Innocent Devil’s Harem Ch. 104 (Patreon)

October 23, 2022

NOTE: This is a really long chapter (8,400 words), and it doesn't end on a cliff-hanger.

YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: I made a post about the Youtube Playlist I created for this story (a list of the songs I was listening to for specific books/chapters).

In particular, I wanted to point out one of the most recent songs:

Delilah’s Theme Song: Yesable - An Alien In Love 

(This is literally almost the only song I listened to for all of Book 7, which will cover Chapter 91 to 105. All of it aiming toward meeting Delilah.)

Check the linked post above for a detailed explanation for the other songs.

<< Chapter 103 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 16 (Book 2) | Ch 31 (Book 3) | Ch 46 (Book 4) | Ch 61 (Book 5) | Ch 76 (Book 6) | Ch 91 (Book 7)

- CHAPTER 104: Hesitation -

There were still a few stragglers in the sanctuary as I headed out a side exit to try to track down the blue-eyed succubus, who had it so bad for me that she was desperately hoping I’d come meet her in an obscure private bathroom, in order to get even just a few more minutes with me. Thankfully, having her scent to track, which was objectively my strongest sense, especially now that my third-eye was unsealed and functioning, finding her was as simple as if I’d walked right behind her as she directly led the way.

However, just as I moved from the main wide hallway to slip down a second narrow hallway, and got to the wooden bathroom door, even as my anxiousness began escalating at just the idea of what I was about to allow myself to experience a second time, Serenity pushed a thought through our bond.

‘Hey, two things. First, are you fine if I suggest that Joseph and Rachel ride with us?’

I hesitated as I reached the doorway, trying to focus on my breathing. ‘Yeah, I don’t have a problem with that.’

‘Okay, good. Because that brings me to the second thing. I just checked with Gwen, and it seems that everyone has been discussing the situation all morning. Like, what she described sounds like a freaking War Room Meeting over there. They are literally taking notes, making arguments, and playing devil’s advocate to those arguments.’

‘Holy shit,’ I thought in sincere surprise, having been too focused on the here and now to notice. ‘About what?’

But then, I almost immediately knew the ‘about what’ the moment I checked Natalie’s head. Because she was pissed about one thing in particular -- Rachel’s eyes.

Because Natalie could relate.

If gouging out her own eyes could have saved her parents, or if it could have prevented the pain every full moon, or if it could have let her fucking escape the bastard who ruled over her, then Natalie would have done it.

She would have fucking done it.

And God forbid anyone ever stole her away from me, she would do worse to herself to prevent it from happening again.

But then, there was the fact that Rachel was even here in the first place.

Because obviously, she didn’t want to be here.

So why didn’t Joseph bring someone else?

Why not bring some random chick?

Natalie felt confident she knew exactly why.

Because, in her own words, ‘That bitch is protecting the other women. She came because she wouldn’t dare let even a single one of them experience what she went through. And without a doubt, a bitch like that wouldn’t allow Joseph to ever betray our man. Not if Kai made it impossible for them to be compelled.’

She was making an argument for why I should form an alliance with my brother Joseph.

Serenity responded to my initial ‘about what’ question.

‘Since it’s clear that only you can change people, everyone agrees that you should be using this opportunity to find allies. Those who are most likely to be allegiant to you, no matter what. Joseph seems like a perfect choice, and I would have to agree with that.’

Of course, I didn’t disagree either, and had at least been thinking about talking with him more and maybe getting to know him better. But this was just a huge step we were talking about, possibly giving my blood to those who weren’t directly in my life, possibly to even guys who I couldn’t guarantee wouldn’t one day betray me.

But then again, wasn’t that just life?

I supposed if I had a normal childhood, and managed to make some normal friends, then I might not have been so hesitant to put such trust in other people. But I’d spent so much of my life guarded toward others, that really putting my trust in someone like that felt difficult.

Hard even.

However, Serenity immediately brought up one thing I couldn’t deny.

‘Kai, none of us are as powerful as you. Not a single one of us. Even Natalie is confident that she would lose against you in a fight. And while Rosa can also grow larger, she likewise isn’t even remotely as powerful. Not that she would want to fight anyone to begin with.’

Of course, I knew that last part about Rosa was true.

Despite the fact that Rosa was similar to Natalie, in the sense that they both had transformations that resulted in them growing larger, and in the sense that I had a true master-servant bond with both of them, Rosa was also inherently a gentle soul, who didn’t want to hurt anyone, and who was probably more afraid of her own strength than anything.

But that was fine.

Just because she ‘could be’ the second-best fighter, out of everyone, that didn’t mean she had to be.

‘So you don’t think Joseph could end up as strong as me?’

‘Kai, even if you gave some of your blood to your father, I don’t think he would be as strong as you. Because your blood is enhancing what is already there. Gabriella became more succubus. I became more imp. Natalie became a more powerful werewolf, and Rosa became a more powerful vampire. But you? You’re something stronger. Something far stronger.’

I took a deep breath as I considered that, realizing she had a point. And knowing from her mind that part of that reasoning had actually come from Miriam, earlier in their conversation, which Serenity had picked up from Gwen just now. In a way, it was really Gwen’s argument that Serenity was echoing.

At the very least, I was apparently something more akin to an archdemon than an incubus, even if I undeniably had the traits of an incubus…as well as a werewolf, and a vampire for that matter. A ‘Frankenstein monster’ of traits.

