Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 70 (Patreon)

January 2, 2022

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ARTWORK: A couple of pictures of Serenity are posted now (Latex Police Girl Outfit and then one of her Devil form). The Gabriella in Silver Bikini picture is now available to the Demigod tier. The artist is working on Gwen right now.

If you haven't already, check out the Preview of Gabriella in a Bikini, so you can at least see what she looks like and the quality of the art (it's VERY good).

<< Chapter 69 | Ch 1 (Book1) | Ch 16 (Book 2) | Ch 31 (Book 3) | Ch 46 (Book 4) | Ch 61 (Book 5)

- CHAPTER 70: Touching Base -

Now that the blonde vamp would be fine after drinking some of my blood, I had my own thirsts to deal with, since I’d been injured several times now and had my own cravings for the thick crimson fluid. But thankfully, I could satiate the desire with animal blood.

Having risen to my feet, now standing up in the middle of the bathroom, with the short Miriam and busty Gabriella on either side of the blonde vampire on her hands and knees, I focused on Serenity who was still sitting next to where I’d just been.

Reaching down to help her to her feet, knowing she wanted to come with me outside, I went ahead and began heading to the bathroom exit, giving Miriam a simple nod, only for the blonde to speak up urgently, her voice having a thick accent, even though her words were perfectly clear.

“Wait!” she exclaimed, prompting me to glance back at her. “I am…I am so sorry,” she said with a gulp, staring at my neck, clearly seeing that the damage she’d done was already healed.

I shrugged. “I offered my blood willingly. Nothing to be sorry about.”

Her expression pained as she glanced at Miriam, her accent thick. “This…umm…ailment. Is what killed so many. Everyone began dying, and the assault began soon after. Signor Lucius believed it to be a…coup d'etat. But he believed we escaped the ailment.”

Miriam nodded. “We can talk about it more later. But as we’ve just discovered, it looks like both of you were ticking bombs. The moment you ingested blood, the curse would have activated. You’re lucky my maid’s blood is dangerous to your kind, and that it never made it past your mouth.”

The girl immediately grimaced and looked down, her voice quiet. “I am so sorry. We had not drank for many weeks. Signor Lucius demanded I should consume a little. I didn’t want to, but I was so thirsty. I am so very sorry.”

Miriam shrugged. “What’s done is done. And you have been forgiven.”

The blonde’s expression pained and she ducked her head at that, tears forming in her crimson eyes again. My best guess was that ‘being forgiven,’ in particular, really hit home for her.

But I didn’t focus on it long, realizing it was truly time for me to go hunting, because my own craving for blood was getting worse, and I definitely didn’t want to sample any of Miriam’s blood. Just the very idea kind of scared me a little, because she smelled so good as it was, and her blood had that same scent.

I felt confident it would be like tasting candy, and I was already well aware that those like me could lose consciousness and attack anyone nearby without meaning to. After all, that was how we found out Gabriella was different, when she attacked Serenity. And the last thing I needed was for my body to learn to target Miriam of all people, by having first-hand experience with tasting her blood.

Just the idea was disturbing and unforgivable.

Thus, while holding Serenity’s hand, I went ahead and began leading her back through the guest bedroom and into the hallway, just in time to give Gwen a small smile in passing as we made our way downstairs. In the meantime, I heard Miriam finally ask the girl what her name was.

“Serafina Rosana de Luca Casella, ma’am.”

“Serafina, then?” Miriam wondered. “Or Sera?”

“Umm, I have a preference for Rosa, ma’am.”

“That’s fine,” Miriam replied reassuringly. “Well then, Rosa. After we get this mess mostly cleaned up, I’ll ask that you shower and change your clothing. Then we can talk.”

“Yes, ma’am. I…I am so sorry.”

“I’ll accept your obedience as apology. Do as I ask, and we won’t have any problems.”

“I…I understand, ma’am.”

Once Serenity and I got outside, I finally gave her most of my attention when she spoke up quietly, still holding onto my hand. The crate rested undisturbed where Miriam and I had set it on the porch, so I ignored it for now.

