9. Nia

Finding a demon to want to sleep with me has proved to be more difficult than I thought it would. Who would’ve thought any of these demons would be hard to pursue when most of them have never been with a woman? In fact, the day after Olivia and Ralleth told them they were allowed to woo me, absolutely no one tried. Not even a little bit!

I’m not delusional enough to think I was going to find the perfect alien man. I’ve resigned myself to being okay with living a nontraditional life as the third wheel in a pre-established relationship. What I am not prepared for is not even having a side piece.

How hard is it for a girl to get laid on a planet of virgins? I mean, I guess it’s not the whole planet, but our tribe at least has twenty-ish males that aren’t mated to anyone. Which means twenty or so virgins who, I would imagine, want to figure out how it all works.

I chew on a piece of olack like it’s one of the males sitting around the dining hall, refusing to look at me. It’s been like this for the last five days when I come in here to hang out with all the other women.

The first day, all the women sat around talking, sewing, and eating. We pretended not to notice that no one came up and talked to me throughout the day. I told myself it was because I was sitting with all of the women, enjoying myself, and they probably didn’t want to interrupt.

On the second day, I purposefully gave myself some alone time. I sat on my own, sewing and enjoying listening to the chattering around me. I thought for sure that at least one of the demons would approach me. Instead, I spent the day either hanging out with the women or moving away for some alone time until Lyath and Beren came to pick me up that evening.

Third day, I made it a goal to speak to at least two demons to make sure they knew I was looking for a hookup. Every time I went to speak to one of them, they all of a sudden had something important to do. Even the other women were starting to question what was going on. I thought maybe it was some kind of joke, but nope, they knew as much as I did about what was going on.

Yesterday, I stayed in bed all day. Beren and Lyath both poked their heads in a few times to make sure I was okay. When I assured them I was, they left me alone. They were telling the truth about working on the farm, though. It’s actually starting to look like a farm, and they said they’re going to start planting the seed in the next couple of days. I’ve offered to help, something to get my mind off of how unlaid I am and maybe exhaust me so I can go to sleep instead of lying in bed frustrated.

Today, I’ve given up on giving a single fuck. I’ve decided my time is well spent seething in my seat while I try to figure out the best way to seduce a demon. Most demons and humans are busy listening to Alice, the human who was kidnapped and saved, tell the story of what happened. I’m listening in but trying not to seem too nosy since I didn’t ever talk to anyone in Unit A12 except for Simone and Deja. It feels weird to just butt into everyone’s conversations, even though that seems to be exactly how things work here.

“Beren’s mate looks angry,” Toron says as he slides into the seat across from me. His mate is sitting at the next table over, telling the other women everything that happened to her when she was kidnapped. She also has a young sitting beside her, his hand clutched in hers as he eyes every one in the dining hall like he’s not sure he can trust them. I’m surprised Toron’s willing to sit next to me when I know for a fact he wants to be holding his mate right now.

“I am angry.” I chew even harder as if punishing an already dead and cooked animal can make me feel better. When Toron just continues to stare at me, I sigh and let my shoulders fall. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be doing mate things with your mate?”

“We will do that later when Thro goes to bother others,” Toron says with a shrug as if this is normal for him now.

He and his mate finally made it back to the tribe yesterday after he went to get her back from being kidnapped. I was in bed, pouting to myself about my lack of a sex life when they got here. Which is for the best, I guess, since there’s no telling what all kinds of emotions were happening in the tribe. As much as I want to be a part of this community, being a part of the welcome home party for a demon and human I never spoke to seemed like something I should miss. They were able to be surrounded by people who cared about them, and I was able to sulk on my own without bringing down the mood.

“Why are you sitting over here alone?” Toron asks when I don’t say anything. “You could sit with your sisters. Or, where are your mates? Are they not keeping you entertained?”

“Mate, singular.” I hold up my pointer finger and bend it a few times before returning to my sewing.

I have two pairs of shorts that are in pretty good condition. Now, I’m working on making some for the other women since only Diane and I seem to be any good at it. As far as I know, Kendra made her lingerie and hasn’t sewed anything since then. We also haven’t seen the clothing either, but that’s probably for the best.

“Okay, and he is not keeping you entertained?” Toron looks around, almost looking offended on my behalf, which gets a huff of laughter from me. “Where is he?”

“They’re both on the farm,” I say, trying not to let the bitterness seep into my voice. It’s hard, considering Beren and Lyath were mooning over each other this morning when they brought me to the tribe.

There’s only so much sweet talk I can hear when no one is sweet-talking me. I’m starting to resent any time Beren offers his arm to me. Each time, I shrug it off, and he doesn’t even fight me on it. What’s even worse is I know he’s comforting me on nights when my nightmares wake us all.

I wake up from my nightmares, feeling the coolness of their scales on my skin. I can see the soft glow of the torchlight and hear their soft words. I’m never lucid enough to remember much of it. They never stay long, or I fall back asleep before I know if they’ve stayed for very long. Then, I wake up in the morning, get an eyeful of them cuddling in their bed, and I’m reminded of just how little of that I have in my life.

