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CHAPTER 12
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Fire crackled in thenext room, probably from the fireplace in the chic living room.
The demigods had something in common: their living spaces were enormous. Lots of space was wasted. I should talk to them about opening some rooms to refugees. There were plenty of misfortunate people in the world, a byproduct of the war between the demons and the demigods.
“I know you two are tight with her.” Zak’s voice drifted to the bedroom, where I was wrapped in a blanket on the satin sheets. “She’d have chosen either of you first, given different circumstances. But we’re still a united front, and she belongs to us all.”
“You two can’t stay mad at Zak,” Paxton chimed in. “Neither can she be mad at me forever.”
Why was the fucker here? Couldn’t he just stay away from me?
“Oh, she’ll stay mad at you forever, swimming boy Pigston,” Axel said. He was using my insult nickname for Paxton. “You have no idea how long my Cookie can hold a grudge. She barely forgave me. As for you, you can wait for another eternity.”
“I don’t have another eternity,” Paxton said in a clipped tone. Obviously, he wanted me, too. But he would never change his asshole manners. “Everyone knows we can’t stand each other most of the time, but we’ve defended Earth together. We can’t have a civil war between us and destroy everything. All four of us must honor the pact, which states that when we find our one true mate, we’ll bond in a forever brotherhood. She’s finally come. I won’t give up my share, no matter how you try to make me. I won’t give her up, no matter how much she hates me.”
So, all this time, after all these centuries, I was the only woman they’d picked?
The concept of sharing was still unconventional to me. But I was drawn to all the demigods. I had felt shame and guilt for craving them all. I’d felt terrible for betraying Héctor. But if they all agreed that I belonged to all of them, except for Paxton, then it wasn’t cheating.
And I wouldn’t have to feel torn by choosing one of them in the end.
“So all of a sudden, you’re an advocate of the pact?” Axle said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I might not be Marigold’s ideal man,” Paxton retorted. “But she’ll need me. So, face it, cub.”
Hell can freeze its ass before I’ll accept or need you.I almost bolted up in bed and shouted it at Pigston.
I wasn’t the kind of woman who easily forgot someone’s feud or debt with me just because he was hot and powerful. I
“We’ve seen her power,” the sea demigod continued. “At least Zak and I saw her power outburst. Theodore figured out that she doesn’t come from any of the Olympian gods’ houses. And he’s right. Marigold is more primal than an Olympian god. She’s shown herself to be the ultimate predator in the universe—she feeds from us, the most powerful beings walking the Earth.”
The fucker always saw the worst in me. I sneered. This was just one of those cases where a thief believed everyone stole, a cheater thought everyone lied, and a murderer insisted that everyone had blood on their hands.
I held my breath, not even daring to turn my face to inhale Héctor’s intoxicating scent on the pillow as I kept listening to the demigods talking amongst themselves.
They wouldn’t talk so openly if they knew I was awake.
“I felt her deep magic when I first spotted her,” Axel said softly. “And her scent called me to her. It’s fire in my blood. I had to bring her here to keep her with me. She hated me for that. But I couldn’t resist her even if I wanted to.”
“From the intel we’ve collected in order to solve the mystery of where she came from,” Zak said, “it’s clear that Rosebud isn’t in the system. She lived in Crack as an orphaned human her whole life, never knowing that she had magic—until the blood runes blew away the seal that cloaked her power and unleashed it. Our mate is our equal in every way.”
“Or greater,” Paxton said. “Zak was spent after Marigold fed from him. None of us alone can sate her. She needs all four of us.”
“I’m more exhilarated than exhausted,” Zak said. “Being with her like that was the best day in my existence. I can’t wait to have her in my arms and to claim her as mine again.”
Both Axel and Héctor growled their threats.
