Words that should have had me cowering in fear had me baring my teeth at him in an animalistic display of anger and frustration. Maybe Jaxon had been influencing me more than I thought he had. He was the one that had been around me the most aside from Ezra. He loved tormenting me too much to stay away for too long.

I hesitated in my anger for a moment, stilling as I wondered if it was born of a false sense of security I had fooled myself into. Without Ares or Ryder around, I stood no chance against the men in front of me. I should have been treading carefully, yet the mark on my neck burned pleasantly in encouragement.

My eyes widened a fraction before narrowing further than before. My anger grew as I realized why.

I was safe.

I knew I was safe. Maybe not consciously, but my body knew it was safe.

No, it didn't know, it thought it was safe. It was convinced so because if it remembered the truth, realized the severity of the situation instead of craving the touch of a sadistic asshole, I would have piss trailing down my legs from the blatant displays of disrespect I had been giving the scary Demon King.

But no, my body was deluded into thinking the men before me cared enough to be concerned for its safety. It didn't realize it was just a means to an end for them. It never quite did, always fooled by the smallest displays of affection.

Cassius crossed his arms as he continued to stare down at me condescendingly. It only drove my need to lash out at him higher. It was a deadly need that I hadn't noticed the return of. It had been beaten into the back of my mind years ago, only daring to emerge as fleeting thoughts.

"Of course the Great Demon King would turn out to be the same, rapist, piece of shit like his brother."

A heavy chill immediately descended upon the garden following my statement. The fine hairs over my body stood on ends as an oppressive pressure had me taking a worried step back, my confidence in being safe, faltering. A shaky breath left my lips as my teeth began to chatter from the sudden drop in temperature, causing my breath to condensate into clouds.

"Say that. Again." He said the strained words through clenched teeth. His emotionless expression and calm eyes served to strike a fear in me that his largest display of anger wouldn't have been able to invoke.

I suddenly found myself finding the fear that had escaped me earlier. The mark on my neck pulsed in an attempt to reassure me that he wouldn't hurt me, but it couldn't fool me this time.

"Cassius." Axel's stern voice cut through the air before he was suddenly standing in front of me, cutting off my view of the terrifying man.

I couldn't help but reach out a shaking hand and grab hold of his shirt, seeking aid from the only viable source I could find. Taking a small step forward, I used him as a shield. He had offered himself as one the moment he took a step to block Cassius's line of sight to me.

"Go take a walk and cool off," he demanded. "You're not going to be winning any hearts over like this."

The chilling standoff continued for a few long seconds before the chill in the air slowly dissipated. For a moment I thought he was about to listen to Axel's words and go take a walk so I had begun to loosen my grip on Axel's shirt, reassured by his unexpected defence. It didn't take long for it to tighten twice as tightly when he began heading forwards instead, towards us.

Axel pulled me closer to him with an arm as he widened his stance. "Cassius," he warned.

He just narrowed his eyes in response. "Step aside, Axel. I'll go cool off like you suggested, but first I need to set some things straight." I peeked out from behind Axel's arm. Cassius's eyes immediately locked onto me as he continue to speak to Axel. "I'm not going to hurt her."

Though he said it to him, I knew he was telling me indirectly what that mark on my shoulder was trying to push me to believe.

Too bad his brother used to tell me the same lie.

Axel's fingers tightened where he was touching me to push me back, stilling. I thought he would continue to shield me from Cassius, but my relief that he was on my side was short-lived.

His fingers relaxed before letting me go. Stepping away, his shirt was pulled from my fingers as he backed away to let Cassius approach me.

Seeing no other way to defend myself against Cassius, I couldn't help the devastating eyes that I turned on Axel with accusation. He had taken away my only sense of security against the approaching man, himself. Why did he have to pretend to play hero if he wasn't going to follow through? It would have been less devastating if I never thought I had a chance.

I tried to retreat at Cassius's approach. When I went to take a step back, my heel caught on a raised stepping stone, causing me to fall.

My eyes widened in fear. Not because I was about to experience pain as I fell to the ground, but because the mark on my neck was trying to soothe my panic with a hum.

I knew what was going to happen before the thick hard arm wrapped around my back and pulled me forward. Cassius saved me from falling like my mark had warned me he would, but it ended with me being plastered to his front, not a breath of space between us.

I swallowed thickly, not able to help the tremble of my lip when he cupped the side of my neck over the mark he branded my skin with. He slowly ran his thumb down my skin, causing a shiver to run down my spine. The fear combined with the comfort the mark was exuding was spinning my head and emotions into a mess of conflict.