But no way in hell would I ever offer my blood to my father.

Like, hell no.

He didn’t deserve that kind of trust.

Even if it wouldn’t make him as strong as me.

Taking a deep breath, I responded while opening the old wooden bathroom door. ‘Well, I’ll think about it, while I take care of this little problem.’

‘Sure,’ Serenity said simply.

Focusing on the task at hand as I opened the bathroom door, trying to keep myself under control, I was immediately a little concerned when I laid eyes on the black-haired, blue-eyed, short succubus, still wearing those tight low-riding leather pants with the hidden zipper in the crotch, as well as the sheer black shirt that showed off way too much to really be appropriate for a funeral. Or even appropriate as church attire, for that matter.

She was leaning against the sink directly across from me, her hands back on it, as if she was stabilizing herself, though there was something off about her expression.

I could hear her heart flutter when she met my gaze, smell her arousal at the anticipation, and even feel her excitement in the air…but there was something else too.

An unexpected hesitation, and a sense of somberness…

Fuck, that wasn’t a good sign.

Had I let her charm get the best of me and missed something huge?

“What’s wrong?” I asked seriously, closing the door behind me and locking it, almost unsurprised when she briefly averted her azure gaze. I continued. “Are you having second thoughts?”

She focused on me in surprise. “Second thoughts about what?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, slowly walking toward her in the small space. “About this. About us. About seeing Miriam again.” My voice became more flat. “Or maybe about hiding all of this from my father,” I added with a frown.

She grimaced, focusing down. “Well, no. I can keep secrets from him…”

“You don’t sound very convincing,” I said seriously.

Her expression pained as she looked back up at me, her body tense. “Babe, there’s something…I have to tell you.”

Fuck.

I tried to keep my tone reassuring, not wanting her to get cold feet and refuse to share because I was showing signs of being pissed.

“What’s wrong?” I managed.

She was starting to shake now. “I…if we…” She sucked in a ragged breath. “I have to do the right thing. I have to tell you.”

Girl! Just say it!

I held my tongue, so she could get it out.

“Babe,” she repeated, her expression pained as she turned her blue eyes up toward me. “If we…I could…fuck,” she whimpered, trembling violently now. “I’m not like you. If we have sex again, I could hurt you.”

I felt like I was going to pass out in relief, realizing what was going on now.

The first time we had sex, I was just another guy to her, but she had experienced real intimacy with me, and was now making an effort to show concern for my well-being, despite what she selfishly wanted to experience again.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to play dumb for now. Because her erotica aura was fairly potent right now, and I could feel that familiar ball of pleasure in my gut.

“Oh…but you asked me to come meet you for sex.”

She immediately grimaced, tears appearing in her eyes as she looked straight down, shaking violently now. She was way more upset than I initially realized.

“I…I know…God, I want to so bad. I need it so bad. But…” She sniffled, really starting to fall apart. “Fuck, I just want to fucking die right now,” she whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut and causing tears to fall to the floor.

I frowned, feeling the sincerity in her aura. She was definitely a dramatic person, but this wasn’t her being a drama queen right now.

She was truly upset, to a degree I didn’t fully understand.

I sighed. “If we had sex, I wouldn’t actually die though, right?”

She shook her head. “I could make you sick. Possibly really sick. You’d probably be fine if it’s just one more time, at least if it’s the last time for a while, but…Oh God,” she whined. “Boy, you make me so crazy, that I’m not sure if I could control myself this time. And I could never forgive myself if I hurt you. Fuck, I barely know you! But fuck, I’m so crazy about you.” She turned her tearful blue eyes up to me again. “I think I feel it too. Something about you feels so familiar. I don’t understand it, but I felt it when you filled me with your cum, and I have to do the right thing.”

I honestly felt sincerely bad seeing her suffer like this -- and she truly was suffering right now, obvious turmoil churning like a violent storm within her -- but I had to see for myself what she would do.

Because her erotic charm was still fairly intense, though not strong enough that it felt like she was trying to manipulate my decision. It was just strong because she was torn between what she wanted to do and what she knew was ‘right.’

“So, are you asking me to leave?” I asked quietly.

“Oh God,” she cried out, abruptly turning around toward the sink, beginning to truly fall apart and start sobbing as it sounded like she literally spoke to the heavens, her voice a low whine. “God, why do you hate me so much?” she whimpered. “Why do I deserve this? I’ve always served you the best I could. Always! And yet I’ve suffered so much. Why won’t you wipe away my tears!” she whimpered. “Why won’t you keep your promise! Am I not worthy of your--” Another sob cut her voice off, and she began crying too intensely to continue, her entire body trembling, her delicate pale shoulders tense as she held onto the sink, her head bowed as she cried.

Her raw agony was so intense, her tormented aura so powerful, that I began to choke up, even as her erotic charm finally diminished.

I felt horrible for pushing her this far.

Far enough that she was ready for me to walk away and to never see me again.

Without hesitation, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her chest, feeling her invisible maimed wings tense against my own chest, only for her to turn around to bury her face against my suit, her small hands gripping desperately at my clothes.

The ball of pleasure in my gut escalated briefly, as if in response to my touch, only for it to vanish entirely.

All at once, her erotic charm reduced so much that it all but disappeared.

