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"Bell—" he sighed. I contained my chuckle as I pulled out a neatly folded button-down shirt made of the finest materials money could buy.
"Alastor, this is what you do for friends! You let them crash at your place, sleep in your bed, and feed them." I ticked the list off on my fingers one at a time as he glared at me.
"We aren't friends," he grumbled.Not anymore.
"Pretend. I'm hungry," I replied, ignoring the stray thought, tugging on the shirt and leaving it hanging open before searching another drawer for his pants. They were all the same,insanely orderly and ironed into nicely folded piles. Snagging a pair out, knocking the neat pile over, I strolled past him into his full-sized kitchen. Finding a knife, I sliced a slot for my tail before I dropped the towel and pulled on the slacks.
"Hey!" he shouted a moment too late. I lifted my eyes to his and winked.
"Thanks, buddy," I said. Maybe I could make him flee back to his perfect life and away from me. He wasn't needed here. I wouldn't be an issue for the human world much longer. Not after I fixed the minor issue of the portal.
He muttered under his breath as he snagged the discarded towel from the floor, adding it to the one I left on the bed after drying my hair. He snagged the knife from my fingers and put it in the sink as I attempted to put it back in the drawer.
"It isn't dirty." I laughed at his actions.
He blinked slowly at me, working his jaw over his teeth as he ground them together. "You used it to cut my pants."
"Mine now," I replied, and swung my tail back and forth like a cat who was happy with themselves after destroying something.
"Whatever. Tell me what you know about the portal," he said.
"Feed me first," I said with a smug smirk.
"You are more irritating than I remembered," he grumbled.Sexier too.
I walked over to the oversized chair and relaxed into it. If he wasn’t going to voice his silent feelings, I wasn’t going to acknowledge them. My eyes were on the horizon outside of the large windows as I imagined what it would be like to live like this without needing to rule. Since I'd been in the human world, I would sleep in random shitty hotel rooms or find another supernatural that didn't mind me crashing. I've been the definition of a couch surfer. No purpose other than staying outof my father's palace. Still, I preferred that over going back and being the next king.
After Alastor hung up with room service, he sat on the couch to my left, his eyes on me.
"Food will be here in ten minutes."
I knew he wanted me to talk. He'd just have to wait. I was good at this game, avoiding a topic I didn't want to talk about, probably better than he was.
"Tell me what you know," he repeated.
Lifting my eyebrow, I relaxed more into the chair, my hand resting on my abs. Then I closed my eyes to wait for the food. My stomach gave a loud enough growl that I was sure he heard across the space between us.
When I heard him shifting on the sofa, I peeked one eye open to see what he was doing. He tugged at his tie, loosening it around his neck. Irritation was in each movement.
"Why do you care so much about the portal? I've never known you to care about mortals." My feet kicked out in front of me as I watched him for any sign of what made him have the change of heart. I was almost one hundred percent positive it was the hunter. The major heart eyes he had every time he looked at her told the story. As much as he didn't want to be like Hades, he would make him proud if he kidnapped her, following in his father's footsteps.
"It doesn't matter," he snapped.
A laugh bubbled up in my throat, and I let it out as he glowered at me. "I get it. She is beautiful and dangerous. She would make an amazing queen. I mean, if you were ever to rule, which, let's face it, you won't." Too bad I wasn't him, with no chance of being forced into something I didn't want.
"I don't want to rule the underworld," he replied.
"Yeah, and I don't want to rule the horde. Too bad only one of us gets what they want. But I have a way out. Our demon hunter will help me end it all. She is the key."
"You sound depressed and suicidal," he said, and he sounded like he actually cared.
Shrugging, I refused to let him know I had my doubts now, not that I knew how to stay here and not get dragged back to Tartus. Not with him sent to retrieve me. The elevator chimed, saving me from answering when the doors slid open, revealing our glorious breakfast. My stomach let out another low growl, and he shook his head before crossing the space and taking the tray from the girl who had focused on me. Her wide green eyes took in my blue skin, white hair threaded with the colors of the rainbow, tail and horns.
It wasn't fear reflected at me from the depths of her eyes, but I haven't been able to feed since meeting the hunter and tasting her sweet nectar. Not that I wasn't also hungry for that kind of substance too. Maybe I should force myself to partake. I might need my strength. Alastor decided for me as he dismissed the girl.
"Maybe if I ate, I would be in a better frame of mind," I said as the doors closed.
"Food is here," he said as he put the tray on the coffee table.
