Chapter 21

Iyla

I FOLLOWED ZAGAN INTO HIS place. He carried my box up the stairs, and I trailed behind him until he stopped by a closed door near his own room.

“I thought this room could be yours,” Zagan explained, nodding his head toward the door.

My chest warmed with his generosity. “Thanks. I really appreciate you letting me stay here.” I grabbed the handle to open the door for him. “I might sleep on the couch until I have furn—”

The words died on my tongue, and my fingers slid off the doorknob, falling uselessly to my side. I’d just stepped into a dream. That had to be it, because … what ?

The light gray bedroom was the size of my previous kitchen and living room combined. A four-poster black bed with a beautiful dark purple bedspread stood in the center of the white-carpeted room, the headboard pressed against the wall. A black dresser stood to one side by some doors that I assumed was a closet, and a large TV was mounted on the wall across from the bed. In one corner of the room was a set of bookshelves and a large plush reading chair and table. A record player and neighboring shelf stood in the other corner.

Zagan sat my box on the king-size bed, and he gestured at the bookshelf. “I went ahead and bought you some romance books that came highly recommended from the bookstore downtown, but I also made sure you had plenty of shelf space to start building a collection. Same with the record shelf. I didn’t get you any records since I wasn’t sure what you like as far as music goes.” His eyes suddenly glimmered with amusement as he smirked. “Except for a Sinners Do It Better record. I did get you one of those to start you off right.”

My heart thundered as I looked over my dream room. “How—How did you know that I—I mean, this is my …” I was at a loss for words.

He raised a dark, pierced brow. “You told me.”

I looked at him, dumbfounded. “I did?”

“Yeah. That first day I came over to the apartment. You mentioned this was the stuff you’d like to have in your room.”

Something light and warm filled my chest like an unfurling flower. That had been such an off-hand comment I’d made. It meant nothing, or so I thought. Yet he’d remembered it all. He’d heard me. And now he’d given me exactly what I’d always envisioned for myself. My hands shook with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and something else, too. Something unfamiliar yet startling strong.

I stared at the demon, too overcome with the blinding rush of emotions to even move. His thoughtfulness meant more to me than he’d ever know, and my chest constricted with the profound affection flooding it.

“Thank you, Zagan,” I said. My voice was tight, but I kept talking. “This is … incredible. You’re incredible. I-I have no words. Thank you for doing this.”

He smiled, only this time, there was no trace of teasing or seduction. It was all warmth, one that came out when your whole being felt the effects of whatever bliss coursed through you. “I was glad to do it.”

He came over to where I still stood in the doorway. “I’ve got a meeting to get to with the group, so go ahead and get settled in. Since you don’t have more clothes, I’ll see about sending Eden over with some. Just relax, okay?” He tucked some hair behind my ear and stared down at me. “You deserve some time to unwind.”

I held his gaze, which searched mine. My heart felt too full after what he’d done, both this morning with all the cake and again now. As I looked up at him—this demon that I’d accidentally gotten stuck with yet come to care about—something deep inside of me urged me to lean into him. To place my hands on his firm chest. To press onto my tiptoes so that I could feel his lips on mine.

But I didn’t know where that desire came from, and that scared me. It scared me how badly I wanted to get closer to him.

So instead of doing anything that my body begged, I smiled and whispered, “Thanks.”

Zagan left in a plume of shadows. With the abrupt lack of his presence, I finally drifted into the room. The first thing I did was flop back onto the bed. It welcomed me like the softest cloud, and I nearly stayed there because it felt that inviting.

I shot Nahla a text while I laid there, telling her how Mom had kicked me out. With that done, I forced myself to get up. I moved to the gorgeous record player. I eagerly got the Sinners Do It Better vinyl out and placed it on the turntable, starting the record up. The pulsing and sensual song filled the room, and I smiled as Zagan’s deep voice sang sweet words and filthy promises.

The next stop on my room tour was the bookshelf. I pulled each of the ten books down, gushing over the covers and reading the synopses. I’d read a couple of Nahla’s books over the years, but to have my own books to hug and flip through was surreal. Especially since they were romance books, the genre I’d been most drawn to.

By the time I finished flipping through and looking over the books, the record player finished playing the Sinners Do It Better vinyl. I switched off the player and replaced all the books, knowing that I needed to unpack before I got swept away in their fictional worlds. I turned the TV on and thumbed through the streaming sites. I landed on one that had The Conjuring and immediately turned it on to watch while I sorted through my belongings.