Slowly, he ran his palm up the side of my neck and combed his fingers through my hair near the scalp. I tried to pull away at that point, but his hand was firm as it held me in place before pulling it in closer.

I was ashamed to admit, downright horrified, when a thrill of excitement ran down my spine with the pinch of pain that came from his tightened hold and the brush of his warm breath over my cheek. He held me firmly in place with my head raised high, looking him in the eye.

"Let's get one thing straight, pet," he sternly warned. "I am not my pathetic brother. When the time comes, I promise you, you will be begging me to touch you." His tongue darted out to wet his lips. "But seeing as you love being such a brat, I just might refuse when the time comes."

The shivers of overwhelmed emotions soon turned into those of anger. Placing my hand on his chest I tried to push him away from me. The only thing I accomplished was pulling my hair unpleasantly while wasting energy.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. I may want an heir, but it can wait a bit longer if it means correcting that attitude. It might work on that Dark Fae, but it won't work on me."

My jaw dropped open in outrage. How dare he call me a brat? And 'it might work on that Dark Fae?' Was he lacking self-awareness to such an extent? My behaviour was perfectly justified for everything that was going on. With him and with Ares. I wasn't going to let him dig his way into my mind like he wanted.

And considering the fact that I was the one here unwillingly, everything I did in retaliation to that would be justified. He didn't get to play the victim.

When a ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips, I couldn't stop myself. Before I even realized what I was doing, a wade of spit was flying from my lips and landing on Cassius's cheek.

If I had thought the drop in temperature last time was severe, the leaves that began to curl up and turn black, dying, proved me wrong.

I could feel my nose burn as the freezing temperatures numbed the tip.

I tried to pull away from him again. My attempt held an increased sense of urgency as my fingers began to lose feelings.

"S-s-st-to-" I couldn't even get my plea for him to stop out past the harsh chattering of my teeth.

"Cassius!" Axel sharply barked before pulling him back by the back of his collar. He tossed him aside with a strength I didn't expect before capturing me in his arms before I could collapse. The frigid temperatures had seeped into my limbs down to the bone, leaving me wondering if I even had them anymore.

The harsh temperature increased again, returning to normal, but it had already affected me enough that I could barely notice. My shivering showed no sign of easing.

"Shit," Axel cursed.

He lowered me to the ground, propping me up against his knee as he knelt on the other. Supporting me with one arm, he used the other to pull his shirt off over his head, revealing his bare and sun-kissed skin. Switching me to the other arm, he discarded his shirt before beginning to pull my arms from the jacket I was wearing.

I didn't understand what he was doing at first, too concentrated on trying to stop the rattling that shook my body and went down to my bones.

"Fuck! You need to learn to control yourself!" As he reached for the hem of my shirt, he yelled at Cassius who lay on the ground, propped on his elbows.

His eyes were locked on us as he remained frozen in place where he had landed when he was thrown. His calm eyes were once more filled with raging storms as he looked on, his motionless body a stark contrast against the chaos.

When Axel began to lift my shirt up, my brows furrowed as I rushed to stop him, fumbling with my tingling and numb limbs. All it took was a quick swat for him to push my hands away and pull the shirt over my head, revealing my skin to the elements.

Tears filled my eyes as I crossed my arms over the thin bra that covered my chest. Before I had the chance to bask in the cold air raising goosebumps on my skin, Axel grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me towards him, forcing me against his bare and warm chest.

I couldn't help but reach my fingers out to seek the same warmth that warmed my cheek and front. For a moment it made the cold on my back all too obvious, but that was before Axel draped the jacket I had been wearing earlier over me.

He released a relieved breath.

"Is she going to be okay?"

The voice came from Cassius who now stood near us, his eyes avoiding me in guilt.

"I don't know, Cassius, why don't you ask her since she's the one you hurt?" Axel snapped, holding me closer to him.

I burrowed into the warmth as feeling slowly returned to my limbs, a sigh leaving my lips.

The comfort and warmth were lulling me into a false cocoon of comfort that only took a brush of cold fingers against my cheek to break. The illusion shattered the moment I registered Cassius had neared us.

He placed a cold palm against my forehead. Nodding to himself he pulled it back, not moving to touch me further.

Axel sighed as he pulled me back into his warmth. "Go cool off, Cassius," he repeated.

Cassius didn't respond, but the soft crunch of fallen, dead leaves under his feet announced his departure.

"I think that damn cuff has him forgetting how much power he has at the tips of his fingers," Axel said as he shook his head. "He can't go around acting like a hormonal teenager."

