Chapter 14 ∣  You're Seducing Me...

-Eris

"You won't believe me, but I'm sure as your memories start to come back, you'll soon find out for yourself. After everything I've explained, just understand that I wish I could have saved you. I wish I could have been strong enough to find you before the wolves and hunters," Maverick was pained, explaining to me everything that happened...it was hurting him. "I can't change the past, but I want to help you to a new future."

My head hurts.

I sat back down against the edge of the bed, my hands falling to my sides as I sighed, "A sex demon...I'm still finding that hard to believe," I glanced up at him and I couldn't help the grin that came to my face, "and I actually beat you?"

He narrowed his eyes and scoffed, "I let you win!"

"Funny...that's not how you made it sound," I laughed. It was nice to laugh and the look on Maverick's face was nice. He too smiled and let me have my victory that apparently, I'd whooped his ass during one of our spats. Well, if being a demon made it so I could overpower him, I'm actually missing that...

"When a memory surfaces, just tell me..." Maverick's voice trailed off, my eyes finding his captivating hazel blue orbs, "I might not know everything, but I'll try to help you understand. I'm just thankful that you are regaining them, Rook said you wouldn't have any and never mentioned if you'd be able to recall them somehow."

He really is trying to help me.

"And my soul?" I asked, still trying to grasp the idea of what he told me.

Maverick arched a brow before stating, "I don't know, it's what sex demons do apparently to bond with their soul mates. Apparently, because I don't have a soul, I couldn't give you anything in return, so that's why you couldn't escape. I made you weak and maybe if we hadn't bonded w-"

"No, don't say that," I was feeling a sadness enveloping my body. Something pulling at the back of my mind triggering these emotions and feelings I held for him deep down. They were surfacing and I wasn't sure what to do with them. There was one thing I knew for sure because every inch of this body wanted to be as close as possible to him, my soul is drawn to the missing piece, "If you are my mate, then nothing could have stopped this from happening."

"If I hadn't been a reckless, uncaring monster, yes it could have been stopped," Maverick was frustrated with himself. He told me about his past, making me see exactly what had happened to him and the events that led up to use meeting. I had changed him though, his family accepting him for the choices he made after connecting with me.

I made him a better person.

"You're not a monster," I whispered, looking down at the floor, feeling ashamed for judging him before trying to understand what happened to me. "I'm sorry I called you that..."

"It's fine, Eris," he sighed, but I could feel that draw becoming harder to ignore with every second that he continued to stand near me. The memories I had regained, had shown me exactly how forward and what little restraint he had around me and I wondered how he was able to control himself. He could easily have killed me in the bathroom, the way he didn't lash back out at me...with discovering the roots of his past, I'm surprised.

It went into an awkward silence, glancing up to see he was looking at something off on the wall, probably wrapped up in his own thoughts. Slowly rising to my feet, he stood a few feet away from me, my eyes trying to find what he was looking at. When he remained silent, I decided maybe he needed to be the one left alone, sidestepping him and taking a few steps toward the bedroom door. With each step I took, I felt that pull under my skin, the warmth falling away.

Why does this hurt?

My heart skipped a beat, feeling the air shift behind me when Maverick placed one of his hands on the door when my own had reached for the doorknob. His body was radiating its warmth, being just a few inches away from him, that renewed feeling of being close settled that pain that had risen in my heart.

Am I really bound to him?

"It was easier to control myself when you weren't here," his voice made a shudder run down my spine, my eyes shifting to the hand that held the door shut. "But I'd give anything to have you back with me and yes, it's becoming harder to stop my impulsive actions. I could have hurt you worse than I did in the bathroom and I'm sorry."

My hand relinquished the hold of the doorknob, slowly turning between the small space between the two of us and the door now behind me. My eyes lifting up past his shirt, finding his face and saying quietly, "It's okay...I know now..."

"No," Maverick responded, taking a step toward me. My back against the door, his body coming in contact with mine, space we once had dissolved, "You don't know..." The hand that had stopped me from leaving the room, fell away from the door. His skin touched mine, my eyelids closing shut when he took my cheek into his large hand, my body trembling for a moment.