As I put away the few remaining things I had, I waited to feel the lingering effects of my new reality. Hurt. Turmoil. Grief. Anger. Something .

But all I felt was happy . Zagan had taken a horrible situation and actually made it seem exciting and like a new beginning instead of an ending.

I finished putting all of my things away, and with nothing left to do, it hit me how drained I was. Even though I wasn’t lingering on the dark turn of the morning, I couldn’t deny how stressful it had been, and that wild rollercoaster of emotions was catching up to me. I nestled back against the many pillows on my new bed, hugged the dragon from Gemma, and focused on the movie.

About thirty minutes into the film, Zagan reappeared in my room.

I smiled at him. “Welcome back.”

He smirked. “You look cozy.”

“Very.” I sat up a bit and paused the movie. “How did the meeting go?”

“Funny you asked.”

He looked at the vacant air beside him, which thickened with shadows. In the next instant, Coldin appeared next to him in his dark sweats and t-shirt. He was as straight faced as always with eyes that would be solid black, if not for the flames dancing in them. His swooping black horns stood tall in his brown hair, and his clawed black fingers flexed by his sides.

I gasped at the sudden appearance of the demon.

Zagan gestured to Coldin. “He’ll be staying with us.” Zagan looked at his bandmate. “Go ahead and change.”

Coldin wordlessly darkened and shrank until a long, thick black snake sat on the ground where he’d just been standing. His forked tongue flicked out into the air as he slithered around my room.

“Holy shit,” I whispered, watching his tail disappear beneath my dresser. I guessed he’d been searching for a dark place to hang out.

“Yeah,” Zagan said with a small laugh. “All the guys are getting places here in Tennessee since I’ll be staying here often now. That’s what the meeting was about. Us relocating here instead of New York. We’ll still have things to do up there, but we can record music here just fine with the studio I have.”

He nodded in the direction Coldin had disappeared and explained, “Coldin is a … well … different kind of demon, and he isn’t allowed to just roam free. He has to stay with one of us, and when he isn’t doing a job—band stuff or his more particular assignments—he has to stay as a snake. So you shouldn’t ever see much of him. He’ll just be doing whatever it is snakes do.”

I swallowed hard, still staring at the spot where he’d disappeared beneath my dresser. I glanced warily at Zagan. “What kind of demon is he, and what’s his particular job?”

Zagan scratched the corner of his mouth, his lip ring flashing in the light. “You don’t wanna know.” He looked at the TV and came around the bed to flop down next to me. “What are you watching?”

“ The Conjuring ,” I answered, my eyes inadvertently tracing the hard lines of his body. I was astutely aware of him and every move he made as he settled against the pillows beside me.

“Oh, that horror movie based on a true story, right?”

“Yep,” I said, hitting play again, since he clearly wanted to watch it with me.

We both fell quiet, intent on watching the dramatic and suspenseful scenes unfold on the screen. The demon haunting the family made her first appearance, and my attention stayed glued to the chaotic moment.

“You know …” Zagan said slowly. I reluctantly peeled my eyes away from the screen, only to find him focused on the movie. “I know that demon.”

My jaw dropped before I could stop it, and my gaze darted between the TV and him. I squeezed the stuffed dragon in my arms tighter. “What? Really?”

He looked at me, his face the perfect mask of seriousness. I held my breath as I waited for him to answer. Suddenly, he gave me a shit-eating grin. “No, not really.”

I released the breath I’d been holding on a laugh and gently punched him in the arm. “You asshat!”

He chuckled and looked at the TV again. “In all honesty though, I hate how humans portray demons in movies. We don’t all smell like rotting meat and death. I mean, do I smell like that?”

I already knew the answer, but I made a show of sniffing him, which earned me a fleeting glare. “Nah. You smell good. Though, I feel like that’s part of your particular job description. It would be kind of hard to get laid if you smelled like shit.”

“Exactly. They’re generalizing us. Only the flashy, attention seeking demons stink up the place. They have a thing for dramatics and think they’re better than the rest of us demons because they can possess people. As if we can’t be violent or cause destruction since we don’t possess people.”

I raked my eyes over him. “Can you be destructive like that?”

He turned to me, and his arm brushed mine. It sent a jolt right down to my fingers and toes.

