of clothing. In the end, the only thing that I avoided putting back on was the bra.

The bite wound on my breast had essentially healed with the stunning tattoo left in its place. That didn't mean the skin itself wasn't still agitated. Attempting to get food in my stomach simply wasn't going to happen if I had rough material reminding me of the events that had gone down only a few hours ago. By the time I had everything that mattered, a mixture of smells carried into the room.

My mouth watered at the wide variety that interwoven together to essentially carry out a song in its own way.

I emerged from the guest bedroom, honing in on all the delicious smells to help guide me toward the kitchen. There wasn't a single part of me that was prepared to find the prince of demons himself moving around the kitchen, pausing long enough in various spots to carry out further preparation while a pot on the stove was already cooking. "Is that…Italian?"

"Contrary to what you might believe, pet, I am Italian." Asher abandoned the chopped garlic cloves on the chopping board to hoist a thick chunk of meat from the pot.

"You don't sound like an Italian," I fired back, wrinkling my nose. Well, except for when his accent decided to sneak back in.

His golden eyes swung my way, causing my breathing to hitch. "Perhaps I've had to spend a little too much time in America." He gestured at the bar stools lined up on the other side of the island counter. "Sit."

It took everything I had to stifle a sigh and ease onto one of the stools. As soon as my ass sank down onto the cushion, a dull ache pulsed throughout my body — originating from my pussy. I froze with a soft hiss. A pleased chuckle from near the stove drew my gaze. "You're pleased with yourself, aren't you?"

"A man is always pleased if a woman he has bedded is having difficulty walking afterward." Asher continued preparing the dinner without sending more than one quick glance my way.

My cheeks grew hot as the memories came flooding back. "So that…was your demon cock."

"The incubus version of it that's tied to my human form, yes." Asher disappeared into the pantry nearby.

Delighted chills trickled down my spine when he returned with a bottle of wine. A sweet smell lifted into the air the moment he popped the cork and poured some of it inside the pot. "You make it sound like the human version of it is still very impressive."

The prince's golden eyes strayed toward me, the edges of his lips twitching. "I'm afraid you might not see much of that one if you keep triggering the reaction that you do, pet. It's natural for a succubus and incubus to be drawn to each other. The fact you are only half succubus is still curious."

I hated sounding like a broken record, especially when I couldn't wrap my head around why that part of me had caught his attention so much. Interweaving my fingers together, I rested my chin on them and let my eyes wander around the traditionally styled kitchen. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that what he was saying was true. The part I kept getting hung up on was why it even mattered.

There were several branches to both species of demon, a few more rare than the rest of them. That didn't mean that every demon that crossed my path was an incubus. Still, there was nothing special about me or my stained bloodline.

I jolted out of my thoughts when a large plate slid in front of me, followed by a cup of juice. Hot steam rose off the plate, bringing with it a mixture of delicious aromas.

"Pork ragu over creamy polenta." Asher added a steak knife and fork onto a folded handkerchief. He returned to the stove to collect a plate for himself. Only a few seconds passed before he threw a quick peek in my direction to see if I had moved yet. His lips pressed together. "Am I going to have to feed you?"

My cheeks grew hot. "I can feed myself."

"Then do so. I would prefer you to be well rested for tomorrow. I am a very busy man and I would rather you not be left behind." He gestured at the plate before he finished gathering his own.

"You mean that you want to show off your latest pet." My tone took on a bitter edge. I had no problem retrieving the fork, but my hand hovered above the steak knife. A part of me reeled from the shock that he would even nudge a weapon in my direction. Anyone in their right mind would force their prisoner to stumble through cutting meat with a fork just to avoid the unnecessary risk. As my fingers curled around the handle, my gaze flickered toward the prince.

Asher was gone.

My entire body went cold. Where the hell did he go?

Hands came down from behind me, pinning both of my wrists to the table while his chest pressed against my back. "I would advise you not to carry out that thought, pet. If I can't trust you to use them appropriately, then you'll be getting butter knives from now on. I would like to stress that good Italian meat is not meant to be sliced with those damned things. So please, don't force my hand."

The air caught in my throat. He wasn't on me with all of his weight, but there was enough on me that I could feel his heart beating in his chest. Hell, I could even make out half of his muscles. The only material separating our skin was my own shirt.

The bastard had yet to put one on.

Asher shifted his head, his warm breath brushing against my ear. "Can you promise to behave?"

"Y-Yes," I managed.

"Good. I'd prefer to reward you for good behavior rather than punish you for trying to kill me." The prince pulled away and his footsteps drifted toward the stool at the far right end. He eased down with his plate still held tightly in his hand. "I am a fair man, but I will only tolerate so much before I must carry out the proper consequences."

