Chapter 10

“You’ve been quiet.” West was collecting items from a metal storage locker in the gym. They were in the east building, and he’d left Nix standing in front of a large square shaped boxing ring.

Nix didn’t bother responding, mind still reeling from the information bomb he’d received outside. At least the two of them were alone so he didn’t have to play pretend boyfriends to an audience.

There was workout equipment to the left and a wall of mirrors. In them, Nix saw his own reflection, the rest of the gym to his right seeming too normal of a setting for him to currently be in. The bandage at his neck was stained red, and his pallor was off, though he was pretty sure that had little to do with the light bleeding and more to do with West’s revelation.

Nix had been so close to freedom. All he’d had to do was keep his head down another couple of weeks and he would have been in the clear. Lake had told him to stick around until Demons Passing, but the second Nix was made an Essential, he could have refused. Or, at least tried to. He’d have a modicum of power.

He snickered. Power. That was something he’d never wanted, and unlike his sudden longing for friendship, power still seemed undesirable, at least if it meant tying himself tighter to the Demons and their vicious ways.

Typically, Club members had to pay annually for their membership, which was no big deal to the rich and elite, but for Nix’s family it would have been next to impossible. Becoming a member had never even been a remote possibility, for either him or Branwen. Maybe his cousin had wanted it, though she’d never said as much to him before, but Nix hadn’t.

“Why so serious, babe?” West returned to his side and motioned for him to sit down on the edge of the boxing ring.

Nix did so, not seeing a point in fighting with the other guy. He felt…defeated. More so even than when he’d realized what Lake intended yesterday when he’d unhinged his jaw and pressed his searing mouth against his throat.

West angled Nix’s head for him, gently, and then set out the items he’d collected. “Yejun might be fantastic with a brush, but the guy sucks at tending to injuries. We don’t have the proper stuff at the Roost either.”

“Is that why you brought me here?” How…odd. “Don’t take this the wrong way—”

“But I’m not the caring type?” West chuckled and shook a metal can. It was a bit smaller than the one he’d used on Nix last night, and when he caught Nix staring at it he laughed some more. “Don’t worry. This isn’t going anywhere it shouldn’t. Tell you what, be good for me and let me take care of this, and I’ll let you pick out some ass-appropriate toys later, yeah?”

Nix scrunched up his nose. “Did you just try to use a dildo as an incentive?”

West quirked a dark brow. “Would you rather I continue to stretch you out with office supplies? I can probably borrow one of Yejun’s paint cannisters.”

“No.” Nix shook his head and licked his lips before tilting his chin back into position so West could get to his neck. “No, I’ll take option one.”

“Thought so.” West peeled the bandage off and placed it inside a plastic bag, then sprayed a wet gust from the can in his hand. He leaned in and blew on the spot when Nix tensed up. “It’ll only sting for a second, promise.”

It didn’t really sting at all, it was more cold than anything, but Nix didn’t correct him. If he thought it hurt, maybe he’d go easier on him. Then again…Since this was West, maybe not.

“I don’t want to have sex,” Nix said, holding his breath as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

“I didn’t bring you here for that,” West replied. “We wouldn’t have enough time anyway. Quickies aren’t really my style. I like to take my time with my meals.”

“I’m aware.”

“Acting like that annoys you is cute.” He wiped at the wound with a clean towelette and then tossed that into the bag as well before picking up another metal can. “Have you ever used synthetic skin before?”

“No. Is it weird?”

“It’ll feel strange at first, tight,” West explained. “It’ll be uncomfortable until you adjust to the feeling. But it’ll fully seal the wound so you don’t have to worry about changing bandages. And you can shower.”

“Great, because cloth baths aren’t enjoyable.”

“I said you could shower,” West brought the nozzle to his neck, “not that you would get to alone.”

The hiss from the can cut off anything Nix might reply with, and he waited while a gunky substance coated the entire right side of his neck. As it dried, it tugged at his skin, like an overly tight bandage might, and he squirmed some.

“Stay still,” West said. “Almost done.” Another minute passed before he dropped the can. “All set.”

Nix stood and moved closer to the mirrors, curious what it might look like. His eyes widened when he saw that the synthetic skin was flesh-colored. It was still obvious when one looked closely at it what it was, but any sign of torn flesh and teeth marks had been hidden beneath.