I felt his breath against my face lightly, breathing in the scent of cedarwood mixed with vanilla. It startled me when his lips brushed against mine, but it felt natural. I breathed in sharply, his tongue running along my lower lip, the hesitation to stop him ceased when he drew it in between his teeth. Trying to stop it, but failing miserably when a small moan surfaced, his tongue gaining entrance and massaging against mine.

"I do recall the glass creating one hole in that shirt, ripping the shirt on both sides," Maverick was dancing around the subject. What exactly was he getting at?

"And?" I arched an eyebrow and glanced down, touching where the fabric had torn.

"Well," Maverick pulled the covers back from the bed, standing up and giving me a cocky smile, "Why do you have two holes on the back of your shirt and not two on the front?"

Nope, we're not going there.

I rolled my eyes and stated, "That shower is calling my name."

Turning around I heard him chuckle, "And a quarter size rip in your jeans?"

Holy shit...I really did have wings...and a tail.

The memory flashing and snapping me out of my sudden thoughts. I pulled away from him, hardly any space to move away. There was something odd and off, the way he'd been able to just get under my skin and into my mind and then I realized exactly what he was doing.

"You ass-hat," I breathed out, seeing his eyes spark with amusement, "You were trying to seduce me..."

Maverick smirked at me before saying, "Trying? Oh, sweetheart, I believe I succeeded."

My hands lifted and pressed against his chest, trying to push him away from me, but he remained still. He was just a solid mass of muscle and with being mortal, I guess I was no match for him whatsoever now.

He frustrates me...

Instead, I just folded my arms across my chest between the small space between us. I looked away from him and let out a sigh. "How long do you plan on keeping me against this door?" Irritation was evident in my voice as I tried to shrug off the chuckling that came from him. His eyes looked from the door and then back to me, feeling his gaze as his eyes trailed over me. This was rather uncomfortable, and I wondered exactly why he had that look in his eyes.

"Eris-"

"Nope," I stopped him, knowing that if I listened to anything that was about to come out of his mouth, he'd pull me in closer to this feeling.

"Don't act lik-"

"I'm not listening," unfolding my arms, I cupped my hands over my ears. That control he had over me, I was torn between the pull it generated and the fear that came with surrendering to someone who knew more about me than I did.

He waited for me to stop acting like a child, letting my hands fall away from my ears as he asked, "Finished?"

"Are you?" I asked.

"Eris," the edge in his voice was slightly dangerous and something told me I was testing the limits to his control.

Maybe I could push him a little further?

Just as I opened my mouth he growled, "Whatever you're going to say, think twice about it."

Fine.

I closed my lips together and just let out a frustrated groan. "Can we at least go out on a date or something before you try and get into my pants?" I let out an exasperated sigh.

"That can be arranged," he smirked down at me, the sudden feeling of his body stepping away from me took me off guard. I fumbled forward and landed against his chest, throwing my hands up to catch myself. "Sweetheart...I thought you said you wanted a date first?" The glint in his eyes made me fume, pushing off of him and turning around to face the door.

"You're so infuriating!" Twisting the doorknob and pulling the door open, showing him the exit.

How the hell did I manage to deal with him in the past?

Without another word, Maverick left my room, heading for his straight across from mine. When he stood in the doorway, looking back at me, he stated, "If you get lonely, you know where to find me."

I slammed my door shut, huffing under my breath as I walked to the drawers that Arlynn had withdrawn clothes for me in the past. I was ready to see if there were some comfortable clothes like the yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt I'd worn earlier. Sleep would help...I hoped.

Nothing bad ever came from sleeping...did it?

Maverick was exhausting and my emotions were all over the place, just trying to put the pieces of this broken puzzle together. The way he spoke about me from the past...

...maybe he'd be better off with the succubus me...instead of what he has now.

Published on Amazon as an ebook and paperback.

To Seduce a Mortal by K. A. Young and Laisha C. Gardner

If you don't have a Kindle and can't purchase the book off Amazon, you are more than welcome to join my Patreon page and receive downloadable PDFs under the Pack Tracker Tier.

Please click on the link on my bio.

https://www.patreon.com/SerenityR0se