Even lower than I’d felt from Miriam, when she tried to bottle her charm up.

“Please leave,” she finally whimpered, asking me outright. “Please don’t let me hurt you.”

My throat felt tight. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry I let you feel this way. Please forgive me.”

“What are you even talking about?” she sobbed, clinging to me tightly, fistfuls of my suit in her grasp.

“You won’t hurt me,” I said sincerely. “My lust for you is unending.”

She just shook her head, finally focusing up at me, her thick wet eyelashes glistening in the bathroom light. “Boy, you’re not making any sense. That’s not even possible. Do you not get what I’m saying? I could put you in the hospital!”

I took a deep breath, trying to think about how best to convince her.

“Have you ever filled up an opal with energy?” I wondered.

Her brow furrowed. “Boy. Are you actually crazy? Do you actually have a screw loose?”

I tried not to roll my eyes. “Have you?”

“Yeah, of course I have!” she said in disbelief, blinking some of the tears out of her gorgeous blue eyes. “What kind of question is that? I told you what I do for your father.”

“And, how many times would you need to have sex, in order to fill up one opal?”

She just stared at me, before speaking hesitantly. “It depends on the size and quality. Maybe twenty people.”

I nodded. “Miriam wanted to test my ability to generate lust, so she had me fill up seven opals in under thirty minutes. I also have sex with her every day. Sometimes multiple times a day.”

She just stared at me, her expression unreadable.

“You’re lying,” she finally said seriously.

“I’m not.”

Her grip on my suit tensed, her charm spiking briefly and then diminishing again. “Lover boy, your lies could get you killed. I’m trying to do the right thing here!”

“I’m not lying,” I emphasized.

She just stared at me, her blue eyes hard, before her expression began to soften some.

Hope began to slowly appear in her eyes, though for a different reason entirely.

“You…you really know Miriam? She’s really alive?”

“Yes.”

“And you really have sex with her…that often?” she asked hopefully. The ball of pleasure began to reform in my gut. Slowly.

“I promise it’s the truth.”

Her hands began shaking again. “You’re confident I won’t hurt you.”

“I’m confident.”

She abruptly closed her eyes, exhaling a heavy breath. “I’m not sure how to feel right now. Part of me can’t believe this, and another part of me is just stunned.”

I found it amusing that her two statements amounted to the same thing.

But then her tone became heated, the ball of pleasure beginning to rapidly increase in intensity. “Not to mention we’ve already wasted at least five minutes,” she hissed. Her eyes popped open as she glared at me. “I’m not sure if I should be angry at you, or pissed at you instead.”

I couldn’t help but grin at that, the two statements again amounting to the same thing. “Angry or super angry, huh?”

“You know what a hate fuck is?” she asked seriously, her erotic charm beginning to envelope me in the air, to the point that it almost felt suffocating in an amazing way. “Because I’m about to hate fuck the shit out of you.”

I laughed this time, though uneasily, almost afraid that her threats were sincere.

Because her aura was kind of telling me that her threats were sincere.

Unlike Miriam, this short seductress was not afraid to get rough.

Really rough.

Both physically, and with her charm.

“Boy, you really are crazy,” she scoffed, in response to my laugh. “And clearly have never been hate fucked by a succubus. You’re going to cum so hard, it’s going to hurt like hell.”

“Looking forward to it,” I managed, trying to act cheerful, my stomach actually in knots. The ball of pleasure was more intense than I’d ever experienced before, which was saying a lot.

And I knew my words would be perceived as a taunt.

I knew what happened last time when I taunted her.

She gave me a bizarre look, only for that pissed glint to resurface in her blue eyes. “Get your fucking cock out, so I can fuck the shit out of it,” she demanded.

Rolling my eyes, I complied…my hands starting to shake…

Fuck, what was I getting myself into?

Of course, I did think she was exaggerating, at least a little, when she said I would cum so hard it would hurt.

Nope.

Because not only had Miriam been holding back on her charm all this time, but apparently Delilah had actually held back the first time!

She’d fucking held back!

And not just on the charm.

They’d both apparently also held back on what they could do with their cervix.

Because Delilah, the little devil, wrapped her arms around my neck, pulled herself up to get mounted on my cock, already having the zipper between her thighs open, wrapping her leather-clad legs around my hips…and then proceeded to both tighten her cervix around the head of my cock, making it almost impossible to cum, while also ramping up her erotic charm to such an absurd level, that I felt like I literally left my body as my climax built up against a fucking brick wall.

Truly, reality ceased to exist.

The whole building could be burning down, and I wouldn’t have been aware.

There was nothing else in this moment, aside from this unending mind-shattering euphoria.

A euphoria that almost became agonizing.

Until finally, the pressure mounting overcame the strength of her grip on my cock, and I exploded like a fucking volcano, one arm wrapped around her waist while she clung to me like a monkey, her legs wrapped tightly around me as she sat mounted on my cock, all while I tried to steady myself with my other hand, leaning forward against the wall.

Fuck, I felt like I was going to die!

I literally cummed the hardest I’d ever done in my entire life.

A hundred times harder than any other single time.

Even compared to when I blew my load in her the first time.

Fuck!

And Delilah, the little fucking devil, was kissing me tenderly and sweetly on the cheek and temple the whole time, all while I was gasping for breath and suffering, from her literally having a vice grip on my cock as she put me through a literal hell of pleasure, if such a thing could even exist.

