The room we find ourselves in is small and unadorned. I inhale deeply. The humidity in here is significantly higher than it was in the greater room. It’s an effort not to roll my eyes. Azazel is laying it on too thick. It would take days for most of my people to reach a danger point. Over a week for me, because of my inherent magic as king. Truly, he’s just showing off.
“I’m surprised you picked me.” She says it so matter-of-factly, it takes me a moment to register the words. By that time, the woman has turned away to stare at the rivulets of water that begin coursing down the stone walls. I don’t see the small divot form at the bottom to catch the water, but it’s there by the time I look down.
She looks back at me, a frown forming between her dark brows. She’s very attractive. She’s got a softness that I find intriguing despite myself. It doesn’t matter. She’ll be well taken care of, and I won’t see much of her after we travel back to my territory. I’m sure some of my informal court will find her attractive as well. She’ll have no shortage of partners should she desire them.
“Why did you pick me?”
I look away. “You’re all the same to me. One human is as good as another.”
Her breath hitches, but when I look back, she’s smiling at me. I shift back before I realize what I’m doing. There is something wrong with that smile. And it’s not an overt threat, but there’s a shine to her eyes that makes my tentacles twitch in warning. “Stop that.”
“Stop what?” She takes a step closer to me. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Yes, you are, and I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to be scared of me, King Kraken. I don’t even like sushi.”
My brain skips. “You don’t like—”
She opens her mouth, no doubt to deliver another confounding and irritating statement, but the door opens before she can say something else. Azazel walks through and raises his brows. “Do we have a problem?”
“Not at all.” The dangerous shine in her eyes melts away as if it were never there, and she laces her hands before her, the very picture of obedience.
I don’t trust it for a moment.
“Azazel . . .” I’m not certain what I mean to say. I can’t be the only territory leader to leave this auction without a human in tow. Our realm is at peace for the time being, but that doesn’t change the fact conflict is as certain as the tide. None of us reached our positions without cost, and each of us would start a war in a heartbeat if we thought it would benefit our people.
He moves deeper into the room, and I turn to find a desk has appeared. The demon circles it and sinks behind it. He rolls out a contract. “The terms, as agreed.”
“You’ll forgive me if I read it over one last time before signing.”
His mouth tightens. “A bargain is sacred.”
Of that I have no doubt. Just like I have no doubt Azazel is capable of plenty of underhanded behavior when it suits him. “All the same.”
He sighs and shoves the contract at me.
It takes several long moments to read it over, and I am achingly aware of the human the entire time. She shifts from foot to foot, swings her hands back and forth, and finally starts humming under her breath.
“Cease your fidgeting,” I snap. “You’re worse than a child.”
She instantly goes still. Again, something like guilt flares. I don’t know how to be around new people any longer, how to learn to ride the tides of their emotions. Losing Brant stole any softness I was capable of. My sibling has grown accustomed to my sharp edges and cold retreats, but this human hasn’t. I don’t know what prompted her into making a deal with Azazel, but surely I can make even the smallest effort to be kind.
Seven years is a long time to share a space, even if I have no intention of spending more time with her than strictly necessary.
But when I look at her, she has that wild smile firmly in place. It’s the only warning I get before she speaks, her voice honeyed. “If you were into age play, you should have just said something. Shall I call you daddy?”
“No.” The word comes out too sharp, but she’s set me back again, and I don’t know how to deal with this. “Do not, under any circumstances, call me that.”
She parts her lips, but Azazel cuts in. “That was a hard boundary, Catalina. Respect it.”
Catalina.
A pretty name for a pretty human. Even the way she scrunches her nose at him is pretty. “You’re definitely a Daddy.”
“Catalina.” There’s a hint of warning in the demon’s tone. “Do not test me.”
“I live to test you.” Her smile goes sweet. “But I’ll be good. I promise.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment.” He turns to me. “I don’t think this is a good pairing. Give me a few days, and I’ll find you a suitable replacement.”
“No.” I don’t know why I say it. In the short time I’ve associated with this woman, she’s more than proven herself to be a catastrophe in waiting. She will create waves in my carefully balanced life, and that is the last thing I want.
But I don’t miss the way her shoulders dip the tiniest bit at his offer. Resignation. That’s the emotion. As if Azazel’s words confirmed something she already knew. It’s a direct counterpoint to her previous cheer that bordered on animosity.
“Are you sure?” Azazel watches me closely. “If she is harmed, your territory is forfeit.”
“I’m aware,” I say slowly. “I chose her. I’ll keep her.” I set the contract on the desk and sign before he can offer again.
The contract itself is nothing more than I expected. Azazel laid out the terms in his invitation. No harm is to come to the human, and while the respective leaders can attempt to seduce their prizes, they cannot force—by any definition of the word—the woman into bed with themselves or any others. Violation of the contract results in our territories being forfeit, a hefty price the others are willing to risk for the chance to boost their territory’s health with half-human offspring.
Easy enough to agree to.
I have no intention of touching this woman, and I certainly will not be breeding her. I have my heir. I will not compromise Embry’s future rule. Should ze want to mate with a human once ze takes the throne, that is zir choice.
Azazel frowns down at my signature and then turns that frown on Catalina. “I have reservations about this pairing.”
“Of course you do.” She’s swifter than I anticipate, plucking the pen from my hand, then scrawling out a signature above her name, spelled in English.
It’s done.
Azazel sighs. “Do not give me reason to regret this.”
“No promises,” Catalina sings.
I am suddenly sure I’m the one who’s going to regret this.
4
CATALINA
I don’t know why I’m surprised King Kraken takes me down to the canal where I first met him. I pause at the bottom of the stairs. “Pretty sure drowning translates as harm.”
He gives me a look. Or at least I think it’s a look. His expression hasn’t shifted from the cold mask he’s worn from the moment I caught sight of him in the room where we were auctioned off. If auctioning off is even accurate. There was no haggling, no rising bids. They just called out a color and claimed that woman.