“How are you holding up?” she wondered softly, her tone laced with concern.

I took a deep breath. “I’m okay, considering all that’s happened.”

She nodded.

“And how are you?” I wondered.

She sighed, still holding my hand, but grabbing onto my arm too, pulling herself closer. “There were several times tonight that I thought you were going to die. Thought we were all going to die.” She grimaced. “Please don’t let anyone bite your neck like that again. I know you can heal fast, but…” Her voice trailed off.

“Sorry,” I said sincerely. “I didn’t even consider how scary that would be for you.”

“You didn’t see her face, Kai. In a weird way, she was almost more scary than those werewolves.”

“Really?” I said skeptically. “Because those grinning deformed faces were pretty creepy.”

She grimaced as we continued walking past the rear gate and through the trees, with the forest just as noisy as ever, as if there hadn’t been a huge massacre of monsters not long ago. “I guess you’re right,” she agreed. “It’s just, their faces almost didn’t feel like real life, in a strange way. Like, they looked so bizarre that it almost felt like they could have come from some fake movie, made up with CGI or something. But that girl’s face…” Her voice trailed off.

“Felt more real,” I assumed. “Especially close up.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

I nodded, deciding I should probably try to change the mood and get her mind off it.

Unlike me, who was shirtless at this point and wearing black gym shorts, Serenity had never changed from our date at the mall the previous morning. Thus, she was wearing the same faded skinny jeans that made her ass look amazing, along with the black blouse-like shirt that was made of a stretchy material sort of like spandex, feeling very smooth to the touch. The buttons only went up to the middle of her chest, exposing quite a bit of cleavage, which I focused on now, as I reached over with my free hand to cup her plump C-cup breast.

She looked up at me in alarm, only for her face to begin flushing. “K-Kai!” she exclaimed.

I laughed at that. “We literally had sex in a mall restroom, never mind the time in the recliner while everyone was listening, and then in your bed before that…” My voice trailed off as I grinned wider at her flushed expression, her skin turning a medium gray now. “Still not used to the change, huh?”

She held onto my arm tighter, squishing her tits against me. “So much is different,” she admitted. “And in such a short period of time. I’m so happy we’ve crossed that line, but I’m just so ready to get back to a normal routine. Ready for these crazy problems to go away.”

I sighed. “Well, that serial killer guy is definitely gone for good, and we didn’t even know that this werewolf bastard actually led to an even bigger problem, but even the main leader is taken care of.” I took a deep breath, my tone becoming more lighthearted. “So yeah, hopefully we can finally relax and deal with more normal stuff, like where everyone’s going to sleep.”

She smiled slightly at that.

“Thank you, by the way,” I said seriously.

“For what?” she wondered, her deep brown eyes endearing, but also a little confused.

I shrugged. “Just for everything. For wanting me. For being okay with this situation with me needing to be with multiple women.” I sighed. “Just everything.”

“Of course, baby,” she replied seriously. “Like, I don’t think you realize how important you are to me. You are all I’ve had to live for ever since we started living on our own. I just want to see you happy, and I want to be a part of that happiness.”

“Me too,” I replied warmly, only to smirk again. “And wow, that game all of you decided to play made me extremely happy. I kind of wish we could do it every day.”

She seemed amused, a small smirk tugging on her full pink lips. “I mean, I suppose we could. It might lose its novelty after a few times though.”

I grinned. “Well, that’s where you could mix it up. Always leave me guessing which two are going to sit in the recliner with me.” I paused. “We would just need to get Avery involved, is all, to make it harder for me to anticipate what all of you are planning.”

Serenity continued to smile as she considered that. “Okay. And how open are you to us experimenting a little with surprising you?”

I lowered my voice a bit. “Like what?” I wondered, also slowing down a little to walk more quietly, since I didn’t want to spook any deer in the distance.

She took my lead as she responded, her voice almost a whisper. “Well, Gabriella pretty much made it clear that it was going to be difficult to match what Miriam can offer sexually. And after meeting her, I realize now how true that is.”