West came up behind him and wrapped his hands around his waist, resting his chin on Nix’s left shoulder. “You like?”

“Depends,” Nix replied. “Did you do this for me, or to piss off Lake?”

His reflection grinned back at him. “Why can’t it be both?”

“What’s up with the two of you anyway?” Nix shook him off and turned to face him. “You’re not this competitive with Yejun. Is it because Lake is an Imperial and you aren’t?” Stories were always a little different depending on who you spoke with, and he wanted to hear West’s version of it.

“It’s a long story.”

“We’ve got time.”

“Do we?” West moved back to the ring and plopped down. “It’s not really Lake I have a problem with. It’s my father. I just take it out on him because arguing with the old man is out of the question.”

“That’s incredibly self-aware of you.”

“You can at least try to hide your surprise, Nixie.” He sighed. “Don’t be too impressed. It took me years to realize. Years where Lake just quietly took it—mostly.”

“He cares about you.” Say what he would about the Demons; that one fact rang true. The three of them shared something Nix had never even witnessed before, let alone experienced himself. “I’m a bit envious, actually.”

“Why? Lake cares about you too, in his own way.”

“Not because of that.” Nix walked over and settled down next to him, leaning back so he was braced by two of the velvet ropes that wrapped around the ring. “You read my file. I’ve always been a loner.”

West bumped his arm lightly against his. “You aren’t alone now.”

“Sure,” he drawled, “but if you guys have your way, I won’t ever be again. That’s not exactly what I want either.”

“Can’t have it both ways, babe. We wouldn’t. I wouldn’t give up Lake and Yejun for anything.” West placed a hand over Nix’s thigh, but it didn’t feel possessive, it felt like he was trying to comfort him. “Space is one thing. Gain our trust, and that’s not something any of us will feel the need to take from you. Eventually, though, you’ll see. Having us in your corner will be worth all this frustration.”

Since that was what West believed, Nix didn’t bother to argue.

The Demon sighed again. “What’s your family life like? You must be close, since you came all the way here after being called out by your cousin.”

Nix didn’t want to talk about Branwen, but since that was the excuse he’d given, he couldn’t exactly change his story now. “We weren’t as close as I assumed.”

“Right, whatever secret of hers you discovered is what has you in such a bad mood.”

“This,” he motioned to his neck, “is what has me in a bad mood.”

“You’re angry,” West corrected, “and rightly so. But that faraway look you keep getting in your eye? That’s not because of Lake. You said she lied to you? About what?”

“Everything.”

“She must have been a good liar if she had you convinced.”

Nix frowned. “We…We haven’t really seen each other in a couple of years. Ever since we decided to attend different colleges. We still spoke often, but through text and stuff. It…wasn’t the same.”

He just hadn’t wanted to admit it. He’d convinced himself it was because they were both busy and both adjusting to their new lives. That they were growing as people separately but that they would always be the close-knit cousins they’d been.

“I thought we were unshakable,” he admitted. “But I was wrong. She became someone else, and I didn’t even notice.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. People show us the version of themselves they want us to see.”

Nix gave him a look. “Yeah? And what version of you are you trying to make me believe in?”

“Me?” He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t waste time pretending. Life is too short for that. This is who I am. I like to take advantage of people, like to mess them up. I also love Lake like a brother and want to punch him in the gut for always getting my father’s praise—even though I know it’s not his fault.”

“But you take it out on him anyway?”

“Can’t help it.” West shrugged. “My father has never been proud of me, not once my entire life. Only, it got worse once he took Lake in after his parents died. It wasn’t so much that I got replaced as I merely ceased to exist. And those were the good times. When he did acknowledge me, it was to put me down for not doing something as good as Lake could. On some level, I get it. Lake is an Imperial with ties to the throne. Lake will be able to take my father higher up the social ladder.”

“Doesn’t mean it sucks any less,” Nix said. “My parents don’t really know me either. They have no clue I can hack. They didn’t even want me to have anything to do with technology or computers. They’ve always assumed I’d follow in their footsteps and become small town lawyers.”

“Sounds boring.”

“Right?” He gave a mock shudder. “No thanks.”

“What’s your favorite game?” West asked. “I don’t think I’ve seen you play anything.”

“I haven’t since I got here.” Hadn’t since he’d found out about Branwen’s death, actually. “Promise not to laugh if I tell you truthfully?”

