"...Why are you yelling at me, Woman?" Lucifer demanded.

Kathrine Ann's eyes snapped to him. He stood behind his desk, pouring himself a drink while attached to what looked like a blood drip. Her brain glitched, and her thoughts scattered like leaves in the fall.

"Woman? Did you just refer to me as 'woman?'" She finally asked after collecting herself.

There was a long pause. Lucifer lazily capped the decanter. "You are a woman, aren't you?" he questioned as he shuffled around a few pages on the desk before picking up a single sheet. "I mean, you haven't provided any proof," he stated, sipping his freshly poured drink as he looked over the document in his hand.

Kathrine Ann was stunned, not just by what he said but the way he said it. Lucifer's words were sharp and cold. Usually, a remark like that would be accompanied by a teasing tone and mischievous smirk, but this time it was like he was stating a fact. What in all of Hell was going on? Just a few hours ago, Lucifer admitted his feelings and made promises, but now he's attached to a blood drip, and she's 'woman.' Finally, her damned Devil looked up, and when his dark red eyes locked onto hers, it all made sense.

"Refer to me as 'woman' again, and I guarantee you'll never find out." She retorted.

"Brave words from the scared little girl I met earlier today." He smirked, discarding the paper. It wasn't the smirk she was used to. This one was wicked.

"Earlier, you were strangling Azazel's brother." She retorted, "I was worried you would kill him."

"So you're only afraid of me when I'm hurting someone?" He hummed, "Noted."

"I didn't say I wasn't afraid." She replied, forcing herself to feign a calm composure as she walked across the room to stand in front of his desk, "I don't know this side of you, but I do know what you're capable of, and that is something to be afraid of." She admitted as her eyes fell on the neglected glass at the edge of the desk. "However, I don't think you'll hurt me. It was poisoned, wasn't it? That's why you're here, is Luce okay?"

Lucifer put down his drink and leaned across the desk, using his arms to support his weight as he stretched as close as he could before sniffing the air around Kathrine Ann. The wood creaked under his pressure causing her focus to return to the Devil in front of her. His sinister smirk grew,

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," he corrected in a low, menacing tone before running his tongue across his top lip.

She stared into those dark red eyes, knowing what his threat insinuated, but this was still her Lucifer, still the Devil she married and the one she'd fallen helplessly for. So, despite his threatening aura, Kathrine Ann felt a spark in her core. His deep voice, the way he was looking at her. The intensity in his eyes stirred up an inappropriate desire causing her mind to shamelessly remember the way his hands felt on her skin and how his lips felt on hers. A familiar tingle of anticipation radiated through her veins as he stared back into her emerald eyes.

Lucifer's expression quickly changed. He sniffed again, and his head tilted as his brows furrowed, "Really?" He stood up straight and crossed his arms, "What part of anything I've said to you is making you," He trailed off, confused as Kathrine Ann's cheeks flushed, "I wasn't suggesting anything you would enjoy." He scowled, uncrossing his arms and grabbing his drink off the table.

"Why couldn't it be? You wanted proof, didn't you?" She replied, rolling her eyes as she tried to calm her racing heart and smother the small fire growing inside her.

However, Lucifer didn't seem to pick up on the sarcasm because his eyes widened, and he stared stunned at her. Was he shocked? Even speechless?

A strange thought crossed Kathrine Ann's mind, and she wanted to test something, but she was also very aware of the audience behind her, who all stood silent as if watching the climax of a play.

"It's what you want, isn't it, My Prince? For me to hand myself over?" She persisted, as a shocked Lucifer stared at her, and her cheeks glowed bright red. "Or do you want me to fight you so you can take it by force? You seem to like having power over others."

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Lucifer, the Demon Prince, was flustered. Though the embarrassment Kathrine Ann caused herself made her want to bury herself so deep that none of the Hell suns would ever find her, it was worth it.

Lucifer clenched his teeth and fists, and his piercing eyes looked everywhere but her. She was right! This side of Lucifer hadn't the faintest idea how to handle someone who didn't shrink in front of him, much less a woman coming on to him instead of bowing down. Kathrine Ann couldn't help but find the discovery cute and funny.

"Stop that!" he snapped. "Your Luce may like to play games, but I do not." He hissed, composing himself. "I sense your amusement, and I don't appreciate it." He grumbled, taking a large pull from the glass. How dare you mock me."