I frowned at that. “Well, just so you know, while she is amazing, sex isn’t everything. No one could ever replace you, Ren.”

She gave me an affectionate smile. “That makes me really happy to hear, baby. But still, Gabriella is convinced that sex with all of us involved at the same time is going to be a thing.”

I tried not to grin.

On the one hand, of course my busty redhead was going to push for that, because I was sure it was what she wanted too, but on the other hand, it really was what I wanted as well. And…I suspected that Serenity was interested in the idea too, but just felt more embarrassed to openly admit and discuss it.

“I wouldlike that,” I admitted.

Her face flushed slightly, only for her to clear her throat softly. “So then, you’re okay with us doing whatever to surprise you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, as long as it’s just between the five of us, that’s perfectly fine with me.”

She nodded. “And, by five of us, you mean me, Gabriella, Michelle, Avery, and of course yourself, correct?”

I frowned. “Well, yeah. Why?”

“Well, you’re sort of with Miriam and Gwen too. And I guess now Natalie as well.”

“Oh,” I said in surprise, especially at that last part. “I think that if Natalie wants to be involved, then that’s okay, but I’m not planning on it. But if we’re talking about surprises here, then I don’t think I want to be surprised when it involves Miriam. I’d rather just know.”

She nodded with a small frown. “I really am sorry about what I said earlier. I don’t…I don’t know why I feel like that.”

“About her being your mistress?” I assumed.

She grimaced. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but then she sort of pulled it out of me.”

“Well, that’s okay. It’s like she said, choice still matters. And it’s probably because she and I are sort of connected in a weird way now.” I paused. “I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

She shook her head. “I mean, it’s something we can’t really control, by the sound of it, and if she’s the reason why you didn’t die the other day, because you clung to her soul or whatever, then I definitely don’t care.”

I smiled, my tone affectionate. “Love you, Ren.”

“Love you too, baby. So much,” she said sincerely, hugging my arm tighter. “And we’ll try to make sure every night is exciting for you.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” I said reassuringly. “Just mixing it up should be enough. Although, I should probably go on a date with Avery before I advance things with her. I know I see her every day at school, but we haven’t really had a chance to spend time together under these different circumstances. Previously, I mostly just ignored her.”

“Of course,” she agreed simply.

We were both quiet for a few long seconds, listening to the night sounds.

Finally, I took a deep breath, knowing I was definitely ready for the hunting part. “Well, I hear a small herd of like four or five deer, so I should probably go run one down. Are you thirsty at all?”

She shook her head. “Not for blood. I haven’t really been hurt, so I assume I won’t need any, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Shouldn’t need it unless you get injured. But then, what do you want to do after that?”

She hesitated. “Do you need sex?” she wondered.

My eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. No, I’m honestly not in the mood right now. And even though I used up all my magic in that fight, I don’t feel like I’m needing it to ‘sustain myself,’ or whatever.” I paused. “Maybe it’s because I’ve subconsciously been refusing to tap into that energy that I need to keep my body healthy.”

Actually, I knew that was exactly the case, considering I didn’t view that energy within me as ‘disposable’ magic. Only the excess that I had. Which made me wonder if that was the secret to having more energy for spells, to be willing to tap into what I needed more long-term. Or if the problem was actually just that I was inefficient in my use of it.

Serenity nodded. “Just wanted to make sure. But in that case, I’m fine with going back after you’re done. I’m actually getting pretty tired, but just needed a moment with you.”

“I completely understand,” I replied. “Be right back.”

She gave me a smile as she let go, our intertwined fingers remaining stuck for a few seconds as we began separating, like she didn’t want to let me go, before I was finally off to go track down my meal. Of course, catching a deer was no problem, the others scurrying away from the danger.

But then I was done feeding and heading back to regroup with Serenity, barely ten minutes having passed. However, on the way back, I caught a dim glimmer of light on the forest floor in the moonlight streaming through the trees, causing me to check it out.

Surprisingly, it was a regular looking knife not far away from a dead body.

The decayed corpse didn’t have clothes on, much like the rest of them, so I wasn’t sure how it had been carried -- wondering if maybe this was one of the few who had remained mostly human, much like the leader had done -- or if the weapon was even significant, but decided to grab it just in case.

