CHARLOTTE

Sweat beads up along my upper lip as I wedge my spade into the ground and pull up a chunk of hard dirt. I twist around and dump it onto the grass next to my left thigh before returning my attention to the garden and widening the newly created hole.

Complete boredom has begun to sink in, and in a latch ditch effort to fill my days, I asked Gray to let me take ownership of the small garden bed in the backyard below the library window.

He was more than happy to give me permission, claiming that I can do whatever I want in the estate, before waggling his eyebrows and asking if there's anything else I'd like to do.

That question was met with a firm no.

I wipe the sweat away from my face with a huff before reaching into the small pouch in my pocket and grabbing a couple of seeds. Sprinkling a few into my hole, I take care to make sure they are spread out and lined up perfectly before covering them. My parents made gardening look so easy, but now that I'm the one doing it, I realize just how tedious it is.

Especially under the sweltering heat that seems to consume this realm.

Peeking through the library windows, I search around until I spot Silas sitting in his seat in the far corner. As if sensing my gaze, he looks up from his book and makes eye contact with me.

I perk up, offering him a wide grin and small wave. The corner of his lips turns up at my greeting, his head dropping slightly as he nods in my direction. Both him and Gray have taken it upon themselves to be extra kind to me after my run-in with Alex, offering small assurances that their counterpart will not be messing with me anymore.

I'm not sure whether or not I believe them, but figure I won't be able to know for sure until Alex returns from the pits. They briefly explained to me that it's some sort of fighting ring, and promised that he will be much calmer after returning.

It doesn't make me feel any better. On the contrary, the fact that Alexander has to go to some fighting pit in the first place to release his anger is reason enough for me to be scared of him.

I honestly wish that he would stay away forever. The house is much more lively with him gone, and I'm growing to love my exploration now that I'm not constantly fearful of Alex popping around a corner and hurting me.

"Spying on Silas?" Gray questions, startling me.

I spin around to face him with a gasp, my hand moving to cover my chest as I watch him walking over to meet me. He raises a brow as he comes to a crouch, his face shifting to look at Silas through the window as I just was.

Gulping, I try to will away the flushing of my cheeks as I drop my attention back to the garden. Gray's been so busy these past few days that I've hardly had a chance to speak to him. Even when he's in the same room as me, he's too busy working to pay me any mind.

I like the alone time, but am beginning to get a bit lonely.

My desperation for some intimacy has even led to me almost offering for him to enter my dreams again. I can see the effects that the withholding is taking on him, his cheeks slowly sinking inward and undereye bags growing with each day. Despite it, though, I can't bring myself to offer to feed him.

"What're you planting?" Gray questions, thankfully dropping the topic of me watching Silas.

I pull the packet out of my pocket and hold it out for him. He looks over the photo of the potato with a smile, his teeth on full display.

"I don't think that you're going to have a lot of luck growing Human food in Demon soil, but I'm excited to see how it turns out." He states.

Blushing, I turn my face upwards and let my eyes fall shut as I bask in the warmth of the sun.

I had a feeling that it wouldn't work, but after finding the seeds amongst the items that Gray brought back for me, I just knew that I needed to give it a try.

Besides, it might work. The atmosphere is similar, and parts of the Human world are as hot as it is here. What more do vegetables need than oxygen, sunshine, and some water? Nothing that I know of.

I hold back the urge to flinch as soft fingertips graze the exposed skin on my chest. They remain respectfully above my cleavage, so I don't try to push Gray away as he touches me. It's not the first time that he's taken it upon himself to stroke me, and I've grown used to it over the past couple of days.

Gray must take my lack of resistance as a good sign, as seconds later his fingertips are replaced with his mouth. This touch is new, and I tense up as he slides his lips from the center of my chest outward towards my collarbone.

They are soft and warm as they press against me, and Gray takes the opportunity to dart out his tongue and lick at my salty skin. I doubt that it tastes good after being in the sun for so long, but I don't question him on it.

My jaw clenches shut as he releases some of his essense, realization settling over me that this is another one of his attempts to desensitize me to it. The first couple of times he did this I almost immediately turned into putty, and I pride myself on remaining still as the intoxicating scent of him hits my nose.