"Really!?" She scoffed, "You've got some nerve fussing at me, Pot."

"What did you just call me?" His eyes narrowed to slits.

"For Christ's sake, not this again." Kathrine Ann huffed, throwing her hands up, exasperated.

"Where?" Lucifer asked, scanning the room. He wasn't the only one. "One Heavenly uncle is enough for the evening."

Kathrin Ann hit her forehead with the palm of her injured hand and hissed at the sudden spark of pain, causing Lucifer's eyes to snap to her bandaged wrist she now rubbed tenderly.

"Jesus is not here. His name is a common phrase used to express annoyance or frustration on Earth, the same as God's. Me calling you pot refers to the idiom 'hi, pot. I'm kettle,' which is accusing a person of being a hypocrite, which is what you're being by being mad at me for mocking you." She explained quickly, "Any other questions?"

Lucifer paused for a long time as he considered the information he had received. "How am I a hypocrite?" he finally asked.

"Seriously?" Micheal laughed from behind them before Kathrine Ann could answer, "Even I question whether you deserve this kind of punishment, Kathrine Ann."

Kathrine Ann ignored the archangel's jest. "You call me 'woman' despite knowing my name and our relationship, then suggest I may not be because I haven't freely handed myself over to you. Also, you called me a scared little girl and then proceeded to try and frighten me more."

"All of those are facts," he sneered. "I'm sorry, but most of those are facts. I still haven't verified the woman part.”

Kathrine Ann took a deep breath, "Wow, and I thought the other you was an asshole. Can we please get back on subject? You were poisoned by something in that glass?"

"Yes," he answered as the servants Kathrine Ann had passed in the hall started to enter the office.

"And Luce?"

"He'll be fine," Lucifer groaned, "You're wasting my time, Wife."

Another deep breath as she clenched her teeth, "Why did you lie to me about the poison? I could have helped you, but no, you pushed me away once again. Shooed me out of our room and used Viskiam to keep me away. I told you not to hide things from me."

Lucifer rolled his eyes, "I did not lie to you, I did not shoo you out of my room, and I did not ask Viakiam to do anything. You're speaking to the wrong Devil. I have no idea why he sent you away." Lucifer finished the whiskey and put his empty glass down on the desk, "However, I highly doubt you could have helped. You know nothing of this world, its poisons, or how to remedy them. You would have been no more than a burden. Oh, never mind, I guess I do know why you're precious Luce sent you away."

The insult cut deep. Kathrine Ann knew he was trying to hurt her, that his hateful words were just that, but damn those stung. Maybe because there was a thread of truth in them, what could she have possibly done to help? No matter how hard she tried, she was still a weak human in a world she didn't belong to. Kathrine Ann felt a prickle in the corner of her eyes, but she forced it back, their eyes were still locked, and she refused to let this side of Lucifer see her cry. Not that it mattered, he knew everything she felt, and the triumphant smirk on his face told her he knew precisely what he had done,

"You think you've won?" She asked, breaking the smothering silence in the room.

"You wanted to play games, Wife." He replied.

Kathrine Ann gave a sad smile, "The game has barely begun, Hubby."

"What the fuck did you just call me, Kathrine Ann?" He growled.

"Wow, look at that, you do know my name. Goodnight, Hubby." She smiled with a small curtsy before turning her back to him.

"Do not call me that again!" he barked at her, but she kept walking, passing the row of nervous servants, Lord Lucifer, Belial, and Viskiam, before stopping in front of Micheal. "Answer me!" Lucifer growled, admittedly causing her to tense.

"Micheal, since neither of us has any business here, would you mind escorting me back to Lucifer's room?" She asked, emphasizing Lucifer's name. Micheal raised a brow at her request, but the cocky smirk that crossed his face was exactly the reaction she wanted.

"Of course, Kathrine Ann," He replied, "Oh, and Nephew, please let me know once you're back to normal. We have business to discuss."

Before she exited the office, Kathrine Ann turned to her husband, who was glaring at Micheal furiously.

"Lucifer," she called, causing his eyes to snap back on her, harboring the same seething anger. "You want my respect, then I'll need yours in return. I've already played this game with you and won. I will win again." Without waiting for his response, Kathrine Ann turned her back to him and walked out the door, with Micheal following.

"Close that fucking door!" Lucifer ordered from behind as the heavy door slammed shut behind them.