Of course, Serenity commented on it right away when we regrouped.

“Where did that come from?”

“Just found it,” I said simply. “Wanted to have Miriam look at it and make sure it wasn’t special, like the other black blade.”

She nodded. “Good idea. Looks normal to me, but never know.”

I wrapped my arm around her this time, prompting her to wrap her arms around my torso as we headed back, walking mostly in silence, just content to be together. From the sounds I was hearing inside the mansion, I realized everyone must be done cleaning up, with it sounding as if Rosa was already done with a quick shower and just finishing up with dressing in whatever she’d been provided.

Honestly, from the sounds I was hearing, I was beginning to suspect she’d just been given normal stuff, like jeans and maybe a nice shirt. Not that I was really expecting anything different, but I had to admit I was a little curious to know what she looked like in normal clothing, as opposed to a large cloak that pretty much hid her body.

Granted, based on the fact that she’d basically starved for a seemingly long time, I suspected it wouldn’t be hard to imagine. No doubt she was pretty emaciated and thin overall…not that I really cared one way or the other.

Even though my opinion on her had changed pretty dramatically in the last hour, I wasn’t about to get in bed with her, even if her face was ridiculously pretty. I had too many other things to worry about and focus on at this point, never mind the fact that the interest would have to go both ways, and all my other women would have to be fine with it…

Yeah, too much of a headache to even think about.

When Serenity and I reached the rear gate, we both hesitated briefly, as if we were having the same thought. She angled herself more toward me in my embrace as I focused on her rich chocolate brown eyes, seeing the longing in them. Not one of arousal, but simply one of want.

I leaned my face toward her as she tilted her chin up incrementally, our lips meeting in a soft tender kiss. She then let go a little so that she could slide more in front of me as we continued to keep our lips locked, her arms slowly wrapping around my neck as I wrapped mine around her thin waist.

I slipped my tongue in her mouth when hers probed at mine, beginning to gently rock my head with hers as our intimacy deepened.

I knew this was all she wanted right now, and so I wasn’t surprised when she pulled away after a couple of minutes.

“I love you so much,” she whispered affectionately.

“Love you too,” I replied, pecking her again on the lips. “Maybe I should skip one more day of school.”

She smiled warmly at me. “Well, I still might go into work, remember? And you do have a good point about people asking questions. Never mind the possibility of someone accusing you of truancy.”

Of course, I was very familiar with the subject since the court had made it clear that they might reconsider our living arrangements if I missed too much school. Which was why I had perfect attendance, since neither one of us wanted that.

Still, I couldn’t help but scoff. “I’m about to graduate and otherwise have perfect attendance. Plus, it’s kind of normal for seniors to skip a little during the last few weeks.”

She sighed heavily, moving her arms to my torso and resting her head underneath my chin as she gave me a tight hug. “Barely one more month, and things will be so much easier.”

“How much longer do you think you’ll continue working?” I wondered seriously.

She shrugged incrementally. “We’ll have to play that by ear. I do like my job for the most part, but if we decide to move in with Miriam, then it’ll be difficult to keep my current job either way. Not unless I want to spend two hours on the road every day.”

“Didn’t realize you were already seriously considering that,” I commented, enjoying the warmth of her body against mine, her head still tucked underneath my chin.

She sighed. “Gabriella and I talked about it a little while you were searching for a survivor with Miriam. We know there’s a lot to consider, but we don’t really have enough room back home to fit everyone permanently. And we don’t want Avery and Michelle to feel like perpetual guests.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Plus, there’s Natalie. She needs a place to stay, and we already don’t have the room.”

I frowned as I considered that, realizing she was right. If anything, Natalie was the most in need of both temporary and permanent living arrangements, since she literally had nowhere to go. Which meant, I either needed to talk to Mrs. Copeland about letting her stay at her place for a while, or I needed to ask Miriam if she was willing to let Natalie just remain at the mansion.

