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The demon wrapped one arm around me for a loose hug, her chin resting on my shoulder. “Yes, I can,” she admitted. “Although, I can also sense they’re fading. I don’t know how that’s happening nor is it any of my business. Sometimes it just takes us a little bit longer to make peace with our past and let it go.”
It shocked me how much Asher’s cousin was able to soothe my soul without pushing too hard. I managed to return my eyes to the mirror, seeking out eye contact with her. “You’ve dealt with something similar, haven’t you?”
Her lips curled into a small smile. “I’m afraid so. I thought I found the love of my life when I was a few hundred years old. Turns out the bastard was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He worked his ass off to make me leave the family business and cut off contact with everyone. That didn’t stop the abuse from starting before he had me completely isolated from everyone. By then, I thought I’d burned bridges with everyone. I thought I was stuck with him.” Her silver eyes dropped slowly. “Out of everyone on both sides of the family…Asher was the last person I expected to hunt me down.”
Chills trickled down my spine at her admission. While it wasn’t exactly like my story, it held enough similarities for me to realize this demon was baring her soul to someone she barely knew and that meant the world to me. I reached up to squeeze the arm still tucked against me. “He seems very loyal to family.”
Emersyn chuckled softly, finally pulling back. “You wouldn’t be able to tell from the lifestyle he enjoyed growing up, but he is one of the most loyal men I’ve ever come across. He’ll walk into a wolf’s den and beat the fuck out of everyone in order to protect those he loves. That kind of loyalty… It takes betrayal to the family for it to waver. Him coming for me that night…helping me break free from that life…I can never return the favor. He’s got my support until the day I die.”
Sorrow swept through my veins as the images I’d been forced to endure with Calianna broke free from the darkness. It was agonizing to realize that she had turned against the family like she had. I couldn’t argue with the desperate reach for freedom, yet Lazarus seemed like the last choice anyone should take.
If his sister had not fled Italy the way she had, flinging herself into the arms of the only Nephilim to walk the earth…would Asher have released her from the binds she sought to escape? Or would he force her to still go through with the marriage?
Emersyn pulled away from me, immediately pulling off a few articles of clothing before she reached a black top further down. “Here. Try this one.” She faced me and held it out with a grin. “It’s revealing in the front but conceals the back. It’ll show off Asher’s mark nicely.”
My cheeks flushed with a surge of heat. “Is it a good thing to show off?”
A giggle escaped her. “Quinn, demons don’t mark someone unless they’ve found their mate. You are the only person on this earth with Asher’s mark on you. So yes, it is something to show off with a shit load of pride because that means he chose you as his mate. Even if he didn’t quite understand what those feelings were at first.”
I threw a quick glance at the chosen top. It was barely more than a tank top, except the back was completely covered like I wanted with black lace that would help conceal most of the scars while the front offered total sex appeal. Excitement trickled down my spine at how it would look on my skin. There was absolutely no resistance on my part about going back into the changing stall and switching the shirts.
My legs threatened to grow weak beneath me once the material settled on my skin and I was graced with a stunning view. The front dipped low, exposing part of my breasts while reaching down toward my stomach. Thin golden chains prevented it from flinging wide open, maintaining that bold tease. I honed in on the tattoo peeking out from underneath. The air hitched in my throat when I realized it had changed — just like Asher’s.
Emersyn knocked on the outside of the stall. “Everything okay?”
Swallowing, I poked my head out of the curtain and gestured at the tattoo. “Why did mine change?”
Her light silver eyes dropped toward it. It only took her a moment to process what I was asking before those fair lips curled into a pleased smile. “Asher marked you. So when Salvatore…passed…and the power of the king was transferred to him, it mirrors his rising rank. You are his mate, Quinn, as well as an extension of himself.” She paused while a thought seemed to process. When those gears started turning, her entire face lit up. “Keep that one. I’d like you to try something with it to see if it pairs up well.”
I watched her with a hint of curiosity while she completely bypassed the clothing pile we’d collected and simply went back out to the shop. Granted, most of the clothes we’d brought with us had been shirts, but it did make me wonder what had her so excited.
“What are you up to, Syn?” Asher’s voice was quiet.
The demon responded with a chuckle that was nothing short of a mischievous noise. She refused to answer him, simply racing back into the changing area with a pair of black slacks draped over her arm. When our gazes locked, she beamed. “They’re black leggings. Sexy, but comfortable. I absolutely love wearing these simply because they show off your ass and you, my dear…have an ass that needs to be shown off.”
My cheeks grew hot. Hell, the entire upper half of my body was burning with embarrassment. “When did you get a chance to look at my ass?”
She snorted, shoving the hanger at me until I reluctantly accepted it. “I’m bi-sexual, Quinn. If Asher hadn’t already marked you, I would’ve attempted to take you out for a movie, dinner, and maybe some fun experimentation afterward. The ass tends to be one of my favorite features on the female body. Now go! Put it on.”
Wrinkling my nose, I suppressed the urge to argue with her. While I was more comfortable with the idea of working our way through the rest of the top stack, I could sense it would be absolutely pointless to protest. I tugged the curtain back into place and worked on shedding the jeans to replace them with the leggings. As soon as I started pulling them on, a similar smooth martial as the top hugged my skin.
If Asher could be converted into a type of clothing material, it would certainly be tied into this stunning sensation. There was no way Emersyn could go wrong with both articles of clothing being black. It helped emphasize my pale complexion as well as drawing attention to the mark nestled on my breast. Utter delight washed through me as I took in the seductive nature the clothes brought — all with the necessary comfort I yearned for.
A low whistle had me spinning around and instinctively bringing my arms up against my chest. Emersyn didn’t look the least bit insulted that I was attempting to cover myself up. Her grin simply grew. “Like I said…if Asher hadn’t already claimed you,” she purred with a wink.
“I’m going to be cooked alive if you keep up with remarks like that,” I growled.
“Remarks like what?”
Emersyn straightened with a squeak while I sucked in a sharp breath. Once she processed that it was simply Asher strolling through the open doorway, she released a huff. “You’re going to help me look for someone as stunning as Quinn, Asher, or I swear I’m going to become the grumpy relative you never want to see at family gatherings.” She drifted out of the way, gesturing at me.
As soon as his golden eyes strayed in my direction, his features changed. The normal cockiness that I was so fond of gave away to pure shock. He immediately pulled away from the doorframe. His gaze strayed, surveying me to take every inch in. The longer he stared at me, the more he seemed prompted to approach with hungry steps.
While there was a part of me that yearned to bolt in the other direction — which would probably turn this into a game of cat and mouse in the middle of a clothing shop — the rest of me was content to remain perfectly still until he was on me. There wasn’t an ounce of resistance in my body when he prompted me back into the changing stall until I was flat against the back of it with him against me. My heart skidded to a halt before going crazy in my chest as I stared up at the hungry demon prince I had become so fond of.
“Do you like these clothes, pet?” His growl was a velvet rumble originating from his chest and it threatened to leave me wet.
All I could do was offer a nod.
