But then again, when has life ever let me do anything easily?

Once we got back, I’d made the call to Sera only to learn she was back to being her usual unreachable self. It wasn’t cause for alarm since she barely ever charged her phone. Not surprisingly, considering the thing offered her little.

Hell, I'd talked to her more in the past week than I had the rest of the year, so I supposed she was due to be a social hermit again. But that was the only way of contacting her I had, which left me in the waiting game. I could stop by her place, but I hated doing that unannounced. If she didn’t respond by next month I’d go, but not before then.

Besides, I had my hands full as it was. The mage we’d captured refused to divulge anything, much to our frustration. For now all we could do was what we already were. It dragged on me, doing nothing, but I forced the impatience back with years of practice, my nails drumming on the books I’d bought for Dimitrius.

We’d set up a ritual, of sorts. After he finished his work we’d discuss any questions he’d thought of while making his way through the books. It was refreshing, seeing his eyes light up with curiosity every time he discovered a new thing. Hopefully he stayed that fascinated the further we went.

I’d only gotten him a book on potions, the explanations of the different magics, a how-to guide for basic item enchantments, and a book full of creatures to start. Considering his interest in the last one in particular, I might need to plan a road trip to a few of this state’s magical creature habitats. Nevada was home to several breeds of Alatum, if I remembered correctly. I’d have to double check that, but the miniature flying steeds were sure to intrigue Dimitrius.

The door to his study opened, pulling me from my plotting. Only instead of Dimitrius, a different incubus came into sight. Dirty blond hair fell to his shoulders, the typical cleanly pressed shirt and slacks announcing him as staff. I’d noticed the man around the house, but hadn’t talked to him much. Something about him put me on edge.

Which was weird, because nothing about him physically should make me uneasy. For one, I was immune to his power, and for two he lacked the dark edge to his eyes that I’d gotten good at watching for over the years. The only real thing that explained my dislike was the arrogance that all but floated off him. If it weren’t for that I might’ve even been attracted.

When he paused a few feet in front of me, eyes raking a provocative path down my front, a sinking feeling hit that I was about to discover just why I didn’t like him. Lust sparked hot in brown eyes, eerily similar to how Veronica stared at Dimitrius in the market, and he didn’t even make an attempt to hide his stare.

I wasn’t a stranger to these looks outside of the magical community thanks to my well toned body, but I’d expected better from Dimitrius’s staff.

When he didn’t stop after a few minutes, I cleared my throat, hoping he’d get the message and leave. Instead, he smiled, the arrogance all but oozing off him again as his head bobbed, deciding on something.

“You will service me now.” He said, voice steady and confident.

My brows hit my hairline.

This was new. So far all of the staff had been polite, but apparently that was changing now. Before I could let loose with a scathing rebuttal, he did the last thing I expected. He dropped his pants, staring at me expectantly as they pooled around his ankles.

Eyeing him with amusement, I noted his size dispassionately. To a certain extent he was decent, not a bad length and an average girth, but he wouldn’t be setting any records. I doubted his arrogance was well founded either. More than likely the people who fell under his aura gave him a false sense of accomplishment, feeding his ego to unearned heights.

Well, he was about to get a nasty surprise, because I wasn’t normal by any stretch of the word. Instead of giving him the reaction he wanted, I laughed. “And why would I do anything for you? While I don’t generally sleep around, I can assure you that when I do, my standards are far above what you have to offer.”

And I didn’t just mean his size either. That arrogance was a turn off. Even without it though, Vladimir dwarfed him–as most with orc blood would–and so did most of my past lovers, for that matter. When I added in Vlad’s naturally chivalrous attitude and respect for me as an equal, it was no empty boast to say he was leagues above this pathetic excuse for a man.

The fact he reduced me to a shaking, boneless heap on the regular certainly didn't hurt his prospects.

Before I could say just that and enjoy every second of crushing this idiot’s ego, an aura similar to Dimitrius’s snapped out. This one didn’t make me calm and woozy though.

No, this aura made my skin crawl even as it bounced harmless off me. Understanding dawned and rage flash fried my previous amusement. That miserable thunder twat tried to thrall me!

Magic rushed to the surface, spiraling with the urge to lash out at him even as I shoved it down. When I didn’t drop into a drooling husk, his lips curled down into a confused frown, unaware of the danger headed his way.

“Because I said so. Why aren’t you quaking in arousal?”

Was that what most women did when faced with a moderately sized length? Good God, I hoped not. Surely they had better standards than this slime…Then again, with that aura of his they might not have done so willingly.

The thought spawned another wave of sparking rage, boiling low under my skin as I straightened. I’d be bringing this up to Dimitrius later, but for now it was time to take his ego down a peg, or two, or twelve.