Toron tilts his head to the side and narrows his eyes at me. Maybe I’d be more concerned with the look he’s giving me if I hadn’t already decided earlier that I have no more fucks to give. So, I raise my brows and lean my head in closer, one hand coming up in an ‘okay and?’ motion, waiting for him to say what he’s thinking.

“You asked me a question earlier that I think you should be asking yourself,” Toron says, his eyes flashing toward the great hall doors when they open. A smile spreads across his lips as he slides his eyes back over to me. “I could never ask you this question, or your mate might seal me. I do think you should at least ask it of yourself.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about,” I tell him with a shake of my head.

I try to think back over our conversation and any questions I asked him. Of course, he’s no help because he’s moving from the chair across from me and stalking back over to his mate. The young sitting next to her squeezes her hand tighter but smiles at Toron when he nears. He says something I don’t quite catch, jumping from his seat and offering it to Toron. Instead of taking the young’s seat, Toron lifts Alice from her seat and settles her in his lap. The young sits back down, takes Alice’s hand back in his, and then continues listening with rapt interest in whatever story Olivia’s telling them.

Beren and Lyath make a beeline straight for me, a smile on Lyath’s lips and the customary flat line of Beren’s mouth that I’ve come to call his happy face. Sometimes, he smiles at Lyath, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. Most of the time, he has a flat line of lips and a slight narrowing of his eyes. It’s like he’s always on edge and doesn’t know how to let go. Lyath, on the other hand, is never without a smile or a carefree attitude.

“What is my mate doing?” Beren says as he slips into the chair next to me. I don’t miss the heat in my cheeks or the way his words have butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Beren’s called me his mate since we mated, and every time, it makes me all giddy, even though I know he doesn’t mean it in the way I want him to.

Why aren’t you doing mate things with your mate?

I remember the question I asked Toron, and my eyes go wide. He knows that my mate is Beren. He implied he thought I was mated to both Lyath and Beren, but still, he knew I was mated to at least one of them. But if he knew that, why would he think I need to ask myself why I’m not doing mate things with them?

“Nia?” Beren asks, his hand softly cupping my cheek as he drags my eyes to meet his. “What is wrong?”

I open my mouth to ask him if he has any interest in females. I should’ve asked it days ago. Why didn’t I ask it days ago? I’ve spent this whole time assuming Beren and Lyath only want each other. If I really look back on our interactions, Beren’s been open to touching me, saying my name, and calling me his mate. Everything that I’ve seen these other demons do for their mates. I’m sure it’s just wishful thinking on my end, but now that the seed is planted, it’s hard to shake the thoughts.

“Nia?” Beren says my name again, and my brain snaps out of my thoughts and back into the present.

My eyes dart to Lyath, who’s right behind Beren, and then back down to where Beren is kneeling in front of me. Beren’s hands are on either side of my face, a steady pressure on me, letting me know he’s here. He’s with me.

My tongue darts out to lick at my bottom lip as I try to decide what to do with this new line of thinking. What if they’re not actually interested in females, and I’m reading way too much into this? No one else has even mentioned that Beren might be interested in me, so why am I putting so much stock into a riddle that Toron gave me?

“I am taking her home,” Beren says, turning his face to the side so he can speak to Olivia. She’s now standing next to Lyath with a worried expression on her face.

“Is she okay?” Olivia asks.

She watches me raise my hand as I let my sewing fall to my lap so I can give her a thumbs up. Beren grabs the fabric from my lap and tosses it to Lyath, who holds it tight in one of his fists.

Olivia nods and pats Beren on the shoulder. “Let us know if you need anything. Food, water, anything.”

“Thank you,” Beren says, moving his hand from my face, down around my neck, and finally letting one fall behind my back and the other underneath my knees. I’m up and in his arms before I can even think to protest. Not that I want to. Lyath’s been the one to carry me to the house every night, but I don’t mind it being Beren today.

I snuggle closer to his chest, taking deep breaths that have me moaning and wriggling in his arms before we’re even away from the table. Oh. Now it makes sense why Lyath is the one who carries me.

“That is a mistake, brother,” Toron calls to Beren in a tone that makes me think he’s laughing at my mate.

“Surely her nose soul is not called to him. We all know Beren and Lyath only enjoy one another’s company,” Erkoz adds, a taunt in his voice that I barely register as a needy pulsing begins deep in my core. Before I know it, Beren’s tunic is fisted in my hands so I can pull it lower. My tongue licks at the scales revealed in the neckline of his tunic while my thighs rub against one another for any amount of friction.

“I will kill you both,” Beren snaps. His arms flex to hold me tighter, like it will keep me from wriggling around more. I want to wrap my legs around him, grind myself against him, and relieve some of this tension in my body. I make a loud whining sound in the back of my throat right as the great hall doors swing open. “Be still, Nia.”

“Beren,” I whine and twist around in his hold again.

I’ve torn his tunic down the neckline, making a deep tear so I can have my hands and tongue and lips and teeth all along his scales. It should be mortifying, and it will be as soon as I’m not hypersexual. Right now, all of this feels so right. So fucking right that I never want it to stop.

