Chapter 118: _ You Stay With Us
The Moon Blessed stand rooted to the spot. Their skepticism is so palpable that it could be bottled and sold. The demon woman still smiles serenely, as though she hasn’t just shaken their heads with her words of supposed generosity.
"Shelter? Feed us?" The Alpha Boy repeats again, tone filled with suspicion.
Val jabs his ribs with her elbow. "Dude, don’t question it. Take the offer before they change their minds and decide to roast us instead."
Some of the Moon Blessed chuckle nervously, but Heidi doesn’t. She can’t. Her instincts are screaming. Demons don’t sound like aunts offering cookies. And yet here they are, standing behind Morgan and Grayson like their creepy choir, offering treehouses and dinner.
Her eyes travel to Morgan and Grayson.
Morgan looks arrogant, leaning back against the beam and twirling his aether blade lazily like this, which was exactly how he planned things. Grayson smirks, arms crossed, and chin tilted as though he’s saying, See? You doubted us, and here we are saving your pathetic hides again.
Oh, she could kill them. Those bloody arrogant dickheads!
"Your arrogant dickheads," her wolf purrs, way too pleased with herself.
"Don’t you dare," Heidi hisses inwardly.
"I didn’t say I like them. Just... noting they look good being arrogant like that."
She grits her teeth. Oh, she would definitely kill them!
When Val clears her throat and blurts, "We accept," Heidi’s head swivels to her new friend so fast, she could have nearly cracked her neck.
"You what?" Heidi and Alpha Boy say in unison.
Val lifts her chin stubbornly. "We don’t have choices, Heidi. Unless you want us to curl up in the mud, freeze, and starve, I’m thinking demons with roofs sound like an upgrade."
"Upgrade?!" Heidi spits. "Val, that’s like saying a coffin is an upgrade from a cardboard box."
"Still warmer," Val shoots back.
Morgan claps slowly. "Smart girl. Finally someone with a brain cell in this circus."
"Shut it," Heidi snaps, but he only grins wider.
She doesn’t care if they are the Bellamy twins who command respect back in the pack, but here, there’s no hierarchy. There’s only survival. Goddess helps her, but she’ll be damned before she lets them trample on her in here.
Grayson tilts his head, watching her with curious eyes that glint in the torchlight. "What’s wrong, princess? Afraid you’ll get cooties from sleeping in a demon’s bed?"
Why, that nonsense-spewing douchebag! Heidi wants nothing more than to hit some sense into his evidently empty brain. She turns away and ignores him entirely, choosing instead to focus on the fifties-looking demon matron who’s still hovering in the background with her human-trying-too-hard smile.
"Fine. But two of you..." She points at the Moon Blessed closest to her. "Go fetch the rest. We’re not agreeing to anything until everyone is here."
The two nod like bobbleheads and rush off down the maze path.
Grayson barks a laugh. "Oh, look at her. One day in the labyrinth and she thinks she’s the field commander."
She clenches her fists tightly at that, and even though she wants nothing more than to manifest the many ways of showing them they aren’t the boss here that she’s been thinking, she doesn’t rise to the bait and once again, ignores him.
"Well, show us the houses you can spare." She shrugs at the demon.
But before the demon matron can nod, Morgan catches her wrist as quick as lightning. He yanks her toward him, her shoulder colliding with the hard wall of his chest.
"You are staying in our house." He murmurs in a husky tone with an effect that sends all the sparks in her body flying.
What the fuck?!
Heidi can already hear her wolf purring in approval. STAYING with the obnoxious Bellamy twins?! Hell NO!
Heidi jerks back hard, tearing herself free as she glares up at him. "No, thanks. I’ll stay with my friends."
"No, you won’t."
"I’d rather sleep in a demon’s mouth than under the same roof as you!"
Grayson barks a laugh. "Oh, I like her."
Morgan sighs as he steps closer again. "You don’t have a choice."
"The hell I don’t." She jabs a finger at his chest. "Like I said, I’ll be staying with my friends, thanks."
Morgan, however, doesn’t react to that. He only smirks like he’s already won. And damn it... know what the worst part is? Her wolf likes the way he smells...