I hold back a moan as his teeth scrape against my neck. It feels so good.

Pushing further, Gray grabs my hands and shoves them underneath his shirt. My breath stutters as I touch his bare skin, visualizing how it looks as I run my fingers over it. I'm scared that if I open my eyes it will break the illusion, so instead, I keep them shut as I explore the hard planes of his abdomen.

He tenses up beneath me, his breath growing ragged as I wrap my arms around his waist and begin feeling up his back. His skin is so soft.

Gray rises to his knees and fiddles with the hem of my skirt, his teeth nipping at my skin before he pulls back and sucks the spot instead. I pant, my movements growing more confident as I dig my fingers into the taut muscles of his back.

"Do you want to feed me?" He groans, finding and pinching my nipple through the fabric of my shirt.

I'm supposed to say no. I know that he wants me to say no. Instead, I gasp and nod my head yes, desperate for him to continue. He feels so fucking good. I don't ever want this to stop.

"Speak." He commands.

My mouth drops open in a silent moan before I'm able to find my words.

"Yes. Please touch me. I need it." I beg him, uncaring how desperate I sound.

My eyes spring open as Gray pulls away, his retreat leisurely as he soaks up the last moments of contact between us. A loud whine falls from my lips as he grabs my arms and takes my hands out from under his shirt.

I watch him through heavy-lidded eyes as he levels his face with mine.

"That was good. When you first arrived you'd have been begging for me before I even touched you." He praises.

I gulp, embarrassed at my actions and how much his approval warms me. I push away those negative emotions, though, knowing that this is what needs to happen if I'm going to grow strong.

At the end of the day, I'm grateful that Gray is taking the time to train my body to him. When I first arrived I was under the impression that nothing could be done about my response to his lure and that over time I'd wither away until all I could think about was his pleasure, but he's explained that it doesn't have to be like that.

Most weaker breeds aren't given the opportunity to build immunity to a stronger Demon's essense, and by the time that their body starts to adapt, it's already too late for them. Gray's promised that he, and the others, will keep it at bay until it no longer has such an intense effect on me.

I didn't believe him at first, but I can see a real improvement after only two days. Hopefully, after a couple of more weeks, Gray's won't bother me at all. Not unless I want him to.

My lips purse as I think about what comes next, though. Gray is strong, but there are still two other Demons who live in this house that I will have to go through the same process with. I'm not so worried about Silas, who's next in line, but the thought of having to be alone in a room with Alex while he tries to train me not to submit to him fills me with dread.

I hope that Gray won't leave me alone with him when the time comes.

"I have a surprise for you." Gray speaks up, pulling me from my thoughts.

I turn to face him in interest. A surprise? He grins at my reaction before standing and holding out his hand for me. I stare at it before taking the bait and letting him pull me to my feet. The last time he said he had a surprise for me it was all of my childhood belongings, and the promise of another one has me visibly excited.

Gray seems to be good at surprises.

"What is it?" I give in and ask.

Gray's smile grows.

"You've got a tutor starting today." He says, watching as shock takes over my features.

Without meaning to, I turn towards the library windows and peer through them in search of Silas. I never mentioned anything to Gray about wanting a tutor, meaning that Silas must have told him on my behalf.

I spot him almost right away, my eyes widening as I take in his current state. The book he was once reading is long forgotten, haphazardly thrown onto the table next to his chair. His legs are spread as he stares at Gray and me, his hands clenched into tight fists on the top of his thighs.

I refuse to look at or acknowledge the noticeable bulge in the front of his pants.

He appears relaxed, but I know without a doubt that he watched the entire scene unfold between Gray and me. My face flushes at the thought of him seeing me beg for Gray so desperately.

I hope Silas knows that it's just a product of the lust Gray seeps.

How stupid of me to have forgotten so quickly that we are sitting directly in front of the window of the room he occupies, giving him a complete show of our intimate actions.

I know that it's what I was purchased to do, but it's one thing for them to all know that it happens and another for them to see it themselves. My parents raised me to believe that those things are private, and I need to do a better job at being discreet.

"Oh, don't be shy." Gray chuckles as he catches on to my line of thinking. "He likes to watch."