I gritted my teeth until my jaw throbbed with agony. It took far too much convincing to pick up the steak knife after getting pinned against the island counter, yet the meat deemed it necessary. "Is that your way of saying you'll kill me if I force your hand with my horrible behavior?" I stuck the knife into the meat and started slicing.

It slid through like the meat was nothing more than butter.

"It would be wise not to push your luck, pet."

Wrinkling my nose, I chose to opt out of a verbal response. The prince was already digging into his meal, which essentially ensured the conversation was done for now. I cut out a small piece of the meat and plopped it into my mouth. It didn't matter how many delicious aromas had flooded the entire house, I still wasn't prepared for everything to hit my senses the way it did. My jaw locked up and I was tormented with all the amazing tastes corrupting my taste buds at once. By the time my body allowed me to continue chewing, a contented hum escaped me. Holy fucking hell…

It was settled. I could handle being the prince's prisoner if it meant more of this cooking.

It took me far too long to realize the energy in the air had shifted and instinct drove me to peek down the island counter. As soon as my eyes slid toward the prince, my jaw locked up again. There was no way I could mistake the hunger lurking within his gaze. I barely got the chance to swallow before he vanished off his stool. Oh, fuck…

Firm hands seized me from behind, tearing me off the stool. A panicked squeal escaped my lips as Asher pinned me against him long enough to fling the plates off the counter. Once they were out of the way, he flung me down. My mind was reeling from all the movement by the time my world settled. I'd gone from sitting and enjoying my meal to having my ass hanging over the edge. "You didn't let me finish!"

"I'll remake it." Asher tore my jeans off, getting all of the lower clothing shed in record time. The lust swimming within his piercing eyes flashed as soon as my pussy was exposed to him. A low growl rumbled from his chest.

I expected him to hone in on my clit and go to town. My heart skipped a beat when he redirected toward my inner thigh. As soon as those sharp fangs pierced the delicate skin in the exact same spot as earlier, I jerked. The pain tore through my body with so much heat that my vision went hazy and all of the air was squeezed out of my lungs. I clung to him with every ounce of strength I had. "Are you…going to…do this…every time?" I rasped.

His lips curled into a smirk as he finally pulled away, running his tongue along the wound. "Consider yourself my forever virgin, pet."

Shivers ripped down my spine as the prince turned his head, allowing his warm breath to brush against my skin in a line leading straight back to my pussy. He latched on my clit without hesitation, immediately starting up with the same suction that had left me wild. I raised my hips with a whimper. "F-Fuck!"

A content hum escaped Asher. He squeezed his hands under my ass and cupped each cheek, keeping me pinned against his mouth.

The tension within my body started to build rapidly and it wasn't long until the high had me in its clutches. I dug my nails into his scalp. "Don't stop!" I breathed. "Please!"

To my utter delight, the prince acknowledged my request and slipped in some nibbles that sent me spiraling. With his lips still locked on my clit, he slid a finger inside my pussy. He released a pleased noise when I immediately raised my hips to draw him in further. It wasn't long until he added a few more fingers and started a frantic thrusting motion.

There wasn't a chance in hell that I would have the willpower to stifle any noise from escaping my lips. The more he went at my pussy, I found myself emitting a variety of noises that I didn't think were possible for me. I clung to him while my body started to succumb into a familiar and intoxicating tension. The orgasm ripped through me so fast that red dots scattered my vision, and I completely lost all ability to breathe.

Asher eased up my body with lust haunting his face. He slid his fingers along my lips. "Suck your juices off, pet."

I didn't hesitate to part my lips, allowing him to slip his fingers inside. The moment the salty taste flooded my senses, I quivered. Tasting my own juices had not been something I had ever considered before — considering that my original virginity had only just been taken before the demons had raided the house. Now that I was experiencing most of this for the first time with the very man who owned me, I couldn't imagine attempting to go this route with Beau.

The appeal just wasn't the same.

Asher tugged his fingers free. When my lips clung to them for a moment, causing a "plop" noise, his expression grew even more heated. "Such an obedient pet," he growled. Tucking his hands back under me, he hoisted me off the counter and strolled out of the kitchen. There wasn't anything about his behavior that hinted at where he was taking me until he tossed me down, and my back crashed against a comfortable mattress.

All it took was one peek for me to realize he hadn't taken me back to my own humble abode. No, we were on his bed. That seemed to encourage that hunger from him even more. I couldn't do more than let him tear the clothing off me, my shirt being ripped away. The sound left me cringing.

"I'll buy you more." The prince only paused long enough to assess that there was nothing left under the shirt. The edges of his lips twitched as he shifted. His amusement wavered slightly when I immediately responded by sitting up, forcing him back slightly. It was replaced by a hint of curiosity as he watched me.