If anything, I suspected the blue-haired vixen might appreciate the extra protection that being here afforded, and might also be thankful of the distance between the two of us, so that she could breathe a little apart from her alpha and start feeling like a normal person. Certainly, I doubted that the distance would reduce the strong bond we shared, but it would at least allow her to live some normal days without an alpha looming over her shoulder.

Although, there was the issue of giving her some of my blood.

That still needed to happen, and I needed to be present the whole time to make sure she didn’t attack anyone like Gabriella did. Technically, I knew that giving her my blood could wait, but I felt like it should be a priority -- enough of a priority that it did actually merit me staying home from school one more day.

I took a deep breath, knowing that doing it now might mean staying at the mansion while sending Serenity home in the only car we brought. Or it might mean that I take Natalie along with us after all.

“I might really need to skip school one more day,” I commented out loud. “And then, either bring Natalie home with us, or send you and Gabriella home by yourselves. Assuming Gabriella plans on going into work too.”

Serenity looked up at me in surprise. “Oh.” She paused. “Okay.”

“Not because I’m trying to hang out here all day,” I clarified, assuming she must think I had a preference. “I just want to make sure Natalie gets some of my blood, and at this point that’ll likely mean I have to stay with her until at least seven in the morning. Maybe longer, depending on how long it takes. With an hour drive, that would make you late, especially since you need to go home to change.”

She nodded. “Do you think there’s any downside to bringing her with us then? I just don’t want to leave you away from home without your own transportation,” she added.

I frowned as I considered that.

On the one hand, if I was here, then I wouldn’t need my own transportation, because there was nowhere else I’d want to go. However, I was well aware of how addicting Miriam could be, especially after we’d already fucked so many times just this evening, and I knew it might be wise to give us a little bit of space again.

Which meant, even if I did stay here, I’d probably ask Gwen to take me home once Natalie was awake. It might mean I’d end up home alone, especially if I left the blue-haired vixen behind, but it honestly might not be a bad idea to force that on myself.

To give myself a chance to really be alone and think about everything that’d happened recently, so I could decompress a little.

Plus, I did need to sleep.

“I guess we either need to leave soon, Natalie with us, or else I give her some of my blood now, and you can just leave without me if she’s not awake by the time you have to go.”

Serenity nodded. “Let’s just go ahead and plan to stay until morning. I know Miriam is probably the second most powerful person here, but I can’t help but feel bad about leaving her alone so soon after everything that happened.”

I nodded, moving my arm to her shoulders and gesturing for us to start walking again. “Okay, then I’ll help her finish up any last-minute things she needs me to do, and then focus on Natalie. You and Gabriella can then find a room to crash in, and we’ll regroup when it’s close to time for you to head back home.”

She gave me a confused look. “You don’t want to just sleep in the same room as me?” she wondered.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to chance Natalie waking up and trying to attack someone. I think it’s best if I stay with her in one of Miriam’s basement rooms. Behind a locked door, just in case.”

She nodded. “Okay, that makes sense.”

I simply nodded.

She then sighed as we reached the grassy patch before the long porch, focusing on the undisturbed crate where Miriam and I had set it down. “I guess should we go ahead and bring this in?” she wondered.

I shrugged. “Sure,” I replied simply, readjusting the knife in my hands as I climbed onto the porch and moved to pick up one end of the crate. Serenity took my lead and grabbed the other side, and we both began hoisting it to the conservatory’s sliding glass door.

Realizing we were out of hands, I grew out a wing to get the door, and proceeded to close it again once we were inside. I then did the same for the door leading to the breakfast room, followed by us making our way through the dining room.

I could hear a couple of people coming down one of the twin staircases now, knowing at least two people were already in the grand foyer area. Thus, Serenity and I set the crate down just as we passed through the dining hall entrance, with me wanting to show Miriam the knife I’d found.

Sure enough, Gabriella, Natalie, and Miriam were all angled toward each other at the bottom of the stairs, while Gwen was leading the blonde vamp down the last few steps, all five of them turning to focus on me and Serenity as we walked into sight.

I held up the knife as I spoke. “Hey, Miriam, I…” My voice cut off as I focused on Rosa, sincerely shocked by her expression.

