SILAS

I slide my finger over the rough edge of the paper, grimacing at the sight of the ripped corner. Alex's anger is always getting the best of him, and it appears that today it got the best of my book.

My old, incredibly expensive book.

It's not every day that one has the opportunity to acquire a spellbook from one of the oldest witch covens, and I wonder how long it will take before I have the chance again. They may have ripped out most of the meaningful spells, sure, but it's still interesting to read through.

Or at least it was.

Organizing the sheets, I straighten them out and stick them neatly between the covers. I'll have one of the Shadows glue it back together later.

Sighing, I push myself off the ground as the sound of Gray's shouting makes its way to my ears. I figured it was only a matter of time until he made his way into Alex's office.

Wanting to make sure that neither one takes things too far, I stroll out of the library and down the hallway that leads to our offices. Alex's is the first one on the left, and their shouting grows louder with each step I take.

Neither man pays me any attention as I enter and make myself comfortable in the chair that lives in the far corner.

Alex sits behind his desk with a frown, his attempt at appearing relaxed and collected painfully subpar. Gray doesn't look much better, his chest heaving as he stands in front of the large wooden desk and screams down at Alex.

"What the fuck did you say to her?" Gray shouts as he leans forward and shoves a finger into Alex's chest.

Alex lowers his gaze to look at the limb with disinterest, his eyebrow quirking at it before he raises his head and meets Gray's face once more. He makes no moves to answer, and wanting to hurry up and get this argument over with, I lean forward and answer for him.

"He told Charlie that he would send her to an Incubi den if she didn't fuck you." I state.

The heated glare that Alex sends me doesn't bother me much, but I ignore it in lieu of watching Gray's face redden.

Gray turns to me in anger.

"And how the fuck do you know that? You just stand by and watch as he threatens my female?" He assumes.

I blink slowly, unhappy with the accusation. Reminding myself that he's blinded by his anger and not thinking clearly, I relax my stiff posture and soften my face.

"Of course not. He came storming into the library afterward and told me." I assure him.

Alex scoffs, his eyes narrowing. I don't know what else he expected from me. I've made my desire to live in peace with the female clear, and it was foolish for him to think that I would back him up on this.

What he did was cruel, but I'm confident that he won't be making the same mistake again.

As much as he wants to push Charlie away, I know that he's unwilling to risk losing Gray. Other than myself, the Incubus is the only person who can stand to be around him unfiltered. Everybody else is either too terrified or desperate to please him to be genuine in their words and actions around him.

He needs us, and by extension, that means he's going to need to stay on Charlie's good side.

"Leave Charlie alone." Gray demands, returning his attention to Alex.

Alex shrugs, appearing unphased.

"She isn't doing her job." He states. "If she's unable to fulfill your needs, then I will take her back and purchase you a new one."

My back stiffens as Gray throws himself over the desk and lunges at Alex. I grab onto the chair handles to keep myself from intervening, my muscles taut as the wood cracks beneath my hands. What the fuck is Gray doing?

He's never been one for fighting, but to attack Alex is idiotic. Alex can't stop himself once he gets going, his wrath kicking in and taking over until he's torn apart every person who stands in his way.

I'm sure that the bond protects Gray from death, but that doesn't mean that Alex will be able to stop himself from causing severe harm.

I observe Alex for any signs that his wrath is coming out as I watch him pin Gray to the desk. Gray flails below him, his sad attempts at hurting Alex incredibely shocking. He tends to stray from the Incubi ideals on several fronts, but the need to please and keep the peace are ones that he still thrives on.

It's hard to feed when the people you are trying to seduce are filled with anger and hatred.

Alex's hand wraps around Gray's throat as he holds him down, his arm stiff and unmoving despite Gray's powerful punches to his face and chest. If he were fighting anybody else, he would easily be able to take them down, but he should know better than to try with Alex.

I continue to monitor as Gray shouts at Alex to mind his own fucking business, but jump to my feet as Alex looks to me for help. Rushing forward, I shove him away and take over holding Gray down.

Gray's fist makes painful contact with my chin as he blindly continues to attack, his knuckles smashing into the bone and breaking it. I grunt at the impact, my fingers digging into his throat until he's struggling to breathe below me.

Alex moves towards the far wall as he struggles to calm himself down, his shoulders shaking at the effort.

Maybe it would be best if we sent Charlie back and got Gray a new female. She's creating quite a rift between these men, and it would be best to get somebody that Alex doesn't feel conflicted over and that only Gray likes. That would make everything easier.

"Let go of me, Silas." Gray chokes out as he claws at my hand that holds his throat.

I take a moment to evaluate his state before carefully releasing him. Thankfully he doesn't launch himself at Alex again, instead choosing to sit up and throw himself in the chair I was occupying only moments before.

He eyes Alex wearily as he calms, probably just now realizing how absolutely fucking stupid his actions were. It's like he's asking to get killed.

"Are you two done?" I snap.

Both hesitate before nodding.

Rubbing at my jaw, I prod at the fractured bone with a frown. The bastard got me good. This one's going to take a while to heal.

I wait for Alex to settle down and turn to face us again. He does so quickly, but avoids looking in Gray's direction. Gray, on the other hand, glares daggers at him.

"You," I speak up, pointing towards Alex. "are going to leave Charlie alone."

Alex's jaw clenches, but he nods nonetheless. Gray smirks at him, his haughty expression falling as I turn towards him.

"You need to stop instigating. No more feeding off of Alex. If you get hungry, go pay and spend a night with Shay. I'm sure she'll be happy to service you." I scold.