“Of course,” he answered, oblivious to what his brief contact did to me. “Incubi and Succubi can still beat some ass when we want to. You almost got to see that first hand today. It takes a lot to rile us up, but if we do get to that place, everyone knows to watch the fuck out.”

And he’d gotten to that place today. Over me . The thought made my cheeks hot, and I bit my lip to keep from grinning. For some reason, having him get pissed off on my behalf made me feel fuzzy inside.

It also turned me on, which was freaking odd. Was it normal to be turned on over something like that?

“You got pretty heated today,” I teased him in an effort to alleviate the feeling inside my chest.

His eyes never left my own. “Of course I did. You’re mine, and no one fucking touches what’s mine.”

I stopped breathing. I licked my suddenly dry lips, and his blue eyes flicked down to my mouth as I whispered, “Yours?”

Something swelled to life between us. The air grew charged, like a livewire sparking with the threat of exploding into flames. I didn’t know who moved or if we both did, but our faces drew closer, the distance between us getting smaller. We were two magnets being drawn to the other, unable to deny the pull.

“Knock, knock,” a sing-songy voice suddenly cheered from the doorway.

I reared back and looked at the dragon in my lap as my entire face heated with embarrassment.

Eden appeared in the room with her arms loaded down in shopping bags. Her golden eyes spotted us on the bed, and she covered her mouth with her fingers as she gasped, “Oops! Did I interrupt you two? Feel free to continue. I don’t mind watching.”

I ducked my head even lower. I couldn’t believe she’d just walked in on … well, I wasn’t sure what she’d walked in on.

“Eden,” Zagan grumbled, and I didn’t miss the trace of annoyance in his tone. “Glad you made it. Are those all the clothes?”

Eden raised her arms, jostling the shopping bags. “Sure are. I brought loads of goodies for our darling Iyla.”

I turned the movie down as Eden brought the bags over to deposit on the bed. Her strawberry blonde locks were pulled back in a braid, and she sported a tight strapless green dress that stopped just shy of her knees.

She started pulling garments out of the bags and chattering away about the articles. Jeans, dresses of every kind, blouses, loungewear. It seemed never-ending, and—

My eyes widened as she held up something black and lacey. “What is that ?”

Zagan chuckled, the sound all lust and no humor. “I like that one.”

I glanced at him and found his lustful eyes trailing over my still seated form. I gave him an incredulous look. “Of course you do. I’d basically be naked in it.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Eden said, tossing me the lingerie. “And like I always say. If you have it, flaunt it, babe.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Zagan agreed.

My phone vibrated while Eden continued showing off more of what she’d brought me. I had her hold and stepped out into the hall to answer Nahla’s call.

“Hey—”

“Your Mom kicked you out?” Nahla’s shrill voice demanded from the other end.

I sighed and gave her the cliffnotes version of what happened. She listened intently, only cursing under her breath every so often. When I finished telling her what happened, the anger in her voice was unmistakable.

“I can’t believe her! That gaslighting, controlling bitch! Honestly, you’re so much better off without her, Iyla. Seriously. It’s probably good that this happened. I know it doesn’t feel that way right now, but—”

“Actually,” I said slowly, “I’m doing okay. I was pretty hurt over the whole thing at first. And pissed off. But Zagan …”

I wasn’t sure how to finish or how to explain how he’d somehow made everything better . The situation that could’ve been far worse, with pain that went much deeper, felt like a mere flesh wound inside me instead. And it was because of him.

“Are you staying with him?” Nahla asked, and there was no missing the curiosity in her voice.

“Yeah. He gave me my own room here. It’s literally everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“So you guys are finally dating?” she asked excitedly.

My stomach flipped at the word. Dating . I quickly ignored that feeling and answered, “No. We’re just … friends.”

“Right,” she snorted disbelievingly. “ Friends . Do you and your friend want to go out tonight? I feel like you need it. Me, Iseul, and Addie were just trying to plan something to do.”

The idea of going out with Zagan and my friend did sound like a good way to end off the day. After the shitty morning and the uncertainty of my future looming overhead, their company was exactly the medicine I needed.

I peeked my head into my room. Zagan stood by the bed now, holding up the underwear Eden had brought me while she hung clothes up in my closet.

“Hey,” I called to both of them. “Do you guys want to go out tonight? Nahla is asking.”

Eden’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Hell yes!”