She’d stopped just on the last step, wearing dark blue jeans and a nice navy blue blouse, her clothing a sharp contrast to her blonde hair, pale skin, and crimson eyes. Overall, she looked even more attractive than I was anticipating, though also far skinnier, and part of me couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed and disgusted at myself for liking what I saw.

Just because I felt like I should be happy at this point.

Happy to have Serenity, Gabriella, Avery, Michelle, Miriam, and Gwen. And possibly even Mrs. Rebecca and Natalie too. Yet, it was like I couldn’t help but find what I saw appealing.

Was it because I was an incubus?

Or simply because I was a guy, who was attracted to all women?

No, I knew that couldn’t be true.

There were plenty of women out there who were only average in appearance. Not even worth giving a second glance. And honestly, on second thought, when I considered the reason ‘why’ Rosa had been adopted into royalty, elevated to the status of princess due to her being one of several suitresses to a potential heir, it made sense that she was gorgeous, considering that beauty was probably the primary factor in deciding who was chosen.

So maybe I was being too hard on myself for thinking she was so ridiculously attractive.

However, those fleeting thoughts were all in passing, as I quickly became confused as to why she looked so terrified right now.

It took me a second to realize I was still transformed after growing out my wings to open the doors, my skin gray, my eyes gold and black. But I quickly realized that wasn’t her primary focus the moment she opened her mouth, one of her hands sticking out in the universal stop gesture, while her other hand flew over her chest, her face rapidly contorting in fear, grief, and panic.

“Please no!” she abruptly yelled, rapidly falling apart. “Please! I will do anything you ask! Just please!”

Needless to say, everyone looked back at her in shock, Gwen quickly reaching out for her. “Rosa, it’s alright. He’s not--”

The blonde screamed the moment Gwen touched her, attempting to move backward so quickly that she tripped on the stairs and fell on her ass, prompting the maid to reach out and grab her wrist before she could run away up the stairs.

Miriam moved faster than I was expecting, quickly darting for them and grabbing Rosa’s other wrist, her other hand reaching for her knee. Immediately, I felt that gentle motherly presence erupt into Miriam’s aura, a sharp contrast to her normal erotic existence, even if that was still potent in the air, the effect seeming instantaneous.

Rosa must have been able to feel it, because her panicked breathing transitioned to sobbing as she wrapped her thin arms around Miriam and began crying.

I glanced at Serenity by my side with wide eyes, completely confused about what just happened, only to glance in Gabriella’s direction who seemed equally stunned.

My busty redhead was the first to speak up. “What’s wrong with her?”

Gwen responded. “She’s never died before. Killing her was traumatizing.”

Serenity’s brown eyes widened. “She’s showing signs of PTSD,” she suddenly realized out loud. “She must have seen the knife and it triggered her.”

“Yes,” Gwen said simply, focusing down at Rosa’s head buried against Miriam’s chest.

Of course, I wasn’t too surprised by Miriam’s sincere concern, because first and foremost she trusted that Gwen’s assessment of the girl was accurate, and that she truly was the victim here, having been forced into a life she didn’t want, and having truly done everything in her power to remain good.

So Miriam’s concern was sincere.

“I do not wish to die,” Rosa whimpered. “Please, I do not…” Her voice trailed off as she sobbed again.

“Shh,” Miriam hushed, gently stroking her blonde hair now. “No one is going to harm you. And I am very sorry for what I did earlier. I made assumptions about you, based on what you were, and I was grossly incorrect in those assumptions. No one is going to harm you again. You are safe in my home.”

The blonde simply sobbed in response.

Glancing at Serenity again, I decided to hand the knife off to her and get closer, figuring I should probably say something as well, to reassure her that I meant her no harm. Stopping once I was a couple feet away from Gabriella and Natalie, I cleared my throat.

“Umm, Rosa, I’m sorry for scaring you. I found that knife in the woods, and was just going to ask Miriam if she could make sure it was normal. I’m not going to hurt you.” I then scoffed at the idea. “I mean, the reason why I was able to break your curse was because I gave my blood to you willingly. Why would I hurt you after saving your life?”