“Let’s keep things honest between us, babe.”

He snorted, because it was impossible to tell if West meant he couldn’t promise not to tease him, or if he was simply letting him know it was safe to be open with him.

“Vanity.” Nix dipped his head, unable to meet the other guys gaze after admitting to something like that. He’d never told anyone other than Branwen, and even she had poked fun of him a time or two.

“No shit.” West let out a low whistle and then wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. His voice dropped into a sultry tone. “So you’ve secretly wanted to bag multiple dudes this whole time, haven’t you, Nixie?”

“No.” He tried shaking him off but the Demon held firm. “I mean…Not really? Would you believe me if I said I like the fight sequences?”

“Not even a teeny tiny bit.”

Vanity was an action RPG and otome game that was fairly popular throughout the several galaxies. It offered different modes so the main player could play as either female, male, or nonbinary, which made for more personal integration into the overarching story of the game.

“Isn’t the main plot fighting off robots?” West asked, sounding legitimately interested.

“They’re androids,” Nix corrected. “They’ve taken over the planet Tandum, and you play as a soldier sent to help defeat them and defend the remaining population from being overtaken.”

“And you meet a bunch of hot suitors in the process.”

“There are only four.”

“Only.” West snorted, and when he saw Nix blushing, he laughed. “Cute. Keep going. I want to know more about this game. So there’s a battle mode and, I assume, dating, right?”

“Yeah. There are a ton of side quests that offer up both as well, so players who prefer one over the other can invest more time in the part of the game they enjoy. You meet the four guys as the story progresses and get to level up your attraction meter with them.”

“Show me.”

“What?”

“Come on. It’s on your multi-slate, isn’t it?” West tapped the device on his wrist. “I wanna see.”

Nix couldn’t think of a reason not to, so he twisted the screen toward them and then scrolled until he found the game app. As soon as he clicked it, the familiar soundtrack music had him smiling as they waited for it to load.

He hadn’t realized it, but he’d actually missed playing. Before Branwen’s death, that was sort of the only other thing he allowed himself to do to unwind. That and hacking for fun were pretty much his only past times, but since he hadn’t wanted his roommate to discover either, he’d been careful what hours of the day he’d done them.

“Who’s this one?” West pointed to the first guy that popped up on the screen as soon as the game loaded. The virtual character was currently berating Nix for being away too long. “He’s frisky.”

“That’s Ransom.”

“His name is Ransom?” West blinked at the character. “That’s so stupid.”

“Yeah, but he’s hot so…”

“True. Show me the others.”

Nix opened up the screen, which would have a photo of each of the guys along with his attraction levels in small star-shaped boxes next to them.

“Dude.” West clicked his tongue at him.

“What?”

“That guy is up to level one hundred and seventy-nine,” he pointed to the one at the bottom. “Which is at least thirty points higher than any of the others.”

“So?” He was Nix’s favorite so the one he interacted with the most.

“Are you really going to pretend not to notice?”

“Notice what?” Nix cocked his head and took a closer look, but he wasn’t getting it.

“That guy looks like Lake.”

“No he—” Well fuck. He kind of did now that West had pointed it out.

The character had a blank expression on his face, but his eyes were hard and his arms were crossed, giving him a cold and strong presence. His hair was white, so close enough to Lake’s platinum blond.

“His eyes are black,” Nix said, but it was too obvious he was trying to deflect at this point.

“No wonder you rolled over for him so easily.”

“I did not.” He tried shoving West away, and surprisingly the Demon let him, laughing all the while.

West held up both hands in the sign of surrender still grinning ear to ear. “All right, all right. I’ll stop teasing you. Show me your avatar.”

“You really want to keep looking?”

“Yeah, I’m curious about it. Is this the type of game you want to develop one day?”

“I don’t know.” Nix just liked the idea of creating something in general. “I want to make something that people can both get lost in and find themselves in. I know it’s just a false sense of escape, but sometimes that’s what a person really needs, you know?”

West nodded. “That’s cool.”

He frowned, but the Demon patted his thigh.

“No, I mean it. We’ve got Pax Armendis in the club.”

“He’s an Essential?” That was the CEO of Galactic Games, the second largest company on planet.