It absolutely stunned me that my bold move resulted in the prince backing down just to see what I would do, especially after the idea of me manning a steak knife had only just occurred. My hands were already shaking as I scooted forward and started working on removing his clothes. It only took prying open the buttons on his jeans for the tension in his body to fade. My own started to relax in turn.

Asher eased off the bed, allowing my attempt to remove his jeans to work a lot more smoothly. His golden eyes followed every single movement I made as I pushed them all the way down to his feet. He didn't move an inch until I seized the waist of his boxers and started pulling them down.

I froze when his cock sprung free, immediately standing at attention. It was just how our previous fucking started out, with a cock that was larger than a mortal man would carry. We'd already been down this route before. If the same thing happened again, it was going to grow into the incubus form that he'd taken me with. Running my tongue along my lips, I fisted him while he kicked his clothing away.

A guttural groan escaped Asher. His head fell back as I struggled to wrap my fingers around the full width. "It's difficult to believe you had only just had that cherry popped before you came to me, pet. You don't handle a cock like a virgin."

Easing onto my knees, I shuffled a little closer and nibbled on my lower lip. My entire body was haunted by a unique heat. It was a compliment in its own way and I could hear the praise lurking behind those words. The realization was enough to leave me wet, my hunger growing. I leaned forward, sliding his cock into my mouth.

Asher's hips bucked against me, prompting him further inside. One of his hands found its way to my hair, tangling within the strands while he held me close. "Gods…" he breathed.

There was no way in hell I would be able to accommodate his growing cock, not that there was any pressure to. I ran my tongue along the bottom of his ribbed shaft while my hands roamed the rest of the length. When I reached the bottom to a part that was more smooth, I noticed he jerked against me again.

His grip tightened in my hair while his groan echoed in my ears.

I cupped his balls with my free hand while I went to town on the head. It flooded me with utter delight with how in sync every jerk that I squeezed from him was when I dragged my teeth along the sensitive skin. I parted my mouth so that I could take him back in.

Asher immediately pushed further until the head of his cock brushed against the back of my throat. Even he was fully aware that we weren't going to be able to fit every inch down my throat. He made absolutely no attempt to force down more than I was able to handle, fully content to let me play with the rest. It wasn't until I pulled back that he reached out to draw me into his arms.

Shock leaked into my veins as he eased onto the bed and turned me around. I couldn't process what was going on until he redirected us against the head of the bed. His unspoken request became clear once he settled on the pillows tilted against the headboard. While his hands drifted down to hold me by my waist, I maneuvered my legs and situated myself above his cock.

We worked in tandem, Asher supporting my weight while I eased down to take him inside. Although the walls of my pussy were still sensitive from our last round of lovemaking, I could feel it stretching to accommodate him all over again. The noises that escaped from me were borderline primal as every part of my body became hyper-aware of just who was piercing me for the first time all over again.

There was still a decent amount of length left to take inside, but I started rising up so that I could begin a comforting thrusting rhythm. A part of me was absolutely surprised when the prince simply handed the reins to me, granting me full freedom over how tonight went down. I seized his arms and dug my nails into his skin with an iron grip that almost pierced the surface. It was comforting that I could tighten my grip as much as I needed while I worked to adjust to his size.

Asher released a noise mixed between a pleased groan and a guttural noise of his own. His eyes rolled into the back of his head while I continued moving against him. "Fucking hell…" he rasped.

The pleasure woven within those words only prompted me to pick up the pace. I leaned forward so that I could shift my hands and rest against his chest while I started grinding against him. The aches still pulsed from my core, yet the natural ability for him to flood my senses with this intense high made it nothing more than a mere afterthought. Our moans merged together as I grinded against him with everything I had.

The prince had taken enough time to tease my clit to the point where it had become extremely sensitive. I shook as I reeled from the strong high already carrying me up that infamous mountain. When chills trickled down my spine, warning that we were already reaching another level with this intimate moment, I found myself moving faster until I had managed to pierce myself with his entire cock. I seized up over him while the orgasm ripped through me.

Moving wasn't an option until the ringing died in my ears, not when all of my muscles protested the awkward angle that I had frozen up in.

Asher maintained his grip while he started moving, continuing the frantic thrusts. The hunger haunting his face was the exact same one that had leaked out shortly before I'd fainted before. As his grunts echoed off the walls, his thrusts became borderline primal.

The hair rose on the back of my neck seconds before I felt the bottom end of his shaft expand. While my body ached from the sudden readjustment, it quickly accepted the high it offered with open arms. I dug my nails into his chest as he delivered a final thrust that sent us both over the edge.

I struggled to keep myself upright while he stiffened beneath me, my orgasm ripping through me as he flooded me with his seed. I could feel it mix with the juices already seeping out in between us. From the smell of iron escaping into the air, I knew my newly restored virginity had just been taken again and the realization excited me.