“Because I’ve seen better, buttercup. You’re not half as impressive as you’d like to think. Why, I’d be surprised if the women you take to bed get any satisfaction by the end of the night without resorting to their own fingers.”

A hard smile twisted my lips, staying firmly in place even as he snarled, muscles bunching as if to advance. “Why you uppity crone, I’ll show you your place-!”

Dropping a hand to the knife on my hip, I prepared to plant him on his ass. Only to pause when power flooded the room, my body reacting before I had a chance to shield against it.

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Warmth rocketed through me, blood rushing to my cheeks as the thrumming double heartbeat started between my thighs. I clenched, the woeful emptiness stoking the ache in my groin as the person behind my newly aroused condition made his entrance.

Dimitrius was a thunder cloud, the almost physical aura rolling off him catching my attention better than anything the other pathetic man could have done. Raising a hand on instinct, I fanned myself as hormones lit and raged a riot in me. When honey eyes turned to me, I forced my hand to stop and wave as if there wasn’t a man with his trousers around his ankles less than a yard from me.

Dimitrius swept a quick glance over me, checking for himself that I was alright, before turning to the staff member with cold fury. The honey gaze shifted to whiskey as fire danced in their depths, a sneer curling his lips as he hissed.

“Her place is right where she is, at my side. You seem to have forgotten yours, however.”

Giving a disdainful glance down the staff’s front, Dimitrius glared pointedly at the naked length still bobbing merrily in the wind. “You will contain yourself or be permanently removed from my property. The lady has turned you away, now leave or I will enforce her wishes.”

Going back to silently fanning myself, I cheered internally at his rapid defense. Could I hand this idiot his ass if I wanted to? Sure and if Dimitrius hadn’t stepped in I would have taken great satisfaction out of beating him into the ground, but on the other hand…

I had so few people who cared enough to come to my defense. It couldn’t hurt to let him play the knight just this once, right?

Leaning my chin on my hand, I watched, enjoying the view as the staff member jerked his pants back around his hips, mouth curling down in a scowl. “She was just playing hard to get.” He grumbled.

One of Dimitrius’s brows went up at that. So did mine, but I stayed silent, curious how my favorite blond would handle this.

Dimitrius turned to me, brow still raised in question. “Did you, at any point, wish to copulate with this man?”

One of these days I’d really have to work with him on using contractions…But now wasn’t the time. I shook my head, answering honestly. “Nope, and that’ll never change. I don’t do arrogance and it’s practically rolling off him.” And he didn’t even have a right to be arrogant. Any type of reputation he had as a lover came from his aura, not from any skill on his part.

All in all, I’d never been more turned off in my life.

That must have come across and the snub to the idiot’s ego proved to be the straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back. With Dimitrius turned to face me, the coward lunged, his weak aura coming back to try and wrap around me.

Shrugging it off again, I jerked up, magic lunging to my command as I prepared to slap a barrier in place. “Dimitrius!”

Before I could say the spell, Dimitrius snapped around, hand clasping tight around the staff member’s throat as his power once again flooded the room. It snuffed out the other’s pathetic attempts to take over my mind, wrapping a protective shield around me in the same instant.

Dimitrius’s mouth pulled into a scowl, his eyes glowing gold as he dragged the staff member clear off the ground until they were nose to nose. Power sparked through the air, rubbing against my nerve endings like heated silk as I swallowed around the lump in my throat.

Part of me was astounded that the laid back man I’d gotten to know could shift into the terrifying one before me. The other part…well it was more aroused than I knew what to do with. Fuck, did his aura affect me after all?

Sitting back, I took stock of my reactions, comparing them to the brunette that’d assaulted Dimitrius in the brothel. No, this wasn’t his power making me all but pant after him. Some of it might have been, but the majority wasn’t. Which left one option.

It was just him.

Stealing a quick glance over his form, hand locked tight around the staff member’s throat as he rose to my defense, I slid a long look over his back. Tight muscles bunched, filling out his dress shirt and leading down to where I could just see a sliver of pale skin where his pants met his shirt.

The base of his spine was bared, the dimples there calling to me like a siren. Following it lower to the tight buttocks, my fingers itched to touch before I sucked in a breath and snapped my attention back upward, all but slamming my hand against my thigh to hold it in place.

This wasn’t his aura’s doing. I was attracted to him, and even if he hadn’t been an incubus I still would have been. Just as I appreciated Vladimir and his well muscled frame, lust stroked its fingers between my legs at the drool worthy sight Dimitrius made.

I should have seen this coming. I’d always had a thing for those who could stand for themselves. Strong enough to do what needed to be done, but not push it too far. Dimitrius straddled that line with ease and, on top of that, he showed more care than I’d experienced in decades.

Kind, intelligent, and protective. All things I looked for in any partner I took to bed. All traits he had in spades.