Gray looks hesitant but eventually gives in and agrees. Shay is one of his favorite females to fuck, and I'm sure that Charlie won't be too upset if he visits her. Besides, if she doesn't want Gray seeking nourishment elsewhere, then she can give herself over to him.

"If you two start this shit up again, I'll be returning the female and buying a new one of my choosing." I continue.

Gray almost immediately begins to argue with me, not realizing that I was saying this more to keep Alex in line.

As much as he tries to hide it, it's clear that he is harboring some sort of emotion towards Charlie. Alex feels comfortable threatening to rid of her because he knows that he won't follow through, but that assurance is not a guarantee with me.

He'll leave Gray and Charlie alone because deep down, for some reason I don't understand, he doesn't seem to truly want her gone.

Leaning against Alex's desk, I watch as Gray stands and stomps out of the room. Alex watches him leave through narrowed eyes, the wrath that was conjured earlier still swirling around inside them.

"You good?" I ask, the worry I feel seeping through in my voice.

Alex hesitates, his back straightening before he rolls his shoulders forward in a stretch. I move out of his way as he walks back over to his chair, his steps slightly jerky as he still struggles to fight off his deeper instincts.

"I have to go to the pits." He admits.

Sighing, I reach up to pinch at the bridge of my nose in frustration. Alex can't just casually go to the pits and come back for dinner. If we are lucky he'll only be gone for a couple of days, and if not, then it may be months before we see him again.

The moment the scent of hatred and blood hits his nose, he's lost in the fighting, his wrath coming out full force and feeding until it's satisfied enough that he can safely come back home.

"Do you need me to get Gray?" I ask.

He rarely agrees to let the Incubi calm him, and I already know that he's going to reject the offer before I even voice it. Alex's hands clench up into fists as he sits back down at his desk, his desire for me to leave him alone quite evident as he avoids my gaze and pretends as if I'm not even here.

In all honestly, I'm glad that he's even considering going to the pits rather than trying to wait out his urges.

There's a human female in our home now, and I don't want to take the risk of him accidentally killing her in a fit of rage. Gray would never let us hear the end of it.

"You need to be back before the annual gathering. Lust is hosting this year, and you'll need to present Charlie as yours." I remind him before glancing up at the calendar that hangs on the wall.

It's in less than a week, but that should be enough time for Alex to get the fighting out of his system and crawl his ass back home.

Alex nods, silently agreeing. Good. If he refuses, I'll have to take Charlie myself, which doesn't sound particularly enjoyable.

I like her and all, but my interest in pretending to care for a female is nonexistent. Besides, Alex agreed to this when he bought her for Gray. A minor argument isn't enough for him to turn back on his word.

Lingering for a moment longer, I watch as Alex starts to tidy up his desk that was ruined when Gray threw his oversized body over it.

The thought of the Gray has me holding back a groan and leaving to seek him out. I follow his scent to his office, my interest perking as I push open the door and spot him laying flat on his back in the middle of the room.

"That was foolish of you." I scold.

His head rolls to the side as I speak, the dried blood smattered on his lip and cheek cracking at the movement. From what I observed, Alex was able to refrain from hitting Gray, meaning that the blood that covers him is either from Alex or me. Probably me.

I unhinge my jaw and move it left and right at the sight of him, happy to note that it's pretty much completely healed now.

Fucker's got a mean right hook.

"He won't kill me." Gray scoffs, seemingly unafraid of the man that occupies the office just down the hall. "Little wrath baby could never hurt his bonded."

I blink slowly, dumbfounded. This man is almost two hundred years old, yet I still need to explain these things to him like he is a toddler? Sometimes I wonder why I even bother sticking around. They may be my family, but that doesn't mean I need to live in the same house as them.

Or even the same realm.

The thought of taking a decade or two vacation away from them feels more enticing with each passing day.

"No, but if not you, then probably Charlie. He may have feelings for her, but in his wrath's eyes she is nothing more than a bag of flesh that is splitting apart him and his bonded." I explain, using his terminology in the hopes that it will help the message sink in. "He's going to the pits."

Gray's eyes soften as I share this, his pissy attitude deflating at the knowledge of what he's making Alex do to himself. The pits always destroy Alex, the acts that he partakes within them haunting him for months after he returns.

I hope that Gray feels this regret for a long while.

"I'll settle him." Gray speaks up, pushing himself up to his feet.

I hold out my hand, stopping him. Gray's lips purse as he takes in my solemn face, his own matching. Alex will not be taking any help from the Incubus today.

"Charlie wants a tutor." I blurt out.

Gray flops back down on the ground before rolling his face towards me in shock. That surprise turns into a sinful smirk as he continues to stare at me.

"Noted. What do you think of her?" He probes.

I shrug, not having any strong opinions. I think that she could be a fun addition to our home if she learns to accept Gray. She seems to have the potential to be intelligent, and I hope that means that we will grow to have engaging conversations. I'd hate to have somebody living with us that is boring to be around.

A small part of me thinks that she will be fun to look at as well. I have no interest in intimacy with a paid female, but can't deny that I find her attractive. I will find much enjoyment in listening to her feed Gray.

It will be the first time I overhear Gray and do not wish to scrub out my ears afterward.

"I like her." I eventually state. "She will make a good addition to our home."

Gray laughs, agreeing.

"You want to fuck her." He comments.

I pretend his statement was a question, and hum as I think it over.

"Not really. I prefer my females with black eyes." I respond, knowing that he's already well acquainted with what I find enjoyment in.

I've never really strayed far from my race, and don't have much interest in doing so. Demon women are strong and can give me what I want. Charlie, on the other hand, could never take me the way I desire.

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Silas a lil kinky boy ;)

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