Zagan dropped the panties. “Sure.”

I relayed the message to Nahla who then requested to come over with Iseul and Addie to get ready. Zagan agreed, and Eden practically came out of her dress from how hard she bounced excitedly on her heels.

An hour later, Nahla, Iseul, and Addie were walking through the front door with eyes nearly bugging out of their head as they took in the magnitude of the home.

“I can’t believe you live here,” Nahla whispered as she held tightly onto my arm.

I laughed and pulled her after me. “My room is this way.”

“Can’t we have a tour first?” Nahla begged, trying to steal a glance of everything we passed.

“Don’t be rude, babe,” Iseul chuckled, shoving Nahla gently along.

“I’m gonna pass out,” Addie said breathlessly. “I can’t believe I’m in Zagan’s house.”

I figured this was surreal for the trio, considering they’d been long time fans of Sinners Do It Better. Most fans never got to meet their idols, let alone go to their house.

Eden and Zagan waited in my room. Zagan now lounged back in my new reading chair, and Eden sat on the edge of my bed. She leapt to her feet as soon as she saw us, smiling wide at everyone.

“Keep cool, keep cool,” Nahla chanted under her breath as the three girls looked at Zagan across the room. She cleared her throat and said, “Hey, Zagan. Thanks for letting us come over.”

Zagan smirked at Nahla’s words, but his eyes were fixed on me. “No problem. Any friend of Iyla’s is a friend of mine.”

“Oh my God, that’s so hot,” Nahla hissed in my ear.

I fought off the blush trying to take over my cheeks as I introduced Eden to the girls and vice versa.

“No way!” Eden said, staring open-mouthed at Addie. “Are you Addie Parkland, the designer?”

Addie’s smile widened with pride. “I am.”

“Holy shit! I love your clothes!”

The two of them immediately burst into conversation about clothes and designs. I shared a stunned look with Nahla and Iseul.

Iseul rolled her eyes with a sigh and whispered, “They’ll probably be here forever if we don’t stop them. I’ve seen this same scene more times than I care to admit.”

“Eden,” I said gently, placing a hand on her arm. “Get ready now. Talk fashion later.”

“Oops,” Eden giggled. “Sorry.” She leaned in to whisper to Addie, “I’ll get your number, and we’ll talk later.”

“Now that that’s settled,” Nahla said, starting toward my closet, “let’s find—Ahh!” Her scream triggered shrieks of horror from everyone else, except Zagan. She pointed a finger at the floor. “Sn—Snake!”

Coldin slithered across the carpet. He looked like he’d been minding his own business, but now that he’d gotten a reaction out of Nahla, he slithered closer.

Addie gasped, the scream we’d all shared from pure reactiveness completely forgotten. “He’s beautiful.” Her pretty blue eyes found mine. “Is he a pet?”

“Umm …” I glanced at Zagan, not sure how to respond.

Zagan rubbed a finger under his mouth, which twitched with the threat of a smile. He watched his bandmate approach Addie’s feet. “Yeah, he’s a pet.”

It took everything inside of me to keep my eyes from widening at Zagan’s lie.

Addie fidgeted like she was trying to contain herself and asked, “Can I hold him?”

Zagan shrugged. “Go for it. Can’t promise he won’t bite.”

Addie waved off the warning and picked up the large black snake. He wrapped around her arm, and she ran a finger over his scaly back.

Nahla flashed me a desperate look and said, “Let’s get ready now that I’ve officially shit myself.” She turned to Addie, and her nose scrunched in disgust. “I can’t believe you like snakes.”

Addie held him closer, smiling down at him. “Why? Don’t you think he’s gorgeous?”

Coldin’s tongue flicked out, touching Addie’s cheek. I flashed Zagan a wary look, which he ignored. I really hoped the demon wasn’t about to eat my new friend.

Zagan left the room while the four of us girls—and Coldin—got ready. I wanted to kick the serpent out since some of us were changing, but that would’ve been a pretty odd request since, to them, he was just a pet snake. Plus, he seemed mighty content, slithering up Addie’s arm and over the tops of her pillowy breasts. Pretty sure he was trying to nestle in her cleavage.

The girls oohed and awed over all the clothes Eden had shown up with, some of which were actually clothes Addie designed and made. Me, Nahla, and Iseul chose something from among the garments with Addie and Eden’s help. By the time we were outfitted with hair and make-up, the sun had set.