My eyes narrow as I turn towards the Incubus.

"I've gathered that." I snap.

Silas has made that quite obvious, but what Gray fails to realize is that just because somebody likes to watch doesn't mean that the other person wants to be watched. Despite my inappropriate and secret attraction towards Silas, I know better than to try anything with him.

He's kind and friendly towards me, but it's clear that he has no interest in a romantic relationship. In some sort of twisted way, the fact that he views me only as an acquaintance makes me even more desperate for him.

Although after expressing his interest in watching Gray and me, I wonder if he wants more than he lets on. I keep those thoughts locked down deep inside me, though, not wanting to humiliate myself if I am wrong.

Gray rolls his eyes at my attitude before turning and heading towards the back entrance of the manor. I follow silently behind him, intrigued as he leads me past the library and down the hallway that holds all of their offices.

I tense as we pass the library, but thankfully Silas remains inside.

My muscles relax as we come to a halt in front of Gray's office doors, and I turn to face them before realizing that Gray is looking at the room opposite it.

"We don't have a formal fourth office, but we have a pretty large supply closet that I decked out for you." Gray explains as he pushes open the door.

My eyes widen as I take in the space, pleasantly surprised at what he's done. You'd never be able to tell that this was a supply closet. A desk sits directly opposite the door, and a small seating area is in the corner directly to my left.

Whatever was once stored in here is long gone. I'm flattered that Gray went through the effort of doing this.

The Shadow sitting in the chair opposite my desk captures my attention, and I instinctively lean into Gray's side as he turns and stands.

"This is," Gray pauses, hesitating. "Uh, he has a fairly traditional Demon name. You can call him Rock. It's the closest translation. He's in charge of the grounds here and has very graciously volunteered to be your tutor."

I stumble towards the Shadow as Gray places a hand on my back and gently nudges me forward. My heart thunders in my chest as I offer Rock a small smile. I can't make out any part of his body beyond the shadow of a nose and the vague outline of fingers as he reaches his arm out towards me.

I stare at it in shock, blinking and shaking away my awkwardness as I meet him halfway and shake his hand. The fact that he chose the Human form of introduction doesn't go unnoticed, and I find myself slightly comforted at his effort to relate to me.

"It's nice to meet you, Charlie." He greets, his voice quiet and slightly grating.

The lips that meet my forehead tickle, and I turn towards Gray just as he pulls away and announces that he will be in his office. Gulping, I watch as he leaves the room and heads immediately into his office.

I sigh in relief as I note that he's kept both doors open.

Turning back around, I face the Shadow and try not to let my discomfort show as I tentatively walk around him and sit down behind my new desk. It's smaller than the ones that sit in the male's offices, but I'm not offended at all by it.

This fits me perfectly.

Fat stacks of papers sit on top of the surface, and as I quickly look them over I happily note that they are written in Human. Rock gives me a minute to get adjusted as I scoot in my chair and peek through the drawers of the desk.

Gray has decked out the top two with brightly colored office supplies, and I excitedly sift through it all before moving to the very bottom drawer. My mouth drops open as I take in the contents of it, shock turning into excitement as I note the pile of Human junk food that sits inside.

Not wanting the Shadow to know and ask for any treats, I force myself to remain calm and carefully shut the drawer. I will be munching on these later.

Grabbing a pencil from the holder that sits in the top corner of my desk, I politely make eye contact with the Shadow and nod my head. It almost appears as if he is smiling at me, but it's hard to tell through the dark haze that blurs his form.

"I figured we would do most of your learnings in the language you know best and slowly shift over to Universal as you grow more comfortable with it. Gray has requested that you also learn to read, write, and speak Demon, but there is no rush on that." Rock explains as he grabs and sifts through the sheets.

He finds what he's looking for with a happy grunt, his blurry fingers grabbing the paper and dropping the rest back down on the desk. He holds it out for me, patiently waiting until I reach forward and grab it from him.

"This is just a quick assessment I made to see where you are at in all the base subjects. We'll meet at the same time tomorrow to start our lessons." He states.

I nod, feeling overwhelmed but still glad that I'm getting the opportunity to learn. This is more than most females are ever given, and I didn't even have to welcome a cock into my body for it.

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