“God, why do you feel and taste so good?”

“Your nose soul.”

My nose soul, as the demons call it, is the way their pheromones can affect some of the human women. All of the women in the tribe react strongly to the males they’re mated to, but none of us thought I’d respond to Beren at all since this is more a mating of convenience than anything else. I groan as I press my nose against the area between his pecs and take another deep breath.

“You are getting yourself worked up,” Beren scolds me as he stops moving.

I look up, scared that I’ve done something wrong. I mean, I definitely have, but I don’t need him getting me in trouble when I’m all worked up like this. No, what I need is a good hard fucking, but the look on Beren’s face tells me I’m not getting that, no matter how badly I want it.

“Take her.”

I’m passed into Lyath’s arms and try to nuzzle my face close to his chest, too, but it doesn’t seem to give me the same high that Beren’s does.

“I am not your mate,” Lyath chuckles as we begin moving again. “You may touch my body as you did Beren’s, though. I think I would enjoy it very much.”

“No,” Beren snaps behind him. I whimper, but it only has Lyath laughing even more.

“He will enjoy that sound,” Lyath whispers to me when Beren turns back forward and keeps moving through the trees. “Whimpers, whines, and cries—yes, these are all his favorite things. You will see.”

“Lyath,” Beren snarls, his eyes red when we both look up to see him staring at us with his hands on his hips.

“I am telling her of her mate,” Lyath says, feeling the need to defend himself.

I’m not helping anything by letting my fingers dance over each exposed scale I can get my hands on. I shift around in his hold until I can wrap my legs around him. I’m trying my hardest to grind against him. Not that I can get enough friction between his tunic and the shorts I’m wearing.

I move my arms around his neck to pull me higher as I place kisses against his neck, shoulders, and collarbones. Beren must be enjoying the show because, for a short while, he allows me to enjoy Lyath’s body. Once he’s done watching, he wraps a hand around my neck and pulls me off of Lyath’s scales.

“Lyath is my good mate.” Beren’s eyes are red, but his voice is even and calm. It shouldn’t be turning me on so much that he looks pissed off but is speaking to me like this is a normal interaction. “You are not a good mate, are you?”

“What do I need to be to get fucked?” My voice is a breathy moan as I ask.

Lyath chokes back an amused sound as Beren shoots him an angry glare. It’s not until Beren settles his gaze back on me that I realize I’m not getting fucked tonight. No, I’m not getting fucked, and I might have ruined everything.

I still haven’t asked them if they even want me. For all I know, Beren hates that his pheromones affect me. Maybe they’ve both just been placating me until they can get me in my room so they don’t have to deal with me and my horny ass anymore. Yeah, that has to be it. Beren releases my neck, turns back around, and stomps his way back to the house with Lyath keeping pace.

My hands continue their movements all over Lyath’s body and up to his face. I trace over his lips and giggle when he flicks his tongue out at them when I ghost over his upper lip. I wrap my arms around his neck, tucking my head into the crook, and smile my biggest smile since I’ve been here.

None of this is real. I know it deep down inside myself, but right now, when Lyath is teasing and playful, I can pretend that I’m actually wanted. I don’t want to give this moment up, even if it’s fake.

“Lyath,” Beren’s voice is dark when he calls for his other mate, and I giggle against his neck again.

“Both of your mates are happy,” Lyath says, a hint of amusement in his tone.

I push away from him enough that I can look around. When my eyes land on Beren’s, I can see his eyes have shifted back to black.

“You are happy?” Beren asks, as though Lyath didn’t just tell him exactly that.

“I know it’s fake, Beren,” I say as I wiggle in Lyath’s grasp. I’m still turned on, but it’s simmered enough that I’m not going to be dry-humping anyone for a while. “You didn’t know I’d react to you in that way. I’m sorry if I made either of you uncomfortable. I’m working on getting someone to sleep with me, but your brothers are being difficult.”

Beren’s eyes turn red, and this time, when he comes for me, Lyath steps in front of me and grabs Beren by the shoulders to hold him back.

“It is time for you to go to bed, Beren’s mate,” Lyath says to me over his shoulder. “Now.”

Beren’s hands flex and curl at his side, his lips pull back in a snarl, and his red eyes bore into me like they could kill me with just a look. I don’t know how I pissed him off so badly with just a few words, but if my rubbing on them didn’t get him this mad, then I’ve definitely done it now. So much for things not being awkward with the roommates.

I listen to Lyath and retreat into my room. I crawl into bed, knowing it’s a bit too early for me to fall asleep, but I can just overthink things in my head for a little while. Well, the plan is to overthink things silently until I hear what sounds like a fight happening in the room next to mine.

I’m not stupid, and I’m definitely still a bit horny, so I strain my ears and hope that I’ll be able to hear everything that they’re doing. Yes, it’s creepy and a little voyeuristic, but they both know I’m here. They both know I’m all kinds of wound up, and they both know I have the hots for both of them. Really it’s only natural for me to put my hands between my legs and come to the sounds of them fucking.