And then, once I did shoot my load, she immediately whispered in my ear, her hot breath sending tremors down my spine, her short leather-clad thighs tensing on my hips.

“How was that, boy?” she whispered seductively, only to begin nibbling and sucking on my earlobe, waves of pleasure pulsing down my neck and shoulders, with her still clinging to me like a monkey, allowing me to loosen my hold on her waist.

Readjusting my hand next to the mirror as I steadied myself, I reached with my other hand to grab her leather-clad ass tightly.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe, literally coughing as I tried to respond, my head swimming. “Yeah, I’m not sure if I should love you, or hate you.”

She giggled, her entire pussy beginning to pulse rhythmically, as if she was milking my cock. “Maybe next time, don’t toy with me, cute boy. I’m not gentle when I’m pissed.”

“That wasn’t my intention,” I replied honestly, trying to swallow as I caught my breath.

“Perhaps not,” she agreed, still milking my cock with pulsing waves of her pussy, truly making me feel like I was having a second orgasm, her breathing growing heavier now as she began to succumb to the effects of my cum. “But sometimes, I’m pissed for no reason, so don’t be surprised if I hate fuck you again, even harder next time, just because I’m irritated and feel like hate fucking someone.”

I took a deep breath, attempting to focus on reality more fully, only for her to uncontrollably mash her lips into mine, her thin black eyebrow twitching now as she started moaning, gasping for air through her adorable nose. Her cheeks were rapidly flushing red.

What little self-control she’d managed to hang onto, when I got there, evaporated in the blink of an eye. Which was a bad combination when I was still struggling to maintain my own sanity.

Shifting my weight to stand up straighter, reaching up to grab the back of her head, even as I readjusted my grip on her leather-clad ass, my cock beginning to thrust through the zipper opening between her thighs, I decided it was time for some payback.

And I knew exactly how I could do it, the moment I felt her beginning to suck up my lust, seemingly without restraint this time.

Using some of her rising passion in the air, I stimulated my own orgasm again, ramping up my lust as high as I could manage, knowing that she’d lost complete control the moment her blue eyes flew open, beginning to glow vibrantly.

She even tried to pull her head away, but I kept her lips firmly on mine, my hand holding the back of her head tightly as I thrust my throbbing cock into her heated pussy, beginning to pump her with another thick load.

Because two could play at this game.

She started screaming then, urgently shoving on my chest with her small hands as if she was trying to get away, but I just held her head more tightly, her almost panicked cry muffled by my lips.

“MMMMM!MMMMMMMMM!”

Her voice then gave out as her entire body froze entirely, the light in the bathroom unexpectedly flickering, only for her entire body to go limp in my arms, her arms and legs both dropping straight down, her weight only supported by my hold on her ass and my cock impaling her.

Finally releasing her head so she could breathe, I instead wrapped my arm tightly around her while readjusting my grip on her relaxed ass, beginning to return those tender kisses on her temple and forehead as her body began trembling, her legs still hanging limply, her feet over half a foot from the floor.

I then decided to whisper mockingly in her ear as she started sucking up almost panicked breaths, like she’d passed out and was only now coming to and realizing she was still impaled on my throbbing shaft.

“Did you enjoy that, girl?” I taunted. “Bet you’ve never had your circuits fried before, huh?”

She didn’t respond.

She couldn’t respond.

But I knew she was fine. Just literally shocked to the point of being paralyzed from the overwhelming orgasm. Her body was beginning to twitch uncontrollably.

Deciding to move to the covered toilet as she recovered, this one being nicer than most since it wasn’t one of the main public restrooms in the church, I carefully sat down with her still impaled on my cock, with her now straddling my legs, only for her to whimper as she trembled in my arms.

Finally, she spoke up, sounding like she was shell-shocked as my cock throbbed deep within her. “I…I don’t know how…”

“How what?” I asked gently.

“How…how can I ever have normal sex again? It’s so good with you.”

I took a deep breath, wondering if that implied what I thought. “So, you were still planning on sleeping around,” I realized.

She stiffened at that, only to slowly pull away, shifting her weight on my cock slightly as she focused up at me. “I…I’m a succubus…I can’t…” Her blue eyes slowly widened as a new realization clearly occurred to her for the first time. “C-Can I?” She gasped. “Can we?”

“I know it might not seem fair to you, but I prefer to be with women who are exclusive to me. Not a fan of sharing.”

She just stared at me, her blue eyes as wide as saucers, her hand reaching out to grab a fistful of my suit again, her pelvis turning more into me as her weight seemed to increase on my cock.

Only for her to start nodding urgently, clearly having a similar perspective as Miriam -- this was the one thing that had always eluded her for her entire life.

A real relationship.

“Okay,” she gasped. “Okay, okay, okay. Oh my God, okay, okay, okay. Yes, please yes.”

I smirked. “Think maybe we could be something a bit more long-term?”

“Oh my God, yes,” she exclaimed, reaching up to grab my face with both her small hands as she tensed her pelvis more. “Please yes,” she whimpered, pulling my face down to hers to plant an intimate kiss. “Meeze, uhs,” she moaned desperately into my mouth.

Fuck, she could kiss.

Like this short chick was in a league of her own.

