Chapter 17

It was still the weekend, which is usually filled with fights and business with the bars, but I had set myself up to have the weekend off for these meetings. Devland got up to send messages and judgment and came back into the room as I was getting dressed. “I’m sorry I missed the fun part” he said with a smirk. I turned around showing him my unbuttoned navy shirt that I saved for last. “You almost did,” I replied.

He was in front of me in an instant and slapped my hands away from my buttons. I couldn’t help the girlish giggle that came out. He raised his eyebrow at me but continued caressing me and kissed from my neck to my pants as he kneeled in front of me. Then he started buttoning my shirt. Well that wasn’t what I expected. “I thought you didn’t have to work today,” he said between kisses on my stomach as he buttoned my shirt. “Umm… I don’t.” I hummed. “Hmm” he said into my skin. “I have to go shopping. Ziggy is going tomorrow and wants me to join but I need to get mine done beforehand or she will drive me insane.

Do you have more work to do?” I said. “Nope.” He kissed my lips as he finished my top button. He stood up grinning ear to ear. My demon purred. Somehow he looked even happier. “Um. You have the boys' numbers. They can keep you entertained until dinner? I’ll be done long before then… or.. we can meet before dinner?.. or we can ditch the meeting altogether?” he’s still smiling but he also looks almost pleading. “You don’t actually want to come with me?” I asked. “Yes, please.” He replied, smiling even bigger. That was adorable. “I’m not a very fun shopping buddy.” I said simply. He nodded, still smiling. “

A lot of it is just picking up things I have ordered.” More smiling and nodding. “I’ll probably be angry by the end.” Smile and nod. “And you won’t get to watch me change.” He nodded but his smile fell a little. “Okay, come on.”

Most of the day was spent in my car. I did warn him that it was mainly picking stuff up. He sat beside me as I drove around to the city. Most of the time I was met outside with my things already prepared. I would give a handshake and some big bills to whoever brought them before paying their boss the same amount. I had watched humans' love of power and money long enough that I knew what I gave to the boss wouldn’t make it to the workers.

The workers knew not to share what I gave them with my boss. I had a good relationship with most of the employees of the business I frequented. I spent enough money there to keep most of them in business on me alone, so the owners didn’t question me.

I also made sure all of the workers knew that if they were mistreated, they should tell me immediately. Devland watched me interact but gave mainly head nods and grunts in responses. Which was almost as much as I spoke but at least I smiled. I did catch him smiling at me a few times out of the corner of my eye but ignored it.

As we drove we chatted or sat in comfortable silence, and I truly didn’t mind his company. He seemed to enjoy silence as much as I did and I was grateful for it. We came to the “going in” segment of my day, which was the part I was dreading. Trying shit on. I parked my car and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you want to come? There’s a food court?” I tried one more time. “Nope, I’m coming.”

We went into the first store. I took 3 new suit jackets off the rack and tried them on as I walked. I kept two. I picked out 6 shirts and 6 pants and went to try them on. I was most of the way through them when Devland found me in the dressing room. Not two minutes later I was out with half of what I went in with and ready to go. I went to check out and saw Devland already there leaning his hip on the counter. The clerk was basically drooling. Keep it in your pants sweetheart. ‘Mine’, my demon growled. I focused harder on keeping my eyes from changing as I smiled kindly. Don’t be crazy, crazy I said to myself.

Devland was grinning at me. “I already checked you out, Miss Morana. You’re good to go.” The young girl said, barely peeling her eyes away from my… from Devland. “Thank you, Katy. Again, it’s Daeva” I said, my tone finally drawing her attention away. That’s better. “Will you take my bag love?” I said, keeping my eyes on Katy but stepping towards Devland. He looked ready to explode, the red and gold specks lighting up his eyes.

I was genuinely surprised he didn’t jump up and down. He raised his eyebrow at me but used it as a chance to kiss my cheek. Sneaky. I blushed as he actually grabbed my bag. “Thank you Katy.” I said, politely nodding to her. She was a sweet girl and she probably didn’t deserve that. I have never wanted to claim anyone as my own. Everyone that I had been with previously was free to do whatever or whoever they wanted. With Devland though, I was starting to agree with his sentiment on locking one of us in a tower.

We stopped by a few more stores but it was much less entertaining for him and quicker for me. By the time I was done, I was sick of looking at the scars on my body and my body in general. I was comfortable with others looking at my body, but I wasn’t my own cup of tea. The scars alone were too much for me to look at without getting angry. I was carrying 6 bags while Devland was only allowed to carry the two from the first store.