I snorted. It felt strange after everything that had happened.

I tried to pull away from Axel, but when his arms tightened, my body tensed in turn. When it did he immediately relaxed his grip, bit still didn't release me.

"You need the warmth."

I pulled my head back and narrowed my eyes on him. "How would you know?" I snapped back, recognizing where Cassius may have gotten his earlier impression of me from. It wouldn't have been an issue if people stopped manhandling me.

He chuckled, the vibration in his chest making its way into mine. "Ezra's been hosting classes."

"Classes?" We had only been here for a night.

"Hmm, classes about humans, about you. Wherever he gets the chance to gather us, like when you've gone to bed or to bath, he takes it. He believes we should all be prepared to handle the basics should a situation arise given how easily you lot are to kill. He learned a lot from the few books I grabbed from your realm. Has me wondering if I really need to bite you to establish a claim. You know, just in case. You are quite clumsy and have horrible luck." His eyes laughed at me before they joined his lips as he frowned. "But then again, you'd need the link to my soul so I couldn't accidentally kill you by feeding too much. Given how hungry I usually am, you wouldn't survive a few hours with me without being bonded."

All the comfort he was providing vanished the moment he said those words.

My breath stalled in my throat. After a moment of silence, I asked him the question that rang loudest in my head.

"Does Cassius know?" I kept my voice calm and level, not alerting him to the panic brewing inside. Was Axel part of his plans?

"Know what?"

"That you plan to bond with me too?"

He rose an eyebrow. "Do you not realize yet that you will be bound to your entire harem, mouse? Ezra and I are the only ones remaining."

When my breath caught in my throat again, Axel noticed this time. "Why? Does the idea of us not sound tempting?" He leaned in closer, teasingly, as he asked the words.

I guessed he wanted to intimate me into retreating because when I remained in place, motionless, the amusement in his eyes faded.

There was no point in fighting back when someone new would just rise to replace my opponent.

"Nea," he breathed out, cupping my cheek in his hand as tears of defeat swelled in my eyes. "I'm sorry for everything that I've put you through, I had never experienced a hunger so severe, I didn't know how to control it."

"If your sorry," I began in a hushed tone. "Then you'd let me go. You wouldn't force another bond on me, let alone two."

His arms tensed at my words.

"Although I am sorry for bringing you distress, I am not a good man, mouse. Incubi aren't known for letting go of the things they love. I'm not sure that what I feel for you at this moment is love, but it's more than I feel for most. One thing I do know that I love though," he closed his eyes, drawing closer as he took a deep breath. "Is that delectable scent of yours. The way you taste."

He opened his eyes, his face mere inches from mine. A tear tracked its way down my cheek as I realized how much more was in store for me.

I could even work up the energy to show my defeated anger on my face. "What? You expect me to pop out a few heirs for you after Cassius has had his turn?" Though my expression appeared flat, the contempt was clear in my voice.

He ran his thumb down my cheek. "No, I'm sure the others will be jumping for their chance, but I'm more than content with just you."

Before I could see it coming, his lips were enveloping mine. My shocked gasp gave him the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. Frozen in the moment, the thought of pushing him away didn't even occur to me in the shock. He took the chance he had gotten to conqueror the territory with his tongue before I finally snapped out of it and ripped myself from him.

Stumbling back on my feet, I grabbed the jacket over my shoulders with one hand while wiping my lips off on the back of my other hand as I looked down at Axel's smirking expression.

He ran his fingers over his lips. "You taste better than I remember."

My fingers curled into fists as tears punched me in the face. His statement just proved to remind me of my place in life.

I turned from him as I covered myself with the jacket. When that just led me to seeing Cassius returning from his short walk, I could help but be overwhelmed. Taking off in the direction Cassius and I had arrived from, I ignored Axel's shouts to stop.

"Let her go. The grounds are secure and monitored, she's safe as long as she remains on the property. The guards will make sure she doesn't leave."

Cassius's words followed me as I ran off. Despite what he said, I didn't slow my pace as I ran. All I wanted to do was find a hidden location and hide on my own.

When I came across the first hidden alcove that would be great to hide away in, I was tempted to take the opportunity. Instead, I choose to keep running past.

I came across multiple places that would have served as great hiding places, but no matter how much I wanted to make use of them, I knew what I had to do. I had to prioritize finding Ares. I wasn't safe without him around, no matter what the mark on my neck tried to convince me. Cassius had indefinitely proven it wrong.

And I was going to prove him wrong.

He didn't own me.