I looked in the mirror over my dresser one last time to see the silver one-shoulder long-sleeved shirt and tight black pants and heels. My brown hair had been straightened, and Addie had applied some natural but beautiful make-up to my face. With the dangling diamond earrings and necklace to finish it off, I actually felt … pretty—something I was unaccustomed to feeling, thanks to the rules that had always governed what I was allowed to do when presenting myself.

Eden opened my bedroom door and called out to let Zagan know he was good to come back in. She sat on the edge of the bed by Addie, who had changed into a miniskirt and leotard top. Her blonde-and-pink hair fell down her back with sections pinned back on either side of her face. She still held Coldin in one hand while stroking his scales with the other.

“What club should we go to?” Nahla asked as she swiped the last of her lipgloss on. Her warm complexion stood out beautifully in her wine-red dress.

“I know a great one,” Eden said with a vibrancy that never seemed to dim.

“No, Eden,” Zagan said, appearing in the doorway. He gave the bubbly demon a deadpan stare. “We aren’t going to that one.”

A lightbulb went off in my head after seeing the pointed look he gave her. She’d wanted to go to the demon club, but the only human in the room who knew about demons was me.

Eden crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in annoyance. “Party pooper.”

“I know a place,” Addie offered. “It has great security, which I assume we’ll want given our celebrity friend over there.” She gestured at Zagan.

The four girls started talking about the suggestion, but the conversation was lost on me when I met a pair of blue eyes. Zagan’s attention was firmly locked on me, and his eyes made a slow sweep of my form where I leaned against the dresser. With every inch of skin his gaze touched, I got hotter and wetter . How could his mere attention alone feel like his hand actually running over my throat, between my breasts, over my pussy, down my legs, and back up? By the time his eyes locked on mine again, my heart thundered, and my clothes felt too tight.

It didn’t help that he looked like a snack himself in his silk long-sleeved shirt. It had a loose neckline that opened up halfway down his abdomen, exposing the dagger tattoo in the center of his defined pecs and the edges of his moth and spider tattoos. A loose silver chain draped around his throat, and his hands were shoved into the black-and-silver pinstripe pants. Part of his hair had been slicked back so that only a couple strands fell across his forehead.

“Can you ladies give Iyla and I a moment?” Zagan asked, cutting off whatever they’d been saying.

The girls got quiet and immediately shared knowing whispers. Mine and Zagan’s eyes never strayed from each other, even as the girls left and threw catcalls our way. The door shut, solidifying this electrically charged moment happening between us. My chest rose and fell harder as my demon slowly moved across the space until he stood directly in front of me.

He tilted his head, and his eyes glossed over with smoldering heat that had my toes curling in my shoes. “Are you trying to go out, or are you trying to make me fuck you until you can’t walk?”

My breath came out sharp and fast, but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t look away. “I take it that means you like my outfit?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Yeah, Sparrow. That word works for what you’re making me feel right now.” His eyes dropped to where I pressed my thighs together in an effort to stave off the furious heat between them. “What are you feeling right now?”

“A lot of things,” I answered.

“Is my pussy dripping for me?”

His pussy. God, why did that make me flush hotter?

I didn’t answer. My tongue was stuck, suddenly useless in my mouth. At my silence, Zagan reached forward and drug his finger over the sliver of skin visible between my top and bottoms. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, and a flutter of desire swarmed my gut. His fingers dipped into the hem of my pants, and with a gentle tug, he pulled my pants and underwear down. I couldn’t stop my quick breathing as my fingers curled around the edge of the dresser behind me. Zagan helped me step out of the garments, and I widened my legs slightly, eager for his touch to find me between my folds.

His blue eyes briefly stared at my pussy before locking on my hungry gaze. He smiled and held my pink panties up on a single finger. I could see my arousal coating them, and my knees buckled when he ran his tongue over the wet fabric. Every fiber of my being wished those panties were me .

“I’ll keep these as my appetizer for the evening,” Zagan said, his voice rough with his own need. “And I’ll let you walk around like that. Wired . Absolutely hungry for me and what I can do to you.”

He stood, pulling my pants back up with him. I stared up at him, dumbfounded that he was actually stopping. I was on fire , but he made no move to give me release. He shoved my panties into his pocket, winked, and opened the door to gesture for me to go first.

It took everything to keep my chin from hitting the floor.

Asshat .