She sobbed again, her voice muffled by Miriam’s chest. “B-But, you were killed b-because of m-me.”

I frowned as I considered that, only to sigh. “Yes, and it made me really angry. But honestly, it’s that guy who was responsible, and I remember seeing your remorse when I woke up. I saw your guilt. Plus, we’re kind of even now anyway, since we sort of killed you too.”

She trembled slightly at that, only to sob uncontrollably again.

“Sorry,” I quickly added. “Didn’t mean to bring that up. Point is, I’ve decided to forgive you, and I hope you’ll forgive all of us for our role in what happened to you.”

“You saved my life,” she whimpered. “I owe you everything. All the others…they are all gone now because of that aliment.”

“The other suitresses?” Miriam unexpectedly wondered, sounding as if she was trying to get the girl’s mind off the subject of dying. “Or did the prince die too?”

Rosa sniffled, before slowly pulling away to look up at the redhead minx, her flushed cheeks wet with tears. “Many perished. The suitresses, their handmaids, the guards. I assume the others did as well, but I had very little access to them. We were kept separate unless our presence was requested.”

“And how often did that happen?” Miriam wondered.

“None for me. It was not yet my turn to meet the prince.”

“There must have been a lot of you then, huh?”

“Very many,” Rosa agreed with a sniffle.

Miriam nodded. “And…” She hesitated. “Are you aware of what happens to the suitresses who are not picked?”

Rosa’s crimson eyes widened slightly. “N-No. Do you know?”

She shook her head. “No, I have intentionally stayed far away from your kind, and am thus unfamiliar with their current customs. However, while I do not wish to trouble you with the thought, I think it’s at least a possibility that the attack was a ruse. That the final selection had already taken place and the curse you suffered was meant to rid the royal family of the burden of those who were not chosen.”

Rosa suddenly looked shell-shocked at the idea.

“B-But I had not yet met the prince,” she repeated.

Miriam nodded. “I know. But the reason why you were turned in the first place appears to be seemingly for only one purpose. To be a candidate for the prince. And there were probably many other girls who were turned at a young age, but ended up not being pretty enough to be a suitress. I’m afraid those girls were also likely dealt with, long before they had the opportunity to even grow up.”

Rosa’s eyes were filling with tears again. Her voice sounded more defeated and broken. “B-But I had not yet met the prince,” she repeated again.

“Would you return to them if given the chance?” Miriam asked seriously. “Would you choose to be chosen by the prince, if he wanted you?”

Rosa immediately shook her head.

“Then, while I may be completely wrong, if my theory is actually correct, it simply means that you were one of the lucky ones. You escaped death, and no one is coming to look for you. Rosa, that means you’re free now.” She paused. “Well, free in the sense that I won’t harm you, or get rid of you. But I’ll take care of you, make sure you have plenty of blood bags to get your meals, and otherwise give you a home where you’ll be safe from now on.”

“I can never repay you,” she whispered.

“You can work for me, and obey me. That will be your repayment. If you can handle that, then I believe you can find happiness again.”

“I cannot remember a time when I was happy,” she replied quietly.

Miriam’s tone was more lighthearted. “Well, I won’t force that on you either. If you decide you don’t want to be happy, then that is fine as well. You can choose to be sad if you want.”

Rosa gave her a bizarre look, only to smile slightly. “Was that a joke?” she asked seriously.

Miriam made an amused noise. “If it was, it wasn’t a very good one.”

Rosa frowned. “I have been told that when you understand jokes in another language, it means you are fully fluent. I was hoping I might have understood a joke for once.”

Miriam laughed. “Oh, I have plenty of jokes I could try on you,” she teased, only to sigh heavily, glancing back at the rest of us, only to focus on me since I was still standing pretty close, near Gabriella and Natalie. “Kai, after you help store the old man, what do you plan on doing? You are welcome to stay as long as you want.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s already so late, I think it’s best if we crash here. But I was hoping I could take Natalie to one of the basement rooms, so I can try breaking her curse.” I shrugged. “Figured it would be best to do it behind a locked door.”