Grayson folds his arms. "Unless some of you sweet little Moon Blessed wants to cozy up with our friendly neighborhood demons, you’re only getting three houses. One’s already ours. Which leaves..." He points between the rest of the group. "...two for the rest of you. Divide them however you want. Girls, boys, rock-paper-scissors. We don’t care. But Heidi?" He flashes his teeth. "She’s with us."
The timing couldn’t be crueler. Because right then, the two Moon Blessed return with the other seventeen stragglers.
And Junie... poor Junie, whose fate felt sealed just moments ago, steps out from behind them, cradling her regrowing hand. The skin is raw and angry, but undeniably knitting itself back together. She catches Heidi’s gaze and gives a tiny nod that says; I’m okay. Don’t make a scene.
But how can she not when her chest is squeezing painfully at the thought that they might have to leave Junie behind.
The demon matron clears her throat. "As the Alphas said, we have only two more treehouses to spare."
Val immediately seizes control. "Easy fix. Boys in one, girls in another."
Alpha Boy frowns. "We still need food." He turns to the demons. "Do you have any?"
The woman nods. "We can provide that."
The surviving Moon Blessed sighs in relief, happy for this reprieve until Morgan cuts in. "Y’all are getting no food unless Heidi stays with us."
No. No. No. He didn’t just say that. DID HE?!
"What?" she demands, stunned beyond words.
Grayson shrugs, casually leaning against the tree’s ladder. "Simple economics. You join us, they eat. You don’t, they starve."
Her wolf growls furiously at that. "Manipulative pricks. They’re twisting this. But..."
"But what?" Heidi snaps inwardly.
"But they wouldn’t go this far if they didn’t care. Think about it—they want you close."
Oh, not this horny ass wolf of hers! Heidi can’t believe her ears.
"They want control!" She retorts aloud, startling the Moon Blessed.
Morgan spreads his arms, eyes glinting wickedly. "Control, care... tomato, tomahto."
Her fists clench. "I’d rather die than live with you."
"Dramatic," Grayson mutters.
Her wolf whines. "But he smells good."
"Shut. Up."
The Moon Blessed stand in rigid silence, afraid to breathe wrong in this storm.
"Well, I know you’re kidding." Heidi chuckles sheepishly at the two despicable wolves that she can’t even stand a second with, not to mention a whole night...
... and who knows? Maybe days—whenever twenty-four hours are in the labyrinth’s clock.
"Does it look like we’re kidding?" Morgan tilts his head.
Val’s mouth falls open, but no words come out. Even the Alpha Boy stiffens but doesn’t dare say anything. The rest of the Moon Blessed are way too silent. Because apparently everyone suddenly remembers that Morgan has an aether blade and absolutely zero hesitation to use it.
Heidi’s blood boils. "So that’s it? You’re going to starve them because I won’t let you two... kidnap me?"
"Kidnap? Cute phrasing. We call it... keeping what’s ours safe." Grayson tsks.
"Newsflash," Heidi spits. "I’m not yours!"
Morgan steps forward with burning eyes. "You ruined my shoe, Heidi Castell, so yeah, you’re pretty much ours."
Heidi hates that she can’t cut a slap across his face no matter how deep the urge to do so is spreading across her. She hates that her wolf is practically wagging its metaphorical tail in the back of her mind. She hates that she’s fated to not one, but two of these bastards.
"Heidi... they’re strong. We’d be safer with them." Her wolf reasons.
"You shut up right now!" She barks at the shameless wolf in her head.
She can’t believe all the disgusting images it’s painting in her head. Now, despite being surrounded by danger, her thighs still dare to feel the pressure building. Heat still dares to pull underneath her, and her wolf—that treacherous beast, still dares to be in heat.
To need them like water. To desire them like one’s own deepest fetishes.
Argh... fuck this!
She crosses her arms tightly. "I’ll repeat myself, bloody Bellamys: I’d rather die than live with you."
Morgan’s jaw flexes. He growls as he squings at Heidi, scrutinizing her with both a hungry and provoked sheen. The Moon Blessed don’t move or breathe and they don’t even dare to. These two are the Bellamy twins. They know what going against them would mean for them when they get back to school. That’s why most of them have their jaws hung, unbelieving Heidi’s guts, and her defiant tone towards them.
.
And then, after what feels like an eternity, Morgan’s lips curve into a deadly smile. "Fine." He turns to the demon matron. "If she won’t cooperate, throw the rest of them out. Every last one of them!"