It took Asher a moment to recover before he realized I was starting to slump over. He immediately tugged me down against him. "Focus on your breathing, pet."

A ragged laugh escaped me. "Do you…know how hard…that is to do…with a cock as big as yours?"

My heart skipped a beat when a chuckle rumbled from within his chest. "Considering you've caused me to knot you twice now, I'm fully aware."

The sound of his laugh was enough to leave me ready to weep.

I relaxed against him while the tension slowly worked its way out of my muscles, leaving only the inner core tight. My pussy was still struggling to adjust to a man this huge with something extra to go with it. "You make it sound like it's a rare occurrence."

The prince started running his fingers up and down my back, sending shivers down my spine. "Because it is. Most succubi that walk the earth today come from a…lesser breed, so to speak. Only true succubi and incubi come from specific bloodlines. One was killed off decades ago."

Both of us went still when a vibration at the end of the bed broke the strange tension in the air. The sound of it caused my entire stomach to knot up in its own way, bringing with it a powerful wave of nausea.

An irritable noise escaped Asher as he eased me off his cock and gently set me beside him. He paid absolutely no attention to the crimson stains on him while he eased off the bed to retrieve his cell phone. As soon as he brought up the text, his entire body went still.

The knot in my stomach grew tighter. Drawing up my legs against me, I waited for the hammer to finally drop.

After a few minutes, his golden eyes drifted toward me. "Can I trust you to remain on this bed until I've remade your dinner, pet?"

The air caught in my throat. That was not quite what I was expecting. Although my stomach was still twisted in agony, his question did bring a sense of relief. I managed a small nod.

"Good." Asher set down the phone long enough to retrieve his clothes off the floor. When he was dressed, he grabbed it and ventured back toward the kitchen. It wasn't long until the sound of cooking carried out of the other room, along with soft murmurs in a tongue I didn't recognize.

There were pieces of it that carried over into the Italian language, but I had absolutely no knowledge beyond the one I spoke. In the end, there was nothing I could do except wait. Shifting my body so that I could rest on the pillows, I waited for the next twist.

I didn't realize that I had dozed off until his fingers brushed against my jaw. Sucking in a sharp breath, I almost sat up until he rested a hand on my shoulder, encouraging slower movements. My eyes immediately shifted over toward the tray waiting beside me, complete with a remade version of the one that I'd barely gotten to dig into.

The emotions shifted within me as I readjusted myself while he eased the tray onto me. "This isn't quite what I expected," I admitted softly.

Asher's lips twitched. "What? Would you prefer I keep you locked up in the basement, barely feeding you and only bringing you out to fuck you?"

I winced. "Hell no."

He held out a steak blade, carefully trapping the blade in between two fingers. "I might be the prince of the demonic race, pet, but I am not a wild caveman. I am reasonable. Even I have boundaries that I don't cross."

"So you're a prince with a conscience?"

A smirk grew. "Perhaps."

Running my tongue along my lips, I started cutting into the meat. "Thank you…for this."

"It's my pleasure, pet. I'm afraid I don't get to cook much anymore with the recent expansion." Asher paused as the vibrating returned. He shifted sideways with a scowl. "Which comes with very little downtime, it seems…" As soon as he tugged the phone out and set his eyes on the new text message, his body tensed again. His golden eyes drifted slightly as a different set of emotions leaked into them.

I nibbled on my lower lip. It wasn't a secret that the most recent text left him struggling with a burst of rage. "Something happened."

The prince's gaze strayed toward me. "You will find a fresh set of clothes in the top drawer of the dresser in your room. I would suggest putting them on before you finish your meal." He eased off the bed and tucked the cell phone into his back pocket. "One of my demon lords will be by shortly to watch over you while I am gone."

The knot in my stomach tightened even more. "The same one that tried to kill me?"

He stilled immediately. "You heard that?" His voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

All I could do was offer a sheepish grin that couldn't quite reach my eyes. "I guess that's the downside of being part demon. My hearing is a bit better than everyone else's." I averted my eyes. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop—"

Asher leaned onto the bed to press a single finger against my lips. "We will discuss this when I return, pet. For now, get dressed and finish your meal. Understood?"

I managed an abrupt nod. "Crystal clear."

"Good." He pulled away from me. "Behave. I'd hate for you to discover what my punishments are like."

Shivers trickled down my spine as his footsteps faded away. While there was a part of me that was curious on what his methods were, the rest were fully aware that Asher was a demon. It was probably not something I would enjoy experiencing. Until I had a better feel of what possible punishments I could face, I wasn't going to risk it. I simply slipped out from underneath the tray to head to his request.

I just hoped the demon lord he sent to watch me didn't decide to finish me off — not when I was beginning to accept the cards that I'd been dealt.