Dimitrius threw the staff member back, eyes flashing with a wordless threat as he continued, unaware of the lust he was all but pouring through my veins. “You will be escorted out of my home, no longer welcome on any of my properties, and should you ever come near her or me again, it will be the last thing you ever do.”

Another throb of power took my breath away, sending another desperate clench between my thighs as he bristled in my defense. Oh yeah, I was going to have to be careful with this. The last thing we needed was me carrying a torch for him while kids were going missing.

Taking several deep breaths, I closed my eyes and focused on non-arousing things before the lust all but pouring off me could become obvious to the incubi in the room.

Dead bodies of innocent women hung from the trees, ropes tied around their necks as the villagers cheered, disregarding the horror of the acts they were doing.

It was all my fault. They’d be alive if it weren’t for me.

The images brought their usual flood of guilt. I hadn’t put the hangman’s noose around their throats, but the hunt never would have started if it weren’t for my mistake…

Ice poured over my arousal, dousing it with ease as guilt brought me back to the present. There was no use sulking over what was. It’d happened and no amount of guilt brought back the women killed in that hysteria. I could only do my best to never cause something like that again.

Turning my focus back to Dimitrius as the staff member was dragged out, I forced all thoughts of back then away. Once it was only us in the room again, Dimitrius faced me, his power folding back down until it hid beneath his skin again.

Concern over-shadowed his rage as he moved to me. “Are you alright? You have my most sincere apologies that my staff would act in such a way.” The genuine worry in his tone made warmth bloom in my chest, an odd flutter starting up right on its heels. Grabbing the hand he subconsciously raised toward me, I nodded.

“I’m fine and it’s not your fault. You handled it quickly and now I’ll never have to deal with him again. And on that note, wow that was an impressive display.” Understatement of the century…

His concern faded and he shrugged. “It is the least I could do. While you stay under my roof you will never suffer such advances. Not unless you wish them, of course.” He added the last bit hastily, not wanting to offend.

He shouldn’t have worried about that. Even if I was the easily offended sort, I was still too stunned by his immediate protectiveness to react. When was the last time someone defended me like that?

Aside from Sera, had anyone ever bothered?

After a minute of thought, the sobering realization hit. No, thanks to my pariah status, Sera was the only one who’d stood in my corner. Vlad didn’t count, since we were equal parts outcasts.

It was nice, knowing that Dimitrius had my back should the need arise. Though, I wonder how he’d react if I told him the only advance I would find welcome was his? Before the tempting thought could take root, I shook it to the side. Not the time.

“Noted and I appreciate you stepping in. While I hope we don’t run into too many situations like this, I believe you’re the first person I can remember who defended me so staunchly.”

I put the back of my hand daintily against my head, leaning into his side with a breathy sigh. “My hero.”

He didn’t push me off, surprise flashing across his face before a stormy scowl curled his lips. “Then you surround yourself with honorless fools. Just because you are capable of protecting yourself does not mean I will stand by and allow someone to attempt such a foul deed. While you have not met anyone who holds themselves to those standards, you will quickly find that I am not like them.”

No, he definitely wasn’t. Most couldn’t spike my hormones like that without even trying, but now wasn’t the time or place to blurt that. Instead, I dropped my hand and smiled. “I’m already seeing that. To a certain extent, it’s obvious, but the more I get to know you, the more different you are and I guarantee that’s a compliment.”

I’d have to be careful from now on. He didn’t know it, but he’d just landed himself firmly on my list of ‘people I would happily sleep with, damn the consequences’, and that wasn’t good for our working relationship. He’d proven himself to be capable, caring, dependable, and protective. All qualities I was attracted to and he had every last one of them.

It was no wonder I’d taken an interest so quickly. He was everything I’d always wanted in a lover…and everything I couldn’t have.

Before the infatuation could take root, I slapped cold reality down on top of it. He had a history with rape, the odds of him wanting any kind of relationship beyond friendship were extremely low. Better to get that through my head now.

Changing the subject, I lifted one of the books and waved it. “You wanted to learn how to make potions, right? It’s the only thing you’ll be able to do without any magic of your own.”

The last of the tension left the air as he sat near me, our sides brushing in an entirely too distracting way as his expression shifted to rapt curiosity. Handing over the book, I leaned back, taking the moment to enjoy this.

It wasn’t often life was calm enough for me to have things like this and Dimitrius was proving to be a good friend. Maybe after we found who was behind this, we’d stay in touch. I didn’t have many friends and I’d hate to not talk to him anymore.

Shaking the melancholy to the side, I focused. It’d be awhile before we even found a lead to go off of, no reason to be a downer. Besides, maybe he’d want to keep in contact. I wouldn’t know until the time came, no use in wondering about it now.

Besides, by the end of this mess he might’ve had enough of my special brand of insanity and run screaming.

Honestly, it was a small miracle Seraphina hadn’t already done that…