We got back in my car and I let out the breath I’ve been holding and slammed my head into my steering wheel. Devland shut his door and roared laughing, nearly shaking the car. “That was exhausting,” I said simply. “Princess, you spent less than 15 minutes in each store and didn’t even need to check out at one” He laughed. I groaned as he rubbed my back. “You also got jealous,” he said with a smirk. I shot him a glare. “She was drooling on the counter. I felt like I needed to let her down easy.” That was the best I could come up with but he was still smirking at me. He leaned in and kissed my nose. “Thank you for that, then” he said.

Ugh. I almost rolled my eyes before I caught myself and looked at him. His eyes were deep blue. He reached up to gently touch my check, “you are such a good girl.” He said before kissing me. I’m not going to ask myself why I liked that so much but my angel was clawing to jump on him. Back to the bar.

When we got back to my suite I threw the bags in my closet and Devland, headed towards the kitchen and came back with an apple, one of the few food items that I had not used for baking. He was chuckling under his breath. “What?” I asked, his laugh was my favorite sound but I was wondering what in the kitchen could make him laugh like that. He just shook his head at me and said “Seriously. I’m starting to think you eat lemons whole.”

I started laughing along with him. “I don’t. But I do make the best lemon meringue that you will ever taste. They take a whole bag of lemons though, and I bake when I’m stressed, hence the ridiculous amount of lemons and eggs that you have been seeing.” He laughed again but nodded his understanding. He stood against my closet door watching me sort everything by color and hanging things up. My closet looked like a very dark rainbow but everything was in perfect order, just how I liked it.

He was watching me like I was the most fascinating creature in the world though, and considering the boring task at hand, it was feeling a little bit more awkward. “Do you have anything you need to do while I finish here?” I asked him pointedly. “Nope.”

He simply replied with a smile. Ugh. Once I was finished, we went back downstairs to get something to eat before the gang arrived again. Aella and Jaackob were leaving tonight, as was Than. Volkan was leaving the day after tomorrow. Ziggy and Roo were leaving 2 days before myself and Devland. Tonight went the same as the previous one. Devland and I ate and flirted, before Than showed up. He was the first to arrive but the rest shuffled in soon after to meet to go over last minute details before the significant others rejoined us. It was down to myself, Ziggy, Acheros,

Than and Devland when I heard the fight break out below us. It was demons fighting so I went to get involved. They, thankfully, had the sense to get away from the humans before things escalated but they were now taking their frustrations out on my 3rd floor and I did not want to have to choose more granite for countertops. “ENOUGH,” I roared, putting an immediate stop to the nonsense. “Take them to the ring and wait for me there.” I told my guards who had their arms wrapped around my young demon recruits. I turned to tell the others that I would be a few moments but they were all behind me.

Ziggy was basically bouncing and even Roo looked excited. “Fine, whoever wants to come may, but this is my house and my rules and no one will interject.” I said looking at Devland this time. He nodded with an unreadable expression on his face. Ohhhkkaay. We made our way to the basement where the fighters were waiting. They were both looking slightly more afraid, good. “You have 30 seconds to explain.” I said.

“We weren’t on duty maam.” The bigger of the two started. “We just got carried away, we haven’t been in a fight in quite some time. Then we both wanted the same human. We just lost ourselves in the need to fight. We actually trained together. We can get along, I swear.” He continued. The other one finally piped up “she was perfect ma’am, you might have even fought us for her. But we let ourselves get carried away and will accept any punishment you give us.” They both nodded and bowed their heads slightly. Fucking men. I swear most of the fights I break up were because of the heaven between a woman’s legs. More than half. In fact 100% of them this week!

“So which one of you did she choose?” I asked. Both of their faces fell. I thought not. “So all of this could have been avoided if you just asked if she wanted one of you at all? Hell maybe she wanted you both and you just lost an even better night.” I responded. “Well we.. we didn’t think about it.. Like that..” the small one started sheepishly. “Dumb asses. Both of you. You’ll be fighting me together this time.

Maybe that will teach you some fucking teamwork.” I stripped out of my suit jacket and shirt leaving just my tank top under my suspenders. The small one looks the appropriate amount of scared but the bigger one was looking a little too excited. He was definitely bigger than me, maybe a few inches smaller than Devland but I could already see his weak points. I hardly ever fought the newer demons, it was hardly ever fun, unless they did something stupid to earn their ass whooping. This is going to be fun.