Chapter 5
Zarek blushed. His invitation left little room for misunderstanding.
I couldn't deny that he was exactly my type.
He had that reckless, cocky charm, along with a physique that made it hard to look away.
I was tempted.
But I still didn't know what Zarek was hiding.
"Sorry." I shook my head. "I've already made plans with Ansel tonight."
Ansel had only arrived yesterday, so I'd let him settle in first.
Tonight was supposed to be our first feeding session.
He was the complete opposite of Zarek.
Pale skin, delicate features, a gentle smile. He looked almost harmless, though there was enough muscle beneath his shirt to make it clear he wasn't fragile.
When I entered his room, he'd already prepared everything.
He'd even put on a blindfold.
I hadn't asked him to. Apparently, he knew exactly how to set the mood.
I sat beside him, and he turned toward me as if he'd been waiting for me to arrive.
I leaned in and kissed him.
He responded eagerly, his hands finding mine as the magic between us began to stir.
Before long, the air around him grew warm, and a faint blush spread across his face.
I slipped the blindfold off.
His gaze settled on me, warm and full of attention.
For a moment, I almost felt guilty for enjoying it.
"Your turn," I told him.
He smiled and leaned closer.
For a moment, I forgot about everything outside that room.
Then a loud crash came from the kitchen.
I jumped.
"What's that?"
I grabbed my jacket and hurried out.
Zarek was sprawled on the kitchen floor, his face pale.
A pool of blood had spread across the tiles.
"Zarek!" I rushed over and crouched beside him. "What happened?"
"I was worried you two might get hungry later," he said weakly. "So I thought I'd make something for you."
He gestured toward the kitchen counter.
"I dropped the knife. Must've caught my leg on the way down."
I stared at him.
The cut looked deep, and there was more blood than I'd expected.
What kind of accident leaves a cut like that? Did he do this on purpose?
I had a pretty good idea what had happened, but I didn't call him out on it.
"Let me get you some antiseptic."
"It's fine. I'll be back on my feet in a few days."
"A few days?" Ansel's voice drifted from behind me.
He stood in the doorway, his expression calm.
"Incubi heal pretty fast, don't they? How long are you planning to lie there?"
Zarek shot him a murderous glare.
"Actually, now that I think about it, lying here won't help." He looked up at me. "Tessa, could you put some medicine on it?"
"Would human antiseptic even work on you?"
"Shut up."
I helped Zarek to his feet and supported him as we made our way to his room.
Before we left, he glanced back at Ansel.
"Oh, and I made a mess of the kitchen. You wouldn't want Tessa cleaning it up herself, would you? I'll leave it to you."
Ansel smiled politely.
But there was no warmth in his eyes as he watched Zarek.
We were out of antiseptic, so I had to run to the pharmacy.
Before leaving, I pointed at both of them.
"No fighting. No wrecking the apartment. If either of you starts trouble, you're both out. Understood?"
For once, they actually listened.
At least, that's what I thought.
I had no idea that the moment I walked out the door, both of them dropped their act.
Ansel's smile disappeared. His expression turned cold.
"You're a demon, and you're deliberately hurting yourself just to get a human's attention? That's pathetic."
Zarek leaned back against the bed.
"As long as I win, I don't care."
"I'm curious," Ansel said. "If your master found out what you really are, do you think she'd be terrified and run away from you?"
"That's none of your business."
Zarek's gaze sharpened.
"But while we're asking questions, shouldn't you explain yourself first? If I remember correctly, you've already evolved to the point where you no longer need humans to survive."
Ansel didn't answer.
Zarek watched him for a moment, his eyes narrowing.
"So why are you pretending to be an ordinary incubus? Why did you arrange to be sold to Tessa?"
His voice dropped.
"What exactly are you after, Lord of the Incubi?"