“And in a room that has concrete walls,” Miriam added for me, glancing at the blue-haired vixen.

“Is that fine with you?” I wondered.

Miriam nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. And then, what about after she wakes up?”

I heard Serenity set the other knife on the crate, glancing back at her as she walked over. “I plan on going into work tomorrow, which means Gabriella and I might have to leave Kai here, if Natalie is still asleep.”

Miriam’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I like that plan,” she said cheerfully.

I cleared my throat. “Well, I was actually hoping that maybe Gwen could take me back home sometime in the morning, once she’s awake.”

Her expression dropped, her tone more serious. “Oh. Of course, Kai. She can take you home. And what about Natalie?” she wondered, glancing at the person in question again.

I sighed. “Figured I’d leave that up to her,” I replied. “Assuming you don’t mind accommodating her,” I added.

Natalie chimed in, her feminine husky Rockstar chick tone coming out thicker than normal, as if due to not speaking much in the last few hours. “Wait, what?” she said seriously, taking a step more toward my side.

I gave her my attention. “I told you from the beginning that I’d give you space, if you needed it. Just because I’m your alpha now doesn’t mean you have to be at my beck and call. Or even be around me at all. Assuming Miriam doesn’t mind, then I figured this was a safe place for you to stay if you wanted that space.”

Miriam chimed in again. “She’d have to work a little if she stays here. A place this big doesn’t get clean on its own.” She focused on Natalie too. “Or is cleaning beneath you?” she asked seriously.

Natalie’s light brown eyes widened in surprise. “N-No, I’ll clean, or whatever else you want me to do. I don’t have any money for rent, so it’s the least I can offer.”

“Perfect,” Miriam said warmly, almost as if her comment was a test of the blue-haired chick’s temperament. “Then yes, you can stay if you want.”

Natalie seemed hesitant, glancing at me again. “C-Can I decide later?” she asked me. “Or is it you who wants the space?”

I shook my head. “Being around you is by no means a hassle, and honestly I’m probably just going to sleep most of the day at home.”

Natalie seemed surprised at that. “Then, I think I’d actually like to go with you, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” I said simply. “If that’s what you really want.”

She nodded once.

Miriam let out a dramatic breath. “Well, that makes me feel a little better. I was afraid you wanted to get away from me. And here you just wanted to sleep.”

I shrugged, my tone both casual and lighthearted. “Let’s be honest. I’m probably not going to get much sleep if I stay here, and I kind of need to recover from everything that just happened.”

Miriam giggled. “Yeah, okay. I guess I can give you a little break,” she giggled again. “But then, if that’s the plan, we should probably get to it. Do you mind helping Gwen lock away that crate while I show Rosa to a room? Gwen can then get you and Natalie situated, and the rest of us can try to get a little sleep before morning.” She sighed. “I also need to make a phone call.”

“For blood bags?” I assumed.

Miriam shook her head, glancing at Gabriella. “No, I’ll have to wait until morning for that.” She sighed, focusing on me again. “With a situation this big? My daughter Rebecca is going to want to hear about it directly from me. I at least need to let her know we’re all safe.”

Oh.

Shit.

No doubt that was going to be a rough conversation.

FEEDBACK: Rosa's full name is Serafina Rosana de Luca Casella, or basically Serafina Rosana. Do you like Rosa, or would you prefer Sera? (or even Serafina)

I'm open to changing it, or to at least having Kai call her something different eventually, such as using her middle name for everyone else, but eventually telling Kai that he can use her first name. But if you guys like Rosa better, then I might just stick with that.

Also, a slight change you may have noticed:

When I first started writing this story, Kai had about a month left of classes. However, at some point I accidentally changed it to 2 weeks. It's been changed back, so that the story is consistent at it being about a month left, which is evident in this chapter, but I just wanted to emphasize that it's supposed to be a month.

It's the last week of April for them, and he graduates roughly the fourth week of May (or is at least done with classes by the fourth week of May).

Chapter 71 >>