“Yeah, I’ll introduce you two sometime,” West promised. “I know you’ve got your heart set on Star Eye Holding, but it can’t hurt to meet the competition. He might be able to give you some pointers, at the very least, a glimpse into their inner workings.”

“Why would he show me that?”

“Because you’re about to be one of us,” he reminded casually.

Nix’s good mood noticeably damped.

“Hey.” West tugged him against his side again. “It’s going to be fine, I swear.”

“Becoming Essential isn’t something I’ve ever wanted,” Nix confessed, but West didn’t seem offended by that.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything grand. You won’t be a paying member because we brought you in as our sacrifice, so it’s a free ride for life. You’re clever, Nixie, that’s the hottest thing about you. Smart enough to know what’s really being offered here. Use it.”

Nix pulled back slightly so he could take a closer look at West’s face. “Are you suggesting I take advantage of being an Essential to fight you, Lake, and Yejun?”

“Maybe fight is the wrong word,” he said, but he was nodding. “You’ll have more power than you do now, which means more control over your own life. That’s what you want, right? Space? You can find ways to get that for yourself.”

“Can you give me an example?” Really, he was just trying to see where the trap here was, but for the life of him, Nix couldn’t find it. West seemed far too casual, too sincere. As though he really meant everything he was saying.

“Star Eye Holding is located on the outskirts of the city,” West began. “Once Lake takes the throne, we’ll all move to the palace, which is on the opposite side. That’s a thirty-five minute commute there and back every day. You really think Lake will have that kind of time as the emperor?”

“What about you and Yejun? That’s sort of the problem with you all coming in a set of three.”

“Sorry, babe, but I’m no chauffer. I’ve got better things to do with my time now. I’ll for sure have better things to do with it then, especially since my goal is to go pro full time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but we’re not talking about my dreams here, we’re talking about yours. June is terrible at keeping any kind schedule, there’s no way he’d be up for driving you either. Sure, Lake could assign you someone, and he probably will, but you’d get space from us, in any case. None of us have any interest in working for a gaming company.”

Nix hadn’t bothered to consider the pros to this arrangement, too busy feeling sorry for himself. But…He had to admit, West made a very good point. He’d thought switching schools during his senior year might mean setting his goals back half a semester, or worse, depending on how things went with Branwen’s King. This could be his ticket back on track.

Of course, everything West was saying, he was telling Nix without knowing the full story.

“What if I did something,” he tentatively began. “Something that really, really upset all of you. Or even just one of you. What then?”

West pursed his lips and thought it over. “Not sure. We’d all react too differently for me to guess, besides, that’s too broad of a question, don’t you think? I suppose Lake could always have you arrested. Since he’s bitten you, he can’t exactly throw you away, now can he?”

“What if Lake already knew and was okay with it?”

West stiffened at Nix’s side, the only sign that he’d given far too much away.

For a moment, Nix had bought into the carefree boxer persona and had forgotten that West was also a bona fide genius.

He slid off the ring and cleared his throat. “Let’s—”

“If Lake’s already discovered your big secret,” West interrupted, not moving from his seat, “and his reaction was to mark you instead of discard you, then nothing between you and I changes.”

Nix stared, waiting for the other shoe to drop, but when the Demon remained silent, he couldn’t help but push. “Really?”

“I like you, Nixie. I like fucking you,” his gaze softened when Nix grimaced, “and I like talking with you. Any animosity you’ve seen between Lake and me is surface-level. I trust him with my life. I trust he always has all of our best interests at heart. If he wants to keep you forever, we’ll keep you forever. I’d prefer it if you and I weren’t at odds for an entire eternity. Wouldn’t you?”

“That’s certainly preferable,” he agreed dumbly.

“Don’t look so shocked.” West grinned and finally stood. “I promise when I bite you, I’ll give you fair warning, unlike that asshole Lake.”

“ When ?” his voice cracked, but a shiver raced up his spine and it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Shit.

A couple of nice conversations, and suddenly Nix was starting to like the guy?

No.

No, he couldn’t.

“Relax, babe.” West leaned in and rested a hand on the top of his head. “I’ll make it good for you by doing it the way it’s supposed to be done.” He stepped forward and pressed his warm lips against the curve of Nix’s left ear. “With you riding my cock and sobbing my name.”

Gods dammit.

Nix’s dick twitched traitorously between his legs.