Not that anyone else was a bad kisser, but this short blue-eyed succubus was a phenomenal kisser. As if that alone was an art in and of itself.

Serenity speaking up in my head brought me back to my senses.

‘Hey, you probably need to get back soon. It’s been fifteen minutes. Elizabeth is being patient, but she’s concerned about it getting you in trouble.’

Shit, I really did lose track of time.

Our first time having sex lasted only about five minutes at most, and yet this time was at least twice as long, not counting our talking, despite not feeling nearly as long. Well, felt both infinitely short, and infinitely long at the same time.

Had Serenity said it had been a full hour, I might have believed her.

But dammit.

Our time was over. Again.

I broke my kiss with the short succubus, her hands still holding onto my face, prompting her to focus on me in confusion.

“Sorry, but our time is up for now.”

Delilah grimaced at that, looking desperate again as she reached down to grasp a fistful of my suit. “We’ll do this again, right?”

“We need to be careful, okay? But yes, I definitely want you. Especially since you’re Miriam’s friend.”

“Okay,” she said in relief. “Okay, okay.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Okay, I can be good. I will be good. For you. I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely, grabbing her leather-clad hips to help her ease off my cock.

Fuck, I was swollen.

Like shit, I’d never seen my cock so swollen while the rest of my body was this size. Sure, when I grew bigger my cock also got larger, but not when I was my normal size. And I really needed to cool down fast, because I had to get back out there.

Thankfully, Delilah hadn’t noticed, instead focused on something else entirely.

“Oh my God,” she groaned as she tried to get the zipper between her leather-clad thighs closed. “Oh my God, I’m so full of cum. Fuck, I’m so full of your cum. How do you cum so much?” She groaned again. “I think I need to sit on the toilet and let some of this out. This is too much for me right now. Fuck, I almost feel overcharged. Overcharged and overstuffed. Boy, you stuffed me so full.”

Focusing on her belly, I almost half expected her to have a bulge due to all her complaining, but of course it was as flat as ever, her navel looking absolutely adorable, with me realizing for the first time she had a small hole at the top for a piercing.

Damn, she had a belly button piercing, likely having taken the jewelry out for the funeral.

Still, I did understand why Delilah felt this way. Recalling that Miriam had actually been required to put some energy into an opal after I fried her circuits that one time, I knew Delilah likely needed to release some energy as well.

“Do you have an opal on you right now?” I wondered.

She looked up at me in surprise, still kind of bent over even though her zipper was closed now. “Yeah, I’m hiding one up my ass,” she said sarcastically, only to speak matter-of-factly. “I barely have room for my phone in these pockets. I set it down with the paper towels, so it didn’t get broken,” she added.

I hadn’t even noticed, but I couldn’t help but smirk at her initial sarcasm, staying on topic as I responded. “Okay, then can you use a spell? Such as a defensive one? It would probably help with the overcharged feeling.”

Her blue eyes widened, her hand grasping her crotch like she was trying to hold back the pleasure, her adorable cheeks still flushed. “Oh. Yeah, I could do that.” She gave me an appreciative look. “Thank you. For that, and also, thank you so much for fucking me. Take me anytime, okay? And be as rough as you want.” Her eyes fluttered at just the idea, her small hand tightening on her crotch. “Own me. Use me. I want to be your bitch. Please make me your bitch.”

Damn.

I smirked. “Sure. But I have to go now.”

She nodded. “Okay, I know. Fuck, I already miss you.”

I grinned wider, deciding to bend down to give her a kiss on the forehead. “Miss you too. We’ll talk later, and figure things out, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed, taking a deep breath as she stood up straighter and began to wiggle her hips out of her leather pants, clearly planning to sit on the toilet like she mentioned.

I used the opportunity to sneak out of the bathroom door, thankfully having cooled down enough to be presentable, making sure she locked it, her pants already halfway down, before heading back into the sanctuary. At which point, I saw that Elizabeth was looking a little annoyed, and I had no idea if it was ‘pretend annoyance’ or sincere.

Her aura felt a little annoyed too, but it was so muted that it was difficult to tell if she was acting or not.

“You sure took your sweet time using the bathroom,” she commented, still standing in the middle aisle, but leaning against the third row of pews in front of Joseph, with her arms crossed. Between the position and very professional black and white suit, she looked like a sexy mature CEO.

“Longer than I anticipated,” I agreed as I slipped between the pews, and then stopped next to Serenity, deciding to lean against the third row so that I could face my brunette fiancé, as well as Rachel and Joseph.

Serenity had of course asked if they’d ride with us, and since they agreed, if for no other reason than having an excuse not to head over there right away, everyone remained where they were, waiting on me.

The sanctuary was completely empty now.

And Elizabeth had her eyebrows raised, her sunglasses on again, giving me a look like she couldn’t believe I wasn’t apologizing for inconveniencing her.

Focusing on Joseph, he glanced up at me and then away, clearly uncomfortable right now. Rachel seemed a bit less uncomfortable, but still tense. And I could imagine why.

For one, they didn’t know me at all, and they’d both been painfully close to me when I was radiating literal murder. However, I felt like now was the best time, if there was ever going to be a good time, to bring up a particular topic.

The car could also be a good spot too, but the ride would be short, and I couldn’t force them to stay in order to hear me out. Whereas right now, they were both planted firmly in their seats, likely because they were dreading going to the banquet, and we were truly alone. No doubt sound echoed in this place, but if we spoke quietly, it should be fine.

Elizabeth cleared her throat after a second, grabbing my attention. “You know, if your father has a problem with us being late, I’m not going to be the one on the chopping block. I’m trying to get you through this day unscathed, but you’re not making it very easy on me.”

Rachel scoffed at that, as if such a concept was unheard of.

I sighed, focusing on the girl in question.

Rachel’s own sunglasses were hiding the scarring on her eyes, but the way she held her head straight forward made it pretty obvious she was blind. She had nowhere to look, so she just sat in a neutral position.

I focused on my brother, who was ‘technically’ my nephew, even though he was older.

“Joseph, right?”

He looked at me in shock. “Umm, yeah.”

“Do you go by Joe?”

He grimaced. “I…prefer not.”

Rachel chimed in. “He hates that nickname.”

I nodded, unsurprised she was sticking up for him, focusing on my brother again. “I’m Kai, by the way. I know we didn’t get the chance to officially meet yet.”

“Umm, nice to meet you,” he said simply, averting his gaze again.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” I wondered.

Rachel tensed and he swallowed uncomfortably at that. “Umm, sure.”

“Are you with other women?”

Rachel scoffed, speaking up again. “What kind of dumb question is that. What incubus isn’t?”

I finally directed my words toward her. “And you’re obviously fine with that, I assume. You’re not compelled to feel that way.”

She scoffed again. “Obviously.”

“Rachel,” Joseph finally hissed in a warning tone.

She tensed her jaw, but didn’t respond.

I sighed. “I’ll just be blunt then. Joseph, why do you make her come here with you? Why not have someone else come?”

Rachel went from zero to a million in one second flat.

Without hesitation, she turned her head up toward me, almost spitting her words. “No one makes me come here,” she snapped. “I choose to come here.”

“That’s not what you said before,” I said calmly, referring to when she was upset and said she didn’t want to be here, but also said she didn’t have a choice.

Fuck, I could feel her rage.

Her voice lowered, but she sounded even more pissed. “No way in hell would I ever let one of my friends be exposed to this shit. This living nightmare. I’d fucking cut out my own heart before I let them come here.”

“Rachel,” Joseph hissed again, looking really uncomfortable now.

I could sense the guy wasn’t exactly a wimp, even despite his obvious hesitation.

No, he’d just been beaten into submission by the others, and now had an idea of what ‘lie in wait,’ if I ended up getting pissed at having ‘his woman’ talk back to me like that. Since obviously, the rest of them only viewed women as property, useful as tools and toys, and nothing more.

Women were meant to be seen and not heard, to just serve as arm candy, and my brothers probably didn’t appreciate a woman who actually had a backbone and personality.

Anyone would act like that in his situation, myself included, if I was as powerless as him.

I couldn’t help but grin when Natalie chimed in my head.

‘Called it. That bitch is worth her weight in gold.’

I tried not to laugh, quickly collecting myself, since obviously no one else knew I had someone in my head, aside from Serenity.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to get to the point.

“Okay, so let me ask you this, Rachel. What would you think if I told you I had a way to make it so you couldn’t be compelled?”

Joseph tensed, but Rachel looked pissed. “I’d say you’re full of shit, and that I already fucking have a way to avoid being compelled. It’s called being fucking blind.”

I frowned. “Sorry, let me back up a little. And actually, I think I’m asking the wrong person anyway,” I added, just to bring my brother more into this conversation. “Joseph, how would you feel if I told you, I could give Rachel her eyesight back. And that I could also make it so none of your women could be compelled.”

Rachel tensed at that, but sure enough, because I had directed the question at him, she didn’t immediately respond.

Joseph was just staring at me like he couldn’t comprehend the words that just came out of my mouth.

And Elizabeth’s brow was heavily furrowed now, her arms still crossed tightly, like she too was shocked by what I was saying.

Joseph then glanced at Rachel, before slowly returning his gaze to me. “If…if that were possible…then I’d say, what do you want in return?”

“Trust. And loyalty.”

Rachel tensed even more, but didn’t respond.

Joseph did so hesitantly. “That…That’s all?”

“You say that like it’s no big deal,” I said seriously. “But think about it. I’m asking you to be on my side no matter what. I’m saying that, if it came down to choosing between me and even our father, that you’d choose me. That you’d have my back.” I paused when I could see the cobwebs disappearing from his eyes, realizing just how valuable that would be. “And I’m only making this offer to you, Joseph. No one else. One, because Ms. Monroe here said you’re the only good brother I have. And two, because Rachel vouched for you, even though she can’t be compelled into saying such things.”

Rachel finally scoffed again. “This is some kind of trick. Being immune to compulsion is bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit,” Serenity finally interrupted. “I can’t be compelled.” She focused on Joseph. “Go ahead and try, if you want. You won’t be able to get me to do anything I don’t want to do.”

Rachel immediately retorted. “Joseph’s ability is too weak to make you do anything anyway. Because he doesn’t use it or practice it.”

Serenity scoffed this time. “Okay, well do you really think his brothers didn’t just try? Barely twenty minutes ago, once the service was over, do you really not think that every single one of them didn’t try to catch my eye and compel me? Rachel, we’re not lying to you.”

“Actually,” I interjected. “Serenity, let’s just show them what you really look like.”

In the corner of my eye, I saw Elizabeth’s eyebrows shoot up, shifting her weight to stand up a little straighter, even though her hip was still against the edge of the pew.

Rachel and Joseph were both tense.

Serenity calmly nodded, moving a little in her seat. “Okay, no one is looking right? I’ll face forward just to make sure.”

Glancing up, I confirmed there was no one around.

Serenity spoke up then, glancing at my brother from the corner of her brown eyes. “Look at me Joseph. I was a human for most of my life. I’m not anymore.”

Joseph had placed his hand absentmindedly on Rachel’s thigh as he turned more in his seat…

Only for his hand to instantly tense when he was unexpectedly staring at a red-eyed demon.

Rachel immediately reached out for him.

“What?” she hissed, sensing his skyrocketed tension.

Glancing at Elizabeth, she was straight up frozen in place, looking like a statue. Fuck, she wasn’t even breathing.

Serenity shifted back.

“She can’t be compelled,” I reemphasized to get Joseph’s attention, with him looking up at me like a deer in headlight’s now. “And, if you cut her, she’ll heal instantly. I can give Rachel her eyesight back. I can give all your women immunity. And as an added bonus, I can make you stronger.”

Rachel was reaching to her man with both hands now, feeling him trembling. “Joseph,” she whispered. “What did she look like?”

He simply swallowed, trying to gather himself. “W-What was your mother?”

I gave him a confused look for half a second, only to laugh. “Oh, I have no idea. That was a bluff earlier. Just something to instill some mystery.”

He looked at me like I was crazy.

“B-But how?”

“How what?” I asked seriously.

“H-How can she change her appearance like that? I don’t sense any kind of illusion spell.”

“That’s because, it’s not an illusion. It’s biological. A transformation.” I paused. “You know werewolves exist, right?”

Rachel tensed. Joseph nodded slowly.

“Well, it’s kind of similar. Except it doesn’t hurt. One of my women actually used to be a werewolf. She’s not anymore. I broke her curse.”

They were both silent, only for Joseph to urgently look up at Ms. Elizabeth Monroe, as if he only now recalled that she was standing right there.

Practically the righthand woman of our father, standing there listening to all this.

“Don’t worry about her,” I said simply.

Elizabeth scoffed. “Better hope he agrees, or else this is going to cause a problem.”

I frowned, focusing on Joseph. “Any reason why you wouldn’t agree?” I asked seriously.

“H-How…do you do it? Like, a bite or something? Or a spell?”

I hesitated. “Honestly, I’m not going to tell you unless you agree, in which case you’ll see for yourself. But I can promise it’s nothing you should have a problem with.”

Rachel scoffed.

I focused on her. “It’s nothing Rachel won’t mind,” I clarified, causing her to stiffen slightly. “Especially not if it means getting her eyesight back. And it’s nothing you should mind either,” I emphasized to Joseph.

“Okay, so then what exactly are the conditions? How does this alliance look?”

I thought about that. “Well, first, if you agree to this, then Rachel can’t be the one to come with you anymore. She won’t be able to hide the fact that her eyes are healed, and that will bring up too many questions and potential problems.” I paused when he nodded. “Second, if you agree to this, then you need to control yourself with our brothers.” I sighed. “Honestly, I probably threw my weight around too much earlier, and it’s probably going to bite me in the ass. But you can’t go beating the shit out of our brothers, just because you can. You need to keep this a secret from them, as much as possible. No revenge, okay?” I focused on the blind woman. “Same goes for you, Rachel. No getting revenge on anyone, okay?” My tone became more firm. “Because you will be strong enough, Rachel. You’ll be strong enough to kill every single one of our brothers. Understand? I need to trust both of you, that you will do what’s in my best interest, rather than your own.”

Rachel turned her head toward me with a frown.

“So…you want servitude then.”

I shook my head, focusing on Joseph. “No, I want a loyal brother. Someone who will go to war with me. Who will go to war for me, if it comes down to it. And trust me when I say that I’m already a one-man army, but I’m not foolish enough to think I can do everything myself.” I sighed. “Honestly, a recent dispute with a nasty pack of werewolves kind of humbled me a little.”

“W-What?” Joseph hissed. “H-How many werewolves?”

I was surprised by his reaction, taking a deep breath as I thought about that.

“Oh jeez. Honestly? There were hundreds of them.”

Rachel grabbed Joseph’s arm, silently turning her head toward him even though she couldn’t see, both of them trembling slightly now.

I wasn’t entirely sure why, especially since this should be the first time they were hearing this news.

I frowned. “Too hard to believe?” I wondered. “I can even describe to you the Apex Werewolf leading all the Alphas. Black greasy hair, kind of buff, but having really pale skin, and black fur as well when transformed. The rest looked like a bunch of hideous mutants.”

Ms. Elizabeth unexpectedly spoke up. “What did you do to the Apex?”

I focused on her in confusion, wondering why she was asking. “What do you think? I straight-up burned him to ash. More specifically, I incinerated him.”

Her eyebrows shot up, looking shocked. “Was it instant?” she whispered, her irises beginning to light up underneath her sunglasses, her expression looking almost awed now.

“Oh yeah,” I said with a grin, knowing what this was doing for both her and her fire spirit. “Blinding white light and instant death. That’s what happens when I get truly pissed. And it’s not the first time I’ve killed an enemy that way.”

She swallowed hard, only to turn her head away as if she was trying to collect herself, her arms still crossed professionally.

I could smell slight arousal coming from her again.

Damn, my new hot brunette MILF had it bad for someone powerful with fire magic.

Or maybe just someone powerful.

I was about to return my focus on Joseph, but then Elizabeth spoke up again, still looking away. “You know that’s part of a forbidden spell, right?”

I shifted my gaze back to her in surprise. “What do you mean?”

She turned her head toward me. “What you described itself is not forbidden, but there is a spell that encompasses it. One that is far too powerful for most to handle. It’s actually how my fire spirit was created.”

My eyes widened at that, wondering if she was actually giving me a warning. “Oh. Is that a spell that I could cast accidentally?”

She shook her head. “No. While the exact words of the spell can vary a lot, the details of which I will not be sharing, for your own safety, there are also certain conditions that must be met to even try. One of which is extreme anger. As well as an affinity for fire magic.”

Holy fuck.

“Oh.” I paused. “So I guess you’re saying I should be careful then.”

Her eyebrows raised at that, almost as if she was stunned that I was even implying that I might ‘accidentally’ cast this spell. “Umm, yes…” She replied slowly, glancing at Joseph and Rachel. “I suppose if you’re angry, then you should be careful about what you try to do with your magic…” She paused. “It’s a spell that was created something like three millennia ago, from a powerful cursed being whose entire essence was consumed with rage, and who lived for only one purpose. To get revenge on his enemy. But supposedly, even the original user couldn’t fully handle it. Some say it killed him.”

I simply nodded, not super interested in the history lesson right now since we were limited on time, already running late, instead looking down at Joseph as I cleared my throat.

“Anyway, don’t know what else to say to convince you,” I said seriously. “I could tell you the whole story, but honestly now isn’t a good time, since we’re apparently on a schedule.”

“N-No, I believe you,” he finally admitted. “Everyone in the family knows about it. About the mega-pack that unexpectedly vanished into thin air. That was really you?”

My eyebrows shot up about that. “They know?”

Rachel chimed in. “Yes, they fucking know,” she hissed. “Basically an entire werewolf mafia, covering practically a tenth of the country, just vanished into thin air. Everyone fucking knows.”

I grinned, feeling kind of elated by that news. “Oh wow. I had no idea. But yeah, that was me.” I paused. “Well, I did have some help. Like I said, it was a bit of a humbling experience. One werewolf is no big deal. Ten werewolves are manageable. But hundreds? Yeah, I probably would have still won in the end by myself, but not without some serious collateral damage.”

Elizabeth finally sighed heavily, standing up fully and dropping her arms.

“Okay, I really hate to break this up, but we are definitely running late now.” She focused on my brother. “Joseph…and Rachel too, sounds like you’ve got some things to think about. But you’ll probably have to hold off on actually talking about it, since the walls tend to have ears wherever your family is. Maybe wait until you go home and discuss it with everyone.” She focused on me. “Kai, I think you’ve said, and done, enough for your offer to be believable. At this point, you’re probably just going to have to let them process it, especially since what you’re expecting in return sounds too good to be true.”

I looked at Joseph. “Does this offer seem too good to be true to you?” I asked seriously. “Or do you understand the value of having someone who you can count on? Someone who has your back, no matter what, even to death? If our roles were flipped, would that seem like an equal trade to you?”

His brown eyes were wide as he considered that, glancing away briefly…

Before he finally focused intently on me…

Only for him to stand up and hold out his hand, his arm tense, with me realizing for the first time that he was more muscular than I initially realized, his bicep bulging beneath his suit. “No, that doesn’t seem too good to be true. Not when having a trusted brother is invaluable in our world. I don’t need time to think,” he said seriously. “I accept your offer. If for no other reason, than to give my wives immunity to compulsion, I would die by your side without hesitation.”

I grinned as I reached out to accept his hand, shaking it firmly. “Great. Then we’ll exchange numbers and figure out the rest later.” I took a deep breath, letting go of his hand as I focused on Elizabeth. “For now, we need to try to get through the rest of the day without me lighting all my other brothers on fire and watching them burn alive.”

Knowing I was attempting to be playful, the attractive brunette MILF uncontrollably bit her bottom lip seductively at just the idea.

The strength of her arousal increased.

Damn, definitely had it bad for powerful men.

Powerful men, who could match her powerful fire.

FEEDBACK: Thoughts on this chapter? Specifically...

1) NOW (after this chapter), what do you think about Delilah at this point? Do you like her? Uncertain? Etc. (Has your mind changed -- Do you like her less? Like her more?)

2) The scene when Delilah is upset -- Do you feel like I communicated her emotions well enough? (Like, my goal was for you to be sad, or to at least 'feel bad for her' -- Did I do that, or did it feel 'flat' to you? Did you feel any sympathy for her?)

3) What do you think of Joseph and Rachel?

4) And finally, how are we feeling about Elizabeth?

NEXT WEEK: Will probably be a chapter of Combat Healer.

Check out Wolfgirl's Pet Witch (now a prequel to this one).

The plot advances a lot faster than IDH. Over a month has already passed in the story after only 8 chapters.

Chapter 105 >>

LIST OF STORIES >>

